Alex; Make sure the headunit that you buy has access the the new SiriusXM system. It may seem like a simple thing, but the SiriusXM radios can receive channels the XM or Sirius units alone cannot.

There are six speaker locations in the factory Excursion. There is no factory subwoofer location. The need for amplifiers is up to you...but I can tell you that if you have a diesel, it is loud enough in that beast that it would help to have at least 50 watts of clean amplified power going to those speakers.

If you're on a budget build(aren't we all?) then I would recommend pioneer speakers and infinity speakers. I have found that they sound great and can be had very affordably.

I would recommend this backup camera...works well:


BassFantasizer; Damplifier dampens resonance in the panel and heatwave decouples and stops ambient noise as well as heat. I live in FL, so heat is an issue with young ones in my truck all the time and no room in my garage for this monster.

I will see how much I ended up using and let you know! I actually could use a bit more Damplifier Pro for the truck.

Exv10; These trucks are built RIGHT! I've been in a rollover accident when I was T-BONED by a gentleman in a Cadillac. I thank my Lord that my whole family walked away from that horrible scene with bumps and scrapes!

 

Keep in mind a radiant barrier needs air space to work... so based on good thermal insulation practices (not sound proofing) radiant barrier should never be against the hot surface without an air gap. The view provided would be correct but not the most thermally efficient method. However there is no other way unless the outer roof skin is reflective. I think it would look like a Toyota FJ cruiser

Closed cell structural foam would work best... IMO. You can get it as a moisture barrier and fire proof, if necessary.

 

I added that to my wish list for the truck.

The head unit I linked will take the Sirius/XM unit. I have a V10 gasser, it's not that loud inside even on the highway with 33" tires.

 

Looks like a cool project! Looking forward to seeing the progress

 

OK: My installer sent me more pictures from his progress this week:

The 1/0 gauge power cable has been run to the front of the car and the batteries. Here are my two Stinger Expert ANL Fuseholders keeping my equipment safe:




OK, so he's a great great great installer, but his picture taking is a bit lacking. Here's a picture of the floor boards and the Damplifier Pro (Second Skin Audio)going down as the base:




Over the top of the Damplifier Pro, he layed down a nice cushy layer of Luxury Liner Pro (Second Skin Audio). This stuff is DENSE and HEAVY! This combination Crushes airborne noise and metallic resonance. The doors were also done in this combination:




Up close and personal with Luxury Liner Pro. This stuff is pretty high tech:




More to Come! Now I gotta run out and find some more cash to pay the man and keep this install party going!!!!

 

These are the batteries I am using. I love them and they are beastly and super powerful. They charge relatively quick and discharge powerfully:







This was installed before we began our stereo upgrade. You will see new battery connections(terminals) in the near future:




These will allow us to add more terminals:




Old Factory Alternator....Will not work with the needs of this system:




The Super Awesome 270 amp unit from DC Power:








In and ready to power some fun:



Stay Tuned!

 

I can't wait to see this when you're done.

 

Two Hundred Seventy Amps.

Sorry, but I can't say that with a straight face.

 

I like it! Wish I had looked into a bigger alternator before mine took a .... Was at the dealer dead so just put the stock one back in.

 

I added links to the list of equipment if you guys are going to want check any of it out for yourself.

 

I would like to do a big thumbs up recommendation to the gurus of Wilson Electronics for their amazing antenna cell phone boosting products. I used to get a bit jaded when driving my Excursion because the crappy flimsy phone dock I tried to install on the a/c vents was a piece of junk and used to risk my safety all the time trying to keep it from flying around the truck cabin as I made highway ramp maneuvers or turned a corner faster than a crawl.

I also happen to know that my Ex had phone envy towards my BMW because whenever you plug your iphone or blackberry into the BMW built in docking station, it would charge, play video onscreen, and boost the antenna signal enough that I could slip through the "Dead Zones" of my community and never drop calls. There just has to be a way to do those things in my Excursion! I didn't want my trusty truck to be second fiddle to it's German teammate...

Here comes Wilson Electronics with its Sleek line of phone cradle signal boosters!





They make boosters that focus on all the major carriers specifically or you can buy one that is a general signal booster for most networks that don't run 4G. The amount of boost I got was astounding! I can't believe more people aren't using these things! It is super cheap too for what it does.

It will fit nearly all size of phones:










Mine will be installed on the left hand side of my F650 dash unit, where you can see the round gauges. With my Edge CS monitor installed on my dash(Thanks Riff Raff!) I can use that spot to mount the phone cradle nice and secure and run the cables out of sight.

Can you see the perfect spot to mount the cradle?



The cradle holds my IPhone perfectly:







The Sleek mobile kit can be purchased at lot of places on line and of course even Walmart. I got mine for under $90 and the impact it has made is priceless! Definitely one of the top 10 most influential purchases for my Excursion this year!

Since my Kenwood stereo can operate through wifi and connect to the internet for streaming youtube and facebook...etc. I will also use the cradle for boosting my MiFi device as well, mobile hotspot anyone?



Instead of using the small magnetic mount antenna that comes in the kit, I chose to buy the non magnetic antenna(gets more signal) and it can be permanently mounted with the trunk mount adapter. I put in on the drivers side fender in parallel with my factory antenna on the passenger side.





In order to mount this non-magnetic antenna I needed this mounting kit and a small plug adapter:




I just had to post about this because it is both an upgrade that is affordable and super-duper functional!

 

I appreciate you taking the time out to document this build. That said, your signature has me wanting to see more pics of the truck itself! Can you be sure to include some exterior pics as well? Looks friggin sweet.

 

Looking up that cell booster now

 

Yeah, thanks for the tip on the cell booster. Keep up the awesome work!

 

I have heard nothing but good stories about the wilson products.
For a mount I use this;
I have it folded so the phone fits in the cupholder at the perfect angle and won't move at all.