Installing a dash cam in a GC JEEP

jeepnudger · Senior Member

Installing a dash cam in a GC JEEP

The Belmont Bear · Guru

Jeepnudger on my GC I have the monitor for the caravans rear camera on the drivers side down low. I paid an auto electrician to install it, he ran the cable down the pillar under the lining then through the door sills to the rear of the car. You could probably do something similar with the pillar if you mount the camera to one side then run the wiring behind the dash or under the floor carpet to your power supply. I remove the suction mounted monitor at the connection when it's not in use which leaves about 150mm of cable sitting on the dash which you can hardly notice because both are black. Personally I would take it to an auto electrician and ask them surely they would have fitted others and may have an idea on the best way to do it - costs nothing to ask.

Cheers BB.

SouthernComfort · Guru

On my 2013 GC I also had the caravan monitor professionally installed, routed exactly the same as BB has described. I've since mounted a small dash cam top of windscreen, left of the mirror. The power lead tucks easily under the leading edge of the roof liner and then behind the rubber finisher on the A pillar which follows on to just beneath the dash. The lead feeds under the dash to the console area (tucked behind the side kick panel) where I connected it with an adaptor to a very thin power lead that I ran into the front storage bin (the one with the soft close lid). It plugs into the ignition controlled power socket inside the bin. Everything is out of sight apart from about 10mm of the thin wire as it goes into the bin, just clears the bin door allowing it to close.

jeepnudger · Senior Member

Thanks for 2 good ideas, as it is a very wet day will explore these options if I can save my $ will try. Cheers jeepnudger.

Whenarewethere · Guru

Have you looked in the car's manual at the list of fuses for an appropriate circuit, & use a piggy back fuse for an additional feed is the easiest option.

SouthernComfort · Guru

Be very careful when tapping into an existing circuit, even via the fuse box. Many modern vehicles will often throw a code, if not worse, when an 'abnormal' load is detected. Jeep's are sensitive in that respect, as are VW's. I would always use a power source intended for auxiliary purposes. Nothing to stop you extending an aux power source to another location if necessary although it may be awkward if trim removal is necessary to do it. For example, getting to the actual wiring of the aux power socket in the storage bin is tricky without pulling out half the console. Some of the aux power sources in the GC are permanent live, you need one controlled by the ignition which is why I chose the storage bin

outlaw40 · Guru

Yep modern electrics in cars isnt for the faint hearted . my last 2 vehicles have been bt50 both sensitive in the electronics area ,to overcome this i use an add a fuse like this www.narva.com.au/products/54415BL in a ignition triggered acc curcuit from the main fuse block ,i then use that to trigger a relay to feed an acc fuse block like this www.narva.com.au/products/54429/10 all accessories like dash cam and reversing cameras , uhf etc are all powered from that fuse block . saves upsetting the ecu .

-- Edited by outlaw40 on Tuesday 28th of July 2020 02:37:40 PM

rgren2 · Guru

Piggy back fuses should go in the same bin as cable scotch locks.

outlaw40 · Guru

Interesting ??? any justification for that statement ???? or just an offhand opinion ???

rgren2 · Guru

Scotch locks fail frequently and piggy back fuses often overload circuits. Do it once and do it right.

outlaw40 · Guru

Totally agree on the scotch locks ,as for add a fuse well any circuit can be overloaded by an idiot . in my install the ad a fuse is only used to trigger the relay . not sure how thats going to overload the circuit but each to there own . my setup has done 4 years and around 100,000 km so far so i will stick with that .

Bobdown · Guru

rgren2 wrote:
Scotch locks fail frequently and piggy back fuses often overload circuits. Do it once and do it right.

Used thousands and thousands of Scotch locks as a cable jointer for Telstra, never had a failure. They are meant for single strand copper, 0.40, 0.64 and 0.90 sizes, with the proper mawn tool to close.

Would not use them on multi strand wire in a car though.

Cheers Bob