Jensen stereo bad

[DinArkansas]

Thanks to all the people who posted suggestions on the Jensen stereo. We finally got around to checking it. The unit is bad. It is a awm970 made by Jensen. Do we have to replace it with that exact model for the wiring harness to work properly? Or, can we buy a different brand of stereo as long as it is the right size to fit in the precut hole? Any suggestions as to who makes the best systems? Once again, thanks for all the suggestions and help.
Debbie

[TandE]

If you buy a different brand (some even the same brand but different model number) it may (most likely) have a different plug for the wiring harness. Good news is it is a simple job to do since all the wiring is labeled and color coded.

As for which to get well that is up to you on what features you want as in auxiliary inputs, iPod connectivity, DVD player and so on.

Try to get one as close to the cutout dimensions as possible or even a tiny bit bigger so that it will be less work to get it to fit.

[TandE]

Oh but I you find one that is designed for a car you will have to make your own mounts for it to fit in the hole as those do not usually have a place to mount from the front.

[CUFFS054]

Din, if you find a decent replacement please let us know. My Jenson is the rectangular shape (like a double din). Jenson seems to be the only replacement that fits. Concertone has some nice units but are totally different sized. Some people have switched over to car audio but i prefer having the ability to have multiple speaker zones.

[SteveC7010]

Originally Posted by DinArkansas

Thanks to all the people who posted suggestions on the Jensen stereo. We finally got around to checking it. The unit is bad. It is a awm970 made by Jensen. Do we have to replace it with that exact model for the wiring harness to work properly? Or, can we buy a different brand of stereo as long as it is the right size to fit in the precut hole? Any suggestions as to who makes the best systems? Once again, thanks for all the suggestions and help.
Debbie

I think you've got a lot of flexibility in picking a replacement. Yes, there is a wiring harness for the speakers and power plus the inputs and outputs for the television and DVD stuff, but it's all pretty standard and not terribly complex.

If you purchase another RV specific unit, the chances are very good that the harness will be the same. There's always a number of them available on Ebay and all the RV salvage and surplus places have them. They are usually priced pretty inexpensively, but shop before you buy because there's always somebody that wants to sell a $50 radio for $300.

The automotive aftermarket type of unit can be a good choice, too, especially if you're a bit handy with that sort of thing. You'd have to modify the cabinet opening and probably add a switch box for the A/B/C speakers. I got a free AM/FM/CD/equalizer radio out of a '02 Grand Cherokee to replace a dead no-name unit in my '99 Sunline. That trailer only had two pairs of speakers so I wired up just like a car and could fade between the living room and bedroom if I needed to do so.

The cabinet opening can be modified fairly easily but you'll have to evaluate your particular unit for that. You are not necessarily limited to something just the size of the existing opening.

[DinArkansas]

Will start searching for something new. Thanks for the all the help. Will let you know how it all works out.