Popular Chevy and GMC Truck Upgrades

When it comes to personalizing your Chevrolet or GMC truck, your local specialist mobile enhancement retailer offers a variety of stereo system, convenience and functionality upgrades to make your vehicle suit your needs and tastes. These upgrades can make your pickup truck more comfortable in hot or cold weather, allow you to store equipment safely or listen to your music as though you are front-row at your favorite concert. Let’s look at some of the options that are available.

Chevy and GMC Truck Audio System Upgrades

When it comes to listening to music in our vehicles, no vehicle manufacturer delivers a truly world-class listening experience. One of the best upgrades you can make is to add a dedicated subwoofer system. Even if you have a top-of-the-line Silverado High Country, a high-quality subwoofer will improve every aspect of the listening experience.

Chevy Truck Upgrades — MTI Acoustics has subwoofer enclosures designed specifically for late-model Chevrolet and GMC trucks. Their fit and finish is unmatched by any other “off the shelf” solution.

If you have a truck with limited smartphone connectivity, upgrading the radio with a new multimedia receiver that includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto can make your time behind the wheel safer and more productive. These integration solutions use the voice recognition system in your smartphone to allow you to make phone calls, send text messages, get navigation instructions or choose an entertainment option without having to look at the radio.

Safety and Parking System Upgrades

Another popular upgrade is to add a backup camera to your pickup truck. Without a camera, you risk damaging toys or lawn equipment or, most significantly, injuring children or adult pedestrians as you back into a parking spot or driveway. Backup cameras work automatically with an aftermarket radio, the factory-installed infotainment system or a new rearview mirror to show an image of everything behind the vehicle.

Blind spot camera systems are another popular upgrade. These systems add dedicated side-view cameras on either side of the vehicle to let you know if something or someone is beside the truck when you activate your turn signals.

Remote Starter System Adds Comfort Year-Round

While most of us in Canada and the northern US associate remote starters with cold winter mornings, they are equally convenient on a hot summer afternoon to let the air conditioning system cool the interior of your truck. Remote starters include a variety of options for remote controls, including compact one-way systems or two-way remotes with LED or LCD screens that let you know when the vehicle has started. You can even control your vehicle using your smartphone using a telematics solution like DroneMobile or SmartStart.

Window Tint and Paint Protection Film

Many mobile enhancement retailers offer window tinting and paint protection film installation services. Window tint can not only change the appearance of your pickup truck, high-quality ceramic and carbon films can reject more than 60% of the heat energy from the sun to make your vehicle more comfortable on a hot summer day. All window tints block more than 95% of the UV rays from the sun to protect your skin from blemishes and wrinkles.

Paint protection film, also called clear bra, is an extremely durable transparent coating that is applied to high-wear and impact-prone surfaces on your truck. The front bumper, front grille, hood, headlights and mirror covers can take a beating from gravel, rocks, sand and salt. Films from companies like 3M, Suntek and XPEL are made from a thick (6-8 mil) urethane plastic that absorbs impacts and scuffs to keep your truck looking like new for years and years.

Side Steps and Running Boards

If you have a lifted truck or an HD model that has a lot of ground clearance, a set of running boards or side steps can make getting in and out much safer. Modern truck steps are designed to bolt to existing mounting locations under the cab and very few require modifications to the vehicle.

If you like the clean look of your truck but want a step solution, look into the AMP Research PowerStep motorized side steps. This step platform sits up tight against the rocker panel as you drive then folds down to make it easy to get in and out as soon as you open a door.

Toolboxes and Tonneau Covers

If you use your truck for work, adding a high-quality toolbox is a great way to increase storage options. Heavy-duty tool boxes from companies like CamLocker and Dee Zee fit perfectly between the bed rails and include weather seals to ensure that hand and power tools are kept safe and dry.

A tonneau cover is one of the most popular upgrades for pickup trucks. You can choose from hard or soft covers in a variety of rolling and folding designs to suit your needs. Hard tonneau covers offer the benefit of additional security to keep the contents of your truck bed safe.

Upgrade Your Chevrolet or GMC Truck Today!

These are just a few of the options available to enhance your Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra, 2500HD or 3500HD pickup truck. If you want to add one of the solutions we’ve talked about or something like heated seats, an upgraded lighting system, rear-seat entertainment or sound deadening, drop by your local specialist mobile enhancement retailer today.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

Off-Road Electrical Accessories

An afternoon of plowing through knee-high mud or bouncing off rocks in your favorite four-wheeler is a lot of fun! But proper preparation before embarking on your adventure will help to ensure that your day goes without issue. When it comes to preparation, a reliable electrical system and properly-installed accessories are as important as the mechanical systems on your truck. Read on to find out why your local mobile enhancement retailer is the perfect destination for the installation of your off-road electrical accessories.

Off-Road Lighting

High-power lighting is synonymous with off-road adventure preparation. Nobody wants to be stuck in the woods after the sun sets and not be able to see. In years gone by, adding high-power lighting meant having a row of large round lights on your front bumper or roof rack. These incandescent lights consumed a significant amount of power. For example, a single KC Pro-Sport Halogen lights can consume 8.3 amps of current and produce 2452 lumens.

Modern lights use multiple LEDs to provide much more efficient, and arguably more durable solutions. Rigid Industries is one of the leaders in LED off-road lights. Their Dually XL lights feature 9 LEDs per light and will produce more than 2736 lumens each while consuming 4.6 Amps of current. Regarding efficiency, that is almost exactly twice as much light output per amp of current consumed.

Lighting upgrades include light bars, small lights that can mount in your grill or bumper, rock lights, work lights, backup lights and more. Headlight upgrades to HID or LED solutions can make the drive to and from the trail safer as well. Lighting upgrades are popular on ATVs, side-by-sides and if your geography suits it, snowmobiles.

