Looking for an RV amplifier

[rdenney]

Use case: Installed in a 1973 GMC motorhome, which has 12 VDC available at all times, 120VAC available while hooked up to shore power, and probably a bit noisy 120VAC from an inverter while dry camping. The user will play music through a pair of Dahlquist ALS-3 speakers, which are 4-ohm, 3-way micro speakers of good quality. The music will usually be classical, but may also be the occasional old prog rock. Unlike the home system, the maximum SPL output with those inefficient speakers need not exceed 90 dB SPL in a space that is about 700 cubic feet.

Requirements:
1. The amp should run reasonably well from dirty 120VAC power, made dirty either by a lousy campground distribution system or by a mid-grade inverter that purports to achieve a true sine wave but that probably does not really do so.
2. Small form factor that can be hidden away.
3. Non-digital controls (even if the things they control are digital)
3a. Analog volume control, though up/down buttons on a remote is also fine.
3b. Physical input selector.
4. two, preferably three audio inputs.
5. 70 honest watts into 4 ohm.
6. Can survive in a wide range of temperature and humidity.
7. Cheap enough that I don't have to ponder the purchase. (<$100)
8. Optional: Will operate directly from 12 volts.
9. will operate safely while unattended.
10. Sound that will be good enough not to distract me (so I would have at least one requirement that cannot be measured).

The Aiyima A07 might be the answer--it fulfills many of the requirements at least. But I'm unfamiliar with the market. It may be that a 12-volt automotive amplifier would be the better solution, though I rather doubt it.

"New" is not required. But it would be pretty rare old stuff that would not be too bulky.

Clearly, my requirements point to a traditional integrated amplifier. But a plain power amp with a separate DAC that can act as an input switcher, with at least one analog input, one coaxial input (from, say, a CD player) and one USB input (from a computer) would be fine. Bonus points for also receiving Bluetooth from a smartphone.

Rick "suggestions welcome" Denney

 

[voodooless]

Why not look for an appropriate car audio amplifier? It saves you from running an inverter all the time. There are plenty of models with a remote control. Input switching may be a challenge, but can be fixed in other ways.

 

[Timcognito]

Doesn't check all the boxes, more than you wanted to spend but I have one of these and it kicks butt. Plays loud with bass and has a 26 hr battery. Ditch the speakers, get one of these and take it anywhere.

Premium Wireless Bluetooth Speakers - RIVA Turbo X

RIVA Audio's Turbo X delivers best-in-class audio by combining our proprietary ADX Trillium technology for truly immersive sound. Shop online today. Official Site!

rivaaudio.com

 

[rdenney]

Doesn't check all the boxes, more than you wanted to spend but I have one of these and it kicks butt. Plays loud with bass and has a 26 hr battery. Ditch the speakers, get one of these and take it anywhere.

Premium Wireless Bluetooth Speakers - RIVA Turbo X

RIVA Audio's Turbo X delivers best-in-class audio by combining our proprietary ADX Trillium technology for truly immersive sound. Shop online today. Official Site!

rivaaudio.com

I have a JBL bluetooth speaker. It's...fine. But this is a 50-year-old motorhome. I don't mind hiding some newer tech behind the front panel, but I really want to use those 70's speakers.

Yes, I should have included all that in my use case

An automotive amp might be the answer, but I'm completely clueless about what is available in that market. My sense is that nothing said by any manufacturer in that space is truthful enough to evaluate objectively.

Rick "reading about the Fosi amps right now, including the BT20A with its direct bluetooth receiver" Denney

 

[rdenney]

Yeah, I was just looking at car stereos at Crutchfield--lots of options there but above my current play-money range.

Rick "not discounting the value of Carplay" Denney

 

[voodooless]

An automotive amp might be the answer, but I'm completely clueless about what is available in that market. My sense is that nothing said by any manufacturer in that space is truthful enough to evaluate objectively.

Neither are the specs of those Chinese amps

On YouTube there are some channels load testing some of the cheap car audio amps. Some are surprisingly powerful.

