How to make speakers sound good outside of truck?

Jacob Edwards

CarAudio.com Newbie
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Before you think I'm one of those punk kids trying to annoy everyone with an overly loud sound system, please hear me out.  I hate them too.

I love camping and the outdoors, and often use my car to play music for my group of friends and I when we're camping.  I am about to purchase a 2012 Ford F150 Supercrew and would like to upgrade the sound system in the truck.  I know from experience that the sound doesn't sound super good, other than the subwoofer, when you get more than 20ish feet away from it, and would like the whole system, especially vocals, to be heard clearly even from outside the car.  How would I go about properly soundproofing the car to keep it from rattling while also making sure the sound can be heard clearly? (Assuming all the windows are down)  Is there a way to position my car speakers or a specific way to soundproof it or a specific type of speaker to get?  I would ultimately like to install a proper component sound system with a dedicated amp and 2 12" downfiring subs under the back seat.  Thanks for any and all advice!

Also, sorry if my terminology isn't exactly right, I'm still fairly new to this and have only messed with my current car's sound system a little bit.

 
Put a toolbox on the truck. Mount the speakers to the inside of the toolbox lid in proper enclosure. Open tool box lid when when camping. Have amp on a switch and extra batteries in tool box.

toolbox.jpg

 
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It was fairly common to mount marine speakers behind bumpers when I last worked at a sound shop. Put them on a small separate amp with a switch on the remote wire and you had tailgate music whenever you flipped the switch. 

Just gotta be careful when running the system for too long with the car off. A solution for that would be a separate battery with an insulator connected only to the system. That way the system sees power when the car is on or off but the system wont draw from the main cranking battery when the ignition is off

 
It was fairly common to mount marine speakers behind bumpers when I last worked at a sound shop. Put them on a small separate amp with a switch on the remote wire and you had tailgate music whenever you flipped the switch. 

Just gotta be careful when running the system for too long with the car off. A solution for that would be a separate battery with an insulator connected only to the system. That way the system sees power when the car is on or off but the system wont draw from the main cranking battery when the ignition is off
When I had those removable speaker cabinets in my 1969 VW Bug I had two 12V batteries electrically in parallel under the rear seat and I could pull the speakers out on 30 foot speaker wires and play them  loud for hours and still be able to start my Bug!

John Kuthe...

 
Starting a bug is like starting a weedeater though when it comes to busting off my 11.5:1 454 Chevelle. I like Popwar's recommendation and will also add that Jacob should keep a small jump starter just for good measure. I've drained many a battery, it's hard to keep an eye on the clock when you're having a good time.

 
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Jacob Edwards

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