Rugged Radios

About Rugged Radios

Rugged Radios was started more than 30 years ago by founder and president Greg Cottrell and is based on California's Central Coast near the Pismo Dunes. It began in off-road racing communications and has since spread into work, agriculture, fire and safety, aviation and recreation. Its radios, intercoms and headsets are designed and engineered at the Arroyo Grande headquarters, and in-house technicians handle repairs.

For truck and Jeep owners the useful part is the vehicle side of the catalog: mobile radios that mount in the cab, antennas and mounts for the body, and kits Rugged builds for specific makes. The company also supports radios from Motorola, Kenwood and Icom and makes cables and adapters to tie different gear together, which helps if your group does not all run the same brand.

What we carry from Rugged Radios

From Rugged Radios we carry GMRS and business band mobile radios for in-cab mounting, GMRS and business band handhelds, mobile and handheld antennas with their mounts, cables and connectors, plus the radio mounts and kits Rugged makes for specific trucks, Jeeps and vans. Its vehicle-specific gear covers Chevy and GMC, Ram, Ford, Jeep, Toyota, INEOS and the Mercedes Sprinter, and the radios and antennas themselves fit any of the trucks, Jeeps and SUVs we support. We do not list Rugged's UTV and racing intercom kits.

CB & GMRS Radios · Intercoms & Headsets · Antenna Mounts · Tools · Switches · Storage Bags · Jeep Wrangler

How to choose

Mobile radio first, handheld second: A mobile radio mounted in the cab runs on vehicle power and a roof or body antenna, so it reaches much farther than a handheld. Handhelds are for leaving the truck, spotting and camp; most groups end up with one mobile per vehicle and a handheld or two.

GMRS or business band: Pick the band your group already uses, because a GMRS radio and a business band radio will not talk to each other. Rugged's business band radios run on its own FCC license, but only on its pre-programmed channels and in the areas that license covers.

The antenna matters as much as the radio: A good radio on a poorly placed antenna underperforms. Plan the mount location, the cable route into the cab and how the antenna clears your garage before you order.

Use a vehicle-specific mount if one exists: Rugged makes mounts for specific makes and models that put the radio where you can reach it without drilling the dash. Check for one for your vehicle before buying a universal bracket.

Register it: Rugged requires warranty registration, so register the radio when it arrives and keep your NVMOS invoice. That makes any later claim much simpler.

Lead times & shipping

NVMOS dropships every Rugged Radios order directly from the brand or its distributor. In-stock items usually leave in 1-3 business days, and items stocked at the manufacturer take about 1-2 weeks. Radios, antennas and accessories ship by parcel carrier with tracking, and Rugged requires a delivery signature on larger orders, so plan to be available if your order is a full radio setup. We send tracking as soon as we have it.

Rugged Radios warranty

Rugged Radios warrants its radios, intercoms and headsets for 3 years from purchase, its aviation headsets for 7 years and its other Rugged-branded products for 1 year, against manufacturing defects in materials and workmanship under normal use. Rugged repairs or replaces the product at its discretion, and that is the only remedy. The warranty does not cover damage Rugged determines came from mishandling, abuse, misuse, water intrusion, improper storage or operation, use with incompatible or lower-quality equipment, or operating outside the manufacturer's environmental specs. Clearance and demo items do not get the standard warranty, registration is required, third-party gear such as Lowrance GPS units and Scosche mounts is warranted by those makers, and items shipped outside the United States are not covered. Read our Rugged Radios warranty summary.

Questions? Talk to a real human

We are a two-person shop in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Call or text us at (920) 249-7744 with your year, trim and setup, and we will help you pick the right part.