New speaker placement

[TomW]

I've been lugging around a portable radio in my '67 Overlander up to this point, but would now like to install one in the cabinet above my gaucho where the antenna lead in is. That part is easy. Where to put the speakers is not.

Mounting the speakers in the walls is just not going to happen.

My first thought was to mount the speakers on the left & right hand sides of the cabinet. Problem is, all the good speakers of the right size are made for automobile installation, and the speaker grilles are a bit too flashy for me. Checking the photos site, I could only find two examples, one apparently factory & the other custom, of what I am thinking about, and neither is my first choice for implementation.

My second thought was to get two small shelf speakers, and hard mount them to the shelf below the cabinet.

Does anyone have a better idea, or care to make a product recommendation for one or both of the ideas above? The old picture below (I now have neutral curtains & nice looking gaucho installed) should give you an idea of my "canvas"

Thanks,
Tom

[till]

Tom,
In the sales brochure that I have the speakers are mounted on the ends of the over head lockers in the galley. They face the goucho. I will snap a pick of the page when I get home. I'm thinking of doing the same in my trailer.

[Minnie's Mate]

Originally Posted by tcwilliams

My first thought was to mount the speakers on the left & right hand sides of the cabinet. Problem is, all the good speakers of the right size are made for automobile installation, and the speaker grilles are a bit too flashy for me.

Have you considered painting the speaker grilles? You could take paint chips and match one of the shades of the grain of the wood and paint the grille. Then they would "fade into the wood work". I have seen several examples of speakers built into residential walls that were painted to match the wall paint and they blended in nicely and almost disappeared. You might have to buy sub-surface or flush mount speakers and cut the opening and mount the residential grilles over them. The ones that I have seen had a black cloth inside the grille so you couldn't see inside of them. I think they may have been metal.

[RivetED]

TC,

Our '04, and many other late models, have automotive type flush mounts in the bottom ends of the front cabinet (over the gaucho). They are 'hidden' when standing & sound good. I think they are 5-1/4". There is also a pair in our rear cabinet hooked to the factory stereo.

[TomW]

Ed,

That "sounds" like a great plan. Would you happen to have a picture you could share?

Thanks,
Tom

[till]

Tom,

Sounds like you like the under mount better. Here is the "original" look per the brochure.

[TomW]

Tedd,

I have not made my mind up yet - Ed's option struck me as a lot easier as far as the wiring goes. Thanks for posting that picture! I will admit a little surprise however at how the speaker grilles don't exactly blend with the woodwork.

Out of curiosity, where are you finding pictures like those?

Tom

[till]

In the copy of the 1967 sales brochure I got a copy of. I will run off one for you if interested....

[TomW]

Thanks Tedd; Yes, I would be very interested in a copy.

Tom

[till]

I'll get on it this weekend....

[thenewkid64]

Tom,

You could make wood grilles out of a thin sheet of matching stock plywood, or veneered plywood that you have cut slits or drilled holes in and stain to match. Or make replacement ends to the cabinet over the couch and cover the entire cap with a fabric that matches the rest of the woodwork.

Just a couple of other options

[TomW]

Since I could not bring myself to cutting speaker-sized holes in the walls or cabinets of my Airstream, I ended up mounting some Altec Lansing, powered computer speakers with subwoofer after modifying them to run on 12 volts.

The subwoofer just fit in the deadspace curb-side of the fresh water tank, while the bottom of the forward overhead bin accomodated the satellite speakers quite well. Since the gaucho had been removed to work on the water pump, the opportunity was taken to run a wire to where the television normally sits so as to enjoy the speakers with it as well as the soon-to-be-purchase radio that will sit in the overhead bin.

The pictures below show the speaker system before & after the installation.

Tom

[till]

Cool instalation!! Though, how well does the Overlander rock??

Ya know, you are fueling a 28 foot copy up north here.

[TomW]

Originally Posted by till

...Though, how well does the Overlander rock??

I think I could be obnoxious at a campground if I wanted to...

Tom