for f150 2 lcd monitors in the front free sample

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I"ve used this technique to stop the horn beeping when I double-press the key fob lock button, show exact temperatures above the dashboard gauges for increase peace of mind when towing, turn the tail lights on whenever driving so our trailer"s backup camera has power, and many more things!

It"s hard to find a vehicle that"s a comfortable daily driver, performs well off-road and is able to safely (and legally) tow our trailer. Our Ford F-150 manages it all and we love it!

Have you ever had a warning light on your car, and taken it into a garage for service? Odds are, the first thing they did was plug a tool into that port. Same if you have new tires installed - they use that port to reset the Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) for the new tire.

But why do we care? Well, in addition to reading error codes (which can be very useful), some vehicles also allow you to modify lots of hidden settings with it. Ford vehicles in particular use this a lot - and free software called FORScan makes this accessible to anyone!

I"ve written this guide with our 2016 Ford F-150 Platinum in mind, but the same techniques work on almost any relatively new Ford vehicle. Depending on your vehicle"s features, some of these may not be available to you, but plenty more should be!

Yes, if done properly. But modifying settings via the OBD-II port needs to be done very carefully - making mistakes can potentially cause damage to the vehicle.

Also, some people like to "undo" these changes before taking their vehicle to a dealer for service or repair work. Whether these impact your warranty is a grey area. From my perspective, I"ve had the truck in for service and repair work at several different dealers and have never bothered to undo them - even the very obvious ones. Nobody has ever said anything about it.

I"d recommend this OHP ELMconfig Forscan OBD2 USB Adapter from Amazon. Not only is it much cheaper than WiFi or Bluetooth versions, but it works really well and even has a switch to read both MS-CAN and HS-CAN - this gives you access to more settings.

FORScan is the software that we"ll use to update these settings. There are Lite versions for Android and iOS that let you read basic vehicle information but don"t let you update the settings we want to change. We need to use the desktop software which is unfortunately only available for Windows - if you"re a Mac user, then it should work using Parallels or similar!

You will also need to obtain an Extended License for it, since the features we want are not available in the Standard License. Fortunately, they offer a free 2-month trial (and you can repeat the trial as often as you like), but if you want to support the development of the software then you can buy a license from $10 upwards.

So, to get started, you"ll need to download FORScan for Windows from the Download page. At the time of writing, the latest version is 2.3.21 beta, but just download the latest.

Once you"ve downloaded FORScan, follow the instructions in this Google Doc. As I said before, don"t be tempted to skip steps - it"s important to get it right. In particular, make sure to backup the modules - they could be your only chance at recovery if you make a mistake!Disclaimer: If you choose to carry out any of the hacks in this blog post, you do so entirely at your own risk. I highly encourage you to thoroughly read and understand all the FORScan tutorials.

If you"ve followed the instructions above, you should now understand how to connect to your vehicle and update settings. But how do you know what to change?

I"ve been referring to this Google Sheet as a master document listing all known FORScan settings for 2015-2019 Ford F-150s. If you drive a Ford Super Duty, then this document might help you - but a quick Google search should pull up the relevant for whichever Ford vehicle you drive.

So, with that said, here are the settings we"ve changed on our 2016 Ford F-150 - some are functional, others just for fun! For each one, I"ll share why we did it and which addresses / values to change - I use the Advanced Mode from the instructions linked above for all these.

Back in the UK, it was common on Ford vehicles that pressing the lock button once would lock the vehicle and the second press would double lock the vehicle - locking the doors so they couldn"t be opened from inside, preventing someone smashing a window and opening the door. But on my truck, it just honks the horn - very annoying! Fortunately, it"s also easy to disable!

If you have the tow mirrors, you may also need to swap some pins around on the mirror connector - I didn"t have to, but if you do, there"s lots more information here about how to do it.

