BACKGROUND
Australian spec 2 seater Utility Wagon, but it will probably work on 5 seaters and left hand drive cars.
The Dashcam installed was a Blackvue DR970X-2CH. The front camera was mounted under the rear-view mirror and the cable for the rear camera was run down the roofline on the driver’s side (right hand drive car). The cable used was 6 metres long, but you can buy a 10m cable.
I did not take images during the installation, with the trim removed. I helped as it was the first time the installer had worked on a Grenadier.
ROUTE
First Adam, the installer, routed a 6m cable down the A pillar and along the chassis rail, but it looked like the cable would be too short. He then routed a second 6m cable along the roofline, down to the back door which was long enough. The best route for a 6m cable is along the roofline. The first cable was then removed.
The installer removed the rubber door trim on the chassis (not the doors), both front and rear. He used a trim lever to get the cable under the trim along the windscreen to the driver’s side. He then used the trim lever to create enough room to feed the cable along the roofline in the space now revealed under the chassis door seals (where the two panels join, which is protected by the seals).
The cable was fed using a cable feeding tool. It was a length of flat plastic about 3/4 cm wide with a cable tie on the end (see below on how to make your own DYI cable feeder). It was fed down the roofline to the rear of the car, until it reached the vertical grey trim at the rear end of the cargo bay. He did not need to remove the vertical grey trim but used the trim lever to slip the cable into the vertical trim.
Down towards the back of the wheel arch was a small piece of grey trim which was removed. Both ends of the rubber door grommet were then removed. He then fed the cable from the vertical trim into the grommet hole of the car. Then through the grommet into the rear 2/3 door. This was tricky to do.
Because of the bend and lack of space it is hard to route the cable down into the rear of the cargo area into to the grommet hole, be patient and careful. This is when I was glad Adam was doing the install, and I was just a gofer (for @Jean Mercier a person who goes here and there to do minor tasks - aka go for this or go for that).
It was not easy to feed the Dashcam cable through the rubber hose between the chassis and the 2/3 door. There are already quite a few wires there, so be careful. You must remove the rubber tube at both ends and feed the cable through.
PICNIC TABLE
If you do not have a Picnic Table, the process is simplified, you only need to remove the trim on the rear 2/3 door.
If you have a Picnic Table remove the table and trim. After the cable is fed through the grommet, then feed the cable across the back door UNDER the window, up the right side of the door (the latch side of the door). Just follow the existing wires in the door, it is easy to see. You do not need to remove grey molding around the top of the door window (just use a trim lever to make enough space to insert the cable under the trim). You can push the cable inside the molding without dramas. Place the rear camera (which you can see in the image of the 2/3 door above).
Tidy up, secure the cables, replace the trim and Picnic Table - the job is done. Now make final changes to the camera positions and configure the settings.
TIPS FOR THE PICNIC TABLE
Ensure you note which screw locations are used for the Picnic Table (you can use a white board marker, just don’t accidentally rub it off as we did with one). The spacers on the top and bottom of the table are different lengths (as are the screws). Make sure you know which is which. The spacers can fall off the table when being removed, make sure you do not lose them. The spacers were difficult to hold in position when reinstalling the table, so a spot of glue was placed on each to hold them in place. The longer spacers and screws are used along the bottom of the table, the shorter ones along the top.
FRONT CAMERA
The front Dashcam camera was wired into a CELLINK NEO 8+ LiFePO4 battery located in the battery box. The cable was routed along the top of the windscreen to the passenger’s side, along the roofline over the passenger’s door, down the B pillar, with a short run across the door sill into the battery box. The CELLINK was wired into an accessories circuit, so it only charges while the car is on. After the solar panel is installed, I have the option to charge the CELLINK from the aux battery, with a minor wiring change and adding a voltage sensitive relay.
CABLE FEEDING TOOL – MAKE YOUR OWN
Adam said he made his own cable feeders. He had two cable feeders one about half a metre long (roughly 18 inches) and the other around 2 metres (5 to 6 feet). He rounded the tip of both and drilled a hole near the rounded tip. He then put a looped cable tie through the hole. Apparently building sites can have suitable material, as in Australia it is used to pack flooring (it is called yellow tongue), otherwise it can be bought for under AUD6 at Bunnings.
REINSTALLING THE SEALS – TIP
After he pushed the seals back by hand, Adam used a Dynamat Roller to push them firmly in place. He said the Dynamat Roller does an excellent job.
SYDNEY BASED INSTALLER
If you live in Sydney you can use Adam’s Auto Accessories who did my install. Email: adams_auto_accessories@hotmail.com, Mobile: 0405 221 994. Contact Adam Rando. Quality work at a competitive rate.
