Temporarily mounting a Dell 2405FPW in a Mini Van...suggestions?

[soundfx4]

I'm going to be headed up to Winchester, VA this weekend with my family, and I thought it would be interesting to mount my dell monitor in the mini van so I could watch DVD movies, and maybe play my XBOX 360 while driving up there. Although I don't know if my 360 will work, the PSU is rated at 220 Watts, I believe.

Anyway, this is kind of crazy, but has anyone ever done anything like this temporary, or even permanent?

[ajrettke]

it's a heavy monitor so I wouldn't recommend having it hang from the ceiling so basicly just bring it with the stand and put it on the the side of the bench seats so you need to face the side of the van to see it. Brace it best you can from tipping forward (seatback will prevent from tipping back.

And be careful with it...would suck to have some dead pixels on that thing.

[Serraph]

Buy one of those VESA-compatible LCD arms (Ergotron brand would work) and find something to mount it's clamp too. I'm sure you will be able to find some way to do it.
I have a 8" VGA LCD Touchscreen monitor mounted on my dash. The mount for it is drilled into the dash bezel, but the stand has a quick disconnect so it only takes about 2 seconds to remove the LCD.

[Fr3@k3r]

you could just make yourself a mounting box (something like a sub box) that would fit your screen :) i was thinking about doing that myself with an extra screen i have lying around.

[twoeyes]

I'd suggest a mounting arm personally, will give the best hold. Thats to much monitor to just risk toppling over :) (might hurt the kids also)

[JCLW]

When I was a kid we used to look out the windows.

[Fr3@k3r]

When I was a kid we used to look out the windows.

20-30 years ago :p

[soundfx4]

When I was a kid we used to look out the windows.


lol, well maybe I'll hook an outside camera up to it so it would be like looking out the windows :p

I know, it does sound pathetic, and I guess it sort of is actually. Oh well :shrug:

[soundfx4]

Well maybe I just won't worry about it, I don't have enough time to do anything other then set it on the floor now anyway. I'll try using an arm for the next trip :)

[soundfx4]

Buy one of those VESA-compatible LCD arms (Ergotron brand would work) and find something to mount it's clamp too. I'm sure you will be able to find some way to do it.
I have a 8" VGA LCD Touchscreen monitor mounted on my dash. The mount for it is drilled into the dash bezel, but the stand has a quick disconnect so it only takes about 2 seconds to remove the LCD.


yeah, but that 8" screen weighs a lot less then my 24" screen, so I dunno how well that would work. But like you said, I'm bound to find some way to get an VESA arm to work.

[Fr3@k3r]

like i said.. go to a place that does custom stereo sub boxes, spend $50 on a custom sub box that will fit your lcd :)

[soundfx4]

like i said.. go to a place that does custom stereo sub boxes, spend $50 on a custom sub box that will fit your lcd :)


this is going to sound stupid, but what exactly do you mean by sub box?

[damarble]

this is going to sound stupid, but what exactly do you mean by sub box?
Like subwoofers ar mounted in.

I think a VESA arm is your best bet, bolted to the floor. Or you could make some kind of sling to hook it over a front seat.

[Xtreme Barton]

subwoofer box = sub box


id find a better way to keep yourself busy... play an old game of slug bug, topped off with how many peter built trucks you can count.. bring lots of music... and next, sleep as much as possible..

[Fr3@k3r]

subwoofer box = sub box

http://vwroadtrip.peterbeers.net/GTI/GTI_Mods/Car_Audio/DSCN4143_Sub_Box.JPG

they can make em to fit just about anything...

[soundfx4]

Ok, that' what I was thinking when you said sub box, but I couldn't see how that would help me, that's why I asked. :p

[soundfx4]

subwoofer box = sub box


id find a better way to keep yourself busy... play an old game of slug bug, topped off with how many peter built trucks you can count.. bring lots of music... and next, sleep as much as possible..



ARE YOU INSANE!? lol, j/k I know, it is a lot of trouble, especially for such a short trip. 3 hours might be a while when your doing nothing, but if I actually went through all the trouble to hook up the monitor, it would seam REALLY stupid hah. I'll have to do it some other time, and I'd probably use some sort of arm mount like several people suggested here. Anyway, thanks for the suggestions everyone!

[dfonda]

Good luck with it. I have driven millions of miles and dvd players fill in the time betwwen looking out the windows wonderfully.

[Burdman27911]

I would agree that it's probably not really worth it for only 3 hrs, while you can get bored in 3 hrs, there's really nothing like going for 36hr non-stop.... now that trip I wish I would have brought a PC.