It"s worth noting that when you put the truck in park, the headlights turn off again - they"re only on when the truck is in gear. If you need the camera when your vehicle is in park, just manually turn your lights on.

While we"re on the subject of lights, here"s another great hack - and it has my favorite name, Bambi Mode! Normally, when you turn on your high beam, your fog lights turn off. This is generally a good thing in normal driving, since the glare from your high beam would be counterproductive in fog. However, for off-road driving in the dark, sometimes you just want as much light as possible, including fog lights to illuminate the sides of the trail.Essential Off-Road Gear

With this hack, the dashboard will show the actual numerical temperature above each of the gauges. This only works on the 8" digital dashboard clusters.

For this mod, you"ll need to set the * value above depending on the chart below. To find out if you have the Trailer Brake Controller Gain enabled, check the current value in that position. If it"s a 0, then change it to an 8, and if it"s a 4 then change it to a C.

0 = TBC Gain disabled & TPMS Specified Value disabled 4 = TBC Gain enabled & TPMS Specified Value disabled 8 = TBC Gain disabled & TPMS Specified Value enabled C = TBC Gain enabled & TPMS Specified Value enabled

Normally it would be unwise to leave your truck engine on and then leave the vehicle - someone could easily jump in and drive off. This mod prevents the transmission being shifted out of Park unless the key fob is in the vehicle. I use this occasionally if I"ve stopped somewhere briefly and want to leave the engine running so the air conditioning stays on.

Maybe it"s just me, but I don"t want SiriusXM in the truck, and seeing the icon there in the audio sources feels like unnecessary marketing. This hack simply removes the SiriusXM icon - and don"t worry, you can always reverse the hack to put it back!

The process to make these changes is a little complicated, but with a little patience to carefully follow the instructions in the FORScan guides, anyone can do it.

Although the hacks themselves are fairly simple, we"ve found they make the truck more usable on a day-to-day basis. I no longer have to remember to turn my lights on to use the rear observation camera (or forget to turn them off at the end of the drive). I can see exactly what the engine and transmission temperatures are when towing.Essential Off-Road Gear

There are many (many!) more hacks you can do besides the ones I"ve listed here, but these are my favorites. Let me know in the comments if you"ve used FORScan to change some settings I haven"t mentioned here - I"d love to know what else I might be missing!

Ford has a name for its “hands-free” advanced driver assist system (ADAS): BlueCruise. The company said it would begin pushing the feature via an over-the-air software update to select 2021 Ford F-150 and 2021 Mustang Mach-E owners later this year.

According to Ford, BlueCruise will allow hands-free driving on “prequalified sections of divided highways called Hands-Free Blue Zones that make up more than 100,000 miles of North American roads.” Yes, Ford is even branding the highway.

BlueCruise is Ford’s answer to General Motors’ Super Cruise, which is considered the gold standard for Level 2 advanced driver assist systems. These systems work in concert with a number of distinct features, like adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, blindspot detection, pedestrian monitoring, and stop sign detection.

What makes these systems stand apart, though, is the inclusion of an active driver monitoring system in the form of an infrared sensor on the steering column that tracks the drivers’ eyes to make sure they are keeping them on the road.

Not every F-150 and Mach-E will be automatically eligible for the software update. F-150 owners who opted for the $1,595 Ford Co-Pilot 360 Active 2.0 package can purchase BlueCruise for an additional $600. For Mustang Mach-E owners, BlueCruise will come standard on the CA Route 1, Premium, and First Edition variants as part of the $3,200 Comfort and Technology package.

Until then, owners will have access to the second generation of Ford’s ADAS, known as Co-Pilot 360. This includes improved versions of features like lane centering, adaptive cruise control, active park assist, blindspot assist, and more.

Ford is also shifting into high marketing gear for the new feature. The company deployed 10 test vehicles — five F-150s and five Mach-Es — on a 110,000-mile road trip through 37 states and five Canadian provinces to test BlueCruise in a variety of road conditions.

