2021 Tacoma TRD Head Unit

That's exactly it. They do.

I'm reminded of the old Microsoft adage that every program must have 3 ways to get to it to ensure that anyone can use it in their own way. Of course no one uses the command line, and few use the start button, but the options did exist for quite a while, which worked great once they started trying to hide it in windows 10 by default...

 

Just so you know.......
Decided to take a shot at the Alpine bundles sold by TrailGrid Pro.
OEM head-unit pulls out like butter but the new unit provided by TrailGrid will not plug and play.
All the videos from TrailGrid show these units (iLX-507) to be plug'n'Play... through 2023. However, once you get the iLX-507 you can see several OEM connections that have no mates/matches. Although you can get the Alpine to power up, it will not sync/connect with any features. You cannot get the back-up camera to work, can't play a video, etc..
I've had the Alpine unit for a few weeks now and the tech-support people thought it might be the controller (Maestro). They sent me another one but it did not work (and it seems obvious there is missing connections on the harness). I have provided videos of my situation to the tech guys at TrailGrid and they said they were going to check with the Alpine engineers to see what might be the problem (radio silence for more than 10 days now). Unfortunately, I have little confidence that anyone knows what they are doing due to the fact that my 2021 TRD off-road is brand-new, right off the showroom floor with no special modifications/alterations. So don't be confused. The TrailGrid Alpine bundles are NOT plug'n'play for a 2021 Tacoma TRD off-road.
Looks like I'll probably be processing the refund and thinking about trying the Stinger (Heigh10?)?

 

Bummer, but good to know.

According to Crutchfield that model should work if you use the harnesses and adapters that they supply...

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_500ILX507/Alpine-iLX-507.html

The notes say...

• When you replace the factory radio, the factory navigation system won't work anymore.
• An iDatalink-ready car stereo is required to retain your vehicle's personalization settings menu.
• When you replace the factory radio, you'll lose your factory satellite radio capability.

Their CS is extremely helpful, so although you didn't buy it from them, you might want to give them a call (maybe tell them you're thinking about buying it?) and see if they can confirm that everything will work once all is said and done. They do list the backup camera, steering wheel controls, gauges, etc. as working when you use the supplemental kit. Maybe you can match up what they sell with what you have?

Just a thought and keep us posted!

 

Interesting. Please try what @TRDRed suggested and let us know. I'm looking at the same head unit. The 2023 "premium audio" head unit with nav was a big waste of money for me and I was looking at the Alpine stuff. I'm hoping you can get it figured out. If anybody would know, Crutchfield would.

 

The end........
Could not get reasonable support from TrailGrid.
I provided them with high resolution videos and pics of the Tacoma OEM wiring for the Alpine bundle and all tech reps went radio silence.
All indicators, behavior and/communications indicate they (TrailGrid) do not understand or have the correct harness/adapters to make the Alpine bundle units compatible with my 2021 Tacoma TRD-Offroad.
Of course there is also a chance there is something unique about my vehicle. Either way they did not demonstrate a reasonable effort to help their understanding and/or my need.
However, refund process seems to have processed efficiently and overall they were congenial just ineffective and disappointing.

 

That's too bad, but glad to hear that they're standing behind their sale with a refund.

Crutchfield has been my go-to for more than a decade. Their customer service is outstanding and they've always bent over backwards to make me happy. I've returned a couple of things including a Pioneer stereo and wiring harness I bought for a Tundra but never installed (the Tundra I sold to buy our Tacoma). I did have to pay for return shipping but I thought that was very fair. That would be my next stop and keep us posted on how it goes!

 

I might investigate Crutchfield, thanks. Amazon is selling the "Stinger" package/bundle and Amazon does refunds right! Unfortunately the "Stinger" package doesn't seem to have the things I'm looking for..

I was surprised that the Trail Grid Pro folks were not interested in collaborating with me to determine the problem. It was obvious that I could provide multimedia support during the process/troubleshooting , I am somewhat literate and I know how to (reasonably) communicate. You would think it would have been beneficial for the both of us......oh well.....

Thanks for the feedback.

 

Sounds good.

I should have mentioned that the only reason I had to pay for return postage on that head unit was because nothing was wrong with it, I just didn't use it is all and I think that's fair.

Crutchfield has free shipping, a full refund policy for defective items for 60 days, postage paid. They also supply custom-made wiring harnesses, mounting hardware and model-specific instructions so it's all plug-and-play. I've talked to them on the phone several times. They're easy to work with and besides being experts, they will do just about anything to take care of you including returns, exchanges, troubleshooting, etc.. Their tech support is free for life. Hard to beat. More here:

https://www.crutchfield.com/About/Valueprops.aspx

BTW, I don't work for them, just an evangelist... they should give me a percentage.

Let us know how it goes!

 

Crutchfield; So far so good...........
On TRDRed's advice, I reached out to Crutchfield after lengthy research on the AVIC-Pioneer8600NEX head unit.
Stepped/clicked through the online ordering process that walked me through all the harnesses, controllers and dash mounting adapters/hardware for my 2021 Tacoma TRD OffRoad/Access Cab.
Big box arrived 2 days later (and +$1400 later). Crutchfield assured me that everything would be compatible and I wouldn't have to do any splicing/soldering.

They were right... Took about 3 hours of identifying the correct connections for the harness, Maestro controller,(and you have to "flash" the Maestro yourself) antennas, mounting, etc. and I am up and running/installed. This unit allows me to turn on the factory back-up camera without using reverse, plays CD's/DVD's (hidden behind the display screen that opens up by pushing a button and motorized linkage folds the screen down to reveal a hidden DVD/CD player and SD card option), Bluetooth, Wireless Carplay (not a fan of "Carplay), etc....

Have not yet had time to investigate even half of the features and I still have hours of cable management, updates (gonna add a portable SiriusXM tuner) and configurations/modifications.

Installation instructions were surprisingly poor. Luckily most of the installation steps have only one way for connection configuration.

Thanks again for the advice.

 

So glad to hear that it all worked out!

FWIW I've had a few Pioneer touchscreen car stereos over the years with zero problems. Nothing's perfect of course, but I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one in the future.

Enjoy!

 

I have the same truck and I know this is a fairly old post. Would it be possible to see a few photos, on how the new head unit looks installed in your ride?

 

AVIC-Pioneer8600NEX Built in garmin and CD player seems like a win! Does it all work with your 360 camera?