[eskimochaos]

Personally I think the idea is very stupid. A 24inch monitor weighs a good 30 pounds, that in an accident and you could get seriously...not to mention that a 360 and a 24" Dell monitor are like 1200 dollars...not worth it.

[Echo_]

make sure test it out if your van can power all the stuff first

[shard]

3 hours? You wuss :p

I make 14 runs to arizona without even thinking about it. Just nab a book, listen to some music, or just sleep, all sugested before lol :D

[BioTuned]

have someone hold it while you watch =D

[soundfx4]

have someone hold it while you watch =D


haha :D

[soundfx4]

Personally I think the idea is very stupid. A 24inch monitor weighs a good 30 pounds, that in an accident and you could get seriously...not to mention that a 360 and a 24" Dell monitor are like 1200 dollars...not worth it.


it actually weighs about 20 lbs. Still I thought about that and decided that if I'm in an accident, I'll get hurt anyway, and the last thing I'd be worried about in such a situation is my equipment. Yeah, I know, all that crap stuffed in the van could easily make the situation much worse, but it could also do the exact opposite. Nobody ever knows what will happen in an accident, or what will be best to prevent injury. The monitor could save my life for all we know, but at the same time it could also take it.

You definitely have a point though. :-/

[soundfx4]

make sure test it out if your van can power all the stuff first


I don't think that would be a problem, we got a large alternator when we bought it for this very reason (ok, well not this very reason, but similar situations) The only problem that I think could come up is the wire that goes to the power outlets, I'm not sure what gauge wire it is, and pulling a few hundred watts could be a little too much for them. :shrug:

[techun]

my station wagon has a 110 amp alternator, lol

also, are you driving..or what? passenger?

[Th0r]

Glad to see road safety is great in America...

[Albaholic]

just get a vesa mount. LOL reading this made me think of cars with LCD panels connected to external cameras instead of front windshelds, probably display a HUD with the speed of the cars around u and crap like that

[MyPCAlexi]

its not that hard to do. since its a heavy 24 inch CRt it sounds like, boxed enclosure is probably the best bet. just make sure you have ventilation and there you go.

[DietPepsi0219]

have someone hold it while you watch =D

i just use my slaves and indentured servants for that...you can borrow one for the weekend, after that its easy: just tell them that you wont feed them for a month if they dont hold the monitor....and then if they dont hold it steady nothing a good whippin on the side of the road cant fix....

...just kidding....took 30 hours in the car to drive to california from here...good stuff...just me, ipod+itrip+car charger, my ford escape and the open road...yay for being 16!

[Albaholic]

its not that hard to do. since its a heavy 24 inch CRt it sounds like, boxed enclosure is probably the best bet. just make sure you have ventilation and there you go.
Its a LCD

[funnyperson1]

I have made that same trip from Roanoke to Winchester many many times (+1 hour for the distance between Blacksburg and Roanoke, and Winchester and FFX county), of course most of the time, I'm driving :(. My Ipod has been a lifesaver though, nothing wakes you up like a random song you haven't heard in ages (how many people can honestly say that Salt n' Peppa saved their lives? :p).

[soundfx4]

just get a vesa mount. LOL reading this made me think of cars with LCD panels connected to external cameras instead of front windshelds, probably display a HUD with the speed of the cars around u and crap like that


my friend and I actually thought of doing that seriously. If I ever get off my lazy ass and actually do something, that will be one of my projects. I have all sorts of project that I've never had enough motivation, or determination to get started! I'm all talk and no action! I'm just too depressed and lazy to do anything!...aww...I made myself cry :cry:

[soundfx4]

I have made that same trip from Roanoke to Winchester many many times (+1 hour for the distance between Blacksburg and Roanoke, and Winchester and FFX county), of course most of the time, I'm driving :(. My Ipod has been a lifesaver though, nothing wakes you up like a random song you haven't heard in ages (how many people can honestly say that Salt n' Peppa saved their lives? :p).


according to "experts" music can't keep you awake hah! That maybe true, but it can definitely help!

I actually drive to Blacksburg everyday because of my newest job (warranty work for dell and gateway PCs), and I can't tell you how many times I've almost fallen asleep! There is nothing like almost running off the side of the road to wake you up. Scares the crap out of me, and I'm good for another 5 minutes...then I have to almost run off the road again lol. I sometimes have to stop in Christiansburg for soda. Bah, anyway, I have to get to bed now, because I have to drive down to Blacksburg again tomorrow and I don't want to be falling asleep...again.