“There are highway intricacies and driving conditions that you simply cannot replicate in a lab,” said Hau Thai-Tang, Ford’s chief product platform and operations officer, in a statement. “Sending these vehicles out for real-world driving experience is just one of many ways we ensured that BlueCruise technology offers confidence and convenience for drivers all across the continent.”

Car consumers are certainly attracted to more high-tech systems, especially if they can promise a safer, more stress-free driving experience. A survey conducted by Edmunds in late 2017 found that 58 percent of car shoppers would pay an extra $1,000 or more for a vehicle equipped with active safety features.

A lot depends on how these systems are marketed to customers. For example, Tesla has said Autopilot should only be used by attentive drivers with both hands on the wheel. But the feature is designed to assist drivers, not replace them. And it’s far from foolproof: there have been several high-profile incidents in which some drivers have engaged Autopilot,crashed, and died.

2022 is turning into a transformative year for the American pickup truck. First, there was the rebirth of the compact pickup with the Hyundai Santa Cruz and Ford Maverick. Now, battery-powered trucks like the GMC Hummer EV, Ford F-150 Lightning and Rivian R1T have arrived. Hummer production is still ramping up, but Ford and Rivian are delivering trucks in quantity, which means it’s time to see how they stack up against each other.

Full-size pickup trucks have been the top-selling vehicle type in the U.S. market for decades, with the Ford F-series leading the segment for 44 consecutive years. In 1978, trucks were still primarily for work, but in 2022, a large number also double as family vehicles. Single-cab bench-seaters were, over time, supplanted by extended cabs and ultimately four-door crew cabs. According to Ford, more than 80% of full-size trucks sold today are crews.

While many non-truck vehicles over the last 30 years have shifted to unit-body architecture, the emergence of the electric “skateboard” platform has meant a shift to a new kind of body-on-frame. The F-150 has always been body-on-frame, and so is the Lightning, with its new frame now housing a 131-kWh battery pack (a 98-kWh pack is standard). The R1T’s frame is much larger, stretching to the full width of the truck, and houses a 135-kWh pack. (An optional smaller pack is coming soon).

But that’s where things start to diverge. Ford opted to keep the separate cab and bed structures of the gas F-150, reusing most of the same stampings except for outer skin. Rivian has a unified cab and bed similar to the Honda Ridgeline and the upcoming Chevrolet Silverado EV. The Rivian is also significantly smaller. At 217.1 inches long, the R1T is close to a midsize truck and, in fact, is almost identical to the Jeep Gladiator size-wise. While they have a lot in common, the more time spent with them, the clearer it becomes they are targeted at different buyers.

While automakers love to pitch the go-anywhere, do anything capabilities of trucks and SUVs, the reality is that most of them spend the vast majority of their life on the road. Whether being used as a daily driver, or a work truck, most of the “off-road” use is limited to unpaved rural roads and gravel driveways. Thus, decent ride quality is quite important on modern trucks.

Both the Ford and Rivian feature four-wheel-independent suspensions with similar front control arm setups. At the rear, the Lightning has semi-trailing arms, while the R1T has a more sophisticated 5-link layout. The most notable difference is the springs. The Lightning has classic steel coil springs, while the Rivian has an air spring setup at all four corners that allow for adjustable ride height.

Those that have driven old-school trucks with nothing in the bed will be familiar with how squirrelly and bouncy they can get when driven on slippery surfaces. While modern crew cab trucks have a better weight balance of about 60% front and 40% when empty, standard cabs can be closer to 70/30. The big heavy batteries slung down the middle of the frame means these electric pickups are about 50/50 when empty, making them much easier to drive.

Despite being significantly larger, the Ford is about 500 to 700 pounds lighter than the Rivian, depending on the configuration and equipment. Both are very quiet thanks to the electric powertrains and an emphasis on smoothing out the contours to eliminate wind noise.

