2005 Radio options

[Blakers]

What are my options for a new radio/CD/bluetooth/screen in my (new to me) 2005 Ram? I've been out of the loop on options for so long. Do they make one with a backup camera too? It has an original radio in it now, but I've become spoiled on some of the newer technology.

 

[Yo Hoot]

I think you can get pretty much anything you want.

 

[Ozymandias]

Go Double-Din, very nice Options then.
I run a Pioneer Headunit but Kenwood and others are good too.
2 cameras go with mine. Cams I got off of Amazon much much better ones then the Pioneers I had first - and 10x cheaper almost.

I think you can order a whole kit from Crutchfield.
Depending on what you have now you need a kit that works with the factory Amp of the Infinity system or just plain one.
There are adapters so the steering wheel controls keep working with the new head unit which was important to me.

Do not cut vehicle harness, use adapter harnesses only. Cheap and works.

 

[Blakers]

There is room for Double-Din? I see pics of other people's that look good.

I pick up the truck tomorrow, so I'll know more about what I have.

 

[User113]

You have to cut out a part of the plastic shelf behind the bezel to fit a Double-DIN, and you'll also need to buy a new bezel. Not a big deal at all.

 

[Ozymandias]

Jep, straight forward Installation. The bezels come in different colors to match the factory trim.

 

[Blakers]

Jep, straight forward Installation. The bezels come in different colors to match the factory trim.

View attachment 140077

Thanks! Looks great!

 

[Crunch]

I think you can get pretty much anything you want.

Which sadly, is not something you can say when it comes to the new, "connected" vehicles. It's almost impossible to find an aftermarket radio for vehicles these days because the "radio" isn't necessarily a stand alone unit, and is also tied in with other systems. I love tech. But I really had a lot of the applications of it we are seeing these days.

 

[Ozymandias]

Which sadly, is not something you can say when it comes to the new, "connected" vehicles. It's almost impossible to find an aftermarket radio for vehicles these days because the "radio" isn't necessarily a stand alone unit, and is also tied in with other systems. I love tech. But I really had a lot of the applications of it we are seeing these days.

Because it isn't a "radio" any longer, it is the main control board for basically all systems of the vehicle that the driver interacts with. The function Radio is just a little side note today.
Things changed massively within just the last 10 to 15 years.

 

[Regcabguy]

Go Double-Din, very nice Options then.
I run a Pioneer Headunit but Kenwood and others are good too.
2 cameras go with mine. Cams I got off of Amazon much much better ones then the Pioneers I had first - and 10x cheaper almost.

I think you can order a whole kit from Crutchfield.
Depending on what you have now you need a kit that works with the factory Amp of the Infinity system or just plain one.
There are adapters so the steering wheel controls keep working with the new head unit which was important to me.

Do not cut vehicle harness, use adapter harnesses only. Cheap and works.

My Pioneer double- din has lousy am reception. I use my phone and Bluetooth with it. Other than that it works fine. I've been buying flash drives of genre's of music off E-Bay coming out of the eastern bloc I guess? The titles are in English and some unrecognizable cryptic writing on the bottom. Use the USB connection and voila hours of music. They are there and then they are not mysteriously.

 

[Ozymandias]

My Pioneer double- din has lousy am reception. I use my phone and Bluetooth with it. Other than that it works fine. I've been buying flash drives of genre's of music off E-Bay coming out of the eastern bloc I guess? The titles are in English and some unrecognizable cryptic writing on the bottom. Use the USB connection and voila hours of music. They are there and then they are not mysteriously.

Bluetooth is all I ever use as all music ist in my Phone or streaming.
AM? I heard about that stuff in history class.
Just kidding

 

[User113]

I almost exclusively listen to SiriusXM. But I really like the large screen size for my backup camera. In fact, in my system I also installed side view cameras and a front facing camera down by the license plate, since I can't see much over that really tall hood. They all really help in parking lots.

 

[Regcabguy]

Bluetooth is all I ever use as all music ist in my Phone or streaming.
AM? I heard about that stuff in history class.
Just kidding

We have some talk shows here and sports. It serves as an emergency channel in the event of a major issue.

 

[bigceltic]

I almost exclusively listen to SiriusXM. But I really like the large screen size for my backup camera. In fact, in my system I also installed side view cameras and a front facing camera down by the license plate, since I can't see much over that really tall hood. They all really help in parking lots.

