Wall thickness and tv mounts

[Gulch21]

Hi!

I’m trying to install a tv mount in a Salem FSX 179DBK. The lag bolts that came with my tv mount are 60mm (about 2.3 inches) and I think they’ll be too long… but I don’t know where I can find the wall thickness so I can figure out what bolts to buy. Can anyone help?

Thanks!
Lauren

[D W]

What size T.V. are you installing that needs lag bolts? Your rig should be equipped with an inside the wall plywood backing board. There has to be something behind the wall that the mount can grasp. The thin walls will not support a T.V. by itself. Our T.V. weighs 12 lbs. We used a PAWS mount which came with 4 each #12 x 1 wood screws that anchored into the backing board. Nice solid mount.

[Gulch21]

Maybe that’s my answer- the mounting kit is one of those universal ones. The tv itself is about 9lbs… so maybe wood screws would be just fine as you suggest. And yes, there’s an area of the wall where it says there’s a tv backer.

But the question on depth is still there…. If I eyeball it based on a window or door opening it seems like the thickness is a little less than 2” but I would feel better if I could find that info somewhere!

[Kimber45]

Your guess is probably dead on. Standard 2X material is actually an inch and a half plus thin wall board on either side of it. Wood screws in the marked area will be more then enough for a small TV. I added a cut piece of plywood to that marked area to make wall thicker and give screws more bite

[mikeyk101]

In my Wildwood FSX, I ran into the same issue. The TV mount from Amazon although advertised for RV's, came with almost 3" lag bolts. I ran down to the local True Value and found some that were similar in thickness but only 1-1/4" long and then some wide washers that fit. This worked out perfectly. This is the mount I bought.

[CedarCreekWoody]

Use 1 1/4 max length. A mount that is close to the wall is strongest. A mount the extends out tends to pull the top screws out of the wall.

[rsdata]

read this post #6 for info on my wall thickness and picture of wall section

https://www.forestriverforums.com/fo...ss-228807.html

[High Country Duramax]

The wall is probably 2”. I used toggle bolts with extra washers to take up some length.

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by Gulch21

Maybe that’s my answer- the mounting kit is one of those universal ones. The tv itself is about 9lbs… so maybe wood screws would be just fine as you suggest. And yes, there’s an area of the wall where it says there’s a tv backer.

But the question on depth is still there…. If I eyeball it based on a window or door opening it seems like the thickness is a little less than 2” but I would feel better if I could find that info somewhere!

There are actually two sizes of VESA-standard TV mounts, big and small. You only need the small one.

[jeff64]

Originally Posted by D W

What size T.V. are you installing that needs lag bolts? Your rig should be equipped with an inside the wall plywood backing board. There has to be something behind the wall that the mount can grasp. The thin walls will not support a T.V. by itself. Our T.V. weighs 12 lbs. We used a PAWS mount which came with 4 each #12 x 1 wood screws that anchored into the backing board. Nice solid mount.

X2 on the #12-1" screws. Hillman Pop-Toggles work nicely if you're trying to attach something securely to paneling and come in 1/8" size

[Grumpy7159]

I used a stud finder and put up a piece of 3/4 " plywood for support of my TV mounts. I have four screws on each side and four 1.125" lag bolts in the mount itself. If you have a 9# TV close to the wall the mount feels about 9#. The further you get from the wall the more weight the mount feels. We bungee this TV when moving the TT.

[Villagerjjm]

Go to your local hardware store and tell them what your project is. They will guide you to the correct fasteners to use.

[PenJoe]

Originally Posted by mikeyk101

In my Wildwood FSX, I ran into the same issue. The TV mount from Amazon although advertised for RV's, came with almost 3" lag bolts. I ran down to the local True Value and found some that were similar in thickness but only 1-1/4" long and then some wide washers that fit. This worked out perfectly. This is the mount I bought.

This is one of the best mounts for a BR TV. The lock pin is a real benefit when travelling. When I mounted the TV, all of the wires were concealed in the wall.

[GFD47]

If mounting the TV in a fixed position close to the wall the primary load on both the top and bottom screws is shear (straight up and down vertical load) and 1-1/4" screws about the same diameter as came with your mount should work fine. If you are mounting an extension swivel bracket it will add pull-out load to the top screws (as was noted above) and I strongly recommend toggle bolts for the top two holes, as it's many times more difficult to pull a toggle bolt through the wall than to pull a screw out of a relatively small-diameter hole.
(This is advice from a guy who started waiting on customers in his dad's hardware store at age 12, later supplemented with a structural engineering degree.)

[NavyLCDR]

Originally Posted by Villagerjjm

Go to your local hardware store and tell them what your project is. They will guide you to the correct fasteners to use.

Are there RV specialists working at your local hardware store? Are they familiar with RV construction?

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by NavyLCDR

Are there RV specialists working at your local hardware store? Are they familiar with RV construction?

At least 35 years ago, one of my co-workers mentioned that one of his sons had gotten a summer job at Menards (midwestern DIY chain similar to Lowe's or Home Depot.)

I said "Frank, all your kids do is play hockey year round. They don't know which end of a screwdriver is the handle. How are they going to sell hardware and tools?"

He said "That's exactly what Menards wants--someone who will give a quick answer and not waste the day talking about projects." SMH

And years later in North Carolina I came home from work one day to our new-to-us house and my wife said "I started taking those awful mirror tiles off the wall in the living room today. You'd better take a look."

Great chunks of drywall and drywall paper taken out at each corner. Lots of broken glass. I asked "How did you do this?" and was told "The young man sold me this (shows me a four-inch putty knife) and told me to pry each one up.

I said "Did you know you could have put your eyes out with flying glass?" and probably also said "It will take hours to finish that drywall." She asked "How are you supposed to do it?" and I showed her how to take a hacksaw blade (just the blade) and saw through each mounting square.

Moral: Just because someone is employed at a hardware or DIY store doesn't mean they have skills or knowledge.

[Villagerjjm]

Originally Posted by NavyLCDR

Are there RV specialists working at your local hardware store? Are they familiar with RV construction?

You don’t have to be an RV specialist to know what type of fasteners you need to mount a television in an RV. But you do need some common sense. Perhaps you may find that at the hardware store in addition to the materials you need that will be supplied by experienced people that can supply both of the things you need.

[KJ6MTJ - John]

I wouldn't go any longer then inch. I have a bit of a different set up where as I have a pocket door that slides into a chamber that my tv bracket goes into, with the 3/4 inch backer, I went with 5/8 length screws and it hung my 32 inch just fine and didn't go thru backer to interfere with pocket door. Had I used what came with the kit (2 1/2), lol, I would have either permanently screwed my door closed or would have stuck closed 3/4 of the way. Just need to get some bite into the backer.