Sat Nav Head Unit

March 25, 2012

Elo all

In thinking of upgrading my head unit in my rav which currently has the 6 disk changer. I fancy going for a Toyota headunit but don't know what model I should get or what else is needed.

I want to fit possibly 2 reversing cameras one on the back of my rav, and one on the back of our caravan. Can a Toyota unit accept two feeds or can any headunit do this having never had one?

Also what models are available and wheres the best place to buy them?

March 25, 2012

You need shcm. Sit tight, he's just swimming up Niagra Falls.

March 25, 2012

The Toyota units, will probably be expensive (at least from a dealer). The ones fitted to the current RAV have been B9004 and B9017. eBay?

Only one video/camera composite input as far as I know. You could switch video signals (i.e. from one cam to another) with a separate video/coaxial changeover switch before the input to the headunit - not a big problem.

Others like kenwood offer better functionality and will take a camera. Surrounds for the RAV are available to finish it off nicely.

There's some info on connectors and swapping Toyota headunits here:

http://www.toyotaown...dpost&p=1195749

March 26, 2012

Although I was offered a B9004 from someone scrapping a Rav4 on eBay for 450 quid, I decided to hold fire, as schm has said (and Hoovie in the other thread) there are better featured models available for a lot less than Toyota ask for the OEM ones . . .plus it is cheaper to update the maps with Garmin and Tom Tom units.

Personally I was looking at this Sony Unit is I really like the tom tom nav software but when you add in all the leads mount and fascia you are close on 700 quid.

As an audio unit the 58827 is not bad, shame I can get the Navi functions to work in some way, however I already have a tom tom Go530 so don't really need them. So 700 quid to add reversing camera and bluetooth functionality . . .seems a lot to me, especially when you can get a Parrot bluetooth CK3100 for 86 quid, and a reversing camera monitor (plus camera) for 60 quid . . . Ok that is rather a lot of screens arrayed through the front of the car, and from a convenience point of view having it all tied into one unit is so much neater . . .it's down to individual preference if it is 'worth it' however . . . I'm trying to convince myself that it isn't and don't think I'm doing a particularly good job :D

March 26, 2012

... Ok that is rather a lot of screens arrayed through the front of the car, and from a convenience point of view having it all tied into one unit is so much neater . . .it's down to individual preference if it is 'worth it' however . . . I'm trying to convince myself that it isn't and don't think I'm doing a particularly good job :D

I had exactly that argument with myself and failed miserably :)

After adding in the holder for the TomTom, and for the phone, it was getting cluttered, and then interested in a RearView cam and the extra screen needed for that, I went down the integrated route instead.

What maybe sweetens the pill a little is that you will be able to put the non-OEM head unit into another vehicle when you change your car, or sell the head unit on. I bought my kenwood for about £600 (eBay) and with the extra bits and pieces (sterring wheel control unit, camera, ISO leads etc) maybe cost me £700 all in, but got £450 (I think) back when I took it out after sellng the RAV4.2 - so £250 for about 2-3 years enjoyment (and if I fitted it when I first got the RAV instead of fighting with myself, the 'monthly charge' would have been a lot less!)

And, FWIW, the Kenwood Unit I fitted was still better then the Nissan Connect Full Screen Sat Nav/Audio HU in the Qashqai, and it is better then the Toyota Full-Screen Sat Nav/Audio HU in the RAV4 SR I have now, so I have no doubt it would be better then the B9004 (IMHO)

March 27, 2012

Although I was offered a B9004 from someone scrapping a Rav4 on eBay for 450 quid, I decided to hold fire, as schm has said (and Hoovie in the other thread) there are better featured models available for a lot less than Toyota ask for the OEM ones . . .plus it is cheaper to update the maps with Garmin and Tom Tom units.
Personally I was looking at this Sony Unit is I really like the tom tom nav software but when you add in all the leads mount and fascia you are close on 700 quid......

Hi Tony,

I have the Sony XNV-L77BT fitted to my XT5 and really like it. It is much more intuitive than the B9004 that came with the car and as you say, costs a LOT less to update. There is only one minor snag in that the phone buttons on the steering wheel won't work with the head unit. The mapping is TomTom Go with all the usual add-ons, like live traffic and Google search ( very useful! ). I looked at the other makes in the same price band and decided on the Sony rather than Pioneer or Kenwood. The maps on the Sony just work for me whereas the others looked a bit "coubik" ( - sorry Hoovie, I know you like your Kenwood and I'm sure it works for you :thumbsup: ). The bluetooth is especially good and seems to work well with later phones than the B9004 - though it is not comparing like with like as the B9004 is now quite an old unit. The Toyota mounting brackets are easy to swop onto the new unit and make an excellent job of the installation. The best feature of the B9004 mapping was the way it displayed your route on a motorway with a list of upcoming junctions and service/rest areas on part of the screen - if I could add that feature to the TomTom maps it would be just about perfect for me.