The audio systems for the home on the caravan are inevitably a great way to enjoy your favorite songs and music. The best thing about these systems is that they can be installed in any room of your house, as well as outside or inside your caravan. This article will provide you with some general information on how such a system works, as well as what kind of features you should look out for when purchasing one.

Whether it’s music or a movie, speakers need to be positioned correctly for the best possible acoustics. We tell you what you need to do to significantly enhance the sound experience. Campers in search of true sound enjoyment can help themselves with sound systems specially designed for caravans, active 2.1 sound systems, or portable Bluetooth boxes.

Built-in speakers vs. living room speakers

There are two types of speakers: built-in speakers, which are inserted into a furniture cutout, and living room speakers with their own cabinet. Built-in speakers are more discreet, but come with three other disadvantages: drilling is required, storage space is lost, and cable routing is somewhat more complex. When installing, not only must the depth of the speaker be considered, but also the necessary protection from the contents of the cabinet. To allow the diaphragm to vibrate, the protective cabinet must not enclose the speaker too tightly.

How do you get good sound in the caravan?

In the workshop, there is no doubt that individual sound systems represent the best possible sound equipment for camping vehicles. What began with the adaptation of car hi-fi systems has now reached sound systems that are specially adapted to motorhomes and caravans. Differently than in former times, a radio must be no longer extra on board for it.

But it’s not that easy to get the best sound from a caravan. In a caravan, everything is compressed into a space of one to two meters. Whereas in homes the sound waves can spread out over a large area starting from the speakers, in caravans, they usually hit the barrier at the bathroom and kitchen after only a short distance and thus barely penetrate to the rear. Since camping vehicles are always rather tubular, this effect is amplified with every meter of length. The interior of the caravan is usually divided into sleeping and living areas. For a proper sound system, therefore, each section needs at least two separate speakers for the high and mid-tones, as well as a single low bass, the so-called shallow mount subwoofers. The speakers on both sides may well be connected to the same playback device. Although such a system already consists of a relatively large number of individual parts, this is by no means the end of the story.

Further possibilities offer 2.1 sound systems

As an inexpensive alternative, campers can also use commercially available 2.1 sound systems that consist of a bass speaker and two satellite speakers. The sound panel, for example, serves as an all-in-one solution, because all sound sources are integrated into the large panel with a pair of midrange speakers, a pair of tweezers, and a subwoofer. Depending on requirements, the sound panel can either be recessed into a cabinet or placed on top.

The transducers (exciters) are placed on the inside of the furniture, which eliminates the need for drilling. However, these transducers are not speakers in the true sense, because they use the cabinet itself as a resonance surface. Thus, the fuller sound is achieved than with the smartphone, but the transducer lacks bass for real listening pleasure.

These speakers do not achieve the quality systems, are not optimally adjusted, and do not fit into the caravan as well. But when connected to the TV and set up correctly, they provide room-filling sound around the seating area. If a Bluetooth receiver is integrated into the system’s control unit, music playback from mobile devices also works. However, a bit of fiddling is required when installing the 2.1 systems. This starts with finding a place for the deep bass, which should sit far down, which is why an empty seat box is ideal. The small boxes find the best position on the right and left in the corners of the living area and ideally form an isosceles triangle (sound triangle) with the favorite seats so that the sound waves from both sides move synchronously towards the seat. For some speaker models, there are even mounts to hang the satellites on the wall or under shelves.

A disadvantage of most 2.1 systems is the too-short connection cables between the subwoofer and the satellites, which is why separate extension cables are often needed.