External Speaker Wiring

[Towdaddy]

I need some help with the external speakers for our 30' Safari LS. We recently ordered these from our dealer and for $300 got two weather resistant speakers and jury rigged wiring harness.

The external connector on the trailer was very odd looking and it was only after I got the wiring harness that I realized it is just a flat, four-wire trailer light connector. The green and yellow wires on the harness are connected to the left speaker which works fine. The brown and white are connected to the right speaker which does not work. I took off the electrial tape on the harness and discovered that the white wire (like on a trailer) is a ground. If I connected one speaker wire to the brown wire and then touched the other wire to the plugged in connector yellow wire, then the right speaker appears to work properly.

In any event, does anyone know how to properly wire the speakers and I would not recommend anyone buying the external speakers. You can probably build your own for a lot less than the A/S price. I did recently read that AS is going to wireless external speakers in the near future but that doesn't help me now.

Any advice is appreciated.

[scotiabambi]

My new A/S came with the expernal speakers but there was no harness! I guess I'll have to go back to the dealer since they should have installed the harness to the speakers.

[PWRSTRK]

Also, any recommendations about how to add speaker wiring from the stereo in my '04 Safari 28 SO? Anyone done it in a late model trailer?

[scotiabambi]

My Airstream Dealer didn't have a clue about the speaker wiring. They said to bring in the trailer and they would figure it out. I think that I will do it my self, but I need to know which speaker wire is common (black or red) or does it even make a difference?

[TomW]

Originally Posted by scotiabambi

...but I need to know which speaker wire is common (black or red) or does it even make a difference?

As far as hurting anything, it makes no difference. But if you connect your speakers two different ways, it will affect the stereophonic phase of the sound you hear coming out of the speakers.

When presented with red & black wires, red is usually "positive", and black is usually "negative" or ground (common).

Tom

[hamradio]

Does the wireless speaker system that comes as an option from Airstream include a set of stereo speakers or only one speaker with mutiple speakers in one plastic case. My dealer is telling me it is only one case with multiple speakers.....not stereo. It seems odd that the main system has a decent set of stereo speakers and then for a wireless system you only get a cheep looking single 'green plastic case' not stereo. I thought I was getting a stereo system when I ordered the system from California RV and they now refuse to give me a stereo set. My contract I signed to buy them reads wireless speakers not wireless speaker. I feel I'm getting taken here . Anybody know what Airstream includes in their option?

[asherkobin]

hamradiobnb,

What was the resolution? How do the speaker(s) perform?

[moosetags]

Our 2005 Safari has a small round covered outlet about a foot below the AC powere outlets on the curb side. It looks like a four prong trailer hook up. We wondered what is was for. We recently had Lucy into Sanders Airstream for for hub service and asked them what this thing was. Nobody around the dealership had any idea. The called Airstream, and after talking to several tech people found out that this thing is a connection for external speakers. Lucy has the audio/video upgrade but not external speakers. Why this connectionwas added to her, nobody seems to know. The dealer gave me the Airstream part numbers for speakers that plug into this outlet, but suggested that I might want to try getting a couple of speakers and make my own plug-in. I plan to do this, but haven't gotten around to it yet.

I will be watching this thread for tips and results.

[AZstreamin]

I have the outdoor speaker package on my '05 Safari. You'll want to check near the radio head unit to see if there is an A/B speaker selector. I did not realize that they put the outdoor round plug on the units if you did not order the package. The A/B selector will allow you to switch from outside to inside or both playing at the same time. The wires that plug into the round outlet are rather cheesy. Wish I had the wireless set-up. If you don't have the speakers and the wiring harness and the AB selector already. I'd recommend going with a wireless set-up. It would be much easier, and it eliminates wires for people and dogs to trip over.

[Pecos Pete]

We had the outdoor wired speakers on our 06 22 CCD. There was a round outlet outside with no connector on the speaker wires. The dealer had no idea how it worked either. I never did figure it out. I now have the wireless outdoor speaker (one) that works well - just has to plugged into ac.

[SilverRanger]

My 05 came with the A/V upgrade, and as described earlier, has a four way flat connector on the curbside for the external speakers. The speakers, which are very nice, came with a wiring harness with approx. 15 ft. of wire for each, and were covered with a black flexible tubing to resist tangling. As AZstreamin described, the A/B switch was in the cabinet next to the head unit. The whole arrangement takes up some precious storage space, but sounds great.

[moosetags]

I have the selector switch inside the cabinet next to CD deck. The selections on mine are IN, OUT, and BOTH. The init is marked as "Speaker Select Switch".

[thecatsandi]

I have the Av Upgrade and the switch. So you are telling me I have a connection underneath for speakers?
I will have to look for it tomorrow.

[SilverRanger]

Originally Posted by thecatsandi

I have the Av Upgrade and the switch. So you are telling me I have a connection underneath for speakers?
I will have to look for it tomorrow.

If I recall, mine is just to the left of the steps. It's black and round with a cover.

[moosetags]

Mine is directly below the 110 outlets on the curb side. It is all the way down in the charcoal painted area.

[jsprad]

I have been amazed that my dealer techs had no idea what the plug on the outside was for, and now I read others saying the same thing about their dealer. For anyone who has bought the speakers from Airstream...how much are they and do they sound good?

[billberk]

I also have the selector switch for IN/OUT/BOTH. There is also a jack for a wireless unit to plug in next to it.

I was thinking of trying this: Acoustic Research - 900MHz Wireless Indoor/Outdoor Speaker (each) - AW811

Anyone had experience with a wireless speaker like this?

Bill