Ford Raptor Stereo Upgrade for Manassas Audio Enthusiast

The Manassas-based owner of this 2013 Ford Raptor has been a longtime client of Extreme Audio in Mechanicsville. The client is an avid camper and bought this vehicle to tow his Airstream Flying Cloud 25FB trailer. Over the last five years or so, we’ve gradually upgraded and updated the sound system and accessories on this truck to deliver the features and performance he wants. We’ve also installed a significant number of light upgrades to ensure that he can drive safely, no matter where his adventures take him.

Ford Raptor Stereo Upgrade

The first sound system upgrade in the Raptor used the factory-installed Sony radio as a source. There weren’t any dash kits available to install a new radio because the climate controls were built into the same panel. We upgraded the truck with German Maestro speakers and a JL Audio HD-600/4 four-channel amplifier. This original system had an Alpine Type-R shallow sub in a compact enclosure that fit under the rear passenger seat and an AudioControl equalizer that let us fine-tune the system.

We found a way to reflash the radio to help reduce some of the equalization it applies to the inexpensive speakers that come with the truck. This dramatically improved the sound of the audio system.

Scosche Ford Radio Kit

Fast forward a year or so, and Scosche launched a dash kit for the Ford Raptor that includes a touch-panel display for the vehicle climate controls. We let the client know that we could finally upgrade the vehicle with an aftermarket radio. He chose a Pioneer double-DIN multimedia receiver with Apple CarPlay as the source. At the same time that we upgraded the radio, we installed a JL Audio Stealthbox subwoofer to improve low-frequency output.

Custom Ford Pickup Truck Subwoofer and Radio Upgrade

The Maestro interface allowed for better integration into the truck.

The AUX switches were used to control the lighting.

The switches were added to control the new heater elements.

The battery was upgraded with an Odyssey AGM.

Three JL Audio subwoofers were used in the custom enclosure.

The next upgrade was to replace the Pioneer radio with an Alpine X208U radio, which features a larger 8-inch screen. We molded the radio into the Scosche dash kit to keep things looking good.

During that same visit, our fabrication team created a custom subwoofer enclosure that fits under the rear seat. We installed three JL Audio 10TW3 subwoofers in the enclosure and fed them with a JL Audio HD1200/1 1,200-watt monoblock amplifier. Power cables for the amplifiers are from Stinger, and they connect to an Odyssey Extreme Series PC1750 battery with multi-position terminals. Twin ANL fuses under the hood protect the vehicle should a power cable become shorted in an accident.

Because the Scosche kit was having trouble controlling the factory heated seat system, the client had us install stand-alone heating pads in both the front and rear seats.

Lighting Upgrades Ensure Safe Driving

Back up safety was enhanced with more lighting.

Rigid cubes were installed in the fog light locations.

Forward-facing lights were added on the sides of the hood.

Lighting was added to the rear bumper.

`

As you can see from the photos, we’ve installed a LOT of lights on this Raptor. It has two sets of Rigid cube lights in the front bumper, along with an LED light bar in the just below the license plate. There’s another large light bar that spans the width of the front grille and is mounted just beneath and behind the Ford logo. We added another pair of cube lights to the cowl at the base of the windshield. On the rear, there’s upgraded lighting by the trailer hitch, and a set of single-row LED lights under the rear bumper. All the lights are controlled using the factory upfitter switches in the center console and a second set of switches we added on the left side of the dash.

iDatalink Maestro Upgrade

The client has been amazing to work with over the years. Whenever he wants more lights, he schedules an appointment. He has also been very understanding while we’ve worked through the different iterations of his sound system.

Not long ago, iDatalink released its Maestro MFT1 and RR2 solution for Ford trucks. The Maestro takes the functionality of the Scosche touchscreen and integrates it back into a compatible aftermarket radio. It also allows the factory trim panel and its controls to communicate with the radio. Now, all the functions in the truck work perfectly, and the stereo sounds amazing.

Richmond’s Vehicle Upgrade Experts

It’s been about five years since we started this audio system and lighting upgrade project for the client. He’s currently very happy with the way the vehicle sounds. If you are interested in upgrading your Ford F-150, drop by Extreme Audio in Mechanicsville or Midlothian and talk to a member of our team. You can also reach us by e-mail using our contact form.