On smooth pavement, there’s not much difference in ride quality, but as the surface gets rougher, the Rivian transmits more of the road texture and noise into the cabin while the Lightning feels a bit more supple. Both are shockingly quick and have enough torque to chirp the tires, even pulling nearly 10,000-pound trailers. The Rivian’s 835 horsepower will get it to 60 mph in 3 seconds, but even with a “mere” 580 hp, the Ford gets there in just over 4 seconds. Both are faster than the speed king of gas-powered pickups, the Ram 1500 TRX.

Our on-pavement verdict:While the Rivian is marginally quicker to accelerate, the superior ride quality of the Ford on rough pavement gives it the edge in real-world usability.

Both of these trucks have electric motors at both axles, providing four-wheel-drive on demand. But aside from the size, this is where some of the biggest functional divergences come in. The Lightning is very much a mainstream F-150, lacking the specialized off-road modifications found on a Raptor or even Tremor model.

It does include a standard electronic locking rear differential which helps when grappling for grip on loose surfaces. However, it has only 8.9-inches of ground clearance. The Lightning does fine on muddy trails getting to a cabin or moving across farm fields, and the 775 lb-ft of torque makes climbing steep hills a breeze. But with 145.5-inches of wheelbase, this just isn’t a rock crawler that can chase Jeep Wranglers down the Rubicon Trail.

The Rivian is very different. While we are pitting against the Lightning here because they are both battery-powered pickups, its real competition is the Jeep Gladiator. The Lightning has one motor for each axle, while the R1T has four, one for each wheel. This allows each wheel to be individually controlled with instant torque response as needed.

The air spring suspension allows the Rivian’s ground clearance to be varied between 7.9-inches for its parking mode all the way up to 14.9-inches. In combination with its shorter wheelbase and overhangs at both ends, it has much steeper approach, breakover and departure angles. It can also ford through 42 inches of water compared to the 24-inch limit for the Lightning. The R1T’s 35.5-degree approach angle is a bit short of the 43.4-degrees available in the Gladiator Rubicon, but the 26.4 and 30-degree breakover and departure angles beat the Jeep.

Ford made a conscious decision in designing the Lightning that it would be, first and foremost, an F-150. Ford hasn’t led the truck sales race for four decades by not understanding its customers.

Apart from the larger 15.5-inch center touchscreen adopted from the Mustang Mach-E, the rest of the cabin is exactly what can be found in any other current generation F-150. That includes the available, nearly fold-flat max recline front seats, the same fold-down shift lever, the same physical controls that can be operated using work gloves and the same huge crew cab. There’s ample room for 3 burly construction workers to sit in the back seat.

The Rivian’s Tesla-style minimalist approach to design with a dearth of physical buttons and switches is much more modern. The overall look and feel are very premium, in keeping this truck’s pricing. There is real wood trim on the dash, and the vegan leather on the seats and other surfaces looks and feels luxurious. There’s a large 15-inch central touchscreen and a smaller display in front of the driver for the gauges.

With most controls buried in the touchscreen interface, some functions are challenging to get to, but basics like wiper control and shifting are on stalks where they belong. The shorter wheelbase and body length mostly come out of the rear seat, but there’s still more than adequate legroom back there. Being slightly narrower also means there is less shoulder room for three in the back.

Both Launch edition Rivian and the Lightning Platinum have full panoramic glass roofs, but only the Lightning offers a panel that opens to provide some fresh air. The R1T’s doesn’t open.

Our cabin verdict:While the Rivian looks a bit more modern and premium than the Ford, the Lightning is much more functional, especially for those that plan to use it as a working truck.

Just as the R1T looks more modern inside, the technology also feels more modern in many respects. That doesn’t necessarily mean it works better. The graphics on the center screen look pretty, and changing drive modes show the truck moving into different scenes. However, Rivian has built all of its software from scratch, and the R1T is its first product. As you might expect, there are some bugs and occasional glitches and lags.

