Hi, Looking to replace the current unit with something that has either bluetooth or just the small aux plug. I don't want to hack up my dashboard and do cutting.

Can anyone share their experiences? What unit have you used, the installation, etc?

Thanks

 

Any double DIN sized radio will fit. You just need the mounting kit, which crutchfield should include for free if I'm told correctly.

 

Not quite. A double din will fit but you have to cut the bezel where the radio goes there is a small lip just behind where the front of the the radio sits in the dash on both the top and bottom that has to be removed for a double din to fit for 99-04 trucks. Single din radios will fit with just the dash fit for the truck.

 

Oops! My bad, I had mine installed and I asked them if there was any custom fab and they said no, so I assumed you just needed the mount kit. Sorry for the misinformation.

 

There is a bezel you can get that adapts a typical single DIN to the dash opening, it looks like this:



This is the least expensive way I found to upgrade to a quality head unit. On this SD I used a Pioneer CD deck with USB and aux plug in front. I have a micro SD card that I plug into the USB with about 30 years worth of music on it. The price is what I wanted to pay and it does what I want it to do. It gets excellent radio reception and plays music loud enough for me.
This whole set up is just over $100 US out the door with tax, and that includes the bezel and wiring kits.





There are wiring kits available that adapt the head unit to the vehicle harness plugs so there is no hacking of the vehicle wiring. And you can always put the stock radio back in it if you sell the truck and want to swap your new one into your next truck. I have found Scosche brand bezels and wiring kits to be top notch for most applications.
Here is a picture of an old Jensen set up for an F150, you can see the pink wire splices and multiple plugs to adapt to several years of harness changes on the F150. On this truck only the white connector was used and the others still have their safety shields in place.



Crutchfield is an excellent source for the whole package. Or Wal Mart and other stores carry the bezel & wiring kits if you already have the head unit. Shop around and check out multiple brands and read the reviews to be sure you get all the features you want.
I am not interested in having the radio connect to my phone, if that is a feature you want there are some really nice head units that do that. And some systems use a tablet for the interface with pre-outs to the amps. You can spend big bucks on audio equipment, but before you do make sure you are getting stuff that does what you want and shop around for the best price.

 

It's a tiny bit of trimming that needs to be done to fit a double din. Very easy to do.