Stereo replacement for 2015

I've got the ra1 3.0 in my truck. I'm wanting to upgrade to something with Bluetooth calling and have a backup camera. I just got told by an installer at car stereo warehouse that that don't make a wire harness adapter for my truck in the express trim.

When I've seen where people have installed them and on Amazon it sells a kit for my truck.

The kit on Amazon does include the nav with the wire harness even though my doesn't have it but is supposed to be the wire harness that works.

The metro part number for the harness is (XSVI-6523-NAV).

Will this work? Kit on Amazon with everything was $80 and he was wanting $130.

Give Metra a call, I 'think' they make a harness.
Metra Online | Welcome to Metra Auto Parts Online Warehouse

Mine came with the RA1 as well and I upgraded to the RA4, with tailgate cam, cargo cam, turn signal activated blind spot mirror cams and a front cam. The RA4 works just like factory with Bluetooth and all along with all the factory steering wheel buttons and 8.4 RA4 onscreen hvac controls.

But if you want aftermarket PNP look at the alpine X009-Ram.

Alpine

cptwing said:

Mine came with the RA1 as well and I upgraded to the RA4, with tailgate cam, cargo cam, turn signal activated blind spot mirror cams and a front cam. The RA4 works just like factory with Bluetooth and all along with all the factory steering wheel buttons and 8.4 RA4 onscreen hvac controls.

But if you want aftermarket PNP look at the alpine X009-Ram.

Alpine

Click to expand...

May I ask what that cost you. I'm not looking to spend a fortune on a stereo right now. Rather have tires and rims.

Maybe $400-500

The upgrade cost is very dependent on what you can buy the radio for and prices can vary greatly. But figure between 400.00 to 500.00 for the head unit. Since you have the RA1 you do not have mikes in the mirror(75.00) or the harness(25.00) to run the mirror, you also do not have the phone VR buttons (40.00) in your steering wheel. You would also need an 8.4 hvac bezell (75.00), ac module (70.00) and conversion harness (70-100 to buy 20.00 to make).

The phone VR buttons you could add later along with the steering wheel audio controls, best bet buy used leather wheel with them in them for 170.00, but that can be done later.

Figure between 6 to 8 hundred depending on how good you shop around. With the conversion harness the whole thing is plug and play. The conversion harness is not for the radio its for the hvac and radio control bezel. There is a vendor on here who sells the conversion harness.

The guys with RA2 radios save money because they already have a mike mirror and phone VR buttons.

The reason I like it is it's all pnp and looks like the truck came that way from the factory. And personally I really like the head unit. Adding the cameras of course is a whole separate issue, but again OEM pnp with dealer flash. The extra cams I have require a bit more effort though.

But to your original question metra does make a harness kit and bezel faceplate adapter for your truck they sell them on crutch field. You will likely also need a Xm antenna adapter and FM antenna adapter. There are plenty of YouTube vids showing guys putting aftermarket stereos in these trucks. Just look for 2013 and up.

Something was also mentioned about my truck having a factory amp not in the head unit. Possibly having to bypass it?

Cptwing will likely know for sure, but I think the separate amp is only on the upper trim Alpine trucks.

Note:
the RA2 is plug & play, supports the factory backup camera kit, and has built in Bluetooth. But you still need to add the mirror mic/harness to make calls, and the phone/Vr buttons to the steering wheel if you want those.

You can also do the 8.4 conversion with an RA3/VP3-NA (no Nav or HD radio) or a Canadian RA4/VP4-CA (HD Radio, US Maps, no uConnect apps) for less $$ than the USA RA4/VP4-NA radio (Has Nav,Hd radio & apps, but uConnect won't let us connect for app access anyway)

Useful links for reference...
Installing OEM backup cam

DIY: 2013-2014 OEM Steering Wheel Audio Control Install

DIY: 2013+ RA3/RA4 8.4" Radio Conversion Upgrade

No no separate amp in RA1 trucks. Only on factory equipped Alpine RA4 systems.
A less expensive OEM upgrade would be to the RA2, which will give you touchscreen, Bluetooth streaming and phone as well as the ability to add a back up camera. This is a much simpler upgrade since it uses the same bezel and HVAC controls as the RA1, this too is pure PNP with the only issue is getting the radio compass to work, most don't care and many OEM RA2 trucks have issues with the compass anyway. Typically an RA2 radio sells for an average price of about 150.00, the only things you would want besides the head unit is a RA2 rear view mirror with mikes(75.00) and the harness for the mike mirror. Most would add the VR/PH button as well.

I actually did the RA2 at first because everyone, especially FCA said the 8.4s could not be put in my truck. Well several of us got together and figured it out, by designing a conversion harness, so then I upgraded from the RA2 to the RA4. The RA2 is a very nice radio, but if I had it to do over again I would have went straight to the RA4.

RA2 head unit 150.00
rear view mir 75.00
harness 25.00
VR/PH sw 40.00

total 290.00

Just popped up on ebay...

2014 Ram Uconnnect 5.0 RA2 VP2 Radio 2015 2016 2013
Starting bid $90 (about $70 cheaper than I have ever seen)