2012-Specific Head Unit Install Kits

Been waiting for a dash kit for 3 months - now 3 more months?

I've decided to take a new approach. Ordering a 2011 DASH to match the Scosche dash kit I have (that looks like crap in the 2012, by the way). Rip out the 2012, sell it on Craigslist, don't look back. Sure it will be expensive, and the install will be a bitch, but I'm tired of waiting!

 

ur not alone my friend. this is exactly what im doing. being fitted as i type this... 2011 dash kit for my DNX9990HD, when the 2012 kits come out, im pulling the HU, and refitting the proper dash kit... for now we'll make it work, until the real deal... i agree with what the other said, one of the most popular P/Us and no dash kit?

 

Pa Taco, thanks. RR rocked as POTUS
Desert Snow, i think im going to do the same, but I would prefer to have it installed by a pro and I expect that they would refuse to do ot becuase the kit is not correct. So if I am going to have it done, I will have to do the work myself.
B737, that is the unit I am planning on as well. Please do a step by step write up so that my install goes smoothly. I am sure there will a lot of interest in your write up. Are you intergrating everything? stearing wheel controls, rear view camera, XM, USB port, blue tooth, etc...?

 

just picked up my 2012 and im also waiting for the kit. this sucks.

 

i do not have wheel controls but i added a wireless set that work well with the 9990. the rear camera was integrated so it displays on both the HU and mirror, the USB was installed into the blanks in the center lower dash. blue tooth works great. ipod is in the glove box.

DNX9990 Review:
overall im REALLY happy with the headunit. it is up and running my ipod before im out the garage and at the end of my 30 foot driveway, it comes online FAST. the navigation is swift, and the touch interface is between 'acceptable and quick'. scrolling isnt 'iPhone smooth', but its pretty smooth... skipping songs rapidly with my wireless steering wheel controls can sometimes give a 3 to 5 second delay but its prob cause im throwing a lot of commands at it. volume changes over wireless are instant. Changing the boot screen to "toyota trucks" was easy. the unit dims pretty well, well enough for local city driving at night. due to toyotas dash lighting it wont dim when you turn on your headlights, but it will dim when the GPS says 'its dark out', which has been good enough. im very picky with keeping the inside of the car dark for long drives. For long dark highway drives you can make the display completely blacked out which is easy on the eyes. Then just use your steering wheel controls. you can use your OE controls if you buy the adapter kit.

in short, the more time i spend with the DNX9990HD, the more i am enjoying it. the Garmin navigation, voice prompts, street names work great. and when you want it to be quiet its just a touch away to turn off the voice navigation. I love the big 7" screen. reading the reviews on crutchfield, i have not had any of the issues other people have reported. Ive got about 1500 miles on the unit and have had no anomalies. have done a lot of highway driving and a fair amount of short stop and go days as well.

an important note... if i did not have steering wheel controls to at least do Tracks, and volume, this unit would not rank as high in comfort of use. the buttons on the bottom are very tiny. and require glancing at them while driving to use them. thankfully with wheel controls you dont ever really need to touch them.

heres a thread of the installation and other projects i did to the truck at the same time
http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/au...-kenwood-dnx-9990hd-amps-rs-9500ci-radar.html

just use the Metra 2011 kit... when the 2012 kit comes out then you can make the swap if you choose. mine fits well enough i might just keep it.

 

"Hi Alex,

Unfortunately we did run into a delay on the said kit.

The kit will be available for shipping in mid-October.

We thank you for your patience.

Thank you,"

 

Which manufacturer?

 

Scoshce

 

Ah crap...I'm sick of this. If only I weren't too cheap to buy one (2011) now and then a correct one later. Oh well I've waited this long...what's another month?

 

another year? I almost want to bet someone that any kit will be available at the beginning of 2013

 

I highly doubt it will be ready in october, they sent me a similar one in june saying it will be ready mid- july.

 

life's too short to wait on empty promises and live with *****y audio. just get the 2011 kit...
youd be surprised when your done with it, how good it will look. upgrading to the new one wont feel like an urgency. there are TONS of us using 2011 kits in the 2012...

 

Im not ready to do it anyway. I was back in june but then I bought new tires, as long as its out before christmas Ill be ok, but if its still not out Ill just put the 2011 in.

 

Yeah, I'm waiting, too. I don't want to do it once and then do it over again. And little things like panel misalignments bug the heck out of me.

That having been said, I'm sitting on a crap-load of gear waiting to be installed, and based on the monthly promise/delay/promise cycle, I'm not expecting the actual kits to be ready any time soon. The part that floors me is that this is clearly a very popular vehicle, so unless Toyota refuses to work with any of these companies at all, it's hard to imagine it taking more than a year to do some measuring and get a piece of plastic made (I'm oversimplifying, but let's be honest, we're not talking about making the next iPhone here).

 

can someone who has used the 2011 kit take some good pics and highlight the issues with the fit? I still am not clear what about the 2011 kit is out of wack.

Also, I would like to see the alpine kit installed in a 2012. I am still planning on a kenwood but at this point I am hearing all the options.

 

Metra 2011 kit... gaps are even, its tight, no rattles...
just the curve contours on the sides are slightly different. def not enough to have to sit through crappy stock audio 'waiting' for some empty promise. just take the plunge, and enjoy your truck...

 

B737, thanks for the pics. It looks great and i will most likely go this route

 

Do you have picture of it from the angle of the driver?

 

I just installed the 2011 into my 12 and not impressed. It looks like crap. Scosche. And being the silver color you can see the gaps on both sides even worse. If I had done it all over again I would've just got the black. Atleast you wouldn't see the gaps so much. I ordered a PAC SWI RC so I can use my steering wheel controls. Has anyone done that themselves. It looks complicated. PAC said to call technical support if I had any issues. They said they could walk me through it. I don't want to take it to an installer cause our local installer is a sheister.

 

No offense meant to B737 or anyone else that has a 2011 kit in a 2012, but the first thing I thought to myself when I saw the pictures was "that looks like crap." Perhaps it's just me because I come from an art and design background, or maybe it's just because the kit is a matte color and the trim on that particular Tacoma wasn't the contrasting aluminum-look of the other versions, but the angle alignments on the sides are clearly off (I've seen driver's angle views that show just how off it really is), and the gaps around the head unit itself look pretty bad.

Having said that, I've heard the 2011 kits are indeed very secure, and functionally are just fine. But I would rather wait until I can do it right than do it now and either have to re-do it later or just be "ok" with things that clearly aren't fitting right. And personally, I feel like people advocating to just go with the 2011 kits and stop talking about it are saying that more to justify their own decision than to say the 2011 kits are truly fine the way they are.