 

[MAB]

Neither are the specs of those Chinese amps

Yeah, the A07 doesn’t even do 50 Watts with 48V power supply.

AIYIMA A07 TPA3255 Review (Amplifier)

This is a review and detailed measurements of the AIYIMA A07 desktop amplifier based on TPA3255 class D amplifier chip. It was kindly purchased new by a member and drop shipped to me. The cost is US $72 on Amazon including prime shipping. And as of this shipping, it also included a 32 volt, 5...

www.audiosciencereview.com

But it is cheap and has a volume control. It will work. Just be careful to not clip the amp if you are using the Warfdales, like if you use them outside or have to crank them up over the road noise.

I would personally go the car audio route. But I have an old Nakamichi auto sound preamp and amps in storage. I don’t think you can get an amp and a volume control and input selector for less than $100. Lots of car audio gear is quite good.

Or a Yamaha integrated, which is bigger but does it all. But is more than $100 for sure unless you find a good deal used.

 

[rdenney]

Neither are the specs of those Chinese amps

On YouTube there are some channels load testing some of the cheap car audio amps. Some are surprisingly powerful.

True, but in the case of the Chinese amps, I have Amir's testing to fill in the blanks.

To be honest, I was in "portable house" mode and not "vehicle" mode in my thinking. Now that I see what is available, building an enclosure to house an automotive system that could include a screen for Carplay is looking rather appealing. That would also charge the phone and provide the music, in addition to navigation and a host of other goodies.

Nothing keeping me from wiring in those Dahlquist speakers to, say, a Kenwood or Pioneer automotive sound system. Those would at least be competent.

Rick "See, just the act of asking the question sometimes exposes dead-end thinking" Denney

 

[voodooless]

True, but in the case of the Chinese amps, I have Amir's testing to fill in the blanks.

He did test about half a dozen car audio amps as well

For “normal” amps, you could try to skip the inverter by adding a more efficient solution like this:

WONDOM

store.sure-electronics.com

Sure also has plenty of cheap amp modules, some even with DSP. They are all budget friendly.

 

[MAB]

True, but in the case of the Chinese amps, I have Amir's testing to fill in the blanks.

To be honest, I was in "portable house" mode and not "vehicle" mode in my thinking. Now that I see what is available, building an enclosure to house an automotive system that could include a screen for Carplay is looking rather appealing. That would also charge the phone and provide the music, in addition to navigation and a host of other goodies.

Nothing keeping me from wiring in those Dahlquist speakers to, say, a Kenwood or Pioneer automotive sound system. Those would at least be competent.

Rick "See, just the act of asking the question sometimes exposes dead-end thinking" Denney

Rick "Road tunes are better than no tunes" Denny,
That sounds like an awesome idea.

 

[EJ3]

Use case: Installed in a 1973 GMC motorhome, which has 12 VDC available at all times, 120VAC available while hooked up to shore power, and probably a bit noisy 120VAC from an inverter while dry camping. The user will play music through a pair of Dahlquist ALS-3 speakers, which are 4-ohm, 3-way micro speakers of good quality. The music will usually be classical, but may also be the occasional old prog rock. Unlike the home system, the maximum SPL output with those inefficient speakers need not exceed 90 dB SPL in a space that is about 700 cubic feet.

Requirements:
1. The amp should run reasonably well from dirty 120VAC power, made dirty either by a lousy campground distribution system or by a mid-grade inverter that purports to achieve a true sine wave but that probably does not really do so.
2. Small form factor that can be hidden away.
3. Non-digital controls (even if the things they control are digital)
3a. Analog volume control, though up/down buttons on a remote is also fine.
3b. Physical input selector.
4. two, preferably three audio inputs.
5. 70 honest watts into 4 ohm.
6. Can survive in a wide range of temperature and humidity.
7. Cheap enough that I don't have to ponder the purchase. (<$100)
8. Optional: Will operate directly from 12 volts.
9. will operate safely while unattended.
10. Sound that will be good enough not to distract me (so I would have at least one requirement that cannot be measured).

