Vista 30T Overhead Speakers

[mthawsh]

We purchased a used 2016 Winnebago Vista 30T -- it's the one with the TV console on drivers side that pops up. It also has speakers in the ceiling that the handbook indicates can be used for the TV and perhaps the radio system. Does anyone know how we get sound to those speakers from either or both systems?

[tim myers]

Have you checked through your Owners Manual, most motorhomes have a switch box somewhere that controls inputs and outputs for the entertainment system. If it isn't in the manual pictures might be helpful.

[Morich]

We can point to the connections for that switch as they are shown from the TV to the radio but the speaker wires are not shown.
But if we assume it is not a wiring problem but a function of getting the right buttons pushed, that info will need to come from a book on the specific switch used.

I would assume there might be a booklet in the big bag of info that you should have gotten with the RV. Do you have that info /owners manual for the entertainment portions like the switch and radio/ TV? That book should tell which buttons to push. But that IS assuming it is a just a simple operation problem, not actual problems.

[mthawsh]

There are two sets of audio cables hanging behind the TV that I've tried plugging into the TV. One has a red and white lead the other has red, white and yellow. None of the combinations I've tried result in audio from the ceiling speakers. That has been checked with the Audio option available with TV controls. Wish I had an idea why there are two sets of audio cables.
I'll keep searching and trying options.

[Morich]

There may be some help on locating those cables and explaining where they might go?
This is the wiring for some of the TV/radio but not speakers:
https://www.winnebago.com/Files/File...ire_188343.pdf

Sheet 8 has the audio cables shown as having RCA plugs going to an adapter then to the TV. I might assume the TV out is a single jack needing the adapter?

However be aware that this is for the early year build with the serial number having a 1 as the 7th digit! Label next to driver's side will give the correct build and serial, I believe?
If you have a 2 as 7th digit, there may have been a change from early year to late and we never know if it involved this portion of the wiring, so if you do have a 2, it may be better to go to this section and choose the correct drawing for the later build?
https://www.winnebago.com/Files/File...ram/Wiring.htm

If doing a new look for the serial number of your RV, go to correct year, and model as well as early or late build, then you will want the TV installation as listed at last item. On that group, I think the info will be on sheet 8!
Spot the notes on using correct pages for the 30T in the box at top left of sheet one!!

If I am following what you are saying and there are no cables plugged into the TV audio out jack, that soulds like a good point to try changing. I don't see the full story and nothing on speaker wiring but if it has to come out of the TV and into the radio, that sounds like a big hole from here??

Red, white and yellow RCA sounds/looks like video feed from TV to radio but that may not be an option your RV came with. But it is also common for folks to change audio/vidio to suit what they wanted if this is a second owner RV?? They sometimes just pull the equipment and leave the cables hanging!

[mthawsh]

I did verify with a voltmeter that the 3-connector cable goes to the ceiling speakers. The adapter out of the TV has only red and white leads so I am unable to plug the yellow into anything. I've never seen audio with three leads so don't know if it's part of my problem.

[mthawsh]

Richard,
I do have the T2 version thanks for your help. And I am plugging into the TV Audio out jack.

[Morich]

Okay, that's a start ongetting me on the right page!
Understand you have the later build with the 2 in the serial number and you have the TV that pops up on a stand. Looks like it is a 40 inch?

That later build did give a lot of changes to the Tv/radio stuff as we are moving pretty fast in changing all that stuff!

So you might check me on this being correct that it is this drawing and you fit the sheet five?

https://www.winnebago.com/Files/File.../000179690.pdf

If that is true, it looks like they show audio out from the 40 TV to the dash radio right and left in jacks?
That seems to leave us hanging on where they connect ANY speakers other than possible internal TV and Radio?
Checked any settings on a TV menu that might pop up something for internal or external speakers?

I'm not one who plays with entertainment much at all and never really liked it but I do assume they still need wires!
Most likely not a fun trip to look on the back of the radio for speaker wires going somewhere?
I see a video switch but very little mention of audio, so I'm pretty blind, deaf and whatever follows!

On a different idea, I checked on the interactive parts catalog for speakers, etc andonly see spaces for them!
Overall parts here:
https://catalog3d.winnebagoind.com/2016/19149603.htm

TV, etc wiring here:
https://catalog3d.winnebagoind.com/2016/19149603.htm

Clicking on items on these drawings will make it flash in yellow on the parts list of vice versus.So you can find an item you want to know the name or find the name and then search for the flashing yellow as you click on the list repeatedly!