It is better than it was when we first drove it eight months ago, but it still has some way to go. For example, the navigation map tiles can sometimes take up to 30 seconds to load.

Like Tesla, Rivian has declined to incorporate support for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. It does have built-in apps for Spotify and Tune-in, which is fine if you use those particular services. If you prefer streaming from other apps, you’re stuck with Bluetooth. Speaking of Bluetooth, Rivian includes a removable speaker that sits low in the front of the console for use at the beach or campsite.

The R1T features a full suite of external sensors, including 11 cameras and 5 radars. As this is written, Rivian’s Driver+ assistance system provides adaptive cruise control and lane centering, but it’s not yet a hands-free system. On the highway, the system keeps the truck in the lane, but it does still wander between the lines more than the Ford, and on curves, it can sometimes drift out without a tight grip on the wheel.

The Lightning uses the same SYNC 4A infotainment system found in the Mach-E. The top two-thirds of the screen is dedicated to the current application, such as media, navigation or energy use. Below that is a carousel of most recently used app cards. Ford has clearly learned from its problems with MyFord Touch a decade ago and kept the interface clean and provided large touch targets. CarPlay and Android Auto are supported with or without a USB cable. SYNC 4’s performance is smooth and lag-free.

Ford’s hands-free BlueCruise highway driving assist system still isn’t as good as GM’s Super Cruise, but within the limits of what it does, it works reasonably well and does a better job of keeping the truck centered in the lane than Rivian’s Driver+.

Both trucks have solid audio systems with great sound that takes advantage of the quieter environment of an EV, Ford using B&O Play while Rivian uses Meridian. For voice control, Rivian relies on Amazon Alexa voice services. Ford also has built-in Alexa support now but also uses Ford’s own system and the assistants from Google and Apple if a phone is paired. At any moment in time, commands can be issued to change temperature, navigate, play audio or other functions by saying any of four corresponding wake words.

Our tech verdict: Rivian has pretty graphics, but unfortunately, its systems don’t always work as intended. Ford’s setup might be more traditional and less visual, but the Lightning offers more functionality at this time and generally works better.

A pickup truck is first and foremost a utility vehicle. It’s designed to haul stuff and tow and go places. Both of these trucks tackle these challenges based on their design biases. As stated previously, the Lightning is above all an F-150 and does everything an F-150 does and mostly more.

Trucks have a bed to put stuff in, but the F-150’s is a foot longer and significantly wider as well. It has nearly twice the volume of the R1T’s bed. Depending on the configuration, the Lightning has a payload capacity of up to 2,200 pounds, although the Platinum trim that was tested is limited to 1,660 with all of the luxury gear consuming some of that payload. The R1T is limited to 1,464 pounds, which is better than the Gladiator but unimpressive compared even to the Ford Ranger.

When connecting a trailer, the Rivian has a slight edge of 11,000-pound max towing compared to 10,000 for the Ford. Both trucks are extremely capable with heavy trailers and barely feel like anything is connected. The downside of towing with an electric truck is that range may fall by anywhere from 25-50% depending on the shape and weight of the trailer. Since most charging stations aren’t yet configured with pull-through charging bays, this may require disconnecting the trailer to charge on long trips.

Thanks to the absence of an engine up front, electric trucks also offer the ability to have lockable enclosed storage. The R1T has an 11.1 cubic-foot frunk, while the Lightning provides 14 cubic feet. However, the Rivian’s front fascia is fixed in place, while the panel that would be the grille on a gas F-150 is attached to the hood. When open, the Ford has a far lower liftover height to use the frunk.

Ford’s smart hitch and load sensors allow drivers to monitor how much payload they have and the tongue weight of the trailer to prevent overloading, but Rivian doesn’t have an equivalent system, but it does have some things Ford doesn’t.

