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RocketBox
Samba Member
Joined: March 20, 2014
Posts: 354
Location: Boise, ID
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 Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2014 8:03 am Post subject: Anyone make a Rear speaker shelf? |
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My van has the wires dangling from the ceiling where the rear speakers should go, but no speaker shelf to mount the speakers into. Has any fabricated their own or have suggestions on how to mount some speakers up there? Thanks!
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84 Vanagon - tintop, 1.9L wbx. Complete Rebuild done August 2014. 2000~ miles on it so far... SOLD
80 Vanagon Camper ASI Riveria - subaru 2.2 conversion project. 1993 Subary legacy donor car + Riveria = AWESOME! |
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Jake de Villiers
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Joined: October 24, 2007
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Location: Tsawwassen, BC
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RocketBox
Samba Member
Joined: March 20, 2014
Posts: 354
Location: Boise, ID
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| Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2014 9:26 am Post subject: |
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Is there a good way to mount them up there? I was thinking of building a custom box and rolling with some 6x9 3 ways back there
_________________
84 Vanagon - tintop, 1.9L wbx. Complete Rebuild done August 2014. 2000~ miles on it so far... SOLD
80 Vanagon Camper ASI Riveria - subaru 2.2 conversion project. 1993 Subary legacy donor car + Riveria = AWESOME! |
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Vanagon Nut
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Joined: February 08, 2008
Posts: 10497
Location: Sunshine Coast B.C.
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RocketBox
Samba Member
Joined: March 20, 2014
Posts: 354
Location: Boise, ID
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| Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2014 12:42 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks! I think Id rather do a custom built and have better sound than use those things though...
_________________
84 Vanagon - tintop, 1.9L wbx. Complete Rebuild done August 2014. 2000~ miles on it so far... SOLD
80 Vanagon Camper ASI Riveria - subaru 2.2 conversion project. 1993 Subary legacy donor car + Riveria = AWESOME! |
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RocketBox
Samba Member
Joined: March 20, 2014
Posts: 354
Location: Boise, ID
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| Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2014 12:43 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks! I think Id rather do a custom built and have better sound than use those things though...
_________________
84 Vanagon - tintop, 1.9L wbx. Complete Rebuild done August 2014. 2000~ miles on it so far... SOLD
80 Vanagon Camper ASI Riveria - subaru 2.2 conversion project. 1993 Subary legacy donor car + Riveria = AWESOME! |
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a2d2
Samba Member
Joined: March 28, 2013
Posts: 366
Location: EastVanagon, BC
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| Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2014 2:14 pm Post subject: Re: Anyone make a Rear speaker shelf? |
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| RocketBox wrote: |
| My van has the wires dangling from the ceiling where the rear speakers should go, but no speaker shelf to mount the speakers into. Has any fabricated their own or have suggestions on how to mount some speakers up there? Thanks! |
I did, here are some pics:
Hard to explain how I mounted it but basically it involved carriage bolts, "L" brackets (bent to shape), and carefully choosing 4 places to drill some "non stock" holes in the metal. Make sure you don't drill any holes that go through the actual outside wall/ceiling...
Full visibility out the rear window and way less "headbanging" going on! Dependent on what's queued up on the stereo of course... 
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1981 Vanagon, Aircooled 2.0 AFC
1978 Baywindow Bus (R.I.P.) |
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RocketBox
Samba Member
Joined: March 20, 2014
Posts: 354
Location: Boise, ID
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| Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2014 2:29 pm Post subject: |
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yeah - those look good! are those 6" speakers? better to face them down or forward facing? also, what board did you use? looks good! Did you make a template for the curve first from cardboard? looks like a really good match.
