hawgman

Finally, after 4 warranty replacements, my Skipper1000 is fixed! All it took was a simple "appearance" change mod


Tried to get a couple of different pics, it was either too dark in the car, or the flash washed everything out.

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Here is what the rear view camera looks like. Removed the trunk lock and mounted the camera where the lock cylinder used to be. Fabricated a custom bracket that holds the camera in place, used a little marine silicone around the opening to seal it. Wired the power for the camera to the backup lights so that it powers on when I go in reverse, which autoswitches the headunit to that video input, then powers down when I go out of reverse and the head unit goes back to whatever screen it was on prior.
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And just because I was feeling rebelious, I decided to "fix" it to where movies play without the car having the ebrake on
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Started to get the DVD/CD changer and decided against it. I already have Sirius, and considering the Kenwood Music Keg ( 10gig of storage ) so the changer is kind of useless to me. Couple of weeks down the road and I should be able to add the Navigation system in.

SilverR1_04

that's sweet!

pics of cam?

MongrelMan

ok... ummmm

you removed the rear trunk lock so that you can install a rear camera to do what??? So now you have no locking mechanism on your trunk but you do have a rear camera. Do I understandthis correctly?

hawgman

Not really alot you can tell about the camera. It is a 12v security cam that I picked up at Frys. About 3 inches long, sealed, weatherproof. Tapered at the end. Like I said, not much you can tell, but here ya go.



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hawgman

Yes, that is correct. Rear vision out of these things sucks. Anything shorter than 4ft. or so, or anything closer to you than a car length, you are going to hit it. Now I can see out of the back. The trunk still locks. The latch still works via the remote. I have owned the car for 3 months and not once have I ever put the key in to the trunk lock. That is what the button on the remote is for! And if for some reason it happens to fail, not like it is that big of a deal to lay a rear seat down and grab the kidnapper handle to get it open to repair it.

RabidCharlie

Wow, what a fantastic setup. Great job on the install, I can only wish I had that kind of talent.

delurker

Awesome, hawgman!! [sm=americanasmiley.gif]

td1320

That install job kicks ***. Do you mind if I copy you? I didn't realize that the unit you were talking about was a fixed screen unit. I was picturing a slide out flip up screen radio. That unit rocks. How much? List the parts and price if you don't mind. I love the way the camera looks from behind.

hawgman

Dude, by no means give me that kind of credit. It wasn't talent. It was a 12 pack and getting the woman to leave me the hell alone for about 5 hours

hawgman

I don't mind at all if you copy the idea. I am pretty sure that I somehow am not the first and probably copied it from someone else and just don't recall doing it!

I knew it was going to set me back more than I cared to spend, so I searched around for a harness that would use the factory wiring, amps, and speakers. That one took a little research. But it worked fine. All 10 speakers work, both sets of subs, both sub amps. Running the other 6 speakers off of the head unit for the moment. It is a 4X50w unit so it picks up the slack pretty compairable to the skipper.

Harness-Metra 70-5521. $15
It is marked as Ford 03-up Amp Harness. It comes with two harnesses, the main one and a second smaller one for the subs.

Double Din mounting kit-Metra 99-5807. $19
On the package it is marked for a 04' F-150. BUT page 2 of the instruction pamplet has directions for the radio removal for a 05' Mustang! I had to do a little filing because of the ring that snaps around the front of the head unit, and also because the unit fit a little tight. If I had not done this, I would not have been able to use the lock bracket that came with the system.

Camera- $125
Was in an OEM style plain white box with no brand name on it. Like I said, got it at Frys in the security section of the electronic components department. Came with a swivel mount base ( that I did not use ) and a 12v DC adaptor. I cut the wire from the adaptor and used it because the plug matched what was leading from the camera. Actually, I got a deal on this puppy. Somehow it rang up incorrectly and I only got charged $69 for it. Far be it for me to argue with a skilled employee of the store.

Video Extention Cable - $10
I bought a 5 meter extention cable to run from the head unit to the back of the car. This was sufficiently long. Also purchased at Frys.

Kenwood DDX7015 head unit.
This lists on Kenwoods web site for $1799, Crutchfield list it for $1399. I am a cheap bastard and bought one used ( with an unregistered warranty card! ) off of fleabay for $800.

Kenwood SIR-KEN1 Sirius Satellite Radio Tuner.
Kenwood and Crutchfield both list this for $99. I got it brand new, sealed package, including the antenna from fleabay for $50

Overall, the install was pretty straight forward once I got the mounting plate to fit the way that I wanted it and made sure that I could secure the head unit in the dash. The cable from the Sirius unit was long enough that I ran it beside the video cable under the console, under the back seat, and to the trunk. About the only other parts needed were a piece of roof flashing that I had laying around. That is what I made the bracket for the camera out of. And I don't really think I needed to do that. The marine silicone had it in there pretty solid. I just did it for a saftey measure more than anything else. Oh, and a small piece of velcro to hold down the satellite antenna. I didn't want it stick to the trunk or the roof of the car, so I put it in the back deck and ran the cable down through one of the pop up plastic covers in the deck. And yes, it works fine. If I open the trunk while the car is in the garage, the reception fades in and out. But as for driving around, it does not lose reception, even passing under overpasses.

The camera was really the only thing that took a little planning. I was having a really hard time coming up with a solution. At the car audio stores I looked around in, they either wanted to sell me a square camera that I would have to glue to the car somewhere ( for $225! ) or one molded in to a chrome license plate ring. That was a good idea...but...I would have had to cut a slot in the bumper cover the entire length of the license plate ring because of this 2" lip it had across the top of it. Plus, it was WAY expensive. Then a friend suggested maybe looking at a security or survelance company to see what they had. I went to a couple of places and the best I could come up with was a peep hole camera for a door. It would not have recessed in to the GT badge, but would have fit flush on it. Plus it was black and white. And it was about the same price as the one that I found that was color. Glad I shopped around instead of impulse buying like I usually do everything else.

Now to just be able to quit buying crap long enough to save the bucks for the DVD navigation system that goes with this unit. OK, well maybe I will quit buying stuff tomorrow since I just bought Ryan's underdrive pulleys he was advertising here