The Aiyima A07 might be the answer--it fulfills many of the requirements at least. But I'm unfamiliar with the market. It may be that a 12-volt automotive amplifier would be the better solution, though I rather doubt it.

"New" is not required. But it would be pretty rare old stuff that would not be too bulky.

Clearly, my requirements point to a traditional integrated amplifier. But a plain power amp with a separate DAC that can act as an input switcher, with at least one analog input, one coaxial input (from, say, a CD player) and one USB input (from a computer) would be fine. Bonus points for also receiving Bluetooth from a smartphone.

Rick "suggestions welcome" Denney

An ADVENT 300 12 volt model would likely be fine. Finding one might be a problem. But the normal ADVENT 300 would likely be fine likely be fine (for in the GMC) When Amirm tested mine,

(Advent Model 300 Vintage Receiver Review)​

he tested it through it's built in amplifiers, it does not hit 16 bits used that way. But if you run the preamp out into some other amplifier (which is how I use it, into a pair of NAD 2100's, one for a pair of Walnut Radio Shack Minimus 7's and the other for the subwoofer (dual 4 ohm voice coils Pioneer car audio 12" in the smaller of the Radio Shack Ported Sub cabinet (I removed the original 12" speaker that was sorta' ok). The ADVENT 300 has a 120V outlet on the back but that outlet is only rated 100 watts (I don't know about a 12 Volt Advent 300 [as I have never had one] but I would like to get hold of one because the 60 Hz issue would not be in the SINAD {but I suspect that it would not have a 120 V outlet on the back).

 

[rdenney]

An Advent Model 300 sounds about right for the vintage, but my mind is wandering away from my original concept now. The problem is that the vehicles single DIN slot has been taken over by engine instruments and the stereo mounting slot is now over by the glove box, which is unreachable by the driver. That isn't that much of problem (there are remotes) but it renders the screen of a double-DIN CarPlay-equipped receiver too distant.

For the CarPlay-equipped head units, I'd need to fabricate an enclosure, probably to mount on the center table. That has to be removeable (it sits on the engine hatch) so I'd have to make the wiring-harness plugs unpluggable. Mounting it on top of the dash moves it pretty distant. RV cockpits are too big in some ways but are still crowded. Back in the house, I'd want to mount that Advent under a cabinet--my GMC is quite compact and there isn't a lot of room back there either.

The alternative is to forget the CarPlay feature and just use Bluetooth to connect the phone's audio to the head unit. Single-DIN form factors are fine for that, and they usually include a USB socket for a storage thumb drive--I keep one with a big chunk of my music library on it. That would give me what I'd need to stream and play stuff from the library.

I would mount the Dahlquist speakers in the dinette area, and continue to use the tinny craptastic Pioneer or whatever 3" speakers that I installed in place of the even crappier factory speakers. These are mounted overhead. I'd wire them to "front" and the Dahlquists to "rear".

The current stereo in the single DIN slot is a cheapie Pioneer or some such. It plays CD's and has a radio, but that's it. I installed it about 20 years ago, and mostly chose that one because it was cheap and had a remote. I can't reach it to insert CD's from the driver's seat, and the upcoming trip I'm contemplating for September will be unaccompanied (the Redhead has to work). But with Bluetooth and USB, and with a remote, that location might be survivable.

Rick "back to the drawing board--use cases are moving faster than I can think" Denney

 

[EJ3]

Just for the heck of it, I'll post the ADVENT 300's dimensions, as it is smaller than the typical "home" style receiver. As to Bluetooth, I currently use that to connect my computer to one of my APT/Holman Preamps with 2 walls & 45" of distance between them. I would imagine that the range of a good Bluetooth set up would be just fine for that GMC.
I was mistaken about your use, though. I thought that you were just trying for a setup when you are stationary.
But you need a setup for both when driving & stationary, controllable in some manner by the person driving. I was not visualizing the "while driving" scenario at all.
Since the factory stereo in my 2000 truck did not work before I inherited it in 2013 and I have never bothered to find out why or replace it and my wife hates music while driving (actually she doesn't like music, radio or TV that much to begin with), I don't even turn it on in our vehicles unless she is not with me.

