anneofingleside

Where can we buy/rent a portable TV/VCR for our road trip to San Diego? How much do they cost? We have a minivan and two little kids to entertain. My husband is thinking of getting a laptop instead that plays DVDs and hang it from the back of the front seat so the kids can watch. Thanks.

obxgirl

Walmart, Sam's Club, Target, Kmart. All of the big box stores have them in stock for $150 or less. We used one on a south western drive trip a couple of years ago and it was lifesaver (tho I've never since felt the same about the movie "The Parent Trap"!!)

mizscarlett

We bought a TV/VCR combo at Sam's Club last summer for about $160. I don't know whether they still have them, but most likely they do. It worked really well for our kids, aged 5 & 8. They also enjoyed listening to their favorite tapes and CD's with headphones hooked up to the middle seat headphone jacks (and Mom and Dad could listen to their own music!) Good luck and have fun!

Tess

Oh yeah, tv/vcr combos are lifesavers on long car trips. Just remember to also buy the $3.00 jack that allows you to plug in 2 headphones at once--that way each kid has his/her own headphone and you have peace and quiet. We like to also have 'family time' while traveling but a little family time goes a long way when you're together in a vehicle for 8-9 hours straight!

ilisa

There is a website, www.drivinsane, where you can rent portable units. You need to decide if it is an item you will use more than just your road trip. It might be more economical to buy one if it is something you will use often. We got a vcr when we bought the minivan last year, and it was so worth it.

Bill_I

We do alot of hockey road trips for tournaments & the 13 inch TV/VCR combo we bought at Target has kept the kids from killing each other in the back seat. Now that we have also gotten into DVD's, we have purcahsed a small DVD player (not the mini) for about $150 from Target. Since we have 2 plugs in our van, we just hook up the DVD to the TV/VCR & the kids can watch either DVD or VCR. & since the electronics are portable & not installed in the van, we can remove them when not needed in the van. For the TV/VCR we have bought a plastic crate (similar to milk crate), turned it upside down & put the TV on top of that with bungy cords, then secure that to both front seats, with the straps provided with the TV/VCR. It fits just perfect & doesn't move at all, & the TV is the right height for viewing & reaching in the back seats.

waunakoenig

We also bought the 13 inche tv/vcr combo and use a Stanley stepstool/toolbox to raise the tv up to the proper height. This fit perfect in our Chevy Venture and is handy for two other reasons. We can stash cords, tapes, etc. in the toolbox compartment and we now have a stepstool to get things off the cargo rack on top of the van. The stepstool/toolbox cost about $23 at our local hardware store.

anneofingleside

Wow, so many creative suggestions. Thanks, all, for your input. I will show this thread to my husband since he's in charge of electronics in our house.

I'm wondering if the TV/VCR combos you guys suggested are the regular ones for home use or the ones that are really designed for cars. Is there such a thing? Those meant for cars would mean less clumsy installation methods, perhaps.

ilisa

Actually, there are tv/vcr combos specifically designed for cars. They generally strap to the back of one of the seats. If you can't find one in the store, try a website like www.rightstart.com or www.sensationalbeginnings.com. I know I saw one in The Right Start catalog though I think it was expensive.

obxgirl

The TV/VCR combo we got was designed for car and home. It plugs into the lighter and sits on the console between the two front seats. It has a pair of velcro straps to stabilize it. This was a couple of years ago and I'm sure there are sleeker designs out there now.

Bill_I

We had one of those setups for the van only. It had the velcro straps & the VCR was seperate from the screen & attached by cable to the screen. The screen was small, only a 7" screen I think. IT was very awkward to use. It was hard to keep the screen at an angle to view, & the VCR was not very stable. Don't know if things have changed the past few years & they are made better, but we were much happier with the TV/VCR combo. It is much more stable, solid, & viewable in the van. It comes with an adapter for the power outlet in a van, or also has a plug for use in the house.
We also got a splitter for the ear jack outlet in the TV. This way each kid (we have 2 kids) can plug in their earphones into the splitter & listen to the TV. This way, it doesn't distract the driver by hearing the TV, & we can listen to the radio or CD's, & the kids do not complain that they can't hear the TV because the radio is too loud. Works out well.

rjw_lgb_ca

Most of the electronics stores now carry these-- Best Buy definitely. Target or Walmart might be carrying them now as well. Check out Fry's too (www.frys.com).

If you have a van or large SUV and plan on doing a lot of road trips (or even spend a lot of time commuting with the kids), you might look into installing a permanent VCR or DVD console with LCD screens, either hanging from the roof or in the front seat headrests. Best Buy also carries these. I see a lot of these on the highway now.