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Old 01-10-2016, 05:52 PM   #1
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Cool Low volume on outside speakers

I have a 2014 Rockwood 8329SS. When I want to listen to my Ipod or the radio I have to turn the volume up as high as it will go to get any volume on the outside speakers. I have all the inside speakers "off". Am I missing something to get normal volume?
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Old 01-10-2016, 06:27 PM   #2
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Same thing with 2014 v cross. Jensen 865 radio. Help
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Old 01-10-2016, 06:28 PM   #3
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Do you have the iRV 66?

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Old 01-10-2016, 06:46 PM   #4
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What's a iRV 66?
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Old 01-10-2016, 06:56 PM   #5
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Old 01-10-2016, 08:03 PM   #6
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I don't know if this applies to your issue but I had a similar problem. When i would try to use my Iphone I discovered that I had to adjust the volume on both the stereo and my Iphone to get the proper volume through my speakers.
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Old 01-10-2016, 09:50 PM   #7
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We have the same experience with our 8329 (2015 model) but I think it's a common issue with many models as our last trailer (2011 Surveyor) was the same way. I don't think the weather proof speakers are very high quality.
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Old 01-10-2016, 10:13 PM   #8
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not sure how they have them wires but is it possibly just a balance/fade setting issue where the outside speakers are wired to the rear speaker channel or something, which might be turned down...?
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Old 01-10-2016, 10:45 PM   #9
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Cool Outside Speakers

Is there a higher quality replacement speaker available?
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Old 01-10-2016, 11:21 PM   #10
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Our outside speaker volume is also low. We do not listen outside anyway so it does not matter on ours but I have wondered why. Could it be that the volume is shunted down on purpose to avoid disturbing neighbor's.


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Old 01-10-2016, 11:54 PM   #11
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Trying to be brief and not too technical, outdoor speakers are usually made with plastic cones vs the more traditional paper. These plastic cones are heavier and therefore take more power to move themselves back and forth. Outdoor speakers are also firing off into the distance with little to reflect the sound waves. These things combined with a low power output from the stereo could very easily be the cause of your concern. Just one more possibility to add to the above suggestions.
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Old 01-11-2016, 05:08 AM   #12
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Is there a higher quality replacement speaker available?
There is but not many that will fit in the same housing. If you want to cut holes and not use the surface mounted housings then all kinds of options open up. Or you could keep the factory ones and mount some good outdoor patio speakers somewhere, like underneath to the frame. Look at Polk Audio Atrium series.

The factory speakers are cheap crap, and if you change them to something better you then need to address the factory head unit which is garbage. No matter if its an IRV, Concertone, or Jensen they are all cheap and under-powered, with about as much sound quality as a 1960's pocket transistor radio. By power I don't mean volume as in loud. To get good sound quality at a low volume you need a lot more front end power than you get from any of this junk. If you don't change the head unit to drive the better speakers, no sense in changing the speakers to begin with. Now you have new quality speakers and a new quality high powered unit so what happens. At any kind of volume the cabinets and other construction in the trailer or MH will start buzzing and vibrating somewhere, remember its all built from spit and toilet paper, and it will take a good bit of work finding and eliminating those. At the end of the day you'll realize that at a crowded campground or park, you can't really use any of it unless you want to be the neighbor from hell. The thin wall, floor, and roof construction of the rig means anything louder than a whisper inside can be heard all over the campground, and the outside speakers sound will travel for miles.
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Old 01-11-2016, 05:45 AM   #13
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I had the same problem with those 4" speakers outside. To hear them at all I would have to be blasted out on the inside. I bought new 6" but still had to use the cheap Concertone. You have to remember that the wall is only 2" thick. So to use some good speakers you would have to have a spacer. The 6" where a 100% improvement, but still the quality is bad. I ended up just buying a dock box from Sirius Radio and use that outside much better sound. I don't blast my radio but I do like to hear music when sitting outside.
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Old 01-11-2016, 05:46 AM   #14
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Same here! We have the the 2014 8329. I have started using a bluetooth portable speaker and sit it on the table.
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Old 01-11-2016, 05:47 AM   #15
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Our outside speakers seem to work fine but we don't use them as the sound travels and we always get to hear what the neighbors are listening to. Thought often we would need ear plugs as the neighbors appeared to be deaf.......... ...... and inconsiderate.


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Old 01-11-2016, 07:57 AM   #16
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Our outside speaker volume is also low. We do not listen outside anyway so it does not matter on ours but I have wondered why. Could it be that the volume is shunted down on purpose to avoid disturbing neighbor's.


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Old 01-11-2016, 08:15 AM   #17
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You have to remember that the wall is only 2" thick. So to use some good speakers you would have to have a spacer. The 6" where a 100% improvement, but still the quality is bad.
In a lot of cases the wall is only 1 3/8" thick such as a Roo or Minilite. You can however get any exterior / marine speaker you want in a sidewall if you use some creativity and your layout allows it. Most other manufacturers do not use the surface mount housings for the exterior speakers, they mount them flush in the sidewall. Usually in an area where the magnet will project inside a wall cabinet. Then they make a cover panel inside the cabinet or a false back panel to conceal it. My last trailer, a Keystone Passport, had one speaker placed where the wall cabinets were next to the entry door with a cover panel inside and the other placed where its magnet projected into the dead space behind the fridge which was street side. I replaced those with some nice 6 1/2" infinity marine speakers.

It has nothing to do with volume being shunted to not disturb the neighbors at the campground. Just one time I would like to discuss RV speakers and radios in an RV forum, and not have the thread morph into the disturbing the neighbors BS.
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Old 01-11-2016, 10:13 AM   #18
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That might be the reason. Maybe FR is afraid it's owners won't be considerate campers.?.
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Old 01-11-2016, 10:30 AM   #19
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Low Volume

Thanks to everyone for their help! I think I will just use the Oontz Bluetooth speaker I use at home out on the deck. It is a great little unit, and cheaper than Bose, that I can plug my Ipod into and listen to my Bluegrass without being inconsiderate to the neighbors. We tend to stay at State/Fed Parks as there is usually more elbow room and privacy between sites.

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Old 01-11-2016, 10:42 AM   #20
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Our outside speaker volume is also low. We do not listen outside anyway so it does not matter on ours but I have wondered why. Could it be that the volume is shunted down on purpose to avoid disturbing neighbor's.


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Klbrown53, That is what I first thought. So I changed my #2 which is the bedroom to the outdoor speaker, made no difference at all. I bought some great expensive speakers made by Jensen at the Goshen rally, they even had to bring me some white the next day and sent FR over to install them. Well when FR came they said we can put them in but your going to have a whole inside on 1 only. I took them back and got my money the sameday. I think either a Dock box or blue tooth is the way to go. Also I do like music, but do not disturb my neighbors. It's funny to me that people will complain about speakers but Glampers Hang TV'S on the outside and seem to think that's exceptable. The only time anyone will ever here my speakers are if they are in my CG space. If we all respect our neighbors, I say do what you want, but leave me alone. Pretty simple isn't it.....
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