Hey everyone, thought I would share my install of a Nexus 7 in my 06 F-150.

Background info:
I traded my 06 Mustang in for the truck last October and in the Mustang I had installed a PC running Windows XP. With it I had HD Radio, GPS, and an internet connection via tethering my phone not to mention my music library. This worked really well and the skin I made for the front-end (nGen) was made to look similar to the NexGen Ford UI.





The downside to all of this was:
1) initially it was very expensive.
2) The GPS app I had was always behind the area I live in
3) The touchscreen was difficult to almost impossible to read in direct sunlight.

Nexus 7 Install:
So with all that I decided to use a tablet in my F150. This allowed a better solution all around hardware wise. Given the amount of space in the dash I decided to look for an amp that could be installed in the dash and wired up to the factory harness. The amp I chose was the Pyle PLMRMP3A. The reason I chose this was due to the input jack and volume control ****.



You can see the amp temporarily zip-tied in place on the left.



I wanted the tablet to be removable easily so I could use it inside the house when needed and hide it so it wasn't stolen (hopefully). To accomplish this I used the Nexus 7 dock. Asus took forever to get this to the US but I had one a couple of days of showing up online. I molded the dock into a spare bezel I purchased. To secure the tablet I molded it to one of those lexan back plates for the tablet, cutting it so it held the tablet against the pogo pins.



This allows the tablet to lock into place and since it is all molded in, doesn't look too bad once removed.



I can't link the Youtube video because I'm new but you can find it if you search "Removable nexus 7 dash install F150". This shows it being installed and removed.

I wanted to stay cheap on the cost and I am at around $350 which includes the cost of the nexus tablet. The dock, building materials, amp and replacement bezel cost a total of around $150.

Future plans includes mapping out the CAN-Bus to see if I can detect when the steering wheels buttons are pressed and mapping them to provide function on the tablet. I also need to figure out a solution to offer hands free calling in my truck. I'm using an app right now but it is hit or miss depending on coverage.

The one downside to the tablet install is the front-end. I would love to find something that is skin-able without having to design something myself. With what I have today it gets me by but I really miss having the skin I made for the Windows install. Here's the tablet homescreen for comparison.



Let me know if there are any questions.

 

Here is an in progress pic I took of the nexus 7 dock before I fiberglassed it in.

 

Looking good. I'm half way done doing an iPad 2

 

May I ask why the Nexus 7?

 

I had already purchased it and I wanted one I didn't have to slide in from the side to dock.

 

I really want to do something similar with a nexus 7 in my truck. Is there a way that you have figured out to deal with hands free calling?

 

steering wheel controls are on the LIN bus not the CAN bus.


nice work!!

 

For the hands free I will probably go with a parrot unit especially since my plan for the wheel controls won't work.

 

Parrot unit?

Can you hookup a backup camera to the nexus? I have an 06 MarkLt and I plan to install this setup in July so any advice and information you can share would be appreciated.

 

How does one interface a tablet into existing amp setup? Not overly impressed with the dvd in-dash I have. I got an i-pad I do not use very much.

 

I wanted to do this to my truck but with a Lenovo tablet that had a built in FM tuner so I wouldn't lose my regular stations. Tethering with my phone isn't always an option. lol

 

Couldn't you bury the stock unit in the dash and feed the output of the tablet through an adapter to line in?

 

I had tried that with an MP3 player and it sounded past terrible.