No, you can’t! Many US states have prohibited watching TV while driving because it disturbs the attention of the driver. For this very reason, many new models of RVs have the safety feature that won’t allow you to switch on the while when the RV’s engine is on.
That’s the answer of legality but if you’re asking this question on the behalf of your family members who don’t enjoy being on the road and thus want to watch movies or their favorite shows while you’re driving.
Keep reading because now your all queries related to watching tv in an RV/ Motorhome while driving are going to be solved.
Can I Disable security feature in RV to watch TV while driving
Yes, you can disable but you should not if the TV is supposed to be in a position where a driver can see it (even a flicker matters).
There are few ways you can try to let your children watch TV while driving.
To remove the security feature, you can plug it into a different outlet or you can disable the outlet controller itself. For this unplug the TV and follow the cord to the outlet controller and unplug the safety device then plug your TV back in to see whether it is working or not.
Watch this video to get a general idea of how to disable the controller. However, the video is about 2017 Thor Outlaw 29H but the idea is the same.
How to watch tv in RV while driving?
If you don’t want to tease with the controller you can still watch TV on the road. Here are some ways you might like to try:
- Buy a portable TV and if you use a satellite television system you can have 12-volt portable tv and a 12 V portable battery which is a nice alignment. Now can pick this system anywhere in the RV where outlets are available.
- To stream OTTs you need to have a stable internet connection but in this case, you do not need to have a TV. It will be good though if you purchase a nice Tablet/iPad or your laptop to watch your favorite series, anime. or movies on Netflix, Hulu, or any platform.
- You can also use your home dish receiver in an RV to catch all your local channels and combining with a recording device you can watch your favorite TV shows without the internet. Read this post to know more.
How to watch TV in RV without generator
Follow these ways to watch TV without a generator in RV:
- If you want to say goodbye to the generator you need to welcome the inverter.
- Buy a nice inverter that can smoothly convert the 12V from the batteries to the 110 V AC in your RV which produces a 110 V sine wave current.
Most of the televisions will run fine on 110V AC input but there some TVs that run on 12V DC and in that case, you’ll need a generator. - Use solar panels to power up your TV. This is the most efficient way which only costs the installation and nothing else.
- You can use the UPS in your camper to power the television if you only want to run a TV for few hours like for watching a movie at night. If you have the UPS at home then you can simply put it in the camper.
Literally, the type of TV will determine the power usage like a LED tv draws less energy than the LCD or other old versions of TV. And also the weight of the UPS can vary according to the type of battery.
Can you use any TV in an RV?
Yes, you can use any type of TV in your RV or the motorhome. The only thing you need to care about is whether the TV can wire 12-volt use or not.
Also, you need to make the mount very sturdy while using 120-volt power because currently, not all roads are perfectly smooth.
Will my old RV antenna work with digital TV?
Yes, your old RV antenna will work fine with digital TV as antennas do not the difference between the analog and digital channels.
When the digital era strike the technology changed but the frequency remained the same thus for antenna, there is nothing changed or say for them nothing is digital or analog as they both are the same.
However, the more directional the antenna is the farther it see.
Also, in antenna, there is no such thing as television only radio as the old TV antennas are well to pick the Radio signals in the UHF bands, VHF High, VHF low.
Conclusion
Neither it is legal to watch the TV while driving an RV if it is in the driver’s sight nor I recommend it to do so. When you drive you should just drive or if you want to know what is happening in the world just tune with built-in radio.
However, you can go through the tips mentioned above to watch the TV while driving if you do not care about legalities and above all your safety nevertheless your kids can watch TV without you if the TV’s sound and visuals are away from the driver’s senses.
Michael is heavily inclined towards traveling to natural places and documenting cultures/people from different parts of the world. He also loves hiking and camping and is spirited toward all outdoor activities. He will share his passion for outdoor life and brands or products we use outside our homes. He has good research skills, and that’s why you can see why his articles are packed with info that is factual and not readily available. He also has the vision to travel the whole world and share it with all readers of Outdoor Favor.
