Installing a 2013 3rd brake light camera on 2012 Ram

I took bits and pieces of information that I found on this and other forums and I want to give back.
I wanted to add a 2013 '3rd brake light' camera (CHMSL) to my 2012 Ram that only has a tailgate backup camera. It was also a requirement of mine that the camera image be displayed on my stock NAV radio. After I completed, I can switch between my tailgate backup camera as well as the cargo camera while driving using my steering wheel controls. The CHMSL camera really helps with blind spots and merging.

I have:
2012 Ram 2500 4X4 Crew Cab Laramie 6.7l w/ Auto Transmission
Stock tailgate backup camera
UCONNECT 730N (RHR)

What I ordered:
Mopar - Wiring-Tailgate: 68189124AB $30.70
Mopar - Lamp-Cargo: 68163937AE $185.50
Coastal Electronic Technologies: MYGIG Lockpick V.5 $289.00
Amazon - PTC 25ft 3-RCA Composite A/V (Red/Yellow/White) Cable $10.39
Local source - RCA female connector
20' of black and red automotive wiring

What I did:

Modified the Wiring-Tailgate harness that I listed above
Unwrap factory electrical tape. Note: leave the factory heat shrink in tact
Cut wiring harness a #1
Throw away connector #2
Throw away connector #3
Save connector #4



Now I started building the wiring harness I would install on my truck. This custom wiring harness will connect to the new CHMSL camera (3rd brake light camera). This harness will supply power, ground and 'signal return' to the camera and supply camera signal to the LockPic hardware.


To build this harness I started with a spare female RCA connector I had laying around.
I stripped the wire end (#5) .



Next, I started working on the camera pig tail (#7). The Blue and Yellow wires are unused. #8 is the connector that will connect to the camera

Solder #5 center wire to #7 Green wire
Solder #5 outer wire to #7 Clear/White wire
Solder #7 Red wire to your red automotive wire
Solder #7 Black wire to your black automotive wire



If you're interested, these are what the camera pigtail wires are for:
Black = Ground
Green = Camera Signal
Clear(white) = Camera Return
Red = Switched 12v

Unused:
Blue = CAN bus
Yellow = Camera Shield

Separate the yellow RCA cable from the audio cables. Connect the Yellow RCA cable to the custom harness (#6)



This is what my custom harness looked like. I added foam ever few inches so the harness wouldn't rattle in my headliner



Remove center dash and console.
Install LockPic per their instructions



Remove stock 3rd brake light. Install custom wiring harness through the headliner down the 'D' pillar trim under the carpet and up into the center console area.



Connect the camera connector to the CHMSL camera (#9)
Connect the vehicle's stock CHMSL connector to CHMSL (#10)



Tighten CHMSL to vehicle



Connect custom wiring harness Red lead to LockPic pigtail "accessory switched 12v
Connect custom wiring harness Black lead to LockPic pigtail "ground"
Connect Yellow RCA lead to LockPic 'Aftermarket Baby or Right Camera Video' input.

Button everything up and enjoy.

Wow! Congrats on that install and thanks for sharing...that is reall the cats ass view, especially if your towing. I reall like the loc pics I have a nav tv so I have a cam on front bumper and tailgate. I would like another in that location as well. Props!

Wow. Someone with all the details in one place! Thank you very much. The write up I was working in is similar but I ran the wires to behind the radio and plan to solder a rca if I use lockpick or direct pin wire. Depends which I get, lockpick or customtronix (leaning towards lockpick).

I have everything done except ordering the stuff to unlock the radio.i will take some pics of what I did and add to if you don't mind.

Nice write up you beat me it. I hooked mine up pretty much the same way except I did hook up the camera shield into the back of the radio as well. I have a front cam hooked in as well and plan on possibly hooking up side mirror mounted cams which the lockpick will activate using the turn signal as a rigged. I am glad I chose the lockpick over the customtronix. Again kudos on a great write up.

