Replace stereo unit in 1999 Safari

[rschocke]

Hello,
Has anyone replaced the am/fm/cassette in a 1999 safari. I bought a Jensen awm975 and it seems it has the power split out between 12v battery and 12v accessory wire. The wiring harness for the safari appears to have them combined. Then bottom line is that when I plug the wiring harnesses together, the unit has to power. Any suggestions?
Thanks!

[SteveH]

First, welcome to the forum.

About your question, I've not installed that paticular radio, but the radios used in Airstreams are basically aftermarket automotive units. Typically they have two power input wires, one of them is a higher current wire that is switched on and off with the ignition in the car, and the other is normally constant on and is used to keep the memory "alive" in the radio when the ignition is off.

When these radios are installed in Airstreams it is common to wire both circuits into one, so they are both hot all the time. If you have done this, and the radio does not work, check that you did not blow the fuse in the Airstream. Then check to see you do have a good ground.

[StreamRollin]

We have 99 that we'd like to replace the stereo unit - the volume or tuning knob has been hitting the compartment door for a long time and has worn out, so only one or the other speakers work and you have to 'baby' it to tune in a station. The previous owner left us his CD player as an alternative, but I have some radio stations I like too, plus listenting to a baseball or football game is cool ... I'd like to know how this works out. Can you post pics of the wiring before & after installation? Wendy

[rschocke]

Originally Posted by SteveH

First, welcome to the forum.

About your question, I've not installed that paticular radio, but the radios used in Airstreams are basically aftermarket automotive units. Typically they have two power input wires, one of them is a higher current wire that is switched on and off with the ignition in the car, and the other is normally constant on and is used to keep the memory "alive" in the radio when the ignition is off.

When these radios are installed in Airstreams it is common to wire both circuits into one, so they are both hot all the time. If you have done this, and the radio does not work, check that you did not blow the fuse in the Airstream. Then check to see you do have a good ground.

Steve--Thanks! I combined both power wire together and that worked! Appreciate your help!

[idroba]

Remember that when you combine the power and the station keep wires together, the radio will draw current all the time and when not plugged in the battery will go dead after a while (like several weeks). To eliminate this problem, put a switch on the station keeping wire so you can actually cut all power off to the radio when you are not using the rig. Of course, when you turn the switch back on, you will need to reset any stations you had in memory. However, it is less frustrating than having a dead battery and having to replace it too soon, due to siting discharged.