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goransons · 03-14-2008, 06:21 PM

When I installed the new radio right after getting our trailer (gotta have tunes to work!) I found 4 pair of speaker wires behind the control panel, but only 3 locations that I found speaker wire, on either side of the front end cap where the built in speakers are, and a presumed set of the same color wire coming out with the range hood power.

I happened to run across a tone generator I could borrow to check wires. I connected to the wires at the range hood and quickly found the tone on one of the two speakers wires, which makes it seem that that last set must be for somewhere in the rear curb side, more than likely above the goucho. Unfortunately through the skin I can only get a solid tone for about 4-5 feet from the end of the wire before it fades out, likely to the resistance in the wire and the sheilding power of the aluminum skin.

So I really would like to find those wires, but really have no desire to take down the roof locker and drill out the rivets, pull the inner skin and repaint afterwards. I know with the AC there was a pretty exact measurement for the power lead's location, and can only presume that the trailers were pre-wired for rear speakers and somewhere there is a bulletin that gives measurements for the speaker wires?

Anyone know where I could check to see this? I was hoping to find it with the tone generator, but it would be nice to be able to cut a hole in a for sure location and find the wire there waiting for me.

thanks!

trailer is a 69 tradewind.

goransons · 03-15-2008, 06:38 PM

sorry to bump my own thread but it had disappeared into the depths of the site and nobody was able to chime in. Am I likely to find an answer or should I abandon the idea entirely and just go with the 2 front and maybe the 1 kitchen?

Jim & Susan · 03-15-2008, 06:49 PM

Man, tough one. My '73 has two in the front on either side of the gaucho and two in the back over the beds (center twin beds, one on each side of the camper).

I use those tone generators regularly at work and they can be a bit fickle. Lots of stuff blocks the signal. I have no notion about any year other than my own, but it might help to post the colors of the wires and where they pull to. It might jog somebody's memory and help you find that last pair of wires.

Jim

69AmbassFl · 03-24-2008, 06:15 PM

I have the same issue. I have 4 sets of wires on the street side and 2 speakers up front. I have part of my roof panel down and can see 2 or 3 sets of double grey wires running to back end, of which one runs to the ammeter.The others just dissapear. What does the original audio ant look like? The one I have appears to be bolted on with 3 screws and has a spring on the base. No upper support mount though.

goransons · 03-24-2008, 06:27 PM

that is the same antenna I have. No upper mount either. Let me know if you find those wires, I've given up for now, the two stock front speakers fill the whole trailer with sound, just was hoping to be able to fade front to back.

Ganglin · 03-24-2008, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 69AmbassFl

I have the same issue. I have 4 sets of wires on the street side and 2 speakers up front. I have part of my roof panel down and can see 2 or 3 sets of double grey wires running to back end, of which one runs to the ammeter.The others just dissapear. What does the original audio ant look like? The one I have appears to be bolted on with 3 screws and has a spring on the base. No upper support mount though.

The original antenna looked like this one in the first pic. on our tailer the day we brought it home - spring mount and pull up like an older car antenna. In the second pic you can see it on a 69 where the mount and spring are still there - the shaft is missing.

69AmbassFl · 03-24-2008, 07:24 PM

Thanks Gary, that is just what mine looks like with out the clear silicone gooped around it.

Goransons,
I was just out investigating the speaker wires. I have 4 sets of 2 grey wires at the center of trailer. One set goes to rear for ammeter,one set to t stat above curb side twin bed, and the last 2 appear to split off and head down wall about 1/2 way down the rear roof locker above the beds. I still havn't found where the ends are located though. I'm thinking Airstream had a accessary rear speaker set up, I will try to E-Mail tech at AS and see if they can tell me anything. Wires probably enter the roof locker somehow and the speaker were mounted above beds.

goransons · 03-24-2008, 07:30 PM

my guess was somewhere over the curbside window.. but haven't got the nerve to cut a hole.... hope you have some luck, thanks for the help

69AmbassFl · 03-24-2008, 07:53 PM

No problem, I have PM'd Jim and Susan to see if they can post pics of their rear speakers and where the wires come through.

Ganglin · 03-24-2008, 08:16 PM

I think they were wall mounted like this 68 Ambassador. If you want the measurements from the 72 manual we can look that up....

