dash Radio in MH

[egh33]

Do they just put cheap radio's in RV's or am I just unlucky. The MH I had about 10 years ago, the dash radio went bad. The dial light went bad. So I had to replace the radio.
Now, this coach I bought new in 06. The dash radio , the on off switch has gone bad.
It is a push button is an on/off volume all in one switch. It won't turn it on or off. The volume still works. I can turn it on and off with the remote. Radio repair shops are very hard to find and the one I did find said it's cheaper to replace the radio.
The problem is I can't find a radio to fit in the same place as the old one. Any one got any ideas ??
Thanks

[wa8yxm]

I too recommend Crutchfield for window shopping new dash radios.. You may buy there or elsewhere but they have just about the biggest window for shopping I've found.

RV's vary.. My Dash (And house) radios are both Pioneer, at one time this was a "top" brand though I understand they had slipped a bit in the ratings.

But yes. a lot of what goes into RV's is "Lowest Bidder". What can I say.

[Slate_CM]

Can you post a photo of the existing radio? I should be able to give you some ideas on what's there and what might fit.

Some GM built models are 1.5 DIN. I've also seen many motor homes with non standard radios.

[Campfire_Time]

Beverley&Ken wrote:

Crutchfield is your answer. They have an excellent choice, PLUS they can provide adaptor mounting kits and wiring adapters for virtually all situations. They known for there excellent customer support.

Ken

X2 on Crutchfield.

[DrewE]

As said, almost always the dash radios are DIN or double-DIN, or if not the space for them can be adapted very easily to these standards. If you posted a picture of the existing radio, we could tell you what size to look for.

Last year I replaced the factory radio in my Coachmen motorhome (which really wasn't a bad unit; I think the build sheet listed it as the upgraded model) with a $20 special from Wal-mart. The new radio is probably not as high quality overall, but is much more modern: it has an aux in jack, can play music from SD cards or USB drives, and supports bluetooth. On the other hand, it does not play cassette tapes like the old one did, and rather curiously is lacking an AM receiver.

[rockhillmanor]

It IS cheaper to replace the radio. With the influx of all the new electronics for music, car stereo systems pricing is at an all time low.

Mine went out, went to an auto stereo system repair/install place and they wanted hundreds of dollars. These shops are a dying breed so they want to get as much as they can out each customer.

Believe it or not Walmart has a 'huge' selection of brand name auto radios. For what the repair shop wanted $300 dollars for I found an even higher end brand radio at Walmart for 80 bucks. Comes with all kinds of extra bells and whistles and works great and has been for 10 years now.:C

Once you get the frame off the dash its real easy to replace and the instructions that come with the radio are real easy to follow and it comes with extra parts/wiring to fit different set ups.

[Dutch_12078]

Our previous Coachmen coach was missing the dash radio when we bought it, so I installed a nice Sony unit with an external 10 CD player deck, USB, etc. When we bought our current coach the radio worked ok, but wasn't the quality of the Sony. Fortunately for me, both coaches had standard DIN mounts, and all I had to do was slip both radios out of their housings and swap them. No rewiring was needed other than routing the 10 CD player cable that I also moved.

[seaeagle2]

I don't know about motorhomes specificly but for years, most car audio systems have been standardized "DIN" or "Double DIN" sized units that slide into a bracket, or if its a weird OEM style, someone makes a a DIN or Double DIN faceplate adapter. And as stated above, Crutchfield is your friend. They have awesome tech support.

[Beverley_Ken]

Your not the only unlucky one. Ours died within the first year (warranty) and the replacement did last longer, but I had to replace it a few years later. Went with a Pioneer unit.
Crutchfield is your answer. They have an excellent choice, PLUS they can provide adaptor mounting kits and wiring adapters for virtually all situations. They known for there excellent customer support.

Ken