Outdoor speakers leaks, 2nd toy hauler same problem

[lamopar]

Thought I might drop a note here of a problem I have had on two toy haulers about 6 years apart. The material that attaches the speaker, woofer part of a two way, separates from the foam type material that attaches the speaker to the speaker frame. Our 2011 had it and I never noticed it and did not have a cover for the unit so when it rained it ran in the speaker, down the wall and destroyed the flooring. Yesterday I was playing some music and noticed a scratchy sound on our 2018 unit. When I inspected the speakers I found the foam had disconnected at the bottom from the speaker. It is very hard to see and you must look for a black line where the foam was attached. A slight pull on the foam and you can see it is not connected. I pulled on the top part as well and it is still attached. Probably something you won't notice until you are in the trailer in a heavy down pour but what happens when you are not there is terrible.

[MFL]

RVER wrote:
MFL Do your speakers get wet from the water on roads etc.?

The covers on the speakers are slotted, and rear of speakers are open in the back, so to answer your question, they likely get a little wet when towing in a heavy rain. I have camped in wind swept downpours, many times too, and washed the speaker covers with a soapy car wash brush. I rinse off with a hose, avoiding high direct pressure, and never have harmed the speakers, or what I consider good quality sound.

Jerry

[RVER]

MFL Do your speakers get wet from the water on roads etc.?

[colliehauler]

dedmiston wrote:

colliehauler wrote:
I tried to delete the outdoor junk speakers when I ordered my TH and they wouldn't do it. I just wanted a couple of jacks mounted to the outside to plug good quality speaker into at the campsite.

Second problem is good marine speakers are way deeper then the walls allow. Was forced to replace with same low quality speakers when the cone rotted out of the previous ones.

Our old Warrior just had a couple of speaker wires dangling from the belly. That was actually a great solution. I added some good RCA plugs inside a set of weatherproof boxes and connected some great speakers.

I thought of putting in a couple of led scare lights in the speaker holes and running the wire under the trailer with jacks for the speakers.

[dedmiston]

colliehauler wrote:
I tried to delete the outdoor junk speakers when I ordered my TH and they wouldn't do it. I just wanted a couple of jacks mounted to the outside to plug good quality speaker into at the campsite.

Second problem is good marine speakers are way deeper then the walls allow. Was forced to replace with same low quality speakers when the cone rotted out of the previous ones.

Our old Warrior just had a couple of speaker wires dangling from the belly. That was actually a great solution. I added some good RCA plugs inside a set of weatherproof boxes and connected some great speakers.

[colliehauler]

I tried to delete the outdoor junk speakers when I ordered my TH and they wouldn't do it. I just wanted a couple of jacks mounted to the outside to plug good quality speaker into at the campsite.

Second problem is good marine speakers are way deeper then the walls allow. Was forced to replace with same low quality speakers when the cone rotted out of the previous ones.

[lamopar]

I wish mine were located down where I sit and with nothing behind them. Great idea though and I have seen a couple of trailers like that. Much better design.

[MFL]

My outdoor speakers are marine type, sound good, and are mounted in the lower J-panel. They are sealed well to the J-panel, but wouldn't matter, as there is no place to leak, just open air behind panel. It would be very easy to change them, if needed. It just makes no sense to me, to cut holes in the wall for outdoor speakers, that can leak, or need replacement.



Jerry

[BurbMan]

dedmiston wrote:
O....but then Santa brought me a killer Bluetooth setup that sounds way better than the crummy stock speakers ever did. So I'll probably just leave them as they are.

Same here. I didn't bother adding outside speakers when I re-did the truck camper for the same reason. Back when I did the TT in 2009 BT speakers weren't nearly as good!

[Terryallan]

One of my outdoor speakers leaked as well. I just recaulked around it. That stopped it.

[lamopar]

I had to go look at the thread and see you removed the off topic ones. When it happened the first time there were a lot of people getting irate about outdoor speakers on the thread. At home around the shop it is not a problem in the middle of 15 acres in the country. When we camp in the high desert it is remote and no one is around. In both cases, still pretty quiet as far as what it could do.

Thanks for watching out for the crazies on the forum.

[azdryheat]

Guess I better get out and check my speakers. Don't use them but the water leak issue.

[dedmiston]

By the way, it's been years since we've had a good Outdoor Speaker thread here. These threads used to really rile up the non-Toy Hauler members.

There's a similar thread running in Tech Issues and the members over there haven't been as sympathetic to the OP's questions. Lots of people clutching their pearls at the mere mention of outdoor speakers.

[dedmiston]

Our speakers have always been a mess.

The first time I used them, I had them faded to play quietly in the garage and a little louder outside. I was sitting out there thinking, "Hey, that's not how this song is supposed to sound." And then when I was in the garage, I had the same sense about another song. So I started playing with the fade and the balance and finally figured out that the builder had taken a shortcut and ran one line to the garage for the right channel and split it into two speakers, and did the same to the outside speakers and split them both into the left channel. Ridiculous.

That was an expensive warranty repair, because the dealer had to run a whole new line all the way to the front where the speakers are.

It's a few years later now, and the speakers have worn out. The paper cones are destroyed. I had put this on my list of things to deal with in the new year, but then Santa brought me a killer Bluetooth setup that sounds way better than the crummy stock speakers ever did. So I'll probably just leave them as they are.

[lamopar]

The speakers on both toy haulers were outdoor speakers. Two different brands of toy haulers as well. I am just trying to point out a problem I had before anyone else has the same problem and suffers severe floor damage from a speaker failure.

Thanks for the tips and ideas. I never thought about using plumbers putty behind the speakers. The Kenwood speakers I installed on my first toy hauler had a rubber gasket and then I caulked all around the speaker and put caulking into the screw holes prior to installing the screws. I never had a problem after that with them.