 

[LouB]

Not sure of your exact goal, but with a very small compromise you should get a used Pioneer car stereo. They be had for well under 100 bucks.
It's what we have in our RV. It's BT, with DVD inputs or what ever & sub out. We can play/stream anything we want from our phones, listen to a CD & have the TV/DVD sound run through it. Also has external mic so you can use it for phone calls. It has plenty of power were running 4 speakers & a sub & it's way more than loud enough.

 

[rdenney]

So, I ended up going in an unexpected direction. I already mentioned that I was thinking of a house system when I really needed an automotive system for use cases related to driving. I had therefore been looking at the double-DIN car stereos that do CarPlay, Bluetooth, and USB dongles. And I mentioned that I just don't have any place to construct an enclosure for such a unit that wouldn't either block something else or be too hard to see and reach. The only spot was on the center table. You can see up to the cockpit in the photo below. There is a tall instrument cluster that has no mounting capability anywhere on its perimeter, and the lower dash area to the right of it is too far to see and reach from the driver's position. That small table in the center is the only spot, but that table has to be removed to gain access to the engine, which is under that floor. The whole floor section between the seats folds up and leans against the dashboard, after removing the table altogether. You can sorta see that I already have a ham radio mounted sideways on the edge of that table. The dash stereo is mounted to the right of the hatch area, obscured from view by the passenger seat. Waaaay too far for the driver to reach. But that stereo has a remote, which allows input selection and volume control, plus some basic control over the radio tuner. It's a Pioneer from about 15 years ago and is basically competent for the application, which could not be considered a low-noise environment, especially given that the air conditioning in it is the 2-80 type (2 windows, 80 mph). It has one importantly necessary feature: an auxiliary input accessible from the front panel and switchable on the remote.

As I rethought my use cases, I realized that in addition to playing music while relaxing at the dinette for dinner, I also needed the more general driving aids I have become accustomed to, including:

1. Navigation. I don't think I even remember where I put the Garmin that I used to put on that table.
2. Voice control.
3. Music and audiobooks integrated with navigation commands.
4. Receiving and responding to texts hands-free, including voice annunciation and control, integrated with music.
5. Receiving and initiating voice calls using voice control, integrated with music.
6. Keeping my iPhone charged.
7. Supporting a backup camera. This is a motorhome, and even though the back window is panoramically large, I have to look down a narrow hallway to see out of it. Backup cameras are definitely something I miss when I don't have them.

(yup, just screams for a backup camera.)

Apple CarPlay does all those things about as well as any product on the market, except for the backup camera support, which is usually provided by the in-vehicle system. My regular car doesn't support CarPlay--it's too old--but I have enjoyed it on a number of rent cars (I travel 30-40 weeks a year), and now I wish my Ford had it. My Ford has the usual out-of-date-even-after-spending-hundreds-on-the-update mapping database with a small and clumsy touchscreen that was bordering on out-of-date even in 2013. And its Bluetooth connectivity is cumbersome and limited, providing little more than hands-free calling. The Ford does have a USB port for a thumb drive, and believe me I use the hell out of that for music.

So, the question morphed into: How to provide CarPlay capability in a way that could be conveniently but intermittently mounted on that removable center table, removed easily, and perhaps even used in my Expedition. It occurred to me that I couldn't be the first person trying to integrate CarPlay into a vintage vehicle, so I altered my search strategy and found this Carpuride 9" portable CarPlay display:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B1CV5LJJ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

There are zillions of variations on these, some of which are half this price. But this one fulfilled all the requirements and the cheaper ones did not.