_________________
84 Vanagon - tintop, 1.9L wbx. Complete Rebuild done August 2014. 2000~ miles on it so far... SOLD
80 Vanagon Camper ASI Riveria - subaru 2.2 conversion project. 1993 Subary legacy donor car + Riveria = AWESOME! |
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a2d2
Samba Member
Joined: March 28, 2013
Posts: 366
Location: EastVanagon, BC
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| Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2014 3:48 pm Post subject: |
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| RocketBox wrote: |
| yeah - those look good! are those 6" speakers? better to face them down or forward facing? also, what board did you use? looks good! Did you make a template for the curve first from cardboard? looks like a really good match. |
Thanks!
I have a background in audio engineering so I should know better but my other design goals made me choose down firing instead of forward. Had to decide if I wanted a stereo with a camper built around it or vice versa.
They are 6" but you could easily fit 6x9 with no issue. Facing them forward will force you to increase the front height and therefore lose rear visibility and headroom. They sound pretty good there though... I have stock speakers in the doors that I blend in just slightly to make up for some of the "harsh & tinny" sound that is missing when the rear speakers are facing down. 
The whole thing was mocked up in cardboard first then assembled using white MDF. This itself is supposed to be the mockup for a real birch version but now that it's up I'm pretty happy with it and might move on to other projects. Figuring out the roof curve was one of the hardest parts and was accomplished through much trial and error. No measuring tools or skills I possess could help me so I just kept cutting cardboard until I got it right.
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1981 Vanagon, Aircooled 2.0 AFC
1978 Baywindow Bus (R.I.P.) |
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mikls63rag
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Joined: May 13, 2006
Posts: 555
Location: Antioch, CA
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| Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2014 10:03 pm Post subject: |
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I have a 89 GL with ac. I needed a trunk area and installed 6X9s as well as a 10" bandpass sub with a 600w amp mounted under the passenger seat, just in front of the battery.
I used a piano hinge and made a door to get in to the engine as needed, and pull groceries out cleanly. I used 1/2" plywood. The speakers sound great and now I have a trunk to hold things and not to be seen. I used 6 2" L brakets with 1/2" self tapers and it holds every nice and tight. I can and have uninstalled it many times when more room is needed.
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Michael
63' Rag
65' Bug
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syncro2x
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Joined: April 16, 2009
Posts: 114
Location: Calgary
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| Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2014 10:59 pm Post subject: Rear speakers |
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| i bought a set of orbs, small speakers big sound, and mounted them using L brackets in old speaker screw holes, right against roof. Super clean sound and don't take up much space. Fairly pricey at $200 a pair. Thought it was totally worth the price and a huge improvement on the cheap vw plastic crap speakers. |
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syncro2x
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Joined: April 16, 2009
Posts: 114
Location: Calgary
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| Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2014 11:00 pm Post subject: Rear speakers |
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| i bought a set of orbs, small speakers big sound, and mounted them using L brackets in old speaker screw holes, right against roof. Super clean sound and don't take up much space. Fairly pricey at $200 a pair. Thought it was totally worth the price and a huge improvement on the cheap vw plastic crap speakers. |
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RocketBox
Samba Member
Joined: March 20, 2014
Posts: 354
Location: Boise, ID
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| Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2014 8:34 am Post subject: |
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i saw the orbs - but only for a desktop/pc... where'd you buy them? they look like a pretty good fit and good sound.
_________________
84 Vanagon - tintop, 1.9L wbx. Complete Rebuild done August 2014. 2000~ miles on it so far... SOLD
80 Vanagon Camper ASI Riveria - subaru 2.2 conversion project. 1993 Subary legacy donor car + Riveria = AWESOME! |
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BavarianWrench
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Joined: January 18, 2004
Posts: 1046
Location: Oceans Edge
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| Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2014 10:52 am Post subject: |
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ChilliConCarnage
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Joined: September 12, 2011
Posts: 156
Location: PNW
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| Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2014 6:04 pm Post subject: Re: Rear speakers |
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| syncro2x wrote: |
| i bought a set of orbs, small speakers big sound, and mounted them using L brackets in old speaker screw holes, right against roof. Super clean sound and don't take up much space. Fairly pricey at $200 a pair. Thought it was totally worth the price and a huge improvement on the cheap vw plastic crap speakers. |
I'd love to see the Orbs mounted in the van. I've got them in my home theater and they sound awesome. I don't remember if they're 4 or 8 ohm.
