2011 Chevy Silverado

[sefrischling]

I am about to pick up a 2011 Chevy Silverado extended cab, with the 40/20/40 front seat.

Any suggestions on a radio console to fill that "20" slot when I pull the middle seat out?
I am going to install
- Kenwood TK dual band (one head, two decks V/U)
- Moto XTL2500 (800)
- Moto XTL2500 (VHF)
- Uniden SDS200
- Uniden 996XT

I might skip the XTL2500 VHF as we're going primarily 800 within the year and a Kenwood VM7000 will be installed at that time, likely replacing both XTL radios.

Ideally, I'd like a slot on the side for Kenwood VP5000 (will be adding a VP8000) and Harris XG-100P portables, along with mounts for two iPhones, an iPad mini, and a 4 gang switch panel for lights.

I have been looking for a 3rd light antenna mount for this vehicle and cannot seem to find any. I have no problem drilling holes, my 2010 Suburban has four antennas in the roof, but a brake light mount just seems easier for installing antennas. Suggestions on where to find one?

The truck will be used for Fire/EMS and Emergency Management response.

 

[mmckenna]

I have been looking for a 3rd light antenna mount for this vehicle and cannot seem to find any. I have no problem drilling holes, my 2010 Suburban has four antennas in the roof, but a brake light mount just seems easier for installing antennas. Suggestions on where to find one?

Don't.
There are reports of them leaking.
They don't provide a suitable ground plane.

 

[ThreatLevelMidnight]

Don't.
There are reports of them leaking.
They don't provide a suitable ground plane.

This

 

[sefrischling]

Don't.
There are reports of them leaking.
They don't provide a suitable ground plane.

Thank you ... I guess a few holes in the roof it is.

I assume the Chevy is the same as the Ford, in that I can pull the 3rd brake light out and just make my life easier installing the roof NMOs through that gap, reaching in rather than dropping the headliner?

 

[Project25_MASTR]

I actually posted a full progressive refit build of my 2013 Sierra SLE Crew Cab about 7 months ago on here but I can add some of the basics for here.

I already had one 3/4" hole in my roof from a Panorama Sharkee and had noticed some corrosion jacking on the mount and got it off only to discover when the body shop that repainted the roof of the truck some 7 years ago painted it...they didn't fully paint under the mount so to cover the "damage" I installed a Breedlove mount to cover it all (only time you will ever see me advocate for a Breedlove mount). That's my VHF antenna.

Then I marked two additional holes using a some intersecting lines and a grease pencil to mark my drill points for the purposes of symmetry. Pulled the weather stripping away to check under the headliner to ensure I wasn't about to drill into a cross roof support (note I think they run longitudinally in the extended cab between the B and C pillars instead of latitudinally like with the crew cab).

Drilled the holes with my trusty NMO hole saw (I've actually got several different brands) and installed the mounts (which are custom made Larsen NMOHF mounts with LMR-195 coax because it's what I had laying around the house). Ran everything between the roof and airbag and then down the C pillar on the passenger side (note the high power XTL5000 brick I was running at the time) and crimped on SMA adapters (again, had them laying around and it worked out in this case).

Then I bolted in the "stack" under the passenger rear seat where the XTL was.

I found a used angled Havis console at a friend's Kenwood shop and traded bought him lunch. Would not recommend to anyone else trying to set rivnuts in these GMT900 tranny humps...the seam sealer has to be chipped out of the area around where you are seating...big pain and sometimes you think you've got it seated only to discover...nope insulation got in the way. Finding control head brackets was a royal pain though since I am running older radios. Found one used but the other I had to wait about 6 weeks to receive...still have a gap I need to fill but it works as is.

I've got a VHF antenna, UHF antenna and a 7/800 antenna. Since I have a VM900, VHF and 7/800 are diplexed using a Stico coupler that I again, had laying around the house.

Now the whole reason I said that...if you have to drop the headliner, you are doing it wrong. Pulling the dome light and weather stripping should provide adequate visual access to view what you are drilling into. Of the few hundred GMT900's I've installed antennas on...the extended cab I've only done three or four of and not in quite some time.

Rumor is...a new Viking mobile is on the horizon for the next Japanese fiscal year so if you don't need a VM7000 stack today you may consider waiting for news from this next year's dealer road show.

One thing I will say, I've found the Kenwood KES-5 to be one of the better speakers out there having a much better dynamic range and distorting less at higher volume levels compared to the not as deep offerings from Motorola (saying that as a Motorola guy on a Motorola P25 system). Keep in mind, this is my POV and not a truck I've been issued. Also, I specifically wanted my heads and cover brackets to say EF Johnson and not Kenwood so some of the items may have shipped with Kenwood branding but I swapped it out with EFJ branded heads and covers.