Looking from the front at the TV shown over the cab, I see speaker cutouts but nothing on wiring. I also see the video switch peeking out.


Turning that around, I see much the same from the back side view. What I was looking for was some hidden audio connection but not finding anything that looks suspect!



With that lack of info, I might be getting down to looking at the back of those speakers for wires, to see if they go to the corners of the RV front and might go down those columns to the dash??
I find some of that over dash cabinet is just thin "carpet" type material and some is put on with velcro!
Possible to poke around there for something that lets you look for wires on the speakers and see if it goes down to the radio?

Scratching for info and running short, here!

Can you tell I hate to recommend getting in the dash?

[mthawsh]

Thanks everyone for the assistance but after yesterday I'm pretty much just going to write off being able to use the ceiling speakers for anything. I'm not going to dismantle the RV to find out where those two sets of speaker wires go to from the back of the TV. I thought I had identified the pair but then found I had a cheap Voltmeter giving me a false indication. Used a digital VM and neither pair runs to those speakers. We'll just go with portable speakers to listen to the TV.

[Morich]

Not to talk you into doing something you don't want to get into, but I also was amazed at how easy it was to get to the parts behind the covers in my Vista.
They wanted it light and cardboard and velcro were about all I found with a few screws to hold things like outlets, etc.

My compartment was so light, in fact, that I felt it needed more support to hold it together and used a heavy duty stapler!

[creativepart]

As an FYI - with RCA cables like you are seeing Red and White are always for Audio and Yellow is always for Video.

Those are called "composite cables" - They are usually used for connecting older TVs and DVD players (before HDMI).

[creativepart]

According to your Operator's Manual, Winnebago ran cables to places for you to connect your own DVD player to the TVs. There is no mention of running TV to the ceiling speakers.

One of the difficulties of working with a pre-owned motorhome is that even if your Manual says the way things work you have no idea if the previous owner completely changed things.

[creativepart]

If you don't have the Operator's Manual, here's a link to the 2016 Vista manual PDF. (the link says 2015, but it came from the 2016 listing on the Winnebago website):

https://www.winnebago.com/Admin/Publ...15/15Vista.pdf

[mthawsh]

There is a DVD player connected to the TV via a HDMI cable. I just don't know where they ran the Composite cable or the Audio only cables to. (They look very original as they run into a cable bundle). It is just a waste that none of the video or audio equipment on the rig play audio in those ceiling speakers.

The TV and DVD use tv speakers or I can plug in portable speakers. The cab radio plays on another set of speakers above the driver and passenger near the windshield.

The bedroom TV uses it's own speaker and the outdoor radio uses it's own.

Oh well - I'ts a mystery we can live with.

Thank You to everyone.

[creativepart]

Originally Posted by mthawsh

We purchased a used 2016 Winnebago Vista 30T --

Which means that none of what Winnebago installed for the Entertainment System is likely to still be original. You have to approach things as if you’re starting from scratch. Figure out how to make the systems work the way you want.

I have a 2017 Adventurer. I bought it brand new. The Entertainment System, as installed, worked fine but is quite complex. Over the past 6-years parts of that system have failed here and there. For the first 4-years I worked hard to keep the system absolutely stock. But, finally when that got too expensive and needlessly difficult I slowly bailed out of the stock system. I’ve kept parts of it in place but bypassed the stock system in the main.

If I sold my RV to another person I’d explain it all. But if a dealer ended up with it all those changes would be totally confusing to the next owner.

So, when things don’t make sense I’d suggest you just dig in and make it work your way.

[Morich]

Agree with the above!
I like drawings and wiring diagrams as they tend to make sense to me.
But there are times when I get into things that DO NOT make sense and this is one of those.
I'm seeing Audio In ports connected to Audio In ports, leaving me wondering where the signal comes from if both are IN ports! Audio is not one I like as "in" comes from "out" in my world!

And leaving us totally out of info on the speakers does put me over closer to where the OP falls as I'm not a big fan of speakers , until actually required!

In my house we use headphones, not because we want to hear better but as a way that one DOES NOT hear when they choose.

In this area, noise from bars that have outside patios is a big problem that we can't shut out, so we never add our own to that!

As an added thought, it seems folks can get some good info from Winnebago if we have specific questions so it might be worth just a phone call to ask, " Where do the speaker wires wind up?"

Having all the details on year, make , model and even build date may help if you go that route?
Sometimes magic happens!