installing car radio/cd player

06-06-2008, 03:32 PM

Has anyone installed a car radio/cd player in their TM? If so, how/where did you do it? Any thoughts on how and where best to do it?

David & neila

**grill-n-go** · 06-06-2008, 03:55 PM

It's very simple. I'm sure someone else will give u more specifics but I can tell you that I put one in the slot provided directly over the refrigerator with absolutely NO PRIOR experience on the subject. It's prewired, so it's just a matter of pulling out the place holder (wood) and following the car radio directions in the package.

06-06-2008, 05:40 PM

Ditto. I also installed a rocker switch right next to the radio by drilling a hole squaring it up with a file, wiring it to the radio and snapping it back in place. It allows me to turn off the radio circuit when not in use so that there is no phantom power drain from the radio.
You can also do a search for radio cd player and you will find threads that address this process quite thoroughly.
Good Luck!

**wbmiller3** · 06-06-2008, 06:44 PM

Yes, it was easy. Great idea on the switch fishpondwest, I will have to go back and do that. I've been pulling the fuse.

06-06-2008, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishpondwest

Ditto. I also installed a rocker switch right next to the radio by drilling a hole squaring it up with a file, wiring it to the radio and snapping it back in place. It allows me to turn off the radio circuit when not in use so that there is no phantom power drain from the radio.

Good Luck!

I put a radio kill switch under the sink cabinet that you can't even see.....but you gotta do a little reaching to get to it.

Chap

ferdoh · 06-07-2008, 06:00 AM

Why couldn't you wire the radio thru the bathroom wall switch so it would go off automatically. Seems like the factory could have figured this out long ago. Radios don't take much power, so it shouldn't affect the other circuit.

**Bill** · 06-07-2008, 08:50 AM

Good idea. And rather than going back to the switch to pick up power (it would be hard to run a wire under the bathroom floor), you could pick it up at the propane detector or the water heater ignition switch. I belive I'll do this in my TM tomorrow, since it is open for cleaning at the moment.

Quote:

Seems like the factory could have figured this out

Don't be too quick to pass judgement on the factory. I'm sure they've thought about it, but they don't do it because all the station presets (and whatever else you have selected in the radio) would be deleted every time you close the TM. People would complain about it, making this a no-win situation for the factory.

Bill

ferdoh · 06-07-2008, 12:29 PM

True. Didn't think about it that way.

**tucsoncarol** · 06-12-2008, 04:59 PM

What am I missing? I had a friend install my radio/cd player (he used to do this for a living) and it seems we aren't hooked into the antenna. I need to do this myself now and wonder if it is harder than it seems or if he really did just do it wrong?

**Bill** · 06-12-2008, 07:22 PM

Among the wires in the bundle on top of the refrigerator, there is an antenna lead. It is a kinda fat black cable with an antenna connector on the end. The antenna plugs into a matching socket on the back of the radio. Hard to mess this up.

I've forgotten what year your TM is, Carol, but at the other end of the antenna lead is the antenna. In the 2002 era, it was a fold-down collapsible whip antenna, mounted on the left rear sidewall of the front shell. In the 2006 era, the antenna is a black batwing thing permanently mounted on the rear edge of the front shell. Pic at
http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...2&d=1213029431
I'm not sure when the transition took place. Either antenna has a built-in amplifier, so both of them need a 12-volt power supply. You'll find the connection for this on top of the refrigerator, too.

Bill