The unit body architecture of the R1T designers to incorporate an additional 11.7 cubic foot gear tunnel spanning the width of the truck between the cab and bed. This is ideal for storing longer items or even the optional slide-out camp kitchen with an electric induction stove and sink. The Rivian also has a built-in air compressor in the bed to enable tires to be reinflated after air downing for an off-road trek.

The Rivian has a pair of 120V AC outlets in the bed as well, but the Lightning’s ProPower onboard system comes standard with 10 120V outlets and 2.4-kW of power available. Four outlets plus a pair of USB ports are in the frunk, two more in the cab and four in the bad. The optional 9.6-kW system also adds a 240V outlet in the bed for more power-hungry tools on a work site. The Lightning’s bidirectional power capability can also power a home for several days if the power goes out.

Our utility verdict:Very much a case of different tools for different jobs, the Lightning is very much targeted at traditional truck buyers while the Rivian is for adventurers, and each is optimized as such. The gear tunnel is great, but the Ford’s easy-to-use frunk and power output capabilities again give it a slight edge.

When it comes to value, the winner might seem obvious, but as in the other categories, the answer is less simple. The standard range Lightning Pro starts at just $40,000, while the R1T starts at $67,500. However, most buyers will probably prefer the extended-range Ford with up to 320 miles of range.

Unfortunately, the $50,000 Lightning Pro with the bigger battery is only offered to commercial customers despite the fact that it is well equipped enough that a lot of retail customers would probably be more than happy with it. The extended range XLT bumps the price up to $72,500, and a loaded Platinum will be over $93,000. The $85,000 R1T Launch edition is sold out, but even the Adventure trim can be optioned up to prices comparable to the top-end Ford.

Our value verdict: A draw unless you happen to need a basic work truck, in which case that Lightning Pro is the only choice. As luxury trucks, which is the better value depends on how you plan to use your truck.

With four category wins for the Ford to one for the Rivian and one tie, this might seem like a blowout for the Lightning. But despite both being electric pickups, it really comes down to what you want to use the truck for. Considering the job to be done, pick the right tool, and buyers are unlikely to be disappointed. The era of the electric pickup truck is here and off to a bright start.

Gauges -inc: Speedometer, Odometer, Voltmeter, Oil Pressure, Engine Coolant Temp, Tachometer, Transmission Fluid Temp, Trip Odometer and Trip Computer

SYNC 4 -inc: 8" LCD capacitive touchscreen w/swipe capability, wireless phone connection, cloud connected, AppLink w/App catalog, 911 Assist, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility and digital owners manual

Manufactured in an ISO 9001 certified facility, Rostra sells its products worldwide from its headquarters in Orlando, Florida. For more information, or to contact our international sales management, click here.

Rostra Accessories (Rostra), is a wholly-owned subsidiary of VOXX International Corporation (NASDAQ: VOXX), a global supplier of mobile and consumer electronics products. Rostra is a leading manufacturer of automotive comfort, safety, and convenience accessories including electronic cruise control systems, LED lighting, exterior vehicle camera systems, automotive lumbar supports and seat heaters, driver alert systems, and more.

Rostra sells its products through an extensive distribution network that includes Original Equipment Manufacturers, expeditors, mass merchandisers, regional mobile electronics chains and independent specialists both domestic and internationally. Rostra possesses a strong product and patent portfolio with multiple exclusive add-on automotive components engineered and manufactured in the United States including turn signal switches for the heavy truck market through the company’s Vehicle Safety Manufacturing division and custom LED lighting solutions through its subsidiary Auer Automotive.

When I bought my 2015 Ford F-150 I quickly searched out the best aftermarket upgradesfor my new work truck. In particular, upgrading the stereo in a Ford F-150 XLT work truck would get me Apple CarPlay. Unfortunately, at the time, the 4″ stock Sync 2 radio remained the one thing I couldn’t upgrade. No one made a replacement dash kit—something that changed in the last year. Now, no less than three manufacturers make aftermarket dash kits for the F-150. So, armed with this newfound information, I set about to decide exactly which car receiver I wanted to install. Having worked with the brand before, the obvious choice quickly led to installing the Pioneer AVIC-W8500NEX.