I already have a backup camera that I've never installed, and this has a video input for it. It also has a memory card slot and a 32G card that goes in it, which will hold my usual travel music and then some, even if I don't want to use CarPlay. It plugs into a 12V accessory socket (cigarette lighter), and has a line-level audio output that I can plug into the auxiliary input of my current stereo. It has a built-in microphone, and automatic brightness control on the display.

It's probably crap, but it gets reasonable reviews and even the complainers praised the support from the company.

I expect the DAC in it would embarrass Amir, but I also suspect it's fine for my use case and given the high noise level inherent in sitting right on top of a reasonably well-tuned Oldsmobile 455 from the muscle-car era (and the 2-80 AC), and the limitations of the speakers even when at the campsite.

I will still wire the rear speaker outputs to my Dahlquist speakers, if necessary through a standalone amplifier. Those are going in there one way or the other, now that the motorhome lives indoors instead of out in the sun when not in use.

Rick "not where I was expecting to end up at all, but then that's why I work this stuff out in words first" Denney

 

[EJ3]

So, I ended up going in an unexpected direction. I already mentioned that I was thinking of a house system when I really needed an automotive system for use cases related to driving. I had therefore been looking at the double-DIN car stereos that do CarPlay, Bluetooth, and USB dongles. And I mentioned that I just don't have any place to construct an enclosure for such a unit that wouldn't either block something else or be too hard to see and reach. The only spot was on the center table. You can see up to the cockpit in the photo below. There is a tall instrument cluster that has no mounting capability anywhere on its perimeter, and the lower dash area to the right of it is too far to see and reach from the driver's position. That small table in the center is the only spot, but that table has to be removed to gain access to the engine, which is under that floor. The whole floor section between the seats folds up and leans against the dashboard, after removing the table altogether. You can sorta see that I already have a ham radio mounted sideways on the edge of that table. The dash stereo is mounted to the right of the hatch area, obscured from view by the passenger seat. Waaaay too far for the driver to reach. But that stereo has a remote, which allows input selection and volume control, plus some basic control over the radio tuner. It's a Pioneer from about 15 years ago and is basically competent for the application, which could not be considered a low-noise environment, especially given that the air conditioning in it is the 2-80 type (2 windows, 80 mph). It has one importantly necessary feature: an auxiliary input accessible from the front panel and switchable on the remote.

As I rethought my use cases, I realized that in addition to playing music while relaxing at the dinette for dinner, I also needed the more general driving aids I have become accustomed to, including:

1. Navigation. I don't think I even remember where I put the Garmin that I used to put on that table.
2. Voice control.
3. Music and audiobooks integrated with navigation commands.
4. Receiving and responding to texts hands-free, including voice annunciation and control, integrated with music.
5. Receiving and initiating voice calls using voice control, integrated with music.
6. Keeping my iPhone charged.
7. Supporting a backup camera. This is a motorhome, and even though the back window is panoramically large, I have to look down a narrow hallway to see out of it. Backup cameras are definitely something I miss when I don't have them.

(yup, just screams for a backup camera.)

Apple CarPlay does all those things about as well as any product on the market, except for the backup camera support, which is usually provided by the in-vehicle system. My regular car doesn't support CarPlay--it's too old--but I have enjoyed it on a number of rent cars (I travel 30-40 weeks a year), and now I wish my Ford had it. My Ford has the usual out-of-date-even-after-spending-hundreds-on-the-update mapping database with a small and clumsy touchscreen that was bordering on out-of-date even in 2013. And its Bluetooth connectivity is cumbersome and limited, providing little more than hands-free calling. The Ford does have a USB port for a thumb drive, and believe me I use the hell out of that for music.

So, the question morphed into: How to provide CarPlay capability in a way that could be conveniently but intermittently mounted on that removable center table, removed easily, and perhaps even used in my Expedition. It occurred to me that I couldn't be the first person trying to integrate CarPlay into a vintage vehicle, so I altered my search strategy and found this Carpuride 9" portable CarPlay display:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B1CV5LJJ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

There are zillions of variations on these, some of which are half this price. But this one fulfilled all the requirements and the cheaper ones did not.

