me2 wrote:
I have the Jensen AWM975 "radio" in our 5er.
It has terrible reception. It is cumbersome to tune. It doesn't play USB sticks very well.
Has anyone replaced their unit with a factory OEM truck radio ? Say a Ford head unit ? Will they work as stand alone units ?
It "depends".
Older Ford OEM radios where "stand alone" to a point, you would need to find a wire harness plug in for it. BUT, newer Ford OEM radios (2011 and up) depend on the vehicles "Can Bus" digital communications data bus provided by the vehicle for some functions to work.
Additionally if I remember correctly USB port is separate from the radio on some models and may only be available with the MS "Sync" module which also uses the Canbus to feed the radio unit..
Personally, why shoot so low?
Vehicle OEM radios are only a slight cut above RV units and replacing the OEM with a aftermarket radio is the very first "mod" I do with my vehicles..
My suggestion is to take a look at AFTERMARKET car stereos, they are a vast improvement over OEMs and are very easy to integrate into a RV..
You cannot go wrong with Pioneer, JVC, Kenwood or Clarion for aftermarket stereos. Many are equipped with USB ports now days and often can have BlueTooth, HD radio, Sat radio, navigation or DVD features.. All at a decent price with decent quality (although navigation typically comes with the upper higher priced models).
CRUTCHFIELD is a great place to start looking and comparing but I do find that they tend to be rather expensive.
I often find a model number of what I like then search Amazon for reviews and pricing.. Often end up buying through Amazon.
Personally I would recommend a separate GPS unit for navigation, sometimes a "multi-function" device makes some compromises and navigation is only as good as the map and update support..
