No in cab fusebox???

[Merkman]

Well, I purchased a fairly nice dashcam and hardwire accessory kit. The hardwire kit allows recording while parked/off if an impact occurs, and powers up the dashcam when the ignition is on for continuous recording. When I received it I went to install it in my brand new 2023 1500 Ram Classic Tradesman and discovered that there isn't a fusebox behind the panel underneath the instrument panel & steering wheel. I also checked the side panels next to each open door. I am reticent to run this into the fuse panel under the hood, as some people have said adding anything there could cause warranty issues. Any advice from someone who has been there?

 

[Badger 13]

They are correct. For a constant 12v power the easiest way is to go to the fuse box under the hood. Or another simple way is just go to the battery, but make sure you use an inline fuse. It is not like the old days...

 

[mtnrider]

There hasn't been a fuse box in the cab for many years, and to be honest not a lot of items are on individual fuses anymore. A lot of things are controlled by the BCM (body control module) and there are no individual fuses.

Just poke a hole through one of the rubber boots on your firewall and run your wiring to the engine compartment.

.

 

[crash68]

An easy way to get through the firewall is the hole where the clutch pedal used to be.

You can use one of these to tap power from the +12V outlets:
RED WOLF 12 Volt Power Adapter Wiring Harness Switch Connector Plug w/Fuse for Chrysler Dodge Ram 2001-2022 Power Outlet to Add Backup Camera CB Radio Radar Detectors Portable GPS https://a.co/d/3yv2yMK

 

[SitKneelBend]

I'll pile on and say many of the dashcam wiring kits allow you to have both constant 12v and a switched ACC power hooked up simultaneously so the camera can monitor the power state of the vehicle. As mentioned, you'll want an inline fused 12v power supply but you can tap the cigarette lighter for the switched ACC power. Good wiring and/or camera kits also allow for voltage monitoring which will power off the camera if the levels drop below a specified user defined threshold.

I did all of the above with a Power Magic Pro but that is no longer available from Blackvue as the integrated all of this functionality into the camera itself.

 

[Merkman]

Thanks, everyone! I am interested in that Red Wolf power harness/adapter that Crash68 posted. Perhaps the cigarette lighter outlet can be tapped for the ACC power? I am now wondering if I can tap the map light power for the constant 12V? The hardwire kit from Wolfbox (https://a.co/d/1sny71W) has integrated low-voltage protection that will shut the camera down if the battery voltage drops too far. Since my truck is the base-level Tradesman 1500 classic with zero add-ins I don't know that I'll have ACC power in the overhead console, which is just the map lights and that stupid cup holder light that comes on with the headlights and can't be switched off.

I am reticent to make a hole in the fuse box compartment to utilize the fuse blades, so while I have plenty of 'spare' sockets in the fuse panel under the hood, I don't know how I can get to them without compromising the watertight integrity of the fuse box. At least with the hardness Crash68 posted I can maybe avoid that. Is there also a switched ACC power socket in the cab that I can use another of these on as well?

 

[Wild one]

Thanks, everyone! I am interested in that Red Wolf power harness/adapter that Crash68 posted. Perhaps the cigarette lighter outlet can be tapped for the ACC power? I am now wondering if I can tap the map light power for the constant 12V? The hardwire kit from Wolfbox (https://a.co/d/1sny71W) has integrated low-voltage protection that will shut the camera down if the battery voltage drops too far. Since my truck is the base-level Tradesman 1500 classic with zero add-ins I don't know that I'll have ACC power in the overhead console, which is just the map lights and that stupid cup holder light that comes on with the headlights and can't be switched off.

I am reticent to make a hole in the fuse box compartment to utilize the fuse blades, so while I have plenty of 'spare' sockets in the fuse panel under the hood, I don't know how I can get to them without compromising the watertight integrity of the fuse box. At least with the hardness Crash68 posted I can maybe avoid that. Is there also a switched ACC power socket in the cab that I can use another of these on as well?

You better look closer at your fuse box,by no stretch is it water tight.There's a red cable that goes in through the side of the fuse box,that you could tie to if you wanted

 

[04fxdwgi]

There are probably 12 or 13 fuse positions in there that pertain to diesel trucks (and a cigar lighter that mine doesn't have) that aren't needed in the gas version. Perhaps, with some test light probing, there could be a powered unused space. Use a fuse tapper adapter to get power from it, not effecting anything else. Sneaking a wire into there won't hurt anything, as they don't provide much protection from water to begin with.

If I get ambitious today, I may check mine.

 

[GTyankee]

You can add a fusable link to your battery post

Home MOPAR 68164797AA

Fusible Link Terminal - Mopar (68164797AA)​

2013-2022 Ram - 68164797aa

you can also buy one from an auto parts store, it is Dorman product

 

[04fxdwgi]

As a followup. I checked the "diesel" fuses and fuses for stuff my truck doesn't have for power and what I found was:
F 50 - Air suspension module (don't have air suspension). Was powered all the time, but had a 30 amp fuse in it ???
F 59 - SCR relay, if equipped. Had a 10 amp in it ????
F 05 - Air compressor (don't have one). Powered w/ 40 amp ????
F 08 - Diesel emissions. Dead / empty
F 09 - Diesel fuel heater. Dead / empty
F 16 - Smart Bar Dead / empty
F 19 - SCR. Dead / Empty
F 31 - Urea heater control. Had 30 amp fuse in it but didn't see power ????
F 37 - Cummins fuel heater. Dead / empty
F 61 - PM sensor. Dead / empty
F 69 - Mod 12V SCR-Cummins. Dead / empty
F 73 - Fuel xfer pump. Dead / empty
F 93 - Cigar lighter (don't have one). Powered w/ 20 amp fuse ???

