2003 Upgrade Questions

Well after searching many topics on this I can to realize that the information on an 03 is pretty much outdated. So here goes some questions for the folks that are up to date on what may be out there these days for a new head unit for my Avy. Now to the details.

I need something that will work with an Iphone 7 Plus. main things I want are to be able to answer the phone and talk hands free and have my nav I use on the phone to be seen on the radio screen. this is what I have now.

2003 AV
NO BOSE AND NO ONSTAR
I currently have an aftermarket head unit that is about 10 years old and is starting to go a little crazy.
JL Audio speakers that replaced the original door speakers.
2 12 Kicker CVR in box that sits in the bed. I removed my midgate.
2 JL 1x500 amps pushing the 12's with a cap

I will eventually build a new midgate for the 12's. there was a thread on here at one time that gave good instructions on a midgate build but cant find it anymore. I did find a few threads that I saved to the favorites that give me enough to start. and for a crazy question - are the 03's a double din? I am almost sure they are but wanted to verify. I could just take the Av and drop it off at the shop and tell them what I want and pick it up later the same day but where's the fun in that? 

Just my .02 but I would contact customer service at www.crutchfield.com and give them the info on your AV, they are great to deal with and can find the right head unit and adapters to fit your budget and wants.....

After market head unit is your only option... And yes it is a double din opening.

As to midgate boxes if your asking how to build them you should consider buying a prebuilt one. They are not bad priced and will save you lots of headaches down the road.

avyz66 said:

I need something that will work with an Iphone 7 Plus. main things I want are to be able to answer the phone and talk hands free and have my nav I use on the phone to be seen on the radio screen. this is what I have now.

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The real question here is: What is the Navigation app you use? if it is the Apple maps app, then you simply will need a headunit that is Apple CarPlay compatible. as Vaeagleav mentioned, Crutchfield is a very informative site/company. You can just type carplay into the searchbox there and get a populated list of CarPlay compatible headunits.
Of course you will need the appropriate wiring harnesses to adapt the new HU to the factory wiring. PAC audio has the most comprehensive coverage when it comes to this and very good quality. You can find the ones you need here, http://pac-audio.com/productSearch.aspx?Make=Chevrolet&MakeId=4&Model=Avalanche&ModelId=1367&Year=2003&YearId=14

If you are not using or plan to use Apple maps, your quest is going to be a bit more difficult. If you plan to use google maps, there is a work around that lets you use the audio from google maps in conjunction w/ apple maps. If you use any other map/navigation app, you are going up the proverbial creek w/o a paddle as no other navigation app has been approved for CarPlay to my knowledge. This may have changed recently as I did my homework on this last May-June, but at that time, there was no other option to do it wirelessly (not sure that's a word, but you know what I mean). To get a video signal to  the HU that would allow you to see the iPhone screen on the HU you would need a separate patch cable and import it to the HU as an Aux or Visual input. This would work, but requires use of a cord as well as eliminates the user friendly feature of touchscreen in the dash and forces you to use the phones screen for all controls.

avyz66 said:

I will eventually build a new midgate for the 12's. there was a thread on here at one time that gave good instructions on a midgate build but cant find it anymore. `

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I've built 3, it's not crazy difficult, but Rod makes a very good point.
Buying one is not a whole lot more $$ once you look at how much cash you have in material (MDF, Screws, Glue, Carpet, Terminal cups, Caulk etc.).
AK Audio out of Rome GA builds a midgate box for a bunch of popular subs and will ship them to you for around $450 all in. I have seen a few they built and they are well above average quality. I even copied their design for the first one I built.
For around $550, they'll custom build/port a box for you if you need something special. Seeing that you are running a pair of Kicker Comp VRs, I don't see a need for you to do this, one of their standards configurations would work just fine.

sorry for the late reply but thanks for the information. I will contact them and see about a pre-fab box.