 

[mmckenna]

I don't think there are any easier vehicles to install in than full size American pickups. Good advice above. I'm sure I did some 2011's at one point, but that's been lost in the foggy parts of my brain.

 

[EMT_20]

I am about to pick up a 2011 Chevy Silverado extended cab, with the 40/20/40 front seat.

Any suggestions on a radio console to fill that "20" slot when I pull the middle seat out?
I am going to install
- Kenwood TK dual band (one head, two decks V/U)
- Moto XTL2500 (800)
- Moto XTL2500 (VHF)
- Uniden SDS200
- Uniden 996XT

I might skip the XTL2500 VHF as we're going primarily 800 within the year and a Kenwood VM7000 will be installed at that time, likely replacing both XTL radios.

Ideally, I'd like a slot on the side for Kenwood VP5000 (will be adding a VP8000) and Harris XG-100P portables, along with mounts for two iPhones, an iPad mini, and a 4 gang switch panel for lights.

I have been looking for a 3rd light antenna mount for this vehicle and cannot seem to find any. I have no problem drilling holes, my 2010 Suburban has four antennas in the roof, but a brake light mount just seems easier for installing antennas. Suggestions on where to find one?

The truck will be used for Fire/EMS and Emergency Management respon

Check out Bulletproofdiesel.com. I installed one of their antenna mounts on my 2020 F350 and haven't had any issues with it. Yes, you would be better off putting the antenna in the middle of the roof for a better ground plane. I still get good performance from the antenna with the mount as it is. I went with this option because of the glass window in the roof, aluminum cab and I don't trust suction cups on glass. I could have drilled a hole in the roof aft of the glass but there is barely any headspace between the underside of the roof and the sunshade/headliner. It fit my application on my vehicle, that is why I went with it.

 

[Project25_MASTR]

Check out Bulletproofdiesel.com. I installed one of their antenna mounts on my 2020 F350 and haven't had any issues with it. Yes, you would be better off putting the antenna in the middle of the roof for a better ground plane. I still get good performance from the antenna with the mount as it is. I went with this option because of the glass window in the roof, aluminum cab and I don't trust suction cups on glass. I could have drilled a hole in the roof aft of the glass but there is barely any headspace between the underside of the roof and the sunshade/headliner. It fit my application on my vehicle, that is why I went with it.

Like most older vehicles, they see a need for a specific vehicle (such as the aluminum F-series with panoramic roofs) and typically start building for current and future designs but don't often back port to older designs. Best bet for a GMT900 is an Akari mount.

The other thing is the cost which makes those 3rd brake light mounts hard to swallow. Two new holes in a GMT900...took me an hour from walking out to the truck with my tools to sweeping the antennas with a VNA while taking the time to take pictures after cleaning up and I haven't done a professional install in four or five years. What's two $18 NMO kits plus an hour worth of shop time from the install tech? Couple hundred dollars at most...

 

[cg]

Hopefully you got a southern truck rather than a rust bucket like my 2011. Best truck I ever owned but going to oxidize to nothing.
I used a hood/fender mount out of necessity (low garage door) but would have preferred to do the roof install. I was going to go to those super flexible whips and do the roof but ended up happy enough with the hood/fender mount so I didn't bother. Next truck...

 

[sefrischling]

I actually posted a full progressive refit build of my 2013 Sierra SLE Crew Cab about 7 months ago on here but I can add some of the basics for here.


I found a used angled Havis console at a friend's Kenwood shop and traded bought him lunch.

Thank you!

I appreciate the comprehensive breakdown.

I like the Havis consoles, but figure I need to pull out that middle bench seat and use a larger console to accommodate what I need. My vehicle, like yours, is mine rather than issued to me. My emergency management work is primarily as a contractor, so I work out of it daily like an office.

While the VM7000 may be replaced in the Kenwood line up ... we're getting VM7000 mobiles. That is already in the works.

This has been a help to me in figuring out how to set up the pickup.

 

[sefrischling]

Hopefully you got a southern truck rather than a rust bucket like my 2011. Best truck I ever owned but going to oxidize to nothing.
I used a hood/fender mount out of necessity (low garage door) but would have preferred to do the roof install. I was going to go to those super flexible whips and do the roof but ended up happy enough with the hood/fender mount so I didn't bother. Next truck...

If Albany is Southern ... sure ... The tailgate will have to be replaced, but it works for now. I can't pass up the family deal, since my Suburban needs a new transmission, which probably won't get dealt with until February.

My antenna set up will be a mix of roof and hood mount.