Dodge Ram Audio Upgrade and Transformation – Part 2

A repeat client from Chesterfield, Missouri, came to JML Audio for a complete transformation of his 2011 Dodge Ram 2500 truck. He was looking for multiple performance and accessory parts, window film, and radar and laser protection. Setting up to work well for tailgating was also high on his priority list. The audio upgrades are detailed in a separate article you can view by clicking here.

Motorized Bed Cover And LED Lighting Highlight The Truck Bed

The rolling bed cover stores conveniently in a small canister in the front of the bed.

LED light strips were added to the underside of the bed rails to really set this bed apart at night.

If you have ever owned a truck, you know that there is an endless stream of products available that will improve the usefulness of your vehicle. This customer was no exception. His main goal was to improve the usefulness of the bed, so we installed a Pace Edwards motorized, retracting bed cover. With just a push of a button from his wireless remote, he could take his bed from completely weather-resistant and secure to wide open and accessible. We installed hidden LED lighting up high on the sides of the bed that shine light into the bed and make it very practical to use at night. The lights are also a multi-color design so he can create unique mood lighting as well. These lights are tied into the same wireless controller that runs the interior LED lighting, making control over his whole lighting system as easy as pie.

JML Paint Protection And Window Film Keeps The Interior And Exterior Looking New

JML Paint protection keeps this Ram safe from paint chips and scratches. JML Window Film keeps the interior looking new.

To protect the outside of the vehicle, we installed our JML paint protection film to the whole hood, front fenders, headlights, door edge trim and sill panels. To protect the inside of the vehicle and its occupants, we installed our heat-reflective and UV-blocking film on all the windows. The windshield received a clear film with the same heat-reflection and UV-protection properties.

Custom K40 Radar And Laser System Protects Client While Driving

The custom installed K40 Radar system gives the client full protection while driving.

We also custom-installed a K40 radar and laser defense system. We created custom mounts for the front and rear radar sensors to give them the utmost in sensitivity to police radar, along with front and rear laser jammers. Laser jammers are unique in that they will not only alert you to your vehicle being shot at by a laser gun, but they go one step farther: The laser jammers emit a powerful signal back to the laser gun at a pulse rate that it does not understand. You now have time to slow down and avoid a ticket. Isn’t technology great? The controls and alerts for the K40 system inside of the vehicle should work well, but be completely stealth in appearance.

The installation of radar sensors is important, but the installation of laser jammers is critical. They have to be installed in specific areas in the front and rear of the vehicle to be directly exposed to the laser gun. At the same time, these jammers have to look good cosmetically. JML Audio has installed hundreds and hundreds of these systems are and is considered the midwest’s authority on radar and laser systems.

We configured the LEDs that alert the driver to front or rear detection to hide inside the blinkers. If the front systems go off, the left blinker indicator will flash blue; if the rear systems go off, the right blinker indicator will flash blue.

We also installed a hidden speaker under the dash for audible alerts to go along with the visual ones. The controller for the K40 system is a wireless remote, and it had to sit in an easily accessible location, so we re-made the bottom of the center dash area to hold this remote and the light remote. We created recessed areas where these controllers could sit, looking like they came from Dodge this way, and hid custom magnets inside the remotes and the panel to hold them securely in place while the client was driving.

Tailgating System Makes This Dodge Ram Party Central

With the cover down, the auxillary plate is protected from damage and the elements.

Auxiliary waterproof plate in the bed of the truck allows for external media sources to be piped into the tailgating system.

Rear firing speakers in custom pods keep the party going strong!

Beautifully machined custom mounting plate for the exterior speakers is built to last for years and years!

The plug in the lower front bumper allows power to be transmitted from the Honda generator to a convertor. With the generator wired in he can now have power for his tailgate system without draining his battery.

One of this client’s favorite things to do is tailgate with his favorite college team. And boy, does he take his tailgating seriously! With that in mind, we created an elaborate, but easy-to-use, tailgating system.

It all starts with the power. If you are going to be in the middle of a parking lot playing with your vehicle’s electronics, you need power. And who wants to have the engine running in their truck for hours on end? Not to mention that is not good for the vehicle.

Here’s how it works. He takes his Honda quiet generator out of the truck bed and positions it well away from the truck. He runs a power cord from the generator to the front of the truck to a custom, weather-resistant plug that we flushed into the front bumper, right near one of the tow hooks. The generator powers a converter that we securely mounted in a dry area of the vehicle, and it powers all of his electronics for as long as he wants to tailgate.

Well, now we have the power, so we need music. We fabricated quick-release brackets at the front of the bed, right behind the cab. Marine wakeboard speakers will easily mount and plug in, giving him all the sound he may need. To get the sound to these speakers, he simply gets in his truck and goes to a custom setting we created on his Kenwood navigation radio labeled “Tailgate.” Pushing this button will turn off all the interior amplifiers and speakers, and turn on the amplifier powering the tailgating speakers.

And it gets better. Let’s say someone shows up to the party and wants to play their electronics through the tailgating system. No problem. We custom-made a weatherproof connector allowing any piece of electronics in the bed to transmit audio into the Kenwood navigation unit. But suppose you want to play a video? No sweat. You simply load the video into the Kenwood unit and connect your TV to the weatherproof video jack we installed into a recessed area of the bed. But the TV needs power, right? Yep. We created a 110v weatherproof outlet in that recessed area of the bed that supplies power to the TV.

Trust JML Audio To Be Your Vehicle Personalization Experts

If this sounds like a great way to tailgate, we have good news for you. JML Audio has been quietly building some of the finest vehicles in the midwest since the mid ’90s and would be honored to set up a one-on-one consultation with you about your vehicle. We will get to know each other better and discuss your goals for the build. We will learn what you like and what you don’t like about your current vehicle. At that point, we will custom-design a solution to fit your unique needs and desires.

Feel free to contact us here for more information. We look forward to meeting you.