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mimibeth · 06-09-2006, 09:01 PM

I would like to install a car stereo system in my 68 Globetrotter. Where is the best place to make the electrical connections?

AYRSTRM2 · 06-09-2006, 09:41 PM

Look above your dinette/gaucho at the front of the coach. There should be a cabinet/locker up there. Open it and look in. There ought to be a black wire poking out of the wall. That's a 12vDC source. Hook in there and set your radio where you want.

If there's not a wire there, look for your "control panel" if you have one. Usually above the fridge. There should be a 12vDC wire in there that you can tap off of.

SilverToy · 06-09-2006, 10:30 PM

Mimibeth -

I used to have a bit of a side job in HS, of installing Car Stereo units, speakers and the like. In cars.

If your GT has the speakers in it already, then I would say that you are in business. If not, then I would get a boombox or the like and use that.

Running speaker wires to the speakers, within the walls will be a nightmare. Running them along the floor/wall junction will probably be OK but then you have the issue with getting the speakers connected - likely unsightly if wiring is surface mount. Also, there is likely little if any room for speaker boxes or the like - and retrofitting into the wall/ endcap will be a big job.

It all can be done, mind you. A boom box might be a better choice however. Portable too!

My .02 cents.

Enjoy that AS!

Axel

SafeHarbor · 06-10-2006, 07:50 AM

Hi, Mimebeth,

Let me express my ignorance here. Does it already have speakers in the wall and an outside antenna? My 75 Argosy has four speaker wires and a 12 VDC connection coming to the front overhead compartment on the streetside. It would be easy to add an automotive radio there.

Lamar

Lamar

**Stefrobrts** · 06-10-2006, 08:11 AM

I did the same to mine. I found the 12v wires in the front cabinet, and holes ready for speakers at each end of that cabinet. I installed a couple 6x9s stolen out of my truck in the holes, and a nice Alpine in a homemade box hooked into the 12v, and I've been enjoying it for the last couple years. The mounting box has a big switch for turning the power on and off to the radio, but the memory line is hooked up to 12v also so I don't lose my settings.

There is also an antenna on the trailer already, and I had to drill a small hole in the bottom of the cabinet to bring that antenna up into the area where the radio is. I plugged it into the radio and it worked on the first try (I think I needed a radio shack adapter to do it). You get lousy reception without an exterior antenna.

One really nice feature was we used a car stereo with an aux out connector, so I can plug my iPod or laptop into it and have quality sound, which is especially nice for when we're watching cable or DVDs on the laptop.

**Stefrobrts** · 06-10-2006, 08:20 AM

Here's a picture of the radio installed. You can't see the antenna cable coming in because it's tucked behind the curtain below the cabinet. Same as the aux out cable which is tucked behind the curtain and pulled out to plug into the laptop.

When I installed the Alpine I used the wiring harness stub (I yanked the radio, which was fairly new at the time, out of my Miata because I thought I'd enjoy it more in the trailer), cut off the connector that was to plug into the miata's wiring harness, and created my own little harness in the back with a little slack so I could pull it out to work on it. This was nice because the stub had each wire labled for it's purpose which made it easy to hookup.

mimibeth · 06-11-2006, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AYRSTRM2

Look above your dinette/gaucho at the front of the coach. There should be a cabinet/locker up there. Open it and look in. There ought to be a black wire poking out of the wall. That's a 12vDC source. Hook in there and set your radio where you want.

If there's not a wire there, look for your "control panel" if you have one. Usually above the fridge. There should be a 12vDC wire in there that you can tap off of.

Thank you for your reply. We will certainly take your info into consideration when we get ready to install a radio.

Mimibeth

mimibeth · 06-11-2006, 07:37 PM

Thanks for your information. We'll certainly consider it when we do our installation.

Mimibeth

mimibeth · 06-11-2006, 07:39 PM

Our GT does not have speakers but has the place for them. It does have the outside antenna. I don't know if there is 12VDC wiring in the box or not. Thanks for your help.

Mimibeth

mimibeth · 06-11-2006, 07:40 PM

Stephanie,

Thanks for the information about installing a radio in my GT. Your Caravel looks very similar to our GT. We will certainly consider your info when we get ready to install our system.

Mimibeth