I already have a backup camera that I've never installed, and this has a video input for it. It also has a memory card slot and a 32G card that goes in it, which will hold my usual travel music and then some, even if I don't want to use CarPlay. It plugs into a 12V accessory socket (cigarette lighter), and has a line-level audio output that I can plug into the auxiliary input of my current stereo. It has a built-in microphone, and automatic brightness control on the display.

It's probably crap, but it gets reasonable reviews and even the complainers praised the support from the company.

I expect the DAC in it would embarrass Amir, but I also suspect it's fine for my use case and given the high noise level inherent in sitting right on top of a reasonably well-tuned Oldsmobile 455 from the muscle-car era (and the 2-80 AC), and the limitations of the speakers even when at the campsite.

I will still wire the rear speaker outputs to my Dahlquist speakers, if necessary through a standalone amplifier. Those are going in there one way or the other, now that the motorhome lives indoors instead of out in the sun when not in use.

Rick "not where I was expecting to end up at all, but then that's why I work this stuff out in words first" Denney

That looks like a great solution.
for the money, that is s wonderful solution.
EJ3

 

[MAB]

So, I ended up going in an unexpected direction. I already mentioned that I was thinking of a house system when I really needed an automotive system for use cases related to driving. I had therefore been looking at the double-DIN car stereos that do CarPlay, Bluetooth, and USB dongles. And I mentioned that I just don't have any place to construct an enclosure for such a unit that wouldn't either block something else or be too hard to see and reach. The only spot was on the center table. You can see up to the cockpit in the photo below. There is a tall instrument cluster that has no mounting capability anywhere on its perimeter, and the lower dash area to the right of it is too far to see and reach from the driver's position. That small table in the center is the only spot, but that table has to be removed to gain access to the engine, which is under that floor. The whole floor section between the seats folds up and leans against the dashboard, after removing the table altogether. You can sorta see that I already have a ham radio mounted sideways on the edge of that table. The dash stereo is mounted to the right of the hatch area, obscured from view by the passenger seat. Waaaay too far for the driver to reach. But that stereo has a remote, which allows input selection and volume control, plus some basic control over the radio tuner. It's a Pioneer from about 15 years ago and is basically competent for the application, which could not be considered a low-noise environment, especially given that the air conditioning in it is the 2-80 type (2 windows, 80 mph). It has one importantly necessary feature: an auxiliary input accessible from the front panel and switchable on the remote.

As I rethought my use cases, I realized that in addition to playing music while relaxing at the dinette for dinner, I also needed the more general driving aids I have become accustomed to, including:

1. Navigation. I don't think I even remember where I put the Garmin that I used to put on that table.
2. Voice control.
3. Music and audiobooks integrated with navigation commands.
4. Receiving and responding to texts hands-free, including voice annunciation and control, integrated with music.
5. Receiving and initiating voice calls using voice control, integrated with music.
6. Keeping my iPhone charged.
7. Supporting a backup camera. This is a motorhome, and even though the back window is panoramically large, I have to look down a narrow hallway to see out of it. Backup cameras are definitely something I miss when I don't have them.

(yup, just screams for a backup camera.)

Apple CarPlay does all those things about as well as any product on the market, except for the backup camera support, which is usually provided by the in-vehicle system. My regular car doesn't support CarPlay--it's too old--but I have enjoyed it on a number of rent cars (I travel 30-40 weeks a year), and now I wish my Ford had it. My Ford has the usual out-of-date-even-after-spending-hundreds-on-the-update mapping database with a small and clumsy touchscreen that was bordering on out-of-date even in 2013. And its Bluetooth connectivity is cumbersome and limited, providing little more than hands-free calling. The Ford does have a USB port for a thumb drive, and believe me I use the hell out of that for music.

