DIY How-To Video: Hardwire Front and Rear Dashcam

[clavicus]

Disclaimer: I'm a DIY level user not a professional so please take anything I say with a grain of salt and correct me if I've made any errors.

I finally finished my dashcam hardwiring project in the 2022 Ford Maverick. I'm using the VIOFO A129 Pro Duo front+rear dashcam. This process can apply to many other vehicles and dashcams as well. Long video but I wanted to capture some of the various pitfalls as I was going through it. I ran a 18ga 3-wire cable from the fuse box to the cavity above the dome lights/moonroof switch so that I could also easily tap that power for another device (probably auto dimming mirror) in the future when I get around to it. If you only need to wire a dashcam, then you can use the hardwiring kit without the extra 18ga or 16ga power line, that was just my personal desire.
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Trim Removal Kit:

Viofo A129 Pro Duo (Front 4k 30fps + Rear 1080p 30fps) Dashcam:

Viofo hardwire kit:

Micro3 Fuse Tap:

Micro2 Fuse Tap:

Extra Micro3 fuses:

Extra Micro2 fuses:

18ga 3-wire Solid Copper Thermostat cable:
(by the foot at home depot, I got 15ft)

18ga 3-wire stranded:

Alternate option 16ga 3-wire stranded cable if you want to power more devices on a 7.5 or 10 amp fuse:

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Video about fuse tap orientation:

Video about dome light trim removal:

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[Snax]

Nice work! Thanks for sharing. People like you are what make this forum awesome.

 

[OleFordGuy]

Wow, that was an Awesome and Detailed video instruction. I tip my hat to you young fella. This old A@# could never do that. Impressive.

 

[BB0]

Incredible video and I appreciate the detail you put into the post including references and material! Fantastic work!

 

[hunterdon1]

Good work, but I am old and i am just going to let my Ford dealer install it for me. That is what I get paid the big bucks in retirement for.

 

[clavicus]

Good work, but I am old and i am just going to let my Ford dealer install it for me. That is what I get paid the big bucks in retirement for.

Happy Retirement to you. What dash cam are you going for? The ford licensed one seems very low resolution unfortunately.

 

[Rusty Nutts]

The same $350 front/ rearview camera that is on the Ford site is available on Amazon for $169. The only difference is it comes with a hard wire kit instead of the OBD plug in. of course, you could but that for a couple bucks more if you want. This is the way I may go after I do a Ceramic Tint on all the windows.

Amazon.com: Thinkware F200 PRO Full HD 1080P WiFi Dash Cam (Front & Rear Cam, 32GB, Hardwiring) : Electronics

Oh, And a big thanks for the video.

 

[Rentman1225]

Thank you for the video and all the links.

 

[hunterdon1]

Happy Retirement to you. What dash cam are you going for? The ford licensed one seems very low resolution unfortunately.

Thanks. I was able to retire at age 51 and never looked back. I turn 72 by the time I get the maverick. I used to do all my own auto repair. Now I just pay an arm and a leg for having someone else do it. I didn't investigate any of the dash cams. May regret it but I am going with the ford dash cam. Won't be the first mistake I have made in life.

 

[clavicus]

Thanks. I was able to retire at age 51 and never looked back. I turn 72 by the time I get the maverick. I used to do all my own auto repair. Now I just pay an arm and a leg for having someone else do it. I didn't investigate any of the dash cams. May regret it but I am going with the ford dash cam. Won't be the first mistake I have made in life.

Better to have any dashcam than no dashcam at all!

 

[jimmyu]

Kind of off topic, but do any cars have a dash cam as an available option from the factory? It seems like manufacturers are leaving money on the table but not offering it as an option. I wouldn’t even mind a USB port by the mirror to power one without a long wire to 12V outlet or running wires through the headliner.

 

[clavicus]

Kind of off topic, but do any cars have a dash cam as an available option from the factory? It seems like manufacturers are leaving money on the table but not offering it as an option. I wouldn’t even mind a USB port by the mirror to power one without a long wire to 12V outlet or running wires through the headliner.

I only know of Tesla with integrated cameras, they have a lot of them so I'm not sure if they are doing double-duty as security and driving analysis or if they are discrete cameras for each purpose. I'm guessing there are some other fringe models of cars, maybe some luxury vehicles that have them.

I'm also not sure why this hasn't been offered as an OEM option on vehicles really. Maybe camera technology like the sensors are changing fast enough that OEM options were expected to be outdated relatively quickly. Or maybe hardware and software support is outside their design wheelhouses. I dunno, that's a great question though and I'm sure there are some articles online discussing it. I'll see what I can find, I'm curious too.

 

[TomW]

Thanks - this is great!

Is anyone considering using a rear dashcam that doubles as a rearview mirror replacement? I think you can get ones with the screen that fits over the existing mirror or that replaces the mirror itself.

 

[FriscoTXJoe]

Thanks. I was able to retire at age 51 and never looked back. I turn 72 by the time I get the maverick. I used to do all my own auto repair. Now I just pay an arm and a leg for having someone else do it. I didn't investigate any of the dash cams. May regret it but I am going with the ford dash cam. Won't be the first mistake I have made in life.

Good on you!

How bout I save you a few hundo and we split the proceeds? Buy a better one for cheaper and have a local body shop install it.

I take Venmo, PayPal and Zelle.........

 

[MAVRICK]

Thanks - this is great!

Is anyone considering using a rear dashcam that doubles as a rearview mirror replacement? I think you can get ones with the screen that fits over the existing mirror or that replaces the mirror itself.

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