# Finally Retiring The Factory White Radio



## Thor

Well after many months of product research and figuring out exactly what I want to do... I broke down and bought a new stereo for the Outback.










I was not happy with the quality of the factory installed white all in one stereo and replaced it with the above stereo.

Reason for this stereo:

1 - 12v power (all wiring is already in place)
2 - USB port (mp3 players and cameras)
3 - DVD/CD MP3 player (Allows me to remove my dvd player from the Outback)
4 - Sat. Radio ready
5 - I-Pod Ready
6 - Remote control
7 - Cost (Got lucky - picked it up for $219 Cdn) Last one in stock including mounting bracket

I looked at the under mount cd/dvd players including a screen but I found the screens too small and I would need to run 120v or buy an inverter. I looked at the LCD TV/DV combos but I realy have a widescreen LCD tv. When I came across this deck that played DVD's and all the other toys with just being over $200, I just couldn't say no.

The next step is to install (this weekend) and upgrade the ceiling factory speakers. I am going to buy and LCD wall bracket and mount the LCD TV off of the kitchen cabinet and since the stereo is right there ... all wires will be hidden.

I will post pics, and how pleased I am with sound and quality.

Gotta love impluse shopping.

Thor


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## tdvffjohn

Ya just can t sit still, can you? Gotta do a mod somehow, somewhere









Looks like a good plan. Looking forward to the report.

John

How many beers job will it be?


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## California Jim

MMMMMM Good one









That mod plagues me every time I camp. Gotta just do it someday. DW wants an under-cabinet coffee maker in the "white elephant's" spot.

On a related note, I believe the factoy speakers are wired in series







So pulling some new speaker wire may be in order. Keep us posted and congrats


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## luv2rv

Thor - last one!

Hmm. gonna have to look for one somewhere......

Wayne


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## Scrib

This is on my list, too. Mostly for the DVD capability, but I also need to rewire the speakers so that the bunkhouse can be muted.


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## hurricaneplumber

Hey impulse man, do you want the black radio mount bracket that goes under the cabinet like the new models have??? I will send it to you if you want it???



















Kevin


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## Thor

Kevin

Thanks for the offer. The Sales guy gave me 1 for free









Sprinklers???? Are you thinking of adding this safety feature in your Outback?

Thor


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## NDJollyMon

Thor..
Looks like something I'D LIKE TOO!
I always drag a DVD player along...and it would be nice to get rid of that white POS radio. Mine didn't have factory speakers in the ceiling either. I like your idea...post the pics of the install!


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## skippershe

Thor, can you tell us the make and model? I can't make it out from the photo

Thanks








Dawn


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## Scrib

JVC KD-DV6200


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## geodebro

Great Mod!!! I replaced my head unit with the JVC4200. It is the same unit, but doesn't have the USB port. Sounds great.

I replaced the stock speakers with Pioneer speakers. Speakers.

They are pricey, but sound good. I actually got them using reward points, so they only cost me $5000.00 in credit charges.









What was nice that I was able to use the stock grills on these. They just slide right over the new speakers.

Good Luck,

George


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## z-family




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## HootBob

Awesome stereo Thor that with new speakers in the ceiling you'll be jamming









Don


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## NobleEagle

Looks like a great mod, I'd love to know how it works out for ya. I am also wondering about the speaker replacement pertaining to the wiring. I found a few of this particular stereo on ebay the cheapest one being $219.00


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## PDX_Doug

Sounds (no pun intended) like a great mod, Thor!








Let us know how it turns out!

BTW, what are you using for speakers?

Happy Trails,
Doug


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## Katrina

Mountain dew I can understand......
But who else keeps steak sauce and Franks Red Hot on their desk?


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## case_campers

Thor,
Where did you purchase your stereo? I have a 2003 and would like to do the same (BTW it would be my second mod on my TT, installed the detachable 30A power cord!!). What is the technical name for the plastic housing that you install it in? I'll need to get one of those too (unless Kevin would like to extend his offer to a newbie














) 
Scott


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## Katrina

case_campers said:


> Thor,
> Where did you purchase your stereo? I have a 2003 and would like to do the same (BTW it would be my second mod on my TT, installed the detachable 30A power cord!!). What is the technical name for the plastic housing that you install it in? I'll need to get one of those too (unless Kevin would like to extend his offer to a newbie
> 
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> Scott


www.crutchfield.com has the under cabinet mount for about 20 bucks.
Or it's free if you buy a stereo from them, just tell them what kind of mount you need.
I think they want like $329.00 for that particular unit.


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## case_campers

Thanks for the info. It would be great if there was a radio out there with a TV tuner in it too. I've been trying to figure out how to double duty my laptop as a TV. Seen a few options, such as usb, or PCMCIA TV tuners. You've really got me thinking about swapping out the radio now!


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## N7OQ

Now this is what I think should have been in the trailer in the first place. I was a little supprised that the unit mounted under the TV stand does not have DVD output.