Fyi I went with lockpick air

I installed the customtronix one and works awesome. Love your build!
Myfactor rear end camera will only turn on under 10 mph. Did you rewire your rear camera?

Hi Magz, my factory rear tailgate camera will now turn on in forward gear and remain on at any speed until I turn it off. In reverse the factory tailgate camera comes on automatically like it did before the install. I didn't rewire my tailgate camera, I left it completely alone.

I plugged the cargo camera into the right video channel on the lockpic hardware. There was a open input for a reverse camera, but I think because I already have a reverse camera it wouldn't have worked.

I can turn on my rear camera anytime as well but the power cuts out over 10mph, if I leave it on, as soon as I slow to under 10mph it powers back on. 2014 Ram w/ 8.4 avn radio
Thanks again, love the write up

Here's the vid I did of my hardware install https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ifbm5nwvFjA

If someone does the install using the stock CHMSL with camera please post up. Plan on using customtronix and oem break light cargo cam like JEEPGUY did. Need to know harness numbers and such. Going into a 14 Sport.

Medic860 said:

If someone does the install using the stock CHMSL with camera please post up. Plan on using customtronix and oem break light cargo cam like JEEPGUY did. Need to know harness numbers and such. Going into a 14 Sport.

Click to expand...

Maybe I missed something... but that's EXACTLY what this thread is...

Maybe you did, But the install is a 13 CHMSL going on a 12 sport.

This is the 13+ CHMSL going into a 2012. Sport makes no difference. You will need the lock pick.

Medic860 said:

Maybe you did, But the install is a 13 CHMSL going on a 12 sport.

Click to expand...

Is anyone else having a 'Brake Light Out' message?

I don't have a bulb out message after doing the conversion on a 2012 2500 Laramie. What year and model do you have the bulb out message on?

I am installing a cap with double doors so no more tailgate camera. The cap has a third brake light. If I install this CHMSL on the cap and use that camera instead of the tailgate one would I need a lock pick? I will keep the factory non camera third brake light in place.
I would wire the CHMSL from the trailer harness for the brake light.
If this is done will it give a good view of the hitch? Thanks for any input!

2014 Ram 3500

2500Ram2012 said:

I don't have a bulb out message after doing the conversion on a 2012 2500 Laramie. What year and model do you have the bulb out message on?

Click to expand...

I have that message on a 2013 Ram 3500 Laramie Longhorn DRW.

Rocknmud, will you run the CHMSL camera outputs to the tail gate camera harness inputs?

Biwanow, I think you can install a resistor at the CHMSL. If you search the forums you might be able to find what others are using when they convert to led systems.

I found all the info on installing led's for your truck and what to do in case of fast flash or light out message, on this website.

http://www.rambodybuilder.com/2013/docs/ram/ramelm.pdf

So I got underneat the dash removed the connector and cut the gray/white wire and grounded the connector-end of the wire. Turned the truck on and it says "left rear turn signal out" and now its flashing fast. I still have the light out message.

Can anybody correct me if I missed something or did something wrong. I know I grounded the same wire as the one in the tutorial because I double checked.

Also what's weird is that the wire I'm grounding, has 12v on it. Whaat?

Biwanow, according to the OEM wiring diagram the 'WHT/GRY' L563 wire supplies power to the left rear tail lamp turn signal bulb. This would make sense why you're now getting a 'left rear turn signal out' message. It looks like you might have grounded the 12v supply for the left turn signal. If you repair the wire back to stock does the signal work?

Edit** - I am wrong. It looks like the WHT/GRY wire is described as 'LT RR Light FLT Sig' which might mean 'fault signal'. I'm not sure why grounding that wire would correct a system wide 'bulb out message'. I would expect it would only correct a left turn signal bulb out fault message, but in your case now you receive a fault when grounded. I'll do some more digging

The wiring diagram I'm looking at is for a a 2013 Ram 3500 Laramie Longhorn.