When upgrading the stereo in a Ford F-150, start by selecting the in-dash receiver. While you can certainly go with any model of double-DIN car audio receiver, Pioneer has some features I like. First off, the AVIC-W8500NEX is their flagship in-dash navigation AV receiver. It has a 6.94˝ WVGA capacitive touchscreen display. This display is very similar to the one you find on your iPhone. Less expensive models (even from Pioneer) use a clear resistive screen that doesn’t have the same level of responsiveness.

The Pioneer AVIC-W8500NEX includes both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in wireless mode. Siri Eyes Free mode means that anyone with a compatible iPhone can activate Siri by touching the NEX touchscreen or using the steering wheel controls (requires the iDataLink Maestro module). It goes without saying that you get full Bluetooth audio including the latest Hands-Free Profile (HFP 1.6) support.

Since this model supports built-in navigation, you can get detailed turn-by-turn navigation with real-time traffic without CarPlay or Android Auto modes active.

Other features I like include the fact that it integrates your existing backup camera (or you can add a front and back camera of your own). The system includes native Pandora support as well as HD Radio, which lets you enjoy digital quality audio without a subscription. Of course, if you want to pay for your music and talk radio, the Pioneer AVIC-W8500NEX supports SiriusXM as well.

If you really want to go full-tech, the Pioneer W8500 supports a feature called Dual Zone Entertainment. This allows rear seat passengers to listen to a different audio or video source from the front passengers. You could, for example, set up rear seat monitors and headphones so your kids could watch a movie while you enjoy a podcast from the front seat.

Really, when it comes to upgrading the audio in your work truck two schools of thought exist. The more DIY-minded will consider tackling this project themselves. Others will see the dealer as the logical choice for taking care of the myriad of installation issues associated with replacing the factory radio with an aftermarket upgrade. If you do it yourself, you really need to know how to upgrade the stereo in a Ford F-150 without missing any key steps. And there are a LOT of steps.

For our installation, we took a visit to Five Star Car Stereo in Clearwater. Dean and Fernando took good care of us (and even shot some video in the process). After rolling the truck into place, it didn’t take long to get the key components unpackaged and ready for prep—and there’s a lot of prep! The install included the following Pioneer Car Audio components:

What doesn’t get mentioned here includes the tape, plastic, foam, and other custom parts an installer like Five Star Car Stereo uses to ensure proper fit and seals for all of the components and cabling.

You’d think the installation would consist of unboxing the receiver and speakers and slapping everything in place. You’d be wrong. We watched as our installers took great pains to properly dress the wiring and hone the plastic frames for each speaker so they fit properly.

The wiring was particularly impressive. We watched the harnesses being dressed, but also the organization and care they used. Factory-quality tape grouped the cabling and made everything look professional. While cable harnesses can be ordered to link up any car audio receiver to any vehicle, custom installers take a more active approach. We watched as Dean cut and resoldered the harness so that it functioned exactly as he wanted.

They then added those into the replacement dash kit and tested it to make sure everything worked properly. This all occurred prior to putting in the Pioneer AV receiver.

The door panels came off next, and they removed the OEM speakers, including the tweeters from the Ford F-150’s A-pillars. The replacement tweeters received custom back plates which were finessed into shape using a Wagner heat gun.

For the front pillar speakers, the wiring was modified to include a new passive crossover. Connectors were added to mate to the new Pioneer tweeters before placing them back into position and replacing the A-pillar. For the solder connections, we spied them using the Milwaukee M12 soldering iron.

After swapping out the speakers, two things remained. The first involved finally installing the new Pioneer AVIC-W8500NEX AV receiver head unit. First came a dry-fit of the unit before completing the integration with the dash kit. This ensured all of the speakers worked properly.