 

[greg mayrhofer]

Well, I purchased a fairly nice dashcam and hardwire accessory kit. The hardwire kit allows recording while parked/off if an impact occurs, and powers up the dashcam when the ignition is on for continuous recording. When I received it I went to install it in my brand new 2023 1500 Ram Classic Tradesman and discovered that there isn't a fusebox behind the panel underneath the instrument panel & steering wheel. I also checked the side panels next to each open door. I am reticent to run this into the fuse panel under the hood, as some people have said adding anything there could cause warranty issues. Any advice from someone who has been there?

you can connect for 12 v output to the cig lighter fuse, I did that for my voltage gauge under the hood pcm

 

[Merkman]

Thank you everyone! I ended up going through the firewall and using "Add-a-Circuit" fuse taps to add BATT and ACC power to the camera. The 22" rear camera cable was *just* long enough to reach my license plate. The "OEM" mounting bracket offered by WolfBox does NOT fit on the hexagonal rearview mirror stud, as it is a standard "shoe" type mounting, so I am using the bands that ship with the camera. WolfBox let me return the mounting bracket no issues.

I absolutely LOVE this WolfBox G840S dash cam. Definitely get the anti-glare screen protector though unless you never drive during the daytime.

Things I learned:
- I have no in-cab fuse panel!
- My RAM 1500 Classic Tradesman truck uses Micro2 fuses, NOT mini fuses (the hardwire kit was mini fuses)
- Add-a-circuit is your friend, they are also polarity sensitive (thank you Youtube!)
- Wolfbox customer support is first rate!
- Sticking anything at all to the dashboard requires an adhesion promoter if you want the 3M high temp double stick tape to stay stuck.
- My brand new truck has an evap canister hose pinched between the bed and cab frames that the dealership will be fixing. I NEVER would have found this without installing the rear camera and would have never known that this was an issue from the factory.

Pictures posted:

 

[SitKneelBend]

Thank you everyone! I ended up going through the firewall and using "Add-a-Circuit" fuse taps to add BATT and ACC power to the camera. The 22" rear camera cable was *just* long enough to reach my license plate. The "OEM" mounting bracket offered by WolfBox does NOT fit on the hexagonal rearview mirror stud, as it is a standard "shoe" type mounting, so I am using the bands that ship with the camera. WolfBox let me return the mounting bracket no issues.

I absolutely LOVE this WolfBox G840S dash cam. Definitely get the anti-glare screen protector though unless you never drive during the daytime.

Things I learned:
- I have no in-cab fuse panel!
- My RAM 1500 Classic Tradesman truck uses Micro2 fuses, NOT mini fuses (the hardwire kit was mini fuses)
- Add-a-circuit is your friend, they are also polarity sensitive (thank you Youtube!)
- Wolfbox customer support is first rate!
- Sticking anything at all to the dashboard requires an adhesion promoter if you want the 3M high temp double stick tape to stay stuck.
- My brand new truck has an evap canister hose pinched between the bed and cab frames that the dealership will be fixing. I NEVER would have found this without installing the rear camera and would have never known that this was an issue from the factory.

Pictures posted:

That's a cool camera at a great price. Is it actually a mirror too or is the rear camera the mirror display at all times?

 

[Merkman]

So without the anti-glare screen protector and when the camera is off, it works like a mirror, kinda like when the switch is flipped on a regular mirror. You can clearly see but it is 'dimmer'. The problem is that unless you have very dark tint or it is dark outside, when the camera is on, seeing the image is a bit difficult due to all the reflection and glare. With the anti-glare screen protector, you lose the mirror effect, but the image is equally viewable when the camera is on day or night.

 

[SitKneelBend]

So without the anti-glare screen protector and when the camera is off, it works like a mirror, kinda like when the switch is flipped on a regular mirror. You can clearly see but it is 'dimmer'. The problem is that unless you have very dark tint or it is dark outside, when the camera is on, seeing the image is a bit difficult due to all the reflection and glare. With the anti-glare screen protector, you lose the mirror effect, but the image is equally viewable when the camera is on day or night.

I mean honestly a 4k camera with a wide angle lens is likely a better view then a mirror can give anyway. I'm told the only reason side view mirrors haven't been replaced with camera screens are laws mandating their presence (even though fuel economy goes up and blindspots are eliminated).

 

[04fxdwgi]

Those rear view displays are pretty nice. My '18 Caddy CT6 Platinum rear view mirror swiches to camera mode when the rear window sunscreen deploys. Only odd thing is that it takes a second for my eyes to adjust to it, where the mirror function doesn't.