Aftermarket stereo - Show what you put in

[Jake]

Has anyone put in an aftermarket stereo system in their Gladiator yet? If yes then please post pictures, tell us the brand and model you put in and let us know what all functions it has. And please also advise which model Gladiator you have. I plan to order a base Sport model with the el cheapo 5 inch screen stereo system. Plan to put in this Alpine system if there is enough room behind the dash for it. It’s got a built in CD player so it will be a tad deeper than a normal system and just not certain how much depth there is behind the dash.

Love to see pictures of what others have done and to read your comments about your new system. Have seen lots of different threads here about aftermarket systems but do not recall seeing any pictures of installed systems on Gladiators.

Oh and FYI I can’t help but wonder if there might be aftermarket limitations of what such a system can do or not do when being installed on a base Sport model truck. Hoping it can handle phone, GPS, media devices, HVAC control functions(if needed), etc. Anyone know? Thanks to advise.

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[Evilhomer 0||||||||0]

Jake, I'm getting full aftermarket install of whole system in a couple weeks. Not doing unit with CD player, but I will have full write up. Jeep is on rail as we speak and I'm coming home shortly after. First order of business for me is this stereo.

I don't think a double din with CD will fit. As of now I'm not sure all features of the 7 and 8,4 inch can be retained. The 5 inch certainly can with a harness.

 

[Jake]

I tend to agree with you @Evilhomer 0||||||||0 about the needed space for a double din system. One stereo shop said no way Jose, not enough depth there and he had some specifications for Wranglers showing not enough depth. And another company said maybe it will fit, will find out when they pull the system out of the dash. A CD player is not a deal breaker for me but I do have a lot of CD’s that are not on I-Tunes and would really like to hear them against if I could. To me it’s more important to be able to have media, GPS, HVAC and other functions in such a system. One of the companies suggested a CD player to be put somewhere in the truck. I don’t think anyone makes multiple CD players anymore that can hold 6 or 12 CD’s. Would be great to put such a system behind the back seats. But no way will I put a single disc player back there, way too much trouble to stop, go back there and switch CD’s. That’s where I would can the CD idea all together. Waiting for your full report with pictures and such. Thanks

 

[Evilhomer 0||||||||0]

Some head units use a modular design, since without the need for a CD player you don't need as much space. So you basically have a display and the main component's tucked away nicely somewhere else. Another issue we have is install kits for these late model jeeps. There just aren't many out yet. I'm keeping an eye on Pioneer DMH-C2550NEX and similar model Kenwoods and Alpines. I think with proper kit, these will be nice options. Fitment is just a big issue here, a couple of installers said they won't touch late model jeeps due to lack of kits and integration challenges.

Jake, As for your CD's. I would consider ripping your CD's and using some kind of media storage option. Many of these newer head units have USB cords you can plug right into a drive stored cleanly somewhere in the jeep.

Right now, I see no compelling reason to upgrade out of a 7 or 8.4 inch unless you just have an aftermarket.

 

[Jake]

Thanks

 

[jdysart]

Starting the process of upgrading the entire audio system of my Sport S. This is the test fit of a modified dash kit and Kenwood DMX706S. Still a bit more work on the kit and then to order the rest of the gear for the upgrade.

 

[jdysart]

Finally got my new Kenwood eXcelon DMX706s installed and working. We installed it with the Maestro RR and have it working with most all functions operational. We do have a couple things we have to work on. Here are the Pro's and Con's to replacing the factory radio that I have found so far. This is for the 5" Base Radio.

Pro's
I now have TPMS, Vehicle Data, and Guages on the radio.
I now have Climate feedback on my radio screen. No control just feedback
I now have Apple CarPlay / Android Auto
I now have the ability to add a front Offroad/Parking camera
I now have Navigation


Con's
The factory USB ports will no longer work, so I had to add a new USB port
Still working on making the factory backup camera work. We believe it will, but will require an adapter plug. It is on order and I will report back when we know for sure.

 

[Jake]

Hey @jdysart most interesting post of yours. Thanks. For your Navigation does the system work off of your cell phone or does it work independently from your phone? Most all systems work off of your phones navigation so you are constantly roaming and constantly using data from your cell phone. Am looking for a system that works independently from my cell phone.

Also does it play songs from your cell phones ITunes?

Really surprised to read that it would not display your back up camera. Love to know if your stereo shop can get that added. Please advise what they do to get that working.

Also love to know where you end up putting your USB plug to. Please post a picture of that. And will that USB plug be used to connect your phone to the stereo system?

And finally love to know your total installed cost. Nice looking system.

 

[jdysart]

For Navigation it does work of my phone via Apple Maps, Google Maps, or other Navigation App's. Finding a unit that has built-in Navigation and a short chassis needed to fit in the dash of the JT/JL is going to be a very difficult task.

I don't really use iTunes, but being Apple Car Play it will play music from your iTunes Library as well as many other apps.

We are ordering what should be the correct adapter to get the factory camera plugged in. We have read that the JL uses a different style camera that is essentially HD and it won't work with an aftermarket radio, but from the look of the plug it should so we have a bit more testing and hopefully by the end of the week I will have an answer on that.

We pulled the 12v plug from the left side of the console out and replaced it with a flush mount USB. We really hoped that the factory USB plugs (at least one) would have been able to work, but Jeep uses a Hub for them and the new radio can't access the hub to get the data.

My price would be a bit under a typical price for this as I have a lot of connections in the industry since I have worked in this field for almost 20 years. Based on what the typical prices for this gear is and the labor needed to install I would guess a range of $700 - $900 depending on options and location as well as quality of work. There is not a dash kit currently available for the JT/JL so my installer was able to order a few different ones from some other vehicles and was able to modify one from I believe a newer Jeep Grand Cherokee.

 

[Jake]

Thanks for the info @jdysart Most interesting. I am in no rush to get a system installed and know that it will take some years for the aftermarket industry to come up with a system for this truck. As they say: Rome was not built in a day.

So for now I sit back and enjoy my ride. It does play my songs from my phones I-Tunes, just don’t have the navigation for now. Let me know if you ever hear of a system that has navigation built in that can run independently of a cell phones navigation. And yes I know that’s a tough nut to crack at the moment. Thanks much.

 

[J_low]

Stereo

 

[brancky3]

Stereo

Where'd you install that box?

 

[J_low]

Where'd you install that box?

Under the rear seat

 

[Jzmattingly]

Were you able to get your backup camera to work? Very close to pulli g the trigger on the DMX7706s, but wanted to ensure no functionality was lost. And can you confirm the dash kit you modded for install? Just trying to get as much info as possible before starting the journey myself!
Thanks!

 

[TxGladiator]

I’m very interested in this Alpine as it says it keeps all factory functions and adds quite a few as well.
But 3 grand? Think I wait till after the first of the year and see if the price comes down any.

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