Keep us posted on how well it works, this is something I want to do too.


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## Oregon_Camper

Nice upgrade to the stock stereo!

I've thought about this, but I had the same CD in our stereo for over a year now. Guess I don't listen to that much music while camping.


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## Thor

I bought mine at a local audio video store that specializes in car stereos. Future Shop has them on sale for $269 Cdn on the web and $299 Cdn in the store









The plastic part is for an undermount design - Any car stereo installer should carry these. The guy I bought the unit from has a pile of them in his service bay.

Model is JVC KD-DV6200

The only draw back is that I will go from 4 to 2 speakers. Before I install additional 2 speakers and a subwoofer,







I will upgrade the ceiling speaker and go from there.

I should have everything in by Sun. I will take pics from start to finish. I hope the existing wires are marked.

Thor


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## Moosegut

Katrina said:


> Nice upgrade to the stock stereo!
> 
> I've thought about this, but I had the same CD in our stereo for over a year now. Guess I don't listen to that much music while camping.


Wow! And I thought it was just me. When I traded in my old TT I took Shania Twain and put her in the new player and she's still there. Man, I feel like a woman.


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## rms0726ea

Thor said:


> I bought mine at a local audio video store that specializes in car stereos. Future Shop has them on sale for $269 Cdn on the web and $299 Cdn in the store
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> The plastic part is for an undermount design - Any car stereo installer should carry these. The guy I bought the unit from has a pile of them in his service bay.
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> Model is JVC KD-DV6200
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> The only draw back is that I will go from 4 to 2 speakers. Before I install additional 2 speakers and a subwoofer,
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> I will upgrade the ceiling speaker and go from there.
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> I should have everything in by Sun. I will take pics from start to finish. I hope the existing wires are marked.
> 
> Thor


Awesome mod, It drives me crazy dragging the SAT radio out of the pick-up, running the wires & antenna each trip:angry: . Can't wait to see how it works out for you, I will definitely be following your footsteps.

I'm sure the new system will be better than the stock setup







. It was kinda disappointing about the quality of the stereo in my 29FBHS - I thought they could have easily done better.

Best of luck & enjoy!!!!


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## hurricaneplumber

Doesn't everyone keep camper parts at work







Y'all picking on my work area aren't you???? At least it is somewhat picked up. How can you live without some Red Hot.

case_campers--bracket is free to you, just pay for the shipping and it is yours if you want it, let me know.

Thor, does the radio literature have any data on how much the power draw is? This looks like a great unit, I was wondering how it would last when on battery power for a weekend, etc.

kevin


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## tdvffjohn

Thor said:


> .
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> I hope the existing wires are marked.
> 
> Thor


Thats funny


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## Scrib

Moosegut said:


> Wow! And I thought it was just me. When I traded in my old TT I took Shania Twain and put her in the new player and she's still there. Man, I feel like a woman.


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## luv2rv

Kevin,

Nice Frank's Red Hot - you makin Bloody Mary's at work?









Wayne


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## Thor

Ok guys, I need your help.

I dropped the factory radio only to discover the wires are marked















Here is the bad news. The ceiling speakers are wired in series. Both my speakers are wired to LH front speaker.







This means I have to fish another wire thru the ceiling to get left and right balance









How easy is it to pull another wire thru the ceiling. I tried pulling on the existing speaker wire but it must be tied off somewhere in the ceiling.

Modding starts tomorrow - I can hardly wait. I was guessing on a 2hrs job, but somehow I have a feeling it is going to be all day. No problem, I put more cold ones in the fridge (fridge in the Outback) This is awesome, no running back into the house









Thor


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## rms0726ea

Thor said:


> Here is the bad news. The ceiling speakers are wired in series. Both my speakers are wired to LH front speaker.
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> This means I have to fish another wire thru the ceiling to get left and right balance


* Wow, that's pretty lazy of them to wire them in series
 






. No wonder the stock radio sounds like crap.







I will look in my camper to see if I can see anything that might help. Have fun & enjoy the beer.









Shiner bock? Heineken? Budweiser? Molson? MGD?*

WB


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## hurricaneplumber

I fished extra wires by taking apart a roof vent and reaching in as far as you can get and using a piece of stiff wire and taping the new speaker wires to that and pulling it through the roof.

Worked for me.

good luck

kevin


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## aplvlykat

Thor, when I re-routed the TV cable I also pulled in a extra speaker wire. I had to go in the ceiling through the A/C unit and open up a hole on the inside where the main eletrical comes in so I could get ahold of the wires. If your is the same then after you drop the speakers and remove the split loom cover from the wires that go up through the cabnet into the ceiling you will be able to push/pull back and forth and the old wire may come free. Kirk


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## Thor

Thanks. I am going to remove the vents and the A/C cover to gain some access. I am hoping that I can use my fish wire to somehow push thru. Only one more sleep until modding time.