Same here! I replaced my single DIN factory radio and Sirius receiver with a double din Kenwood and new Sirius receiver so I could get all the channels, and my aftermarket front camera (mounted in the grill just above the rams head emblem) wired into the Kenwood unit. I bought a new OEM double din bezel rather than modify the old one (although the install kit had instructions for cutting the single DIN bezel). I have my aftermarket backup cam wired to my rearview mirror but I think I will rewire it this summer to display on my head unit - as you said, the bigger screen is nice. I pretty much use the bluetooth only for Android Auto (maps/waze).

 

[Crunch]

Because it isn't a "radio" any longer, it is the main control board for basically all systems of the vehicle that the driver interacts with. The function Radio is just a little side note today.

It reminds me of something Rush Limbaugh said 4 years ago about how your smart phone is really a computer with a phone app on it. Things have really gone down the toilet with vehicles these days. You can't get an aftermarket radio. Manufacturers want to eliminate the AM radio completely from cars. There are both cameras and microphones all over the vehicle that observe the driver and passengers. You literally have a black box worth of data that is constantly collected and the manufacturers sell that data to insurance companies, who then surprise you with a rate increase for "hard braking". I'll admit, convenience has gone through the roof with cars. But comfort has declined, and things have changed so much that like Facebook, we have become the product rather than the customer. I'm so pleased that I got an early 3rd Gen Ram. I'd love to come across another 3rd Gen "barn find" that was abandoned by some meth head who ran off to work at a carnival and never returned.

 

[Blakers]

Because it isn't a "radio" any longer, it is the main control board for basically all systems of the vehicle that the driver interacts with. The function Radio is just a little side note today.
Things changed massively within just the last 10 to 15 years.

I was wondering about that. Dad’s 2014 Ram has the control center like that. Is it even possible to change out the radios in those?

 

[Blakers]

It reminds me of something Rush Limbaugh said 4 years ago about how your smart phone is really a computer with a phone app on it. Things have really gone down the toilet with vehicles these days. You can't get an aftermarket radio. Manufacturers want to eliminate the AM radio completely from cars. There are both cameras and microphones all over the vehicle that observe the driver and passengers. You literally have a black box worth of data that is constantly collected and the manufacturers sell that data to insurance companies, who then surprise you with a rate increase for "hard braking". I'll admit, convenience has gone through the roof with cars. But comfort has declined, and things have changed so much that like Facebook, we have become the product rather than the customer. I'm so pleased that I got an early 3rd Gen Ram. I'd love to come across another 3rd Gen "barn find" that was abandoned by some meth head who ran off to work at a carnival and never returned.

I was thinking something similar. These 3rd gens with a 5.9 are probably the last vehicles out there that are not infested with so much computer crap that the driver doesn’t really have much freedom. It would be great to buy another rust-free one to store away in a climate controlled building so it will be available in 20 years after this one wears out.

 

[Regcabguy]

I was thinking something similar. These 3rd gens with a 5.9 are probably the last vehicles out there that are not infested with so much computer crap that the driver doesn’t really have much freedom. It would be great to buy another rust-free one to store away in a climate controlled building so it will be available in 20 years after this one wears out.

True. There's a company doing frame up restorations of American trucks that lasted a long time. $60K and a bit higher but they'll last.

 

[Crunch]

I was wondering about that. Dad’s 2014 Ram has the control center like that. Is it even possible to change out the radios in those?

Maybe for a 2014, maybe not. That might be right on the event horizon of where it went down the crapper. Thing is, even if you could find an aftermarket radio, the selection would probably be pretty slim.

True. There's a company doing frame up restorations of American trucks that lasted a long time. $60K and a bit higher but they'll last.

On many occasions I've wondered what kind of vehicle I would get if I won one of the giant lotteries. For the money that you have to spend on new cars these days along with the connectivity, my thoughts were that I would either buy a professionally restored, top tier quality classic car from the mid-1960s to mid-1970s for the same, or even two or three times the cost. Cost would be irrelevant. But what you said would definitely be a possibility, too. $60K for a fully restored classic truck for 3/4 the price of a new spyware truck is really a hell of a deal. If you know the name of that company, drop the name if you can. There's always a chance of winning the lottery, and in the meantime they probably have a lot of truck porn on their site to catch my gaze.

 

[bigceltic]

It reminds me of something Rush Limbaugh said 4 years ago about how your smart phone is really a computer with a phone app on it.

There was some comedian who said "the phone app on my phone is the least used app on my phone" or something to that effect. I still laugh at that 'cause it is so true.