so i already have my ftm-400 mounted in the cab and it's been working great for about two years now, but i just upgraded my tech license to general and i want to add a vhf/uhf mobile in there too, specifically looking at the kenwood tm-v71a because i've heard good things about it and the dual band thing is really appealing for when i'm traveling through areas with different repeaters active on different bands.

the problem is im genuinely running out of dash space. i drive a 2018 tacoma and the center console area is already pretty packed. i've seen some guys do the radio under the seat thing but im worried about heat and also just being able to see the display while driving. anybody done a dual radio setup in a smaller truck cab and figured out a good mounting solution? especially curious if the tm-v71a remote head kit is worth it, seems like it might solve my space problem but i've never done a remote head setup before and dont know if it's a pain to run the cable.

yeah the remote head on the v71a is totally worth it, did this exact thing in my tundra a couple years ago. the cable is like 2 meters i think and you can route it pretty cleanly under the dash trim if you take your time. the head unit itself is small enough to stick just about anywhere - i used one of those RAM mount setups on the A pillar and it's solid. only thing i'll say is run the power cable directly to the battery, dont tap off the fuse box, especially with two radios drawing power. learned that the hard way when my ftm started doing weird things after i added a second radio on a shared circuit.

heat under the seat is a real concern by the way, especially in a black truck in summer. if you go that route at least make sure there's some airflow and the radio isnt jammed up against carpet or anything.

i have a similar setup in my jeep and honestly the remote head cable isnt bad at all to run. just took me an afternoon. the hardest part was deciding where to actually put the head unit lol. ended up on the dash but kind of off to the side so it doesnt block anything. works fine for me but i did have to get a slightly longer cable than what came in the box - cant remember the part number offhand but its easy to find if you just search the kenwood part for the v71a remote extension.