Anytime Front and Rear Camera Mod

I mounted in the grill pointing down at my bumper so I can precisely see how close i am to hitting something with the bumper

there is a pic of it up a few posts mounted in my trd pro grill

 

I mounted mine in the grille garnish, I wanted the camera for parking and how close I’m getting with the front end. Honestly don’t really do much off reading, I think people put them down low in the bumper when they are off roading because it helps to see down steep hills as you go over a crest.

 

Hi Guys,
So I just finished installing the front and rear cam mod. I’m loving this thing. Thanks JJ for this mod. I emailed him a few times about some little issues I had and he replied so fast which made my install even easier. The issues I had were from what I was doing not the product itself. If you guys have any issues about ordering this, don’t hesitate at all. I originally had a beat sonic set up but since I had a switch already set up with wiring the beat sonic didn’t work out for me. I bought the beat sonic first before finding this on the threads. Here’s some pics of the final product. Once again don’t hesitate ordering this. It’s perfect for parking and when hitting the trails.

 

Looks good Daniel. Appreciate the support man.

Thanks again.
JJ

 

Do you have link to the front camera you used. I like the really wide angle lens.

 

@cmbondo its from beat sonic. BCAM11 front camera. so far i like it. i haven't tried it out on the trails yet though.

 

@Logistics91 I'm going to order the front and rear kit with both switches, I don't want to mess up on the switch ordering. Which one is the normal size, the skinner taller size? that's the "Cubby" size correct?
Also, just curious, what happens if you push both front and rear camera switches to on at the same time? What would happen

 

@MGMTaco17 correct, the skinner/taller switches are the Cubby size.

If both buttons are pressed "ejecto seato cuz". Only kidding.

If both switches are activate it will display the front camera.

JJ

 

LOL, sounds good thanks

 

Anytime!

 

I'd like to echo JJ's assistance and quick responses.

Here are a few questions I asked in case other may have the same questions.


Question 1)
Rear and front switch (black wire) can be connected together. Does not have to be grounded to a metal ground source like FC Relay? Or do the Rear and Front switch need to be connected to the Tan wire Cargo light switch?

The red 2 (closest to black) and black wires on the switches are strictly for illumination when the headlights come on. They can be connected together. You can use the cargo light switch to splice/tap into illumination. Reds would go to green and blacks to tan, just like you have in your picture.

Question 2)
Do I connect both Red #2 for Front camera and Rear camera switch to Cargo Light Switch wire Green?

Connect by making a Y connection? That will work if you don't have any type of splicing hardware like a T-Tap or PosiTaps.

Question 3)
Is there a good way to splice into Cargo light switch? I found this video. T-splice?

If you don't have any hardware like I mentioned above, the video you sent will work. Just me mindful that the wires are much smaller than in the video, so be careful not to cut all the way through them.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4b_gSciGIg

Question 4)
Are there additional instructions for how the front camera RCA plug is wired?

- Red and black wire from Black male plug This is to power the camera. You can connect it to any 12v source. You can also connect it to the front camera switch as illustrated in the install guide on the last page. You could also use an add/tap a fuse and connect it to any 12v constant source within the fuse blocks.

Short red wires from Yellow RCA male/female plugs? The short red wires can be ignored. They would be used to tap into the reverse lights if the camera was being used as a backup camera.

Question 5)
Diode is only used when having switch standalone?

You only need to use the diodes if you want to be able to press each switch independently. Otherwise you'll have to turn on the Rear switch first, then the front switch each time.

Question 6)
Which fuse block do you suggest I connect the red wire to? Cabin fuse block or engine bay?

In the cabin is fine. You're just looking for 12v constant, so any ACC/IGN fuse will work. IGN2 will work just fine.

Question 7)
Is there a specific amperage I should go with? I'm thinking the Cabin fuse block with the washer fuse which is 10amps. Or do i add a fuse tap to the cabin cargo LP 7.5amp. is this cargo light?

Only use the cargo light switch for illumination. If you already have an extra add/tap a fuse for illumination, just use TAIL inside the cabin fuse block. 5 amp fuse will be enough for illuminating the switches.

Question 8)
For the additional fuse tap, would i need to go with a higher rated amp? IE: if it's 7.5amp, 10amp fuse? Or is there a known rule to go higher by X amp?

5 amp fuses will work fine for both the camera power and switch illumination.

Question 9)
For RCA plug ground, would i just ground to the trucks chassis?

Yeah, any truck ground will be fine.

Question 10)
I'd like to extend the power wire from my front camera so that my fuse tap can reach the inside cabin fuse box. Would I be able to safely add an additional 3-4 feet of wire in between? I will be soldering and shrink wrapping the wire. It is shown in the picture below. The green circle indicates what wire i want to extend. The yellow dotted line shows additional 3-4 feet of wire i want to add. Is adding additional wire safe? Recommended? Will there be voltage drop that i should be concerned about?

You'll be ok extending the power wire. Just try to keep the gauge the same. I believe it's 20awg. I have mine extended and haven't had any issues.

Question 11)
Is it normal that the relay makes a loud sound when switching from rear camera view to front camera view?

The relay will actually make, what I call a click every time it's activated. This is normal, it's essentially an electromagnetic switch. So that's what you're hearing when the front switch is activated.

Question 12)
Is it normal that i must push the rear camera button first before accessing the front camera?

By Toyota design, pin 2 on the 28pin harness has to receive 12v in order for the head unit to display the camera. The 28pin harness allows us to supply an external 12v source to the head unit and it "tricks" the truck's ECU into thinking it's in reverse. We of course of the diode on the 28pin. harness which prevents the reverse lights from coming on. With that being said, there is a way to make the switches work independently. It's covered in the install guide and requires the use of diodes. See the schematic below as a reference. Let me know if you have any questions on how to make that work or if you feel comfortable figuring it out. Always here to help man.

Thanks again JJ!!

If anyone is still deciding to get these don't hesitate.

 

Nice Jeff, a lot of good information here.

Appreciate it.
JJ

 

Hey Jeff great post! can you show me where you connected your grounds and how you attached your cargo light wires. I'm planning on doing this sunday

 

This is a picture of the frame bolt. I used a light grit to sand the paint of the frame bolt.

I dont have pictures of the cabin ground as im still undecided where. It's not clean and I want to find a good place so the wires dont look messy.

 

Thanks

 

I want these kits so bad... but the install is intimidating. I’m not one for steady hands so I’m afraid I may just rip open my dash apart .

 

Jeff/Nate, for a cabin ground, if you pull the driver side kick panel off, you'll find a decent location there for grounding.

JJ

 

Hey man. If you ever wired up an led bar or ever done any car audio upgrade (speakers, amps, or anything like that) you'll be more than capable of installing this kit. I'll be available to answer any questions you may have as well.

JJ

 

I can attest to that! I was very leary and intimidated when just thinking of the install when I did it on my then, 2 month old truck, but it was smooth and @Logistics91 really will help with anything, both via messages here and even over the phone.

@neilbe4me don't hesitate if it's something you want!

 

How did you run your wires for the single switch? I plan to have a single switch with dual function as well.