ATF: Mallard - How to mount?

Cotty

Member
Hello all,
First of all we bought our M245 a couple of weeks ago and we love the TT. But we are looking to do some things to the coach.

1. How do we go about mounting a TV in the provided space? The plywood does not look very thick and I am wondering if it requires backing?

2. We are looking to mount some things throughout the TT and need to know what the correct fasteners should be? Some of the things we want to mount are coat hooks and towel bars in the bathroom.

3. Also, I was reading the North Trail forum and have seen a post about the unused space under the lower bunk and I would like to know if I modify the access to this area will I void my warranty?

Thank you for all of your help,
Cotty
 

jbeletti

Well-known member
Hi Cotty and welcome to the forum!

1. Your best bet here is to call Customer Service today at 877-262-8032 and ask them if there's backer where you want to mount the TV. If not, you'll need to use a plan B*

2. What you use to mount items to your walls is a function of 2 things:
a) How heavy the items is
b) What sort of substrate you're mounting to
For mounting on doors, on cabinet stiles and such, I pre-drill and use wood screws.
For mounting on hollow interior walls, we use Command Strips for super-light items and a wood screw for other items. Bear in mind that the thickness of the interior wall panel is about 3/32". So no need for a long fastener and don't expect too much.
For an outside wall, if your wall has block foam insulation, for heavier items, you could use short plastic anchors.
For lighter items, I simply use a wood screw.
For anything that will swing during travel based on mounting with a single screw, I suggest adding a Command Strip to the bottom of the item.

*If I was wanting to mount a TV to a wall where there was insufficient backer, I would add a piece of 1/2" plywood to that wall and span 2 pieces of vertical wall structure (stud). I'd attach the plywood to the structure and attach the TV mount to the plywood. I'd either paint the plywood to complement the interior wall decor panel or I'd contact Heartland Customer Service and purchase enough matching decor wallpaper (think contact paper) to cover the plywood and edges so it blends in.

3. Modifying your furniture will not nullify your coach warranty. It may affect your ability to obtain warranty coverage on the item modified but I don't think that should stop you. Just do so in a manner that adds, not takes away from any safety factor.
 

Cotty

Member
The TV location is on a rotating door between the main area and the Master bedroom. I had thought about using 1/2" ply inside the box and painting it black and using screws from the top and bottom and that should be sufficient.

Other than the TV the items are pretty light so I am not terribly worried but thought I would ask. Ill give them a call and see what they have to say.

Thanks,
Cotty
 

jbeletti

Well-known member
The TV location is on a rotating door between the main area and the Master bedroom. I had thought about using 1/2" ply inside the box and painting it black and using screws from the top and bottom and that should be sufficient.

Other than the TV the items are pretty light so I am not terribly worried but thought I would ask. Ill give them a call and see what they have to say.

Thanks,
Cotty

Now I understand :)

Yes, if you’d like to strengthen that rotating wall, skin a piece of plywood in there.


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RossRagan

Well-known member
I put a TV in my new M245 about a month ago. As you said, the TV is pretty light and I actually did not reinforce mine at all. There is a vertical "stud" that runs from the bottom to the top in the center of the rotating wall section and I put my primary weight supporting screws into that "stud" I then added more decorative black screws with black finishing washers that pass all the way through the wall, back to front to create additional support for the mounting bracket.
M245 TV Mount.JPGM245 Television.JPG

I put the feet on to the television so that I can unmount it (quick release mount) and take it out side if I choose.

The sound bar under the TV is mounted using adhesive backed velcro strips.
 

jbeletti

Well-known member
I put a TV in my new M245 about a month ago. As you said, the TV is pretty light and I actually did not reinforce mine at all. There is a vertical "stud" that runs from the bottom to the top in the center of the rotating wall section and I put my primary weight supporting screws into that "stud" I then added more decorative black screws with black finishing washers that pass all the way through the wall, back to front to create additional support for the mounting bracket.
View attachment 58659View attachment 58660

I put the feet on to the television so that I can unmount it (quick release mount) and take it out side if I choose.

The sound bar under the TV is mounted using adhesive backed velcro strips.

Great work. Thanks for sharing.
 

CoveredWagon

Well-known member
As Jim mentioned, “Command Strip” hooks etc. Not only do the make hooks, but towel bars and everything else. I use them in all different sizes and have them all over both the sticks and bricks house as well as all around the Rv. They come in all different sizes and many different products. Your local big box store has them, but don’t forget to look at CW. CW has some different ones that are more dedicated to Rv living. And believe it or not they will come off clean even after years of use.

Disclaimer: Dependant on the surface they are mounted to. 😉
 

Cotty

Member
Thank you all. Ill have to take a look at mine and find the vertical stud. Ahh...I hadn't thought about adding a sound bar. That is a great idea. My wife is gonna hate me.

Cotty
 

RossRagan

Well-known member
Thank you all. Ill have to take a look at mine and find the vertical stud. Ahh...I hadn't thought about adding a sound bar. That is a great idea. My wife is gonna hate me.

Cotty
If you go the direction that I did, predrill holes in stud and use wood screws. The stud is only an inch thick, I believe, so don't go too long on your wood screw selection. Here is the look from the back side:
IMG_0525.JPG

I had read elsewhere some folks recommending that TVs be unmounted and laid on the bed while traveling so I added a strap that wraps across the front of the TV, again using velcro to secure the strap. So far my travels have all been on paved roads so I have not had any issues; but this fall I expect I will be traveling on some washboard gravel roads that could jostle things a bit in the trailer.
IMG_0527.JPGIMG_0528.JPG
 
I just purchased the 2019 Mallard M28 and I am nut sure I understand about the studs your talking about for mounting the TV!! Please give me guidance cause I don't want to hang the TV and have it fall off and brake multiple things.... Thanks
 

RossRagan

Well-known member
I just purchased the 2019 Mallard M28 and I am nut sure I understand about the studs your talking about for mounting the TV!! Please give me guidance cause I don't want to hang the TV and have it fall off and brake multiple things.... Thanks

By tapping across the rotating section with my knuckles, I could tell that there was a wood "stud" running top to bottom through the center of that rotating section. In the photo below, you can see where the center bolts are located (there are three black lines rather than two (one of the black lines is the one that I used to mark the very center of the rotating section). Those center bolts (wood screws) are screwed into the "stud". I use "stud" rather loosely because I typically think of a stud being a 2 X 4 or a 2 X 6 but the one in the rotating section is probably a 1 X 1 or a 1 X 2 piece of wood. I think I used 1/4" X 3/4" wood screws (predrilled holes) to bolt the mounting bracket into this stud. I think the outside screws were 1/4" X 1-1/2" black machine screws (again, I predrilled the holes) with nylon locking nuts


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