Lighting and Accessory System Control and Installation

When it comes to light installation, there are three important considerations: Mounting/aiming, wiring, and control. A reputable mobile enhancement retailer can provide a unique combination of installation creativity and durability. Custom mounting brackets, unique mounting locations and amazing integration options set their installations apart from conventional “bolt-on” solutions.

Mobile electronics technicians have unmatched experience when it comes to wiring. The path that the wiring for your lights takes is as important as how the lights are mounted and how they are controlled. Protecting wiring from damage starts with avoiding potential damage from moving parts, heat sources and sharp edges on metal brackets. Your wiring will also be concealed beautifully. Proper routing starts at the light by running the wiring into bumpers or roof racks, and where it runs through the vehicle. Cloth tape, braided wire loom, split loom tubing and heat shrink tubing are just some of the standard solutions used to conceal and protect the wiring. Zip ties or tesa tape will secure the wiring to ensure it will not fall out of place and be damaged.

Controlling your auxiliary lighting systems offers us another unique specialty of your local mobile electronics retailer. In days gone by, the ubiquitous chrome toggle switch mounted in the center console or on the panel under the steering column was par for the course. These days that would stand out like a paint run on a Bugatti! There are several options for lighting control. Perhaps one of the most preferred solutions is to purchase an OEM switch that fits into a blank in your dash and repurpose it for the new lights. A close second option are aftermarket switches that look like factory switches. Some of these have unusual and unique labeling to help describe the function of the light. Rock Lights, work lights, light bar and the ever-important Zombie lights are just some of the options. Your installer can integrate one or more of these lights into an existing control panel, or fabricate a new panel for all of your accessories.

Many people overlook the importance of how electrical connections are made. There are several options available when it comes to making an electrical connection. We could spend an entire article discussing the benefits and drawbacks of different wire connections methods. We will simplify by stating that soldered connections, protected with premium vinyl electrical tape or heat shrink tubing will offer excellent electrical performance and exceptional reliability.

Off-Road Winches

If lighting is the number one accessory for off-roaders, then a winch has to be a very close second. Heading out on a challenging trail without a winch is a risky decision. Even a small winch can help you get out of a (literally) sticky situation. When it comes to winches, Warn Industries is the most recognized brand name in the industry. They manufacture winches for trucks and ATVs, as well as heavy duty solutions for tow trucks and compact winches for motorcycles. Winches are powered by an electric motor. To do work, these motors require large amounts of current. The compact Warn XT17 portable motorcycle winch can draw as much as 65 amps when pulling 1700 lbs, and a popular winch like the 10,000 lb Warn Zeon 10-S can consume 409 amps at full load. How your winch is connected to your vehicle electrical system will not impact its performance, but also the reliability.

Just as with a high-power amplifier, feeding your winch requires large-gauge wiring to supply power efficiently. The cable size depends on the size and subsequent current requirements of the winch, and the distance the winch is located from the battery and alternator. For a large winch, you should look at upgrading the electrical connections between the alternator and both the battery and chassis of the vehicle. Your installer can help make recommendations to ensure the system will function reliably.

High-Performance Air Compressors

Another popular off-road accessory is an air compressor. Many off-road enthusiasts will let some air out of their tires to increase the contact patch as they venture off the pavement. Once the day on the trails is done, having a quality air compressor available to pump them back up for the drive home will make your trip safer and more efficient. Air compressors can also be used to activate Air Locker differentials to increase traction or inflate air suspension components to change ride height.

Companies like ARB offer a full line of air compressors. From a compact unit like the CKSA12 that can flow just under 1 cfm and produce 100 psi of pressure to a monster like the CKMTA12 that will provide more than 6cfm and 150 psi, all of these compressors need current to perform. Big compressors can draw as much as 50 amps of current– similar to what a 500-watt amplifier can consumer. Again, proper wire size selection and reliable connections not only ensure reliability but can increase performance.

Charging System Upgrades

If you are running a big winch, lots of lighting, and have a truck full of all the latest technology…then your electrical system may have a hard time keeping up with the power demands. Your mobile enhancement retailer can help in two ways. A high-current alternator can easily double the amount of charging current available as compared to the factory unit. Many aftermarket alternators provide 280-300 amps of current, and some feature adjustable voltage regulators to fine-tune power delivery.

Upgrading your battery is an excellent way to improve the reliability of your electrical system. A high-performance battery in a stock size can provide a little more capacity. AGM-style batteries can handle the shock and vibration that off-roading induces better than conventional flooded batteries. Your retailer may be able to fit an oversized battery in your vehicle with some simple fabrication.

If you are headed deep into the woods to camp, then an auxiliary battery system may be worth investigation. Having a battery dedicated to starting your engine, and a second battery dedicated to your accessories adds safety and security. The batteries are charged by your truck’s alternator but operate independently. If you kill the accessory battery, the starter battery is ready to get your vehicle running and get things charged back up.

Convenience Accessories

The list of convenience accessories you can add to your off-road is nearly endless. A high-power two-way radio can help you stay in touch with friends, or call for a little help if you get REALLY stuck! A power inverter will let you run 120 VAC accessories like a laptop or small power tools to make repairs. Additional cigarette lighter style plugs or dedicated USB ports can be added to make charging portable devices easier. We once heard of someone installing a snow-making machine in a vehicle. With that said, anything is possible.

When it comes time to outfit your off-road vehicle with equipment to make your adventure safer or more entertaining, drop by your local mobile electronics retailer. They can help you choose the right accessories for your application. Even if the shop does not sell the product you want, talk to them about doing the installation for you. The performance and reliability of your electrical components will thank you for it!