I ordered the service manual from HELM, but it won’t be here until tomorrow. I’ve also got the Body Builders Layout, but it’s pretty sparse on schematics and doesn’t explain how to remove most of the trim. So, I’m on YouTube, checking how others have done it until that $330 USD service manual arrives (ugh, costly, but worth it.)
I’ve tackled nearly every piece of trim on this truck, and let me tell you, some pieces are almost impossible to remove without causing at least a little damage. The A-frame handles are the worst, closely followed by those coat hangers in the back.
If you’ve got the upfitter package, I’ve found a solid way to run a wire from the upfitter fuse box into the truck. I'll document it for anyone who needs it. Sure, you could use fuse taps, but I didn't want to risk introducing crosstalk into my +12V rail, so I went with a 10AWG line from the battery. Some people use an unused PTO wire in the dash, but it’s only 22AWG. Even though the radio doesn’t pull more than 1.5A, I’d rather not use that small of a wire for power. But hey, that’s me—I’m a bit OCD regarding electronics, especially wiring and routing. Lastly, there are 4 passthrough wires somewhere in the dash people have found, but they are really small as well. They COULD handle the 1.5A load most radios will use, but I still decided to run the 10awg dedicated power wire instead.
I’ll be mounting the radio in the center tray and will fabricate a mount to make it sit flush. Bulletproof offers a mount that does the job too, but it’ll set you back about $100.
All that said, Ford has done an excellent job with the wiring harnesses and electronics in these new Superduties. I'm extremely anal about my wiring and quality of work, and Ford has impressed me so much that I had to level up my work to match theirs. You'll be impressed as well with the quality Ford puts out in the new trucks.
