Hamilton Motor - Apple Carplay Conversion Kit (16 Viewers)

[elcie200]

Are people here happy with the Hamilton unit?

I’m happy with it. A little spendy compared to my previous Hikity dash top screen.

Aside from the 2013 LC screen tech and related slowness/fidgety swipe, CarPlay works pretty well. The hardware (box and cables) feel well made. The UI looks pretty good. It does what it’s supposed to do. AND it feels very “integrated”.

Installation was straightforward. And seemed easier/less daunting than I had imagined while watching the install video. Great video btw.

I’ve had the unit reset unexpectedly once using Waze. Everything was cool then I looked up and saw the CarPlay setup screen.

Going from oem system to Hamilton to reverse back to Hamilton has worked nicely. No glitches so far.

Switching from say FM to CarPlay audio etc “works” but I’m still adjusting to the switching between the Hamilton and OEM. Feels like a lot of button presses etc. But it’s far from a deal breaker.

 

[nsvencer]

2018 LC200 Install has been pretty flawless for me. I like Sirius XM and having the external speaker is a huge advantage of this unit. I've tried many systems in the past to get full functionality and this is the only one that allows this feature. If you want this, you have to call and ask as it is a separate unit they will ship you vs. what you order online. I had to install it twice...luckily it was easy!

Overall, this has been a great install. Android Auto user with Apple Carplay family members and the system works perfectly for us all. Highly recommended.

 

[prharper]

I'm happy with mine. For some reason, going from reverse to drive doesn't go back into AA/Carplay mode every time but that's minor to me.

Typical wireless connectivity issues that AA/Carplay units have in areas of heavy interference. On occasion, I have to turn off Bluetooth and turn it back on when traveling those roads. I don't believe this to be a flaw with the Hamilton unit but the technology in general.

If you need a standalone android OS, you'll have to buy something else. The Hamilton unit's require a phone. The higher end Grom unit is standalone but the VLite is equivalent to the Hamilton units iirc.

For reference: mine is installed on a 2011 LX570

Correct, Same experience. You have to tell them on need for external speaker.

 

[BigSwede]

I installed the kit today, took several hours. The install video was decent but far from perfect. There are some cables and connectors in the kit that are not used, depending on kit configuration, vehicle model and trim level. This is not uncommon for kits of this nature, but it would be helpful if the specifics are articulated in the instructions or video to reduce anxiety when going to button up the dash and you have empty connectors and leftover cables. To their credit, I was able to call and verify that my kit was configured properly for my installation (a good reason to do your install during business hours).

The kit worked properly right away, no issues.

There are cheaper kits out there, but it is worth it to buy a kit from a company with customer service like Hamilton or Beat-Sonic (I installed a Beat-Sonic kit on my GX a couple of years ago).

 

[momogadea]

Has anyone tried the AOONAV fr the Land Cruiser….? Beat Sonic is sold out (I’m assuming they were top notch)…. And they are warning higher costs due to tariffs…​

 

[imokwithmud]

Wanted to add my own experience - I first purchased one of the Alibaba head units running Android 13 (whether you buy it from Phoenix, EC Off-road, wherever, it's all from the same place just rebranded). Installation was easy but stressful, but I could never get reverse cameras or mic to work. Talked with customer service for over a week, no improvement. I imagine it'd be easy to connect to aftermarket options, but I didn't want to do that.

I just installed a Hamilton unit in my LX570, and so far, it's perfect. Easy to switch between stock and Android Auto. Need to drive it around more, but so far I'd recommend it over any of those tablet options.

That being said, I'm selling my Tesla style tablet if anyone wants to give it a whirl.

 

[elcie200]

Any of y’all with the Hamilton unit experiencing crashes/resets?.

Installed the Hamilton into my 2013 LC. Use it for wireless CarPlay. It’s been pretty good. Lately have experienced a couple of crashes when running Waze.

For example. I’ll be running Waze. And then “out of the blue” it’ll crash/change to the Hamilton set up screen (with the 4 tiles/buttons for CarPlay, android auto, and a couple others that I don’t recall) I can tap the CarPlay and it’ll work again
I use the unit 99% for Waze and a bit of Spotify. I’m gonna try running maps or Google maps to see if the crashes are generalized or specific to Waze.

Just collecting a bit of info/research before I reach out to their customer support.

 

[Jdubsalot]

I haven't had that happen. My suggestion would be to send an email to Hamilton support. They are very responsive.

 

[elcie200]

Any of y’all with the Hamilton unit experiencing crashes/resets?.

Installed the Hamilton into my 2013 LC. Use it for wireless CarPlay. It’s been pretty good. Lately have experienced a couple of crashes when running Waze.

For example. I’ll be running Waze. And then “out of the blue” it’ll crash/change to the Hamilton set up screen (with the 4 tiles/buttons for CarPlay, android auto, and a couple others that I don’t recall) I can tap the CarPlay and it’ll work again
I use the unit 99% for Waze and a bit of Spotify. I’m gonna try running maps or Google maps to see if the crashes are generalized or specific to Waze.

Just collecting a bit of info/research before I reach out to their customer support.

Follow up:
Emailed Hamilton and they sent out a firmware update. Easy install; gonna try out waze tomorrow