As some of you know, I am a pyrotechnician. I get paid to blow stuff up.

Well a normal day consists of 8-10 hours of setup for 10-20 minutes of "ooohs and ahhs". We mostly work outside (for obvious reasons) and I like to listen to the radio while we work. You could barely hear it with just all the windows open so I used to just leave the doors open and turn up the stereo loud enough to drown out the ding ding ding of the door chime. That was before I found the thread on replacing the front speakers. I went ahead and swapped out all 4 factory "speakers" for some nice Infinitys. Sounds awesome inside now. but what about outside?

So I picked up some waterproof boat speakers and mounted them in the bed of the truck under the tonneau cover box. Not super high end but decent Pyle drivers that could be easily replaced if something happens to them. Here's a pic:



I put them on an A/B switch with the rear cab speakers and mounted the switch under the steering wheel. A few more pics:







And just so I don't run the batteries down during the day (could probably power it for days anyway but...), I added a solar panel to the top of the tonneau cover box. Keeps the batteries constantly charged and even without batteries I could still pop my electronic locks on a sunny day if I had to. The best part is I don't have to leave the doors open and power the dome lights and the ding ding dinger along with the radio. Here's a pic of it:



And in anticipation of the "just buy a boom box" comment...I'd rather just drive one.

 

There was a mod here about the ding ding when the door is open and the key in the ignition.

Just got to cut a wire...took 5 mins.

If I can do it....then anyone can.

Shane

 

Try it Shane. No offence, but double check. Door open, key in, radio on. I bet you here a ding ding.

 

I'm in my truck now.....quiet as a mouse....no kidding.

Seriously..I did a mod on here and cut a wire..it was a gray wire I believe with brown..but this was almost a year and a half ago.

Shane

 

You must have the limited edition dinger too!

 

I'm sure you have heard the joke before....

But I have a match for you......

Shane

 

I bet you can get a 10,000 tax credit since you have a solar powered vehicle . Just write it into your 2011 tax return .


Sweet mod. That's a good idea with the solar panel.

 

Matches?...We don't need no stinkin' matches.

 

Good idea and professionally done!

 

Great looking mod p.i.t.s.!

Shane- are you talking about the wire under the steering column? When you say quiet as a mouse, do you mean you here the radio softly playing with the drivers door open?
If so, I stand corrected.

 

The solar panel is cool. I would need something like that on the roof though, that would get tore up immediately on my truck.

Now I would like to see a propeller on the truck somewhere to charge and run things too. On a breezy day out there in the plains I bet you could generate some power too.

 

Maybe something like this:

 

He who leaves the biggest footprint wins!

 

Where did you find the A/B switch? I've been looking for something exactly like that one.

Nice setup!

 

Here you go.
Amazon.com: OEM Systems IW-101 Pro-Wire Source/Speaker Switch, White: Electronics