Who has converted their vehicles from non-(insert item) to powered? I gots a 2001 Dodge 1500 basic cab (ST?) with no bells & whistles.

[Holbs]

Now that I am down to a single vehicle (used to have a 1996 Pontiac Grand Am GT for my primary), I am looking to put some bells & whistles in my Dodge.
Already swapped out the standard mirrors to towing mirrors. These ECCPP towing mirrors I won at a local auction for...well...basically 85% off from new retail ($35 as compared to full price of $215). But shhhh! These mirrors also have the capability to be heated & powered, but I have no wiring harness inside the door for that.
Which lead me to wonder what more I can do for this truck that I am hoping to keep around for the next 20 years. I have not really dabbled into auto mechanic stuff since I owned a 1984 VW Rabbit GTI back in the day
At the same auction, I snagged new headlights (yet to be installed) by Winjet LED DRL headlights (got these for $10, but I bet something is wrong with them as they were not new in a box). Gots a Jensen 10" touchscreen double DIN radio coming in, already swapped out the door 6x9's, still have to swap out the 5 1/4" rear pillar speakers.

And now my thoughts are about powered & heated mirrors, powered windows, even adding fog lights in the front bumber. All these items require a wiring harness which are not in my truck. We do have local junkyards. It's just a matter of either finding the complete parts list, relays, wiring harness, fuses. Is this too simple? I assume things should be plug & play if have the correct parts list.

Anyone add items to their vehicles in such a manner?

 

[sebastiantombs]

I have been known to "modify" vehicles from time to time. If wiring is involved I look for either stranded THHN where flexibility isn't a problem or use stranded silicon insulated in rubber tubing where flexibility is a requirement and especially where scuffing/wear at the bends may happen. Worst case I overpay for the wire sold at Auto Zone or NAPA.

I switched out the halogens on my F150 for LEDs. It has built-in fog lights. With the low current demand of the LEDs the computer doesn't "see" that the headlights are on and won't turn on the fog lights. I just wired a separate feed, fused at 20 amps with an inline fuse, and a switch at the bottom of the dash to beat the computer at its' own game. Call it a two hour project and now the fog lights are LED as well.

I installed a remote start that uses the key fob. Just had to pop the dash panel under the steering column and plug in and attach to one other wire. About an hour for that and it sure is nice on both cold and hot days. Plus with the EcoBoost it gives the vacuum pump enough time to work before i get in so the power brakes work.

Next up is some LED lighting under the bumper for some real backup lighting and maybe some for bed lighting as well.

 

[th182]

Before our most recent cars with it from the factory, I’ve installed remote start in three of our previous vehicles. Fairly straightforward but none had a factory plug I could tie into so had to identify and splice wires where appropriate in the steering column.

Dash cam is also a necessity in my book! Bought a couple Rexing brand HD two-camera kits off of Amazon and the hardwire kit to go with it. Thankfully both of our current vehicles had easy spots to tie into that were only hot when the car was running.

Other than that we are pretty stock. We both work less than 5 minutes from home so don’t spend much time driving.

Edit: I’d also recommend replacing that ram with a bowtie for better reliability!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[sebastiantombs]

I've always wondered about a brand that says "Dodge" on the front and "RAM" on the back.

 

[Holbs]

I've always wondered about a brand that says "Dodge" on the front and "RAM" on the back.

We use RAM Promaster work vans at the shop. I went to go get oil filters and windshield wipers, could not find the Promasters under DODGE. Then I was informed RAM no longer belongs to DODGE. That was shocking to me. It's like...the Pinto no longer belongs to Ford

 

[sebastiantombs]

I'm not sure who owns Dodge now. It was Daimler for a while but then they sold it to someone, maybe Tata in India. Beats me. It's a shame. We're watching the slow, agonizing death of the traditional American automotive manufacturers.

 

[The Automation Guy]

Other than putting in a wiring harness for a dash cam with front and rear cameras, I haven't touched my vehicle in quite a long time. I guess a combination of my getting older and the car manufacturers upping their game with regard to stereos and accessories which has prevented me from feeling compelled to make any changes. Now when I was a teenager, that was a different story!

 

[Holbs]

Before our most recent cars with it from the factory, I’ve installed remote start in three of our previous vehicles. Fairly straightforward but none had a factory plug I could tie into so had to identify and splice wires where appropriate in the steering column.

Dash cam is also a necessity in my book! Bought a couple Rexing brand HD two-camera kits off of Amazon and the hardwire kit to go with it. Thankfully both of our current vehicles had easy spots to tie into that were only hot when the car was running.

Other than that we are pretty stock. We both work less than 5 minutes from home so don’t spend much time driving.

Edit: I’d also recommend replacing that ram with a bowtie for better reliability!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I snagged a Schooche Nexar Dash cam that I am impressed with. Used in work vehicle for a couple months to see how it holds up. Not too shabby. Will migrate to personal truck here shortly.