So, the question morphed into: How to provide CarPlay capability in a way that could be conveniently but intermittently mounted on that removable center table, removed easily, and perhaps even used in my Expedition. It occurred to me that I couldn't be the first person trying to integrate CarPlay into a vintage vehicle, so I altered my search strategy and found this Carpuride 9" portable CarPlay display:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B1CV5LJJ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

There are zillions of variations on these, some of which are half this price. But this one fulfilled all the requirements and the cheaper ones did not.

I already have a backup camera that I've never installed, and this has a video input for it. It also has a memory card slot and a 32G card that goes in it, which will hold my usual travel music and then some, even if I don't want to use CarPlay. It plugs into a 12V accessory socket (cigarette lighter), and has a line-level audio output that I can plug into the auxiliary input of my current stereo. It has a built-in microphone, and automatic brightness control on the display.

It's probably crap, but it gets reasonable reviews and even the complainers praised the support from the company.

I expect the DAC in it would embarrass Amir, but I also suspect it's fine for my use case and given the high noise level inherent in sitting right on top of a reasonably well-tuned Oldsmobile 455 from the muscle-car era (and the 2-80 AC), and the limitations of the speakers even when at the campsite.

I will still wire the rear speaker outputs to my Dahlquist speakers, if necessary through a standalone amplifier. Those are going in there one way or the other, now that the motorhome lives indoors instead of out in the sun when not in use.

Rick "not where I was expecting to end up at all, but then that's why I work this stuff out in words first" Denney

Sweet old motorhome. I like your path, including the backup camera integration.
Are you going to use the Dahlquists for outdoor listening as well?

 

[voodooless]

What a beautiful RV! Looks almost like a spaceship from the inside!

The CarPlay display seems like a fine solution. You could also just go for a head unit with CarPlay build in. Some also have camera inputs. Some even have a fold away display making it look a bit more stealthy. It would also solve your amplifier issue.

 

[rdenney]

The portable Carpuride CarPlay unit arrived, and it works perfectly in the application. It supports all my music, either stored or streamed, and all my audiobooks. (My current Pioneer in-dash head unit has a CD player and an FM radio, in case I need that, though doing that requires a passenger because it’s too far from the driver.) I have tested it thoroughly and it works as predictably as any factory built-in system, and I’ve used many of those in a long string of rental cars (including this week’s Kia).

It mounted easily on the corner of my center table, and pops off its mount instantly when I need to remove the table to raise the engine hatch. It doesn’t block the view of anything.

I’m still waiting on the backup camera and the external microphone for voice calls.

The speakers in the vehicle are small coaxial car speakers, either Pioneer or Kenwood, that I installed maybe 15 years ago when I installed the current in-dash radio. I don’t think that radio has the power it needs, however, given the high ambient noise level of driving with open windows and sitting virtually on top of a headers-equipped 7.4L engine.

Now I am pondering where I will mount the Dahlquist speakers. I will not use them for outdoor music (to answer a question above) because that violates my own sense of camping etiquette. But with open windows the music will tastefully emerge to the sitting area under my awning.

I have also purchased and am awaiting delivery of the small Pioneer GM-D1004 amplifier which Amir tested a couple of years ago. The current plan is to bridge the four channels into a stereo pair for the Dalquists, but I’m not ruling out using four channels and connecting the front speakers to the amp. I specifically wanted a Class D amp for the high efficiency—it will be used under battery power frequently enough that avoiding making heat instead of sound is a worthwhile endeavor.

I’ll post a conclusion when everything arrives and I’ve gotten it installed.

Some of you commented positively on the motorhome itself. This one is a 1973 GMC—the only motorhome entirely designed, constructed, and upfitted by a major carmaker. Yes, it is the EM-50 Urban Assault Vehicle from the movie Stripes. (Mine is sadly not similarly equipped for incursions through the Iron Curtain. And it looks nicely finished on the inside, but not so much on the outside: it desperately needs paint job.)

Rick “thanks for the comments” Denney

 

[Heatsink]

Man, I've really enjoyed this thread.

John "guy who visits ASR to see what that Denney character puts in his signature next" Forkner