Kemerton TV

Hi Everyone, the former owners of our 2014 Kemerton have removed the TV and mounting bracket, can anyone advise the best sort of bracket and size of TV to enable the TV to be mounted in the normal TV cupboard and enable it to be pulled out to a good viewing angle for the front swivel seats and the lounge area.
We were thinking the new Avtex L199DRS Pro 19.5 or L219DRS Pro 21.5, also is the Kemerton standard aerial ok for viewing freeview channels in the UK, We may look at satellite later when we go aboard but just for now would like to be able to watch TV in the UK. Thanks in advance.

We have an avtex fitted in our 2014  Kemerton but I think it is 15 or 16 inch. This just clears the opening so I doubt that you would get a bigger tv to fit but I will check for you and get back to you . I fitted the recommended bracket which is a SVENSEN SV 9.0. Bought on e bay not cheap but solidly built.   It is a really substantial bracket that allows the tv to be quickly removed over winter but locked in place when in use and can be adjusted to any angle to suit viewing from the seating in the van. The aerial supplied has worked at most sites we have been to Ok but on one particular site at Broughty Ferry with poor signal I use one of the small flat caravan aerials fixed to the bike  rack at the rear. Bought 2nd hand on Gumtree while on the site! Beware that a lot of A/s converted  vans have the wiring for external sockets for sat. And Tv crossed by mistake when built . I.e plug aerial into external satellite socket and it appears at tv socket inside. Tv aerial socket outside appears at satellite socket inside . I questioned the factory over this glaring error and while they admitted it happens a lot , did not seem interested in stopping it happening in future! So much for Mark! Maybe an off day......Also the sockets in upper cupboard for tv are not connected at all. The cable is lying loose behind the wardrobe! Perhaps ours was wired  by the apprentice!   

Thanks for the info Kaspian, We haven't actually collected the van yet pick it up on Thursday so getting excited !!!
Must admit being a VW owner in various shapes and conversions for the last 30 odd years the Kemerton will seem quite different, any other user tips would be gratefully received.
Thanks.

Hi Arry , Carefully check the external sealing of the extractor fan mushroom vent above the shower. Ours leaked badly just weeks out of warranty trashing the shower room bulkhead. Check carefully the shelf that the microwave sits on . It WILL DROP through usage as not  adequately supported from factory but can be easily rectified by using modesty blocks below to reinforce.

The avtex was missing from our kemerton. I bought a cello 16in . Luckily I rebuilt the arm it sits on and it fits the cupboard. Thought I was into drilling new holes through to the wardrobe. Although I thought the round spaceship antenna was going to be useless it been great so far. But to your point it seems to be the norm to remove power cables, caravan leg wrench and tv's I don't have a problem I think it just something to be aware of. Shame as it can cause probs especially with people new to vans .

Thanks for the comments

We bought an Avtex 18 inch. Remote was hopeless (didn't respond sometimes had to keep pushing button over and over again)and wasn't 1080p either only 720p.  We sent back and bought the smaller Avtex 16inch and that was 1080P and is perfect size for Van conversion.  We have Fairford.  The picture and sound and one touch tune is really handy and easy to operate

Where do you have your tv herby?

Hi

ACDCTV.  See link below

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We went for the Satellite and HD freeview one

Sally wrote:
I often wonder why owners remove what came supplied as standard equipment.  The same thing has happened with mine (Sussex Duo), the previous owners have taken the telly!  I sometimes wonder if it’s because they got a poor trade in, but whatever the reason, it does make them look a little cheap.

You may find that it has little to do with the previous owner if the van has passed through the hands of a dealer. It's not uncommon for dealers to remove things from vehicles while on the forecourt, to stop light-fingered viewers from nicking them - and then they never find their way back into the correct van after sale. I believe it's also fairly common for dealers to dispose of vehicle alarm remote controls, so that buyers don't keep coming back and asking how they work (which of course the dealer can't be rsed to find out).

I will admit to taking the tv from our original van. We bought it for it and took it with us when we bought the fairford, as it didn’t come with a tv. Don’t watch it much. Looks like the one in link herby, but it’s not a sattelite tv, same shape and size maybe though. Is yours on a wall?

No It isn't I wasn't sure where to put a TV in the Fairford. Have you mounted yours?   We just have ours on the cooker hood or worktop depending where we are sat

We are same as you herby, but it’s a pain storing it for travel. We store it between pillows at the back next to our levelling blocks. When parked up we stick on dining table till we use it.

Do new vans come with a TV?

I'm quite willing to be contradicted, but I don't think they do unless someone haggles for one as a "sweetener", in which case it's not unreasonable for a previous owner to remove an accessory that he has bought separately.

As for second hand hook-up cables, I believe I'm right in saying that dealers are legally obliged NOT to leave them in a used van, for obvious safety reasons. Whether they provide a new cable is likely to depend on the dealer I suspect.

Plus what Mojo said. Dealers even have to pull the knobs off the cooker (specially at a show) because they know some toerag will pinch them. I've even seen vans with the toilet seat and cover removed, for the same reason.

Arry 32 wrote:Hi Everyone, the former owners of our 2014 Kemerton have removed the TV and mounting bracket, can anyone advise the best sort of bracket and size of TV to enable the TV to be mounted in the normal TV cupboard and enable it to be pulled out to a good viewing angle for the front swivel seats and the lounge area.
We were thinking the new Avtex L199DRS Pro 19.5 or L219DRS Pro 21.5, also is the Kemerton standard aerial ok for viewing freeview channels in the UK, We may look at satellite later when we go aboard but just for now would like to be able to watch TV in the UK. Thanks in advance.

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We have an Avtex L168DR 16" that fits neatly into the TV cupboard of our 2015 Kemerton, as pictured.  There's even room for the remote and other bits & pieces underneath.  It moves in and out on the bracket easily and doesn't foul the edges of the cupboard.  The previous owner had installed  the earlier L165DRS model and that fitted too, but only just.

Hi Kemerton Bath, thanks for that a picture says a thousand words  in your opinion the 16" is big enough to view from the front seats and is the sound ok ?
Having said that if thats the biggest that fits in that unit a 16" it is .
Many thanks Arry.

Yes , thats the one! If you want it to fit the dedicated cabinet then yes that is as big as you can go. Sound is fine if rather tinny but certainly loud enough. Dont forget you are sitting in a tin box and sound travels!! If interested in satellite worth getting the one with built in sat receiver. A couple of times I have set up a small dish outside plugged into external sat socket and picked up the signal in the tv cupboard. Great for those few sites where tv reception is dire!

Hi Arry,

16" is fine for viewing comfort from the cab seats.

Kaspian is right that the speakers are as tinny as they always are in flat screen TVs.  I've just purchased a half-decent bluetooth stereo speaker box with an Aux input that I can connect to the TV, as well as using it for music from a phone or iPod.  Ideally I'd have used the installed van speakers via the cab radio and an FM transmitter gizmo plugged into the sound source ... but like many others I know the 20min radio "off" function will drive me nuts!

I have had the 16" Avtex in my Clubman, now have the 18* in Amethyst, and  find the sound is very good certainly not tinny, if you find it so, is it may be because yours is in a van , conversion, may be acoustics?

We have the 16 inch Avtex in our Fairford and it doesn't sound tinny at all. The sound is really good for a small TV