Question for those who have replaced the dash radio. My coach has Ford radio in the dash(2002 295). When discussing what is the correct harness to get with Crutchfield, I need to ask for a harness which will match the Ford year radio right? Hoping for a pretty much ...take out...put in, install....(yea right, that hasn't happened in 62 years...not fully awake yet so I guess I am still dreaming). Just wanted to know what I need to ask for to help insure I have the easiest possible install. Thanks everyone...have a great day.
dave
Dave, for what it is worth, I replaced the 1989 Ford cassette radio in our dash with a new one four years ago. No problem, pretty much a straight forward swap. Didn't encounter any issues at all.
My experiences with updating behind the dash would put most guys into a fetal position, sucking their thumbs. On my 1986 GV, there are Chrysler, Ford and Chevrolet electrical components. Harnesses from the OEM automakers have had nothing whatever to do with Foretravel wiring. When replacing my single DIN radio/cassette deck with a modern unit (single DIN DVD motor driven 7" screen Pioneer) I had to spend $2 on an old transistor radio at a garage sale, strip the wires on an earbud cable, and touch the color-matched speaker wires in order to find which speakers were connected to which wires. Used the Pioneer users manual and hand wired Molex connectors for a spiffy harness. I hope your setup is easier to deal with, but if not...I offer this solution Nice thing is, the Stereo has bluetooth that links directly to the audio of my Dish Wally unit, so I have surround sound in my coach WITHOUT extra wire routing.
I just switched out the stock Ford stereo for the Pioneer AVIC-5200NEX. The best part about it is the Apple Carplay, where you can attach your phone to the unit with a USB cable and play the music from the iPhone right to the unit, all while displaying your Apple Maps navigation. It's nice in that the stereo volume automatically lowers to announce the next turn. And the music sounds so much better, even with all the original stock speakers. The new unit does come with a navigation system, but I'm used to the Apple maps, so just use that.
It came with a harness, but you have to cut out the original harness and attach all the wires to the new harness, one by one. It was a little painstaking, but not complicated. I also bought the optional trim kit and used the brackets that came with that. But everything else was modified from the original radio install, including the addition of a trim piece out of some black plastic material I had from another project. It looks and works great. The one option I'm ordering is the remote. It would be nice for the passenger to be able to lower the volume.
We went Pioneer on our 2002. Love it but wish it was the new model with Apple play. Be sure to get the proper mounting bracket. They failed to tell me I would need that.
Where did you purchase? What type mounting bracket is required?...
thanks
dave
It was some sort of a universal that mounted to the back of the dash then the. Radio slipped into it as I recall. I think I got it from Best Buy. It's been about four years and I don't remember the details. When I go to the coach I will look for an invoice.