Australian spec 2 seater Utility Wagon, but it will probably work on 5 seaters and left hand drive cars.
The Dashcam installed was a Blackvue DR970X-2CH. The front camera was mounted under the rear-view mirror and the cable for the rear camera was run down the roofline on the driver’s side (right hand drive car). The cable used was 6 metres long, but you can buy a 10m cable.
I did not take images during the installation, with the trim removed. I helped as it was the first time the installer had worked on a Grenadier.
ROUTE
First Adam, the installer, routed a 6m cable down the A pillar and along the chassis rail, but it looked like the cable would be too short. He then routed a second 6m cable along the roofline, down to the back door which was long enough. The best route for a 6m cable is along the roofline. The first cable was then removed.
The installer removed the rubber door trim on the chassis (not the doors), both front and rear. He used a trim lever to get the cable under the trim along the windscreen to the driver’s side. He then used the trim lever to create enough room to feed the cable along the roofline in the space now revealed under the chassis door seals (where the two panels join, which is protected by the seals).
The cable was fed using a cable feeding tool. It was a length of flat plastic about 3/4 cm wide with a cable tie on the end (see below on how to make your own DYI cable feeder). It was fed down the roofline to the rear of the car, until it reached the vertical grey trim at the rear end of the cargo bay. He did not need to remove the vertical grey trim but used the trim lever to slip the cable into the vertical trim.
Down towards the back of the wheel arch was a small piece of grey trim which was removed. Both ends of the rubber door grommet were then removed. He then fed the cable from the vertical trim into the grommet hole of the car. Then through the grommet into the rear 2/3 door. This was tricky to do.
Because of the bend and lack of space it is hard to route the cable down into the rear of the cargo area into to the grommet hole, be patient and careful. This is when I was glad Adam was doing the install, and I was just a gofer (for @Jean Mercier a person who goes here and there to do minor tasks - aka go for this or go for that).
It was not easy to feed the Dashcam cable through the rubber hose between the chassis and the 2/3 door. There are already quite a few wires there, so be careful. You must remove the rubber tube at both ends and feed the cable through.
PICNIC TABLE
If you do not have a Picnic Table, the process is simplified, you only need to remove the trim on the rear 2/3 door.
If you have a Picnic Table remove the table and trim. After the cable is fed through the grommet, then feed the cable across the back door UNDER the window, up the right side of the door (the latch side of the door). Just follow the existing wires in the door, it is easy to see. You do not need to remove grey molding around the top of the door window (just use a trim lever to make enough space to insert the cable under the trim). You can push the cable inside the molding without dramas. Place the rear camera (which you can see in the image of the 2/3 door above).
Tidy up, secure the cables, replace the trim and Picnic Table - the job is done. Now make final changes to the camera positions and configure the settings.
TIPS FOR THE PICNIC TABLE
Ensure you note which screw locations are used for the Picnic Table (you can use a white board marker, just don’t accidentally rub it off as we did with one). The spacers on the top and bottom of the table are different lengths (as are the screws). Make sure you know which is which. The spacers can fall off the table when being removed, make sure you do not lose them. The spacers were difficult to hold in position when reinstalling the table, so a spot of glue was placed on each to hold them in place. The longer spacers and screws are used along the bottom of the table, the shorter ones along the top.
FRONT CAMERA
The front Dashcam camera was wired into a CELLINK NEO 8+ LiFePO4 battery located in the battery box. The cable was routed along the top of the windscreen to the passenger’s side, along the roofline over the passenger’s door, down the B pillar, with a short run across the door sill into the battery box. The CELLINK was wired into an accessories circuit, so it only charges while the car is on. After the solar panel is installed, I have the option to charge the CELLINK from the aux battery, with a minor wiring change and adding a voltage sensitive relay.
CABLE FEEDING TOOL – MAKE YOUR OWN
Adam said he made his own cable feeders. He had two cable feeders one about half a metre long (roughly 18 inches) and the other around 2 metres (5 to 6 feet). He rounded the tip of both and drilled a hole near the rounded tip. He then put a looped cable tie through the hole. Apparently building sites can have suitable material, as in Australia it is used to pack flooring (it is called yellow tongue), otherwise it can be bought for under AUD6 at Bunnings.
REINSTALLING THE SEALS – TIP
After he pushed the seals back by hand, Adam used a Dynamat Roller to push them firmly in place. He said the Dynamat Roller does an excellent job.
SYDNEY BASED INSTALLER
If you live in Sydney you can use Adam’s Auto Accessories who did my install. Email: adams_auto_accessories@hotmail.com, Mobile: 0405 221 994. Contact Adam Rando. Quality work at a competitive rate.
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