69AmbassFl · 03-25-2008, 06:54 AM

Thanks Gary,
That area looks like where my 110 rec is located but also around where the wire starts down the roof to wall. Sure if you don't mind on the measurements,I would appreciate it. This has become a mission now. hehe

Thanks again,

John

Ganglin · 03-25-2008, 07:06 AM

Actually - I have a somewhat selfish motive . Our 71 is an International model and should have been equipped with bunk speakers. Along with a couple other changes that were made when it was ordered apparently - no rear speakers was one. Not high on the priority list but one of those things I want to do some day. So I really want you to succeed.....

I'll get those for you tonight.

overlander63 · 03-25-2008, 07:28 AM

If you have the speakers that have two wires running to each speaker, you could use wire #2 to provide input for the other speaker, and ground each speaker through the aluminum skin. Most modern aftermarket radios are already wired this way anyway.

Jim & Susan · 03-25-2008, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 69AmbassFl

No problem, I have PM'd Jim and Susan to see if they can post pics of their rear speakers and where the wires come through.

I'll have to check tonight to be certain, by IIRC, the wire drops down aft of the windows. We have a center twin bed model. FWIW, each speaker has a different color wire in mine, with a white ground. Make sure you test each wire pair with a multimeter and the Univolt on. I found a couple of extra runs of 12v stuffed in the walls and down the center of the roof, apparently to be used with some accessory that the original buyer didn't purchase.

BTW, I didn't get the PM you mentioned.

Jim

Ganglin · 03-25-2008, 05:44 PM

According to the manual the wire colors are: (CS is curbside/RS is roadside)

- CS rear is orange/black
- RS rear is gray/black
- CS front is red/black
- RS front is blue/black

Speaker distance from Station O (the first forward rib in the trailer structure) and the height from the floor in inches (xxx/xx)

25 Foot - TWIN

Rear R/S = 162/50
Rear C/S = 162/50

25 Foot - DOUBLE

Rear R/S = 154/65
Rear C/S = 174/50

29 Foot TWIN

Rear R/S = 184/50
Rear C/S = 184/50

29 Foot DOUBLE

Rear R/S = 139/60
Rear C/S = 208/50

Hope this helps you.

69AmbassFl · 03-25-2008, 07:42 PM

Thanks Terry
Thanks Jim, Ididn't realize you wern't online when I PMed you and after I posted I e-mailed you.

Thanks Gary
All my wires are grey and may have a stripe one one of the pair for polarity reasons. They may have changed to color coding a year or two later. I will do the measuring and then try to peel the inner skin back some before i do any cutting just to see how far off the 72 vs the 69 are. Being it looks to be positioned aft of the window above bed I may not have too much trouble peeling the skin back some.I will definitely let everyone know what I find.

Thanks again to all your help
John

goransons · 03-25-2008, 11:03 PM

thanks guys, I'll tried running the tape measure back and that measurement for the twin comes to the middle of the goucho window (the 72 had the fridge on the curbside that year instead of the street side). I'm thinking of trying to remove the nearby electrical outlet box and look behind it, I just know how dang short those wires are and what a pain in the but it is to get them on and off the outlet.

69AmbassFl · 03-26-2008, 08:52 AM

Goransons,
E-mail tech at AS. They told me on mine that the wires were 16 inches in front of wardrobe 50 inches off floor. I'm still investigating this before I do any drilling. Don't know if I will have time before I go out of town this weekend, but after I get back its on to find the wires. If I remember tonight I will measure where the wires turn to go down wall to see if it is approx the 16 inches they say. I tried the outlet box the other night and found nothing there,may have moved around in 39 years though.

goransons · 03-26-2008, 04:11 PM

can you pm the email address to use?

thanks!

goransons · 03-27-2008, 01:07 PM

Contacted AS tech and they gave me the following info:

We show that on the 1969 25’ T the curbside rear speaker wire can be found in the wall, 14" forward of bed window lever, 50" above floor. I hope this helps.

Tech

14" forward of the window arm is about 6" away from the outlet there, and at the same height (to center). I just killed the breaker and removed the 4 screws holding the outlet box to the inner skin, and used a long screwdriver to push the insulation out of the way, and sure enough, set of speaker wires taped to the outside skin with the same type of masking tape they taped the AC wires up with. Next just need to find a set of speakers and we're golden.

thanks for the lead on the Tech email, and thanks to everyone who helped out.

Look forward John to hearing that you've found yours as well once you get back in town.