Radio upgrade

I'm in a similar place, but with the slightly older chassis (2008). I greatly appreciate the links you provided, albeit they are likely to not fit my older PC and dash unit.  I know others with the new Ford will appreciate them more!


I do have a few more generic questions.


1. The Red Wolf wiring adapter listing doesn't mention Ford e450 compatibility. How did you know they would work?  I'm not finding a lot of options for wiring compatibility as well and am wondering if you asked an expert or the manufacturer, or?
Answer:  I used to have a 2006 Ford truck and the OE radio was the exact same as the one that was in the PC so i knew it should be wired the same. Thats why i got that adapter and was surprised that the chassis harness has no 12v switched wire landed in it.


2. What was the scale of the effort to remove the old unit? Did it pull out of the dash easily? I've been looking at mine and I think it should come out once I insert a tool on each side to release catch pins. And since I can remove the engine dog house I can see "most" of the contract points. But I don't want to be too optimistic.
Answer: Since yours is the older style with the holes for a tool it may be different for your mounting of the new radio, at least a different mounting adapter possibly. If you have to remove the dash like i did its very easy to pop out of the retainer clips, but its very difficult to pull out far enough to access the radio area. The steering column is a very tight clearance issue. Some people unboly the column support and drop it down but i didnt. My unit has 4 screws that mount the radio to the frame that were hard to get to but there was just enough space to pull the dash forward to fanagle the old unit out and the new one in. If the entire dash needs removed there are several electrical connectors that must be unplugged and the vacuum lines for the AC controls. If you can remove yours via the release tool and work up through the bottom it may be easier for you. Also the main reason i went with that particular one is it came with the antenna adapter i needed so i ddnt have to buy that seperately.


3. Did you consider a 3 way switch so the unit could be dual powered? i.e. Ford-off-Coach. I want to get 12 volt from the Ford side while driving and from the PC side when parked. That way I don't drain the Ford battery while camping and I don't need an ignition key hanging all the time.
Answer. I did consider that but decided not to as i would probably never use it when not driving anyway. Also i would fear "others" may leave the switch on all the time and drain the battery, Key on power wouks best for my scenario.


4. Where did you mount the GPS antenna?   Since most the the dash is metal, I've considered mounting it in the fiberglass cap to ensure good reception.
Answer:  In my dash there is a large space just above the radio that is open to the plastic dash cover so i just mounter the antenna there. Its a peel and stick about 2 in square. I havent taken it out yet to see how accurate the navigation is.


Again, thanks for the details. I'm looking forward to hearing how it work in your next roar trip.


Larry

LOL... Quite sure it's a 2008 chassis. My unit was built during the RV recession. The chassis sat "homeless" for a couple years before the original owners ordered it in 2010.   The 2008 chassis was dusted off, run thru the Phoenix assembly line and completed Fall of 2010.

So my title says 2008 since it is a Ford VIN number, but everything above and behind the cab is 2 years newer.  My insurance company, like Phoenix USA in Elkhart, sees it as a 2010.