Xite replacement today

[Boilervol]

I replaced the Xite radio this afternoon with a Kenwood dnx994s. Really easy and gained a camera image I can see pics below. Thanks to DS Don, Red Baron 73, and others who blazed the way. I’m a happy happy camper!

[tnedator]

What do you mean you gained a camera image?

Is the increase from 6" to 6.95" or so a noticeable increase?

[Boilervol]

Yes I think it is. The picture is much brighter and clearer. You also gain all the functions xite doesn’t have like google and apple play, and touch screen.

[tnedator]

Originally Posted by Boilervol

Yes I think it is. The picture is much brighter and clearer. You also gain all the functions xite doesn’t have like google and apple play, and touch screen.

Any surprises/challenges with the swap out? What did you do for the GPS hookup for the radio?

Also, did you cut the old wires, order a new radio harness, etc.?

[Boilervol]

Originally Posted by tnedator

Any surprises/challenges with the swap out? What did you do for the GPS hookup for the radio?

Also, did you cut the old wires, order a new radio harness, etc.?

The swap was surprisingly easy. I just taped the gps antenna under the dash for now. It seems to work ok(at least sitting in the campground). My main gps is the garmin 770. I left the coach wiring intact. There are two plugs from the xite to two in the coach. Only one of them is used by the Kenwood. I cut the wires on that xite plug. It’s then an easy task to match wire colors to the kenwood plug.
I was most concerned about the 360 hook up but it’s just a video plug. You still use the dash switch to change views.

[Boilervol]

I forgot to say, you unplug the xite cable from the coach. This allows you to make
all the connections to the kenwood cable on a work surface.

[tnedator]

Originally Posted by Boilervol

I forgot to say, you unplug the xite cable from the coach. This allows you to make
all the connections to the kenwood cable on a work surface.

Ok, so GPS aside, you unplugged the xite, took it out, cut the plug off and wired it to the Kenwood.

When you go to sell the coach, would you reverse that (assuming you saw any reason to put the Xite back in)?

Do you have XM. Is that also a straight plugin of some kind? I have it activated and know there is an external XM receiver, which I assume is also plug and play.

I think I might pull the trigger on this sooner than later (possibly springing for the DNX775RVS to get RV nav, but am mixed on whether I want to do that or just stick with the 770 as primary and use this for android auto or wife's apple play, 360 and XM).

[Boilervol]

I’m keeping the xite. If I decide to sell the coach I need to buy the replacement cable to switch it, but I’d probably leave whatever unit I have at the time. The xm tuner is a direct plug in. I check it and got the sign up channel. I use Spotify which works great with apple play. I have several downloaded playlists we use on the road. This radio has Spotify and pandora apps on it.

I thought long and hard on the dnx775rvs but couldn’t justify the $900 difference. The 994s allows you to use google maps, apple, Waze, etc. in addition to the built in garmin. I have an app called trucker map that seems to do e everything the rv apps do.

[Dutch Star Don]

I did the same install. I was going to leave the GPS cable routed to the base of the windshield where it worked fine, but decided to put it on the roof. There was just enough cable (2" excess) to make it work. I called Kenwood and asked if there was an extension....they said no, but you can buy a GPS cable that is longer. When you remove the cable cover on the roof, there is enough room to look into the front cap and see what was going on. With the passenger "A" pillar cover removed, you could see daylight from the roof. I had a neighbor help and I phished the new cable down the "A" pillar.

Note:....I removed a Magnadyne radio from my 2005 Diplomat and ten years later it was still on a shelf. If you sell your coach, it will most likely be years later and putting the old radio back in and remove, what is now an old radio, probably won't happen and would be a waist of time.

The Xite GPS cable end is proprietary. I left the cable installed because it's tied into the loom and wasn't worth removing. I later called Xite and they sent me one for free. Once I received the cable, I advertised the radio in the IRV2 classifieds and sold it for $200.00.

Lastly, this was one of the few occasions that Newmar supplied enough wire that the loom can be pulled out and easily worked on.

[Boilervol]

I was hoping I could find an adapter for the xite gps cable to fit the kenwood.
BTW your note on the blue wire with the white stripe to power the amp was a big help. Thanks. I can’t remember who posted connecting the light green wire to ground but thanks also.

[ShelbyTom1]

DS Don and Boilervol,
I am about to pull the trigger on a new 200 Dutch Star and I am NOT ordering the Xite.I am special ordering a conduit to the roof . I plan to install the Kenwood dnx994s. Do you for see any issues?

[Boilervol]

I’ve not pulled the gps cable from he roof but DS Don has. He could answer the conduit question. If you want the 360 camera system I believe you have to order the xite. You probably would want to get the xite or Sony connection cable to the coach wiring. This would make the install much easier.

I would also check to see if you could get the X3 xite that’s now in the New Aire. It may be available in the 2020 DS. This is a major improvement over the current X2 xite I just replaced.

[ShelbyTom1]

Originally Posted by Boilervol

I would also check to see if you could get the X3 xite that’s now in the New Aire. It may be available in the 2020 DS. This is a major improvement over the current X2 xite I just replaced.

So now there is an X3 version of the Xite!@?
I do not want the 360 camera.
What is different in the X3 version?

[Boilervol]

If you don’t want the 360 then run as fast as you can from the xite. They are way too expensive for what you can buy. The Kenwood dnx775rvs should drop in price by the time you get your coach. It has the built in garmin rv gps.