Motorhome radio - advice please! (1 Viewer)

Apr 22, 2012
79
43
North Wales
Funster No
20,687
MH
Swift Escape
Exp
Eight wonderful years!
Hi - I'm new to motor homing and forums (fora?). We've just bought a 2011 Swift Escape - private sale. It has a radio in the cab which works only if the engine is switched on. I assume this is to stop you running down the battery by using radio while parked up, but we want to use a radio (and CD player) while parked up! What options are available to us?? Thank you!
 

pappajohn

LIFE MEMBER
Aug 26, 2007
43,204
48,797
Dark side of the moon
Funster No
172
Exp
Since 2005
three options

1) have a second radio fitted in the hab area

2) have the dash radio rewired to the Hab battery

3) have the dash radio rewired to the engine battery direct (via a fuse of course)

first two options are best, third will still flatten the engine battery, fast.
 
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TheBig1

LIFE MEMBER
Nov 27, 2011
17,509
42,755
Dorset
Funster No
19,048
MH
A class
Exp
many many years! since I was a kid
have an auto electrician fit a switch allowing you to feed the radio from the leisure battery or as standard from the vehicle battery. You could do it yourself but may void any warranty left on such a new van

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Geoffers

Free Member
May 13, 2011
506
215
Groby Leicester
Funster No
16,396
MH
Coachbuilt
Exp
5
Thats odd! our Swift Escape works all the time, in fact Swift tell you to remove the face plate when not in use, to save running the battery down,
Try this post on swift talk. Swift them selves will answer any problems:Smile:
 
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TheBig1

LIFE MEMBER
Nov 27, 2011
17,509
42,755
Dorset
Funster No
19,048
MH
A class
Exp
many many years! since I was a kid
Thats odd! our Swift Escape works all the time, in fact Swift tell you to remove the face plate when not in use, to save running the battery down,
Try this post on swift talk. Swift them selves will answer any problems:Smile:

some builders rewire the radio at the factory for this (its simple to do as there is a permanent live supplied to the original radio anyway to keep the code in memory) as said though, this option can lead to a flat vehicle battery
 
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Geoffers

Free Member
May 13, 2011
506
215
Groby Leicester
Funster No
16,396
MH
Coachbuilt
Exp
5
some builders rewire the radio at the factory for this (its simple to do as there is a permanent live supplied to the original radio anyway to keep the code in memory) as said though, this option can lead to a flat vehicle battery
Could be they have changed radios since we bought ours, at the time swift boasted that they fit an upmarket JVC (as in ours) rather than the standard Fiat one:Smile:

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Mar 21, 2009
1,367
874
Harwich, Essex
Funster No
5,989
MH
C Class
Exp
4 years
Remove radio and you will see connector block, you should be able to connect ign fed wire from radio to memory wire, this will keep rado live.
I think wire colours are red and yellow, common to most radio wiring these days.
Its a simple job
depending on make of radio you may have on/off button on facia if not just unclip face off panel :thumb:
 
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pappajohn

LIFE MEMBER
Aug 26, 2007
43,204
48,797
Dark side of the moon
Funster No
172
Exp
Since 2005
Remove radio and you will see connector block, you should be able to connect ign fed wire from radio to memory wire, this will keep rado live.
I think wire colours are red and yellow, common to most radio wiring these days.
Its a simple job
depending on make of radio you may have on/off button on facia if not just unclip face off panel :thumb:
Yhat is exactly what i did on my old toad (vauxhall corsa, no ign acc position) then i had battery problems...going flat in a week.

the 'memory' feed was taking 8milliamps.....the radio main feed was taking over 180ma, even with the radio off at the knob, so a combined total of 188ma/hr....or 31.5amps per week

it would appear most of the circuitry is kept live with just the tuner display and amp circuits turned off when turned off by the radio on/off control only, hence the need for a 'memory' feed wire.
 
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