Cartrimhome 14.6" C12 Radio

I decided to take chance on the Cartrimhome 14.6” radio for my 2018 limited. When I made the purchase, I couldn’t find much information on the radio or reviews, so I’m going to share what I have learned after installing it.


Prior to the Cartrimhome radio I had an Alpine Halo11 headunit, a Kenwood Excelon 5-channel amp and two JL 10w1’s. My truck has the JBL system, so I kept the stock speakers. I used the wiring harness I got from Tech12Volts to wire in my aftermarket amp and subs.


To install this radio you have to disassemble a lot from the dashboard, but its really easy. The instruction manual that came with the radio actually has pretty good pictures to show you exactly what needs to come off, so I didn’t take pictures of that part.


The issues I ran into came from the wiring, which is why I am posting this. There are zero instructions anywhere for the wiring part. The wiring harnesses that come with the radio are not specific to the Tundra so there will be a lot of plugs that go unused. Now, I will say that the plugs coming from the truck only fit into one plug on the harness, so you can really F it up. The wiring issues I ran into were how to wire in the RCA’s for my rear speakers, my subs, and the front camera (front camera came with the radio).


The pictures below will show anyone who buys this radio how to wire up RCA’s with an aftermarket amp and the extra front camera. If you have an all stock sound system, the install is straight forward.

Also, there is only 1 sub RCA plug, so you will have to get a 2 to 1 RCA converter. I picked one up at AutoZone for $8.

This wire is where you will plug in your RCA's for your rear speakers
This is the plug for the factory backup camera

This is the plug for the front camera. From what ive been told, the front camera only comes with the most expensive radio option.

These are all of the harnesses that i used, plugged into the radio.

The radio came with two harnesses for the front camera, one of which has a tag that says BT-ANT. That is the one i used.

i ran both the brown wire labeled AMP-DET and the blue wire labeled AMP CONT to my amp trigger wire and it turns on and off like it should.

within the radios settings, you can select thousands of variations of makes, models of vehicles and trim levels. The option you select will determine if your steering wheel controls work correctly.

The tech support at Cartrimhome told me to use XP(Simple),Toyota,Camry,2018. But there were some small issues with that. i ended up using KYC,Toyota,Prado,2010-2017.MID.AUTO and everything seems to work correctly.

The only issue i am having right now is not being able to change, within the vehicle settings, when the doors lock and unlock. I cannot change the doors to unlock when put in park, or lock by vehicle speed. I am currently emailing the tech support back and forth to see if they can resolve it.

Other than that one small issue, everything else is amazing. I put a 4G sim card in the radio and it connected immediately. the vehicle icon shows when your doors are open, when you brake while driving and you can put your license plate on it, which is cool. The front camera is also ridiculous quality.




If anyone decides to pull the trigger on this radio and needs help, feel free to reach out to me. If anyone has questions about it before buying it, ask away.

I dont come on here much, so feel free to shoot me a text 7045605900

 

How are you liking it now with some time? maybe some firmware updates etc...

 

I ended up fixing the door locking issues with a Carista OBD plug.

I've been emailing the company back and forth to iron out other small glitches and sending them data logs so they can patch the software. The company actually has pretty damn good customer service.

So far, I love the radio. Well worth the money. The equalizer is extremely customizable so my sound system sounds better than it did with my old Alpine headunit. The front camera is a nice addition and having wireless android auto is nice. I added a SIM card to it so I never end up using carplay or android auto but its nice to have the option.

 

Great to hear, would love a 6month and maybe a year check in on it.

 

I would likely be all over this if they had matched the round vents. My OCD will not let me do this because of that.

 

if you go with the black vents instead of the silver, they blend in with the dash and it doesn't stick out near as much.

 

Purchased the same unit April 23rd, I still havent installed it as of yet due to some medical issues. I appreciate all of your updates and willingness to share, I plan on installing soon! Thanks again

 

if you need any help, reach out. I've had about a dozen or more people text/call me so far and i think ive been able to solve most of their install issues.

 

If there is anyone in the Charlotte, NC area that wants to buy the radio, im willing to help with the install. That would allow me do document the install in more detail, so i can put it on here.

 

Thanks for messaging, I was supposed to install today actually, I have a 2wd limited 2019... Well Cartrimhome sent me a seperate knob control power button that will go in the place of the 4WD opening. Well there are no instructions of course so I've reached out to cartrimhome awaiting instructions. If no resolution, I'll install without the button and plug the hole with a Toyota coin holder

 

That's interesting, I havent seen that yet. If they don't get back to you, let me know. They have been really good about responding to me. They actually sent me their new side mirror caps with integrated turn signals to test out. I just installed them and am going to do a write-up for them for their website.

 

They just got back to me, they've been very responsive since I first placed the order. So here is the solution from Cartrimhome. Im going to install tomorrow

 

Seems pretty simple. Also, glad to hear their customer service has been good for others!

 

i'm thinking about pulling the trigger on this, can you take wide angle shot of the system with full dash?

 

Just my opinion but no way in hell would I put a Chinese head unit in my truck. I'd be too worried about electrical issues or a fire.

 

Where do you think the factory head unit was made? China or some other Asian country.

If you look at the specs on this headunit and the hardware in it, its no different than most name brand ones. But to each their own.

 

I'll take some pics when I get home tonight and post them.

 

I want to install a set on my 2020 SR5 but I'm not sure about wiring the mirror cap turn indicator

 

Im going to post the write up for them tomorrow. I'll link the thread here so you can find it. It's a pretty easy install.

 

here is the link to the install for the mirror caps

https://youtube.com/shorts/hiHpMP5RRGo?si=IKduz4lp_ULO9JD7

 

Looks like a cool setup. You’ve certainly did your homework and you’re determined to get everything out of this unit! Kudos! One question I have is does it support Sirius XM radio?

 

I'm about 5 hours out, I'm not sure when I'll get to installing it but if this offer is still on the table would definitely be interested in talking details.

 

Looking to purchase the head unit but my only concern is my Remote start option. I’ve heard that with Dasaita units that function goes away….that would be my only reason for not pulling the trigger