External Speaker Not Working/Defective

[GregD904]

Hello,

I have a Heartland Prowlers Lynx 25LX travel trailer. Our camper has two outdoor speakers. When we picked up the unit from Camping World we testing everything thoroughly and the speakers worked. When we got it home it worked fine, but when we took our first camping trip I noticed that one of the speakers (the right one if you are looking at the camping from the outside) is not working. There is no crackling or anything else, it just stopped working and has no sound, but the other one works fine.

I contacted an authorized dealer and it will be several months before I can get my camper in, additionally, they have to look at it, and then order the parts and schedule an install time which could be up to 28-34 days after the initial visit. Now, I understand that this is not a must have, and we can use the camper without it, but this seems to be a very long time for something very simple.

Here are my questions; am I able to order one of these speakers from Heartland under warranty myself? I got up on a ladder and looked at the speaker and it has 3 screws in it, as well as it is sealed with silicone around its perimeter. Instead of waiting 3+ months, can't I just cut out the silicone and unscrew it, replace the speaker and then re-seal it? Will that void the warranty? Obviously I would test it before re-mounting and re-sealing it, but it would make much more sense to do it myself. Any advice on this? Not recommended? Anyone ever seen these types of speakers just go bad?

Thank you,
Greg

 

[Lynn1130]

Before I started tearing speakers out I would check the back of them to be sure one of the wires has not come loose or has a bad connection. It all of the connections, at the radio and at the speaker are good then I would contact Heartland about authorized repairs from another repair shop that they will approve. You do not have to go back to the dealer and since it is Camping World I would not be going back there for anything anyway. Their reputation is less than stellar. You can do the repairs yourself but talk with Heartland before you rip into things.

It is also possible that the manufacturer of the speakers will be your contact point for warranty repairs but give Heartland and call and work with them to get it fixed.

 

[danemayer]

Hi Greg,

Heartland will often ship parts directly to owners for self-install where the install is simple. No guarantees, but phone calls don't cost much.

Call Heartland Customer Service at 877-262-8032 / 574-262-8030. Have your VIN # ready.

Btw, most parts can be at the dealer within 1-2 weeks from the dealer placing the order. But some dealers take their time getting to your trailer, then take more time turning the information over to the parts coordinator, who then takes more time before actually placing the order. A week or two later, when parts arrive, it can take another week or more before the parts coordinator unpacks the part and notifies the scheduler to call you. Dealer processes vary, but some dealers are extraordinarily slow.

On the manufacturer end, parts shipments move along much more quickly once they get the order. The items likely to take longer are things like cabinet doors, that are not stocked. They're made as needed. Some parts may have to come from a supplier. That can take longer.

I once needed a refrigerator part. The scheduler had me bring the trailer in 2 days after I called. The tech looked at the trailer 15 minutes after I arrived. The parts coordinator called Dometic and asked for overnight shipping (which I agreed to pay - $25). They had it fixed the next morning. The reason things moved along so fast is because at the conclusion of the prior service visit, I gave them a case of beer. Seriously. Most of these people have to deal with angry and impatient customers all day long. When someone treats them nicely, it goes a long way.

 

[GregD904]

Thanks for the feedback. Yeah I will not bring it back to Camping World, but the authorized dealer will be a long time, so that is why i was asking if I can do it myself.

The only way to check the speakers wiring outside would be to cut the silicone and then unscrew the speaker.

To check it from inside the camp I cannot get to the back of the speakers, as there is a 3 section cabinet on the inside of the camper where these speakers are. I was able to get the faceplate to the car stereo/DVD player that is in there, but cannot figure out how to remove it. There is no way to get behind it that I can tell, so I don't know how to remove it to check the wiring to the back of the stereo unit.

I can contact Heartland as they may have advice also, but figured I would start here first.

- - - Updated - - -

Thank you very much for the feedback. Yes, I am OK with waiting and the place I am having it serviced is reputable, it just seemed to be a long time for something simple like a speaker. I will give customer service a call as you suggested, that should get me started.


Thanks again for the great feedback!

 

[Fox]

Oftentimes radios come with the capability of switching sound for front/rear and left/right output.
Check the actual radio and see if that's what it is, much easier than climbing up a ladder.

 

[GregD904]

Oftentimes radios come with the capability of switching sound for front/rear and left/right output.
Check the actual radio and see if that's what it is, much easier than climbing up a ladder.

Thanks for that advice. Yes, I did that already. On the radio it has Zone one, which is inside the camper, and when you fade left/right you can hear it in the appropriate speaker. When its set to Zone 2, outdoor, its only works with one speaker. When you fade to right it is slient, and left, the working speaker gets louder. This is what is leading me to believe the speaker is defective or the wiring.

 

[JohnD]

The stereo most likely has a removable faceplate, and once that is opened and removed (should be a button that will make the top of the faceplate fold down, then the faceplate just slides out), then you should be able to pop off a plastic trim piece that will expose the screws holding the radio in place.

If your problem is not the wiring at the back of the stereo, it is probably just a loose wire on the back of the speaker.

There have been several discussions recently about the built-in stereos in the Prowlers over at the Prowler Facebook Page...

Please come join us at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/307339586436356/about/

 

[Gaffer]

Pull the speaker out. It is the only way to see if the two wires are still connected. There is nothing special about these speakers. You can replace it at any automotive stereo shop with something much better. Marine speakers for a boat would be even better. If you don't want to do it yourself, take it to the stereo shop. Find a full service one that that does radio upgrades, in dash nav and all the rest.

 

[GregD904]

The stereo most likely has a removable faceplate, and once that is opened and removed (should be a button that will make the top of the faceplate fold down, then the faceplate just slides out), then you should be able to pop off a plastic trim piece that will expose the screws holding the radio in place.

If your problem is not the wiring at the back of the stereo, it is probably just a loose wire on the back of the speaker.

There have been several discussions recently about the built-in stereos in the Prowlers over at the Prowler Facebook Page...

Please come join us at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/307339586436356/about/

Thank you for this information. I was looking at the unit tonight, will the outer part of the stereo come off by hand or do I need a tiny flat head screwdriver? I don't want ot break it. If the wiring on the back of the stereo is fine, how do I get to the back of the speaker if it is silicone into the camper? Do I un-screw the speakers, maybe they come out a different way that I am not seeing?

Also, I just joined the FB group.

 

[GregD904]

I called Heartland and they sent me a new speaker. I replaced it and re-sealed it myself. Came out great, thanks for all your suggestions.


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