Hi everyone we purchased our 2009 Triton 430gt last November and managed a week away in it before Christmas. We absolutely love it but realised it would be nice to have a tv especially during the long winter nights. It has never been setup for a tv so was wondering how people go on. Looking for recommendations please 😃😃.

P.s. we don’t want to go down the satellite route.

Dave & Di

There are all sorts of fancy TV specials for caravans from omidirectional aerials to "special" caravan tvs.

My take has always been keep it simple and basic.

First job is to get the TV signal in to the van. I use a periodic log aerial, mounted on a pole fixed to one of the front manouvering handles. I throw the aerial lead under the van and bring it up and through one of the windows. The window rubber will still allow the window to be closed fully.

To set the aerial up in the right direction and polarity I use a phone app called Freepoint UK. It shows you the correct compass direction for your aerial plus horizontal or vertical polarity. I have been using this method for the last 5 or 6 years and have never failed to tune in to scores of channels all round the UK, after re-tuning the TV at each site of course.

The TV is a matter of choice of course, however I would avoid the "cheap" 12 V TVs. I have had a couple of these as I thought I needed a !"V TV as I generally pitch up without electric hook up, just rely on leisure battery topped up with a solar panel. I have found that the cheap TVs work OK but have a very restrictive viewing angle to get the optimum view, not always possible for more than one person in a small van.
I have settled on a decent, small, LED Sony TV which is 230Vac only. The consumption is only 18 watts at 230Vac. I use a 400 Watt invertor which is rated as 94% efficient and so am easily able to use the TV off the leisure battery for 2 or 3 hours a night with no problem.

Stand by for those that decry the use of a TV in a caravan............ As it happens I don't watch the TV, I sit outside and read a book or watch the world go by, but my none-caravan enthusiastic partner likes to end her evening watching a favourite soap... That's OK, at least the compromise keeps us together

Thanks for the input 👍. I must admit I was expecting a lot of people asking me why I should need a tv 😂. We are not tv addicts but plan to use the Eriba throughout the year and it would be a standby in the long dark months when you can’t sit and watch the world go by 😃

An easier alternative is to get Netflix and download films and series before you go or when you have wifi. BBC iplayer allows you to download programmes too. Your partner would be serie-less, though😧

Found this site to be very informative as well as good pricing.

http://www.aerialsandtv.com/touringaerials.html

Avtex STH3000 has always been my very compact aerial of choice, rarely lets me down but works best with the 12v booster (included in box or direct from an Avtex TV). The sucker mounting system works very well anywhere on the Eriba.
Can’t fault Avtex TVs also, expensive but I’ve never regretted buying one. Cello TVs designed for mobile use also have a good reputation but I’ve never tried one.

I tried a small home one with digi tuner, but found it limited picking up signals. Then went and got an Avtex and the STH 3000 Ariel. Amazing and provides massive amount of channels and is quick to retune a bit pricy but well worth it.