Once tested, they connected rear USB and HDMI cables (purchased separately) and installed the Pioneer W8500NEX into the dash. The plastic dash kit then went overtop, covering everything and finishing out the install. All that remained was to run the backup camera wiring and connect it to the system underneath the dash.

Since my 2015 Ford F-150 XLT slipped in under the cut-off date for mandatory backup cameras, we decided to add one. The Pioneer ND-BC8 fit the bill and integrated easily with the AVIC-W8500NEX. Since the Ford lacked a place to conveniently mount the camera, Five Star Car Stereo made a custom bracket for the license plate.

Using a Bosch table saw they ripped a length of plastic and used a Rockwell BladeRunner scroll saw to match the curve of a license plate cover. Finally, a Triton router rounded over the edges for a nice finished look. This custom plastic bracket looked great and gave us a secure place to mount the camera.

Next, they carefully ran the camera wiring alongside the chassis underneath the truck and into the cable trough. Continuing up to the front of the vehicle, it then connected into the AV harness for the Pioneer head unit.

The audio system sounded remarkably decent for an almost-OEM rig. I had added a Kicker subwoofer which gave me a lot more bass. Now, we upgraded all of the speakers to Pioneer. Combined with the flagship AVIC-W8500NEX AV receiver, I not only dramatically increased the sound quality of the system, I added features as well.

Before, I was able to use Ford Sync2 and Bluetooth to make and receive calls. Now, Apple CarPlay lets me do everything hands-free and use apps like Google Maps, Amazon Music, and Spotify without even having to take my phone out of my pocket. Everything connects automatically.

As far as upgrading the stereo in a Ford F-150, the best way might involve a custom installer. Whether to take on the aftermarket truck upgrade, replacing that old 4-inch system with a full-fledged AV powerhouse made for the most satisfying result I could have hoped for. You can also go crazy and spend thousands of dollars on higher-quality speakers, DSP processing and calibration, and bigger subs—but for now, I think this has everything I need.

From a consumer standpoint, buying the latest and greatest is usually the best, largely due to the added safety and reliability over the model it replaces.

Considering a 2014 F-150 is especially advisable since it won’t break your budget, and it’s a bit newer. Part of the 12th generation, you still get the slightly outdated but adequate MyFord touchscreen infotainment paired with Xenon headlights, hill descent control, and decent towing capabilities.

Both the 2013 and 2014 F-150s come equipped with a host of engine choices, ranging from a 302 horsepower 3.7-liter V6, a 411 horsepower 6.2-liter V8, and a 365 horsepower 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine.

Siding with the 2014 F-150 over the 2013 model is ideal since the reliability ratings of the former are far better than the latter. Price-wise, the 2014 Ford F-150s range between $14,500 and $39,900.

The 2015 F-150 comes equipped with adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, forward collision warning, a 360-degree camera, and blind-spot monitoring. When properly equipped, the 2015 F-150 can tow up to 12,200 pounds.

J.D. Power gave the 2015 F-150 a “Best” rating for driving experience and resale value. Couple that with Consumer Reports‘ four-out-of-five-stars owner satisfaction rating, and the 2015 Ford F-150 looks to be the most promising.

However, if you want features like Ford’s Sync 3 infotainment and Trailer Backup Assist, the 2016 F-150 should be on your radar. In terms of cost, the 2015 Ford F-150s range between $18,600 and $39,000 while the 2016 models sit in a slightly higher price bracket between $21,000 and $50,600.

If you’re looking for the best utilitarian pick that still packs a mix of the latest features and doesn’t sacrifice performance, 2019 F-150s should entice you.

Starting at around $24,000 and topping at $64,000, the 2019 F-150 has the highest towing capacity of any of its contemporaries. Rated at a 13,200-pound tow capacity (when properly equipped), this F-150 is a capable workhorse.