New Demo Trucks Revealed by Alpine Electronics
Alpine Electronics will soon unleash a fleet of new demo trucks to showcase immersive sound experiences to dealers and consumers. The three 2018 trucks include a Toyota Tacoma, Ford F-150, and Ram 1500 and feature the Alpine HALO9 in-dash system and X-Series sound system products.
“The trucks are not just eye candy for the road,” said Mike Anderson, vice president and general manager of the brand business unit for Alpine Electronics of America Inc. “They are part of a complete training and event package that Alpine Brand Specialists will deploy at authorized retailers and consumer events where attendees can receive immersive and impactful sound demos.”
The demo truck experience includes in-truck sound demos and hands-on product education sessions to give guests a better understanding of the materials and processes used in these high-end products, according to Alpine.
The trucks will mainly reside in three regions, with the Tacoma based in California, the F-150 in Texas, and the Ram 1500 on the east coast. Authorized Alpine retailers are encouraged to contact their sales rep for information about the schedule for each truck.
In-Dash, Sound, and Camera Systems
The trucks essentially feature the same Alpine systems, with the iLX-F309 Alpine HALO9 as the centerpiece of each set-up. The Alpine HALO9 is a mech-less system with 9-inch touch screen featuring Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Bluetooth wireless technology. Its unique design allows the 9-inch screen to hover above the dash board, eliminating the need for custom installation of the large screen.
Each truck’s sound system consists of a sound processor and X-Series speakers, amplifiers, and subwoofers, with the Tacoma and F-150 systems measuring at 2300W RMS and the Ram 1500’s system at 3200W RMS. The F-150 and Ram 1500 have a custom 3-way system in the front consisting of the woofer from the X-S69C 6×9-inch set, along with the X-S65C 6.5-inch component set installed in custom A-pillars. The Tacoma uses the X-S69C 2-way speakers in the front factory locations. X-Series 6.5-inch speakers are used for rear fill on all the trucks and are installed in the factory speaker locations.
For bass impact, the Tacoma and F-150 both feature a single X-W10D4 10-inch subwoofer in a ported enclosure. The Ram 1500 has two X-W10D4 subwoofers in a pair of custom sealed boxes installed under the truck, with the subwoofers mounted in the floor and firing upwards into the cab. In all the trucks, the subwoofers are powered by the X-A90M mono amplifier (two X-A90Ms are in the Ram 1500), while two X-A70F 4-channel amplifiers support the front and rear speakers. Tying the entire sound system together is the PXE-0850S wireless digital sound processor. With its 12 channels of outputs, the PXE-0850S allows for the management of complex, multi-channel systems and lets users apply detailed sound tuning and adjustments through a smartphone or PC app.
The HCE-C2600FD multi-view front camera and the factory rear camera provide peace of mind when driving, while the KCX-C2600B front and rear camera selector enables quick toggling between the front and back camera images, according to Alpine.
Additional Accessories
Stinger sound damping products, wire, and wiring accessories also are used in the trucks. The Ram 1500 is equipped with KMC Wheels which were provided by Wheel Pros and are used with Pro Comp tires. The Tacoma and F-150 feature Pro Comp wheels and tires. BAK Industries tonneau covers are installed on the truck beds.
