Don’t Spend More Than $200 on a Van TV

5 Things to Avoid When Shopping for a 12v Van TV

1. This Type of TV

Any television can be adapted to run off Sprinter or cargo van house batteries but AC power televisions require the use of an AC inverter which will consume an additional 10-20% of battery power over a 12 volt dc powered television that does not require power to be converted from DC (battery power) to AC. Because of this inefficiency, it makes little sense to purchase an AC powered television for use in a campervan which will eat your rechargeable batteries or require the use of a power inverter or shore power when numerous high quality 12 volt televisions are available that will draw power directly from your battery bank without needing the AC power conversion.

*Each television included in this review are 12 volt DC powered meaning you won’t need an AC inverter to run them.

2. This Screen Resolution

The majority of modern televisions are 4k resolution and 16:9 aspect ratio. Screen resolution is simply a measurement of screen size in pixels. Higher resolution screens (4k, 8k) feature more individual pixels which results in better image quality. High dynamic range (HDR), contrast, and color all also factors that might give one equal resolution TV a superior image over another. Small televisions (19-32″), by the nature of their size, don’t typical come in 4k resolution, but because of their compact size, they may have equal pixel density. In general, although you do want to prioritize higher resolutions screens, for 19-32″ TV’s suitable for campervans, 1080 resolution is more than enough to provide superb quality image. 720p should be avoided.

3. This Price

As stated several times, its unnecessary to spend more than a couple hundred dollars on a television that’s less than 32″ in size. Numerous high quality 12v smart tvs from brands like Sylvox, SuperSonic, and Feihe perform as well as high end brands for nearly half the price. Spending more than $200 is not necessary.

4. This Mounting Style

Almost all modern televisions use VESA (Video Electronics Standards Association) standard rectangular hole patterns ranging in size from 75 mm x 75 mm to 800 mm x 400 mm. 19-32″ TVs most commonly use the 100 mm x 100 mm. When selecting a television, make sure the tv seller states what VESA pattern it uses, and look for a mount that is not fixed or tilting but full motion (articulates in every direction) so you can adjust the viewing angle regardless of where you are in your vehicle. Additionally, search for a full motion VESA mount that locks in back so your tv does not swing when driving.

*It’s also important to consider how you will route your power cord and what flat surface you can mount on.

5. This Smart TV Interface

Since the majority of TV viewers no longer use cable, broadcast, or satellite dishes (with services like Dish Network), and instead prefer to use streaming subscription services like Netflix, Disney+, HBO, Hulu, and Amazon Prime, choosing a van television (streaming device) with a good smart tv interface that allows you to access popular streaming services and apps is more important than. There are several universal tv operating systems that come preinstalled on the cheaper televisions we recommend on our list. The most popular is Amazon Fire TV, Android, and Roku. More expensive televisions like LG, Samsung, and Vizio have their own interfaces. In our experience, Roku and Android are great and Google TV is terrible.