Thor


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## Thor

Well finsihed the entire job in about 2hrs. Most of the time was spent pulling the extra apeaker wire thru. While I was at it I replace the speakers as well. I decided on 6 1/2" 3 way speakers and what a difference. The only thing left is to mount the LCD tv bracket to the side of the cabinets and another mod completed. I left the monitor connection hanging so I do not have to search for them when I run the cables to LCD TV.

Steps to complete Radio upgrade.

1 - Removed old radio. (4 screws) and unplugged - Wires are marked
2 - Remove the speak covers and speakers
3 - Removed vent cover (this makes running the extra speaker easier)
4 - Ran a fish thru and pulled the speaker back
5 - Wired up the new radio and used an under mount style bracket
6 - Replace speakers with new ones 
7 - Replaced existing speaker covers
8 - Had a cold one

Speakers wired in series









Old radio removed exposing the wire harness









Running the fish - Remove the cover made it alot easier to get the fish thru









Replace the olkd speakers with some 6 1/2" 3ways









New stereo installed - I left the video tv connection hanging from the back because I wanted easy access to with when I mount my LCD tv on the side of the cabinet. (sorry for the poor image)









Thor


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## luv2rv

Thor,

Awesome. looks great especially the new speakers. Looks like you and I were doing the same Mod at the same time today. I bought this JVC head unit this morning, pulled the Outback home and installed it.

Thankfully, my TT already had 4 speakers and was properly wired for Balance and Fade (not wired in series). I still need new speakers though.

The speaker wires on the JVC were the exact same colouring as the Jensen and wired the same so made it really easy to install.

I am still shopping for an LCD flat panel ... future shop has a nice 20" for $299.

I told Lisa I was going to move the 40" LCD from the living room to the Outback (she wasn't impressed)









Thanks for the recommend on the unit.







I was even able to finally get Wireless Speakers working in the Outback with this unit as well. Big win all the way around.

I tested it out with one of the LCD screens from the in car DVD unit and watched the Bourne Supremacy in Surround Sound. It was awesome. Highly recommended MOD

Wayne


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## NDJollyMon

Nice mod Thor!


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## hurricaneplumber

What is this a neighbourhood thing???? You guys keep your electronics modding bug on your side of the Pond will ya.

Looks very nice Thor, I know where I can watch a good movie now when camping, or maybe a place to send the kids to go visit










Nice job boys!!!

kevin


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## California Jim

Nice one Thor. And sorry to hear the wires were indeed connected in series. I'll have to deal with this too once I make the leap. Now I have a good idea of how to handle it


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## luv2rv

hurricaneplumber said:


> What is this a neighbourhood thing???? You guys keep your electronics modding bug on your side of the Pond will ya.
> 
> Looks very nice Thor, I know where I can watch a good movie now when camping, or maybe a place to send the kids to go visit
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> Nice job boys!!!
> 
> kevin


Come on Kevin you know you wanna. Just think you'll have a home theatre on wheels when you're done.

There's a long cold winter comin so gotta get my mods in quick. I picked up my flat panel TV at lunch today -Lisa's gonna have my head
















Wayne


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## Thor

Kevin

I was thinking about me. My dog house could have surround sound with a 40" tv
















Thor


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## hurricaneplumber

Boys,

As much as I would love to have a 40" LCD to watch the NY Rangers tromple the Maple Leafs on, I just can't have a television in the Outback yet.

While you boys are enhancing your multimedia experiences, I am working on a project that generates heat for my house. Not as much fun for sure, but if the Bride is happy, we're all happy and I get to stay out of the doghouse without TV.

kevin


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## luv2rv

Kevin, okay , you're right. With winter coming you're going to need that heat. Plus there's no point in watchin your beloved Rangers take a beating on something that large. Oh it's on......

Thor, nothing like a "Doghouse" with digital TV and Surround sound. Gotta love it.

Wayne


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## Oregon_Camper

luv2rv said:


> Thor, nothing like a "Doghouse" with digital TV and Surround sound. Gotta love it.
> 
> Wayne


LOL...you got that right!!!


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## Thor

Wayne

You said it
















Thor


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## NDJollyMon

Yea...the rolling DOGHOUSE could be a nice place to stay!


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## Oregon_Camper

NDJollyMon said:


> Yea...the rolling DOGHOUSE could be a nice place to stay!


Does it come with a beer frig? If so, I might move in.


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## Thor

Oregon_Camper said:


> Yea...the rolling DOGHOUSE could be a nice place to stay!


Does it come with a beer frig? If so, I might move in.








[/quote]

Jim

Yes it does, I have been living there for the last serval months









Thor


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## HootBob

Thor said:


> Yea...the rolling DOGHOUSE could be a nice place to stay!


Does it come with a beer frig? If so, I might move in.








[/quote]

Jim

Yes it does, I have been living there for the last serval months









Thor
[/quote]

Part at Thors
















Don


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## Thor

Don

My address is site #49









thor


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## huntr70

Thor said:


> Don
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> thor


Is that site 49 A, B, or C???
















Steve


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## Thor

All of the above









Thor


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