Retro fir Radio to Ranger 550/6 2008

[Surrey_Chris]

Hi,

I was wondering if anybody had ever fitted a radio to the above?

If so where did you mount it?

 

[Zbungle]

I retro-fitted a radio to a Bailey Ranger 560/2. Is that any good? I made up a plywood frame similar to the frame you might see in any factory fitted radio set-up (exactly the same as the one in my new Bailey Monarch) and covered it with patterned sticky-backed plastic with a design that was in keeping with the rest of the decor. All this was inside one of the overhead lockers so that when the locker door was closed you couldn't see it anyway.

I installed this on the side opposite the door so that I could fit a Ring aerial directly behind the radio on the exterior of the van. My present van has the radio door-side which means there is no point fitting an external aerial as you can't put it up if you are using an awning.

I took the 12v cable back directly to the battery (via an in-line fuse). Getting the cable through the back of the lockers needed a couple of small holes drilled in the dividing woodwork (once again, well out of sight at the back/bottom of the locker) and to drop down to the battery area I came down an existing piece of Bailey fitted trunking behind the curtains. Speaker cable was similarly hidden at the back/bottom of the lockers, through the same holes as for the 12v.

To get from one side of the van to the other, I took down the front curtain track and there was just enough room to fit a length of small trunking. The curtain track went back up and hid the trunking completely.

The finished result was very neat, even though I say it myself.

 

[Surrey_Chris]

I retro-fitted a radio to a Bailey Ranger 560/2. Is that any good? I made up a plywood frame similar to the frame you might see in any factory fitted radio set-up (exactly the same as the one in my new Bailey Monarch) and covered it with patterned sticky-backed plastic with a design that was in keeping with the rest of the decor. All this was inside one of the overhead lockers so that when the locker door was closed you couldn't see it anyway.

I installed this on the side opposite the door so that I could fit a Ring aerial directly behind the radio on the exterior of the van. My present van has the radio door-side which means there is no point fitting an external aerial as you can't put it up if you are using an awning.

I took the 12v cable back directly to the battery (via an in-line fuse). Getting the cable through the back of the lockers needed a couple of small holes drilled in the dividing woodwork (once again, well out of sight at the back/bottom of the locker) and to drop down to the battery area I came down an existing piece of Bailey fitted trunking behind the curtains. Speaker cable was similarly hidden at the back/bottom of the lockers, through the same holes as for the 12v.

To get from one side of the van to the other, I took down the front curtain track and there was just enough room to fit a length of small trunking. The curtain track went back up and hid the trunking completely.

The finished result was very neat, even though I say it myself.

Great. That sounds like a good plan I was thinking of putting it in the cupboard wher the aerial comes down. Where did you put the speakers ?

 

[John_miller]

Christopher - not sure if you're planning to use the TV aerial for your radio, but if it's the Status 315 (mushroom), in my experience it's useless. You really need an external aerial for decent reception. The Status 530 is OK though.

 

[Zbungle]

On my Ranger I also found the mushroom aerial useless (for radio and television) and so I fitted a Ring aerial. My Pageant Monarch came with a factory fitted radio that uses the Status 530 but although it is brilliant for TV, I don't find it much good for radio. It's better if you extend the two telescopic arms but access is a bit of a ***. Standing on a box and reaching through the sun roof is the only way but I'm not that keen. I will get round to fitting a Ring, eventually.

On my own installation I put the speakers at the extreme front of the van in the facia of the overhead lockers. They faced the centre of the van and that was fine. On the Monarch they are fitted in the same place but face downwards. Minor problem is that if you are sitting right at the front you get deafened (because they are directly overhead) but anyone in the middle of the van compains because they can't hear.

Oh well, I suppose most things in Caravanland are a compromise. I'll put up with it for the time being.