A roof mount TV installed in your family van can liven up road trips, hour-long cruises and even shorter drives. Providing entertainment that everyone can enjoy is especially helpful in a van, allowing the four or five passengers in the back to enjoy something together. Most models of roof mount TV's need only a power source connection, audio and video RCA plug connections for any A/V input or audio output and an installation plate which can anchor the main monitor unit.
Find a location on the ceiling of your van where you can install your roof mount TV. The best location is generally between the driver and front passenger seats, positioned so the driver cannot see the monitor but close enough to the front so that passengers in the van's middle seat can watch. Mark all screw holes found on the installation plate with a black marker and use a cordless drill and drill bit to create holes for the screws which will later secure the installation plate and roof mount TV.
Open the van's front bonnet and disconnect the negative lead from your van's battery. Use your cordless drill and an appropriately sized drill bit to drill a hole large enough through the front of your car so that the 12-volt direct current (12V DC) adaptor wire can fit through easily. Apply a grommet to the hole before sliding the wire through as this will protect the wire from becoming nicked or sliced by any jagged edges. Connect the 12V DC adaptor wire to the fuse box on your van's battery.
- A roof mount TV installed in your family van can liven up road trips, hour-long cruises and even shorter drives.
- Use your cordless drill and an appropriately sized drill bit to drill a hole large enough through the front of your car so that the 12-volt direct current (12V DC) adaptor wire can fit through easily.
Connect the roof mount TV's audio and video RCA plugs to your desired sources. This may include any input wires from DVD players or game consoles and audio output wires to your van's amps, if you wish to utilise your van's speakers. If your roof mount TV came with an antenna, make sure it is connected to the main unit as well.
Position the installation plate where you decided to install it and secure it with the proper screws. Use screws recommended by your owner's manual, and a cordless drill and screw bit to install. Secure the main unit of the roof mount TV to the installation plate with the remaining screws.