Xm radio blocked by camper

[dennych1]

I have a 2015 Chevy Silverado crew can dually and want to put a external xm antenna on truck some where it isn’t blocked by camper. Where and how to yup plug into existing antenna.
Thanks for the help
Dennis

[Ranger_Doug]

I have a Ram 3500 with a Lance 1172. I purchased an antenna from my Ram dealer exactly like the OEM. I mounted it on the right forward part of my hood. Works great!!

[sljohnson1938]

on my camper I put a steel plate on top of the camper roof. I ran the antenna up to it and put it there. worked for me.

[Z-Peller]

You will need FAKRA antenna adapter for GM and an XM magnetic puck antenna.
I put magnetic antenna on front of my truck hood and routed wire under hood and thru fender gap and under dash to radio.
Search youtube for vids of removing dash trim around truck radio and removing 4 bolts and pulling radio and identifying XM antenna wire and plugging in FAKRA adapter. The 3 antennas on GM radio are color coded.
Easy enough once you see how to do it on youtube

[BradW]

stevenal wrote:
Don't expect those magnetic mounts to work with the newer Fords.

We ordered our 2018 F350 with the steel hood option. 😉

[BradW]

thedavidzoo wrote:
BradW, can you give us more specifics on the antenna model you are considering? Bluetooth would seem to be a simpler solution than all the cables and plugs?

I haven't done a lot of investigating yet, but this is the xm radio I was considering. It comes with a vehicle kit(radio mount, mag antenna, etc). We own several vehicles and I don't care to be paying for satellite subscriptions for all of them.

This one is not blue tooth, "Easily connects to your car stereo wirelessly through FM radio or hard wired through AUX in cable."

XM Radio

[DWeikert]

dennych1 wrote:
What I’m really interested in is where is the xm unit in a 2015 Silverado

Just scanned the Diesel Place forum, it seems for 2015 the XM antenna connects directly to the radio. The XM receiver behind the glove box is no more.

[JimK-NY]

I am sorry that I cannot provide the details for your specific truck. We need some stickies and a collection of data for different trucks. I can give you a brief explanation of what I did for my 2010 Ram 2500 and my 2018 Ram 3500.

For both trucks there was no feasible way to access the rear of the radio/nav systems. For both trucks the wiring for the Sirius radio had connectors. For the 2010, there was a connector just above the floor and in front of the door on the passenger side. For the 2018, the connector was located on the passenger side behind the grab handle on the pillar. For the 2010 I found an inexpensive magnetic mount puck that I placed on the hood on the passenger side. Snaking the wiring so it was inconspicuous took an hour or so. For the 2018, I could not find a suitable antenna online. I paid Dodge about $100 for a new shark fin style antenna and wiring. I glued rare earth HD magnets to the base so it would stick on the hood, again on the passenger side.

No matter where you place the antenna, you will sometimes lose the signal due to mountains, trees or other obstructions. With the hood mount position the camper will also sometimes block the signal, but in open areas it works well over 90% of the time. That is enough not to bother trying to mount the antenna on the roof of the camper.

[thedavidzoo]

BradW, can you give us more specifics on the antenna model you are considering? Bluetooth would seem to be a simpler solution than all the cables and plugs?

[stevenal]

Don't expect those magnetic mounts to work with the newer Fords.

[NRALIFR]

I can’t speak to the Superduties newer than mine Brad, but the 2008-2016’s had an intermediate nav/sat radio antenna connection under the dash above the emergency brake. Buy the cable that goes up the windshield pillar and a new antenna, then mount it in the plastic panel in front of the windshield where the wipers poke through. That gets the antenna out from under the camper overhang.

:):)

[BradW]

I think I'm just going to get the separate XM radio/remote mag antenna so I can use it in my other vehicles and home. It ties into the vehicle radio via Bluetooth.

[dennych1]

What I’m really interested in is where is the xm unit in a 2015 Silverado

[old_guy]

a friend of mine uses an antenna that is mounted near his front left headlight on the hood area. it is about the size of a fifty cent piece and it works very well. I have no idea where he got it. I guess if you can't locate one PM me and I will ask him

[deserteagle56]

CDINTN wrote:
Mounted mine on the roof with 2 sided 3M tape. Ran cable along floor board the up slide through top. Now I have great signal all the time.

So how do you disconnect it when you remove the camper? Unplug it from the radio or do you have a disconnect somewhere in the line?