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ChilliConCarnage
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Joined: September 12, 2011
Posts: 156
Location: PNW
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| Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2014 6:05 pm Post subject: Re: Anyone make a Rear speaker shelf? |
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| a2d2 wrote: |
I did, here are some pics:
Full visibility out the rear window and way less "headbanging" going on! Dependent on what's queued up on the stereo of course... |
Are the speakers in any kind of enclosure? If not, the out-of-phase sound wave from the back of the speaker will cancel the sound from the front, causing a very tinny sound (and less "headbanging for" sure).
Although, I notice now that you have a background in audio, so I'm sure you already knew that!
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Now:
86 Westy
00 GTI VR6
03 Passat V6 4Motion
Sold:
62 T2 Double Door panel
72 T2 7-passenger
98 Jetta
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a2d2
Samba Member
Joined: March 28, 2013
Posts: 366
Location: EastVanagon, BC
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| Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2014 1:40 am Post subject: Re: Anyone make a Rear speaker shelf? |
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| ChilliConCarnage wrote: |
| Are the speakers in any kind of enclosure? If not, the out-of-phase sound wave from the back of the speaker will cancel the sound from the front, causing a very tinny sound (and less "headbanging for" sure). |
A good point, and from a theoretical perspective pretty spot on. In practical application it doesn't seem to be an issue. I think having them off-axis is a bigger concern but it still sounds a lot better than when there were no speakers back there.
I considered enclosing them but once I took a listen to them in the first plywood "proof of concept" mockup I was happy enough with the sound to stop there. I know just enough to know that improper porting and cabinet dimensions could just have easily made things even worse... and it would have been more work... so I took the easy way out!
The MDF front panel likely shields enough of the sound from the rear to minimize the phase problems and I do keep my rear hatch bug screen and front curtain stuffed up there as well and that probably helps.
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bluefirefly
Samba Member
Joined: March 16, 2011
Posts: 438
Location: Calgary, Ab
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| Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2014 8:08 am Post subject: Re: Anyone make a Rear speaker shelf? |
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| a2d2 wrote: |
| RocketBox wrote: |
| My van has the wires dangling from the ceiling where the rear speakers should go, but no speaker shelf to mount the speakers into. Has any fabricated their own or have suggestions on how to mount some speakers up there? Thanks! |
I did, here are some pics:
Hard to explain how I mounted it but basically it involved carriage bolts, "L" brackets (bent to shape), and carefully choosing 4 places to drill some "non stock" holes in the metal. Make sure you don't drill any holes that go through the actual outside wall/ceiling...
Full visibility out the rear window and way less "headbanging" going on! Dependent on what's queued up on the stereo of course... |
Please, could you post more pics of the install, if possible from the back.
I was thinking about something like that (not for speakers but now it makes a lot more sense....) and your mod look really nice and clean.
Thanks
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86 Syncro Tintop G60
work in progress ...as always! |
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Jamos
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Joined: July 08, 2005
Posts: 766
Location: Lake Tahoe, CA
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| Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2014 10:56 am Post subject: Re: Anyone make a Rear speaker shelf? |
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This is a nice idea!
And if you wanted to keep the high frequencies forward facing, you could get a component speaker setup that has separate woofers/tweeters.
Just mount the tweeters facing forward, and the woofers as a2d2 did.
You could also easily enclose each speaker area with a small vertical piece next to each, still leaving the large middle section open as a shelf.
This might be a good idea anyway, as it would keep the backside of each woofer protected.
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jalopyjockey
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Joined: June 29, 2005
Posts: 357
Location: avl, nc
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| Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2014 11:41 am Post subject: |
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| i ran mine to the back hatch for some outside ambiance when its open...plus your shelf can just be a shelf...keep em on the high side of the panel so you dont bang your feet or head into them while snoozing |
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