Adding a Dash cam to a Custom trim 1st gen, how to hide the wire?

[notyettoday]

Hey all, New member here. Fairly new to Dodge trucks, but I've sorted out a lot of issues with my 85 D150 in the 4 months I've had it, Now time for something fun-ish.

I picked up a dash cam on a Black Friday deal, not thinking about the fact that I have no A pillar trim, nor a headliner in my truck to tuck the wires. Has anyone here attempted such a thing? How did you approach it?

I was thinking about using cotter pins and hooking them into the windshield seal, but thats probably not the best approach.

Thanks for any suggestions!

 

[reek]

I ran a back up camera to my rear view mirror on my 72 (has a 92 cab on it). Since the windshield was out, I drilled a 3/8 hole in the roof panel on the 'windshield side' so you can't see the hole. It's just above the rearview mirror mounting tab. then fished the wire through the sunvisor mounting hole. Then, since the A pillar is not passable, I fished the wiring back and down the B pillar and it drops out behind the seat belt mount.

one caveat. the sheet metal edges are exposed at the roof to B pillar weld site. so all wiring was placed into thick plastic conduit and a fuse put into the wiring where it drops out of the B pillar just in case the wire eventually grounds out.

 

[notyettoday]

I ran a back up camera to my rear view mirror on my 72 (has a 92 cab on it). Since the windshield was out, I drilled a 3/8 hole in the roof panel on the 'windshield side' so you can't see the hole. It's just above the rearview mirror mounting tab. then fished the wire through the sunvisor mounting hole. Then, since the A pillar is not passable, I fished the wiring back and down the B pillar and it drops out behind the seat belt mount.

one caveat. the sheet metal edges are exposed at the roof to B pillar weld site. so all wiring was placed into thick plastic conduit and a fuse put into the wiring where it drops out of the B pillar just in case the wire eventually grounds out.

I'd considered that approach but wasn't sure how to get the wire back down. how did you fish the wire toward the back?

 

[reek]

you could use fish tape but I'm a big fan of using Shimano SIS cable housing. seems to work a lot better for me. Since I'm a big cyclist I have a bunch of bike maintenance parts in my shop. years ago, after getting frustrated with fish tape, I grabbed my cable housing and have been using the same piece for years.

So I sent the SIS housing from the drilled hole to the sun visor mount hole. then, tape a string to then end and pull it back out the drilled hole. attach that to the wiring, pull wiring out the sunvisor hole.

send SIS housing through the visor hole to come out behind the driver seat, B pillar. attach string and pull out the visor hole. IMPORTANT part is when you pull wiring out with the string, keep a finger in the visor hole so the wiring doesn't take a 'short path' from the drill hole to the B pillar. the roof panel welds will slice the wire casing/insulation. try to keep wiring in front of the visor hole the entire time.

each SIS housing pass may take a few tries so don't give up.

I'd wrap the wiring with some foam so you don't get a bunch of rattling when you're driving.

 

[notyettoday]

you could use fish tape but I'm a big fan of using Shimano SIS cable housing. seems to work a lot better for me. Since I'm a big cyclist I have a bunch of bike maintenance parts in my shop. years ago, after getting frustrated with fish tape, I grabbed my cable housing and have been using the same piece for years.

So I sent the SIS housing from the drilled hole to the sun visor mount hole. then, tape a string to then end and pull it back out the drilled hole. attach that to the wiring, pull wiring out the sunvisor hole.

send SIS housing through the visor hole to come out behind the driver seat, B pillar. attach string and pull out the visor hole. IMPORTANT part is when you pull wiring out with the string, keep a finger in the visor hole so the wiring doesn't take a 'short path' from the drill hole to the B pillar. the roof panel welds will slice the wire casing/insulation. try to keep wiring in front of the visor hole the entire time.

each SIS housing pass may take a few tries so don't give up.

I'd wrap the wiring with some foam so you don't get a bunch of rattling when you're driving.

I tried a modified version of your approach, and I was 50% successful. I managed to get the rear camera wire and the micro usb up the b pillar, to the visor hole. I shoved wire and zip tied the objectives to it, and pulled it through. I managed to get the micro usb to the drilled hole and through, however I wasn't able to get the angle on the rear camera wire, and I failed to heed your caution and the wire took the short path, and got stuck in the roof forever.. Thats okay, camera came with a short jumper for the rear so its just stuck to the roof facing backwards. I won't be trying to line up a trailer to my /6 a833 pickup, so I can live with it.

Thanks for the input, now I just have to gather up the ambition to run a wire from under the hood for a usb port to operate this thing, but hiding it behind the seat will have advantages, such as a place to charge my noco jump box.