JLHawkeye
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Long time Jeep owner and first time poster to the JL Forum!
I had a challenge that I've addressed to meet my needs and thought it may be of interest you forum readers.
On JL's, the rear camera is in the center of the spare tire as we all know. This can provide some challenges when using things like my Thule bike rack, or a favorite tire cover from another Jeep or even when making custom choices with new oversized wheels and tires...
Weighing all the options of my needing to move the camera, I arrived a great solution that is discreet, highly functional and custom.
I've successfully mounted the factory camera in my Jeep's fiberglass roof.
It looks factory in its position in the roof's recessed area above the hinged rear window and was inexpensive to accomplish. (Gutsy some might say as you are drilling in to your vehicle but if done with care and measure 1x, 2x or more before drilling you will be fine).
The project requirements to do the job are in expensive and very few.
- Quadratec Rox 4' Factory Camera Extender Wire ($19.99 plus shipping)
- (2) Black finish 1.5" 3mm screws with washers and nylon lock nuts ($2.50 @ hardware)
- (2) 11/16" rubber washers ($1.00 @ hardware)
- (1) 2.5" hole cover ($3.00 at hardware or ebay)
- Black silicone caulk (I had this.already)
- 11/16" drill bit
- 3mm or equivalent drill bit
Basically to accomplish the project, I did the following and the pictures tell the story...
- Remove spare, spare tire holder
- Remove camera from spare tire holder
- Using a permanent marker, write "Up or Top" on camera top indicating proper position when mounting
- Disconnect camera wire
- Remove rear gate inside plastic panel to expose wiring harness. Carefully peel off cloth tape to get to black camera wire.
-Remove camera wire from this group of wires and slide it through the black braided wiring cover with goal of getting it inside of vehicle in passenger rear area.
- Run wire behind interior panel next to rear gate hinge and drill hole to pull wire and connector out of the interior panel top.
- Next, inside vehicle carefully and slowly drill 2.5" inside access hole in upper roof area to mount factory camera and wiring. You are only drilling into and through the inside of your roof .... Do not drill through outside of roof!
- From outside, measure and mark position for 11/16" camera lens. ( Tape with masking tape and use a sharp hole saw or 11/16" spade type bit.)
- From outside of vehicle, place camera lens through newly drilled hole and mark two side holes for the 3mm screws that will secure the camera in place. Drill the 3mm holes.
- Connect Quadratec extension to factory camera.
- Place (2) 11/16" rubber washers around camera lens (to act as spacers to flush mount camera lens to roof). Apply black caulk liberally on camera and black rubber washers. Insert camera lens from inside vehicle through the 11/16" hole you drilled.
- Insert 3mm bolts from outside through camera mount holes and mount camera and secure nuts. (Be sure you mount with lens in correct position and not upside down!!)
- Clean off excess black caulk.
- Replace spare holder, spare tire and rear gate plastic. Your efforts outside are now complete!
- Now to finish the job, take 2.5" hole cover, make small discreet slit in cover for camera wire to pass through. Pull wire through and snap cover in place.
- Route camera wire along inside roof horizontally and then down on passenger right rear to connect with your rerouted camera wire and connector. (I used nylon wire clips and small screws. 3M makes the same with small Command(tm) wire clips that stick on but my store was out of them...)
- Turn on acc power or start car and check camera via reverse gear or radio rear camera button.
Job complete!
Now again, not everyone will have the confidence to do this job and drill in to their new JL Jeep. . . But for those that are interested in a factory looking alternative to camera placement, this is new and I have not seen another like it. Also not discussed is the expanded camera view from the higher camera position...
Curious to everyone's thoughts here. I also removed the 'camera tube' off the spare tire holder and can now accomodate my fav tire cover.
I had a challenge that I've addressed to meet my needs and thought it may be of interest you forum readers.
On JL's, the rear camera is in the center of the spare tire as we all know. This can provide some challenges when using things like my Thule bike rack, or a favorite tire cover from another Jeep or even when making custom choices with new oversized wheels and tires...
Weighing all the options of my needing to move the camera, I arrived a great solution that is discreet, highly functional and custom.
I've successfully mounted the factory camera in my Jeep's fiberglass roof.
It looks factory in its position in the roof's recessed area above the hinged rear window and was inexpensive to accomplish. (Gutsy some might say as you are drilling in to your vehicle but if done with care and measure 1x, 2x or more before drilling you will be fine).
The project requirements to do the job are in expensive and very few.
- Quadratec Rox 4' Factory Camera Extender Wire ($19.99 plus shipping)
- (2) Black finish 1.5" 3mm screws with washers and nylon lock nuts ($2.50 @ hardware)
- (2) 11/16" rubber washers ($1.00 @ hardware)
- (1) 2.5" hole cover ($3.00 at hardware or ebay)
- Black silicone caulk (I had this.already)
- 11/16" drill bit
- 3mm or equivalent drill bit
Basically to accomplish the project, I did the following and the pictures tell the story...
- Remove spare, spare tire holder
- Remove camera from spare tire holder
- Using a permanent marker, write "Up or Top" on camera top indicating proper position when mounting
- Disconnect camera wire
- Remove rear gate inside plastic panel to expose wiring harness. Carefully peel off cloth tape to get to black camera wire.
-Remove camera wire from this group of wires and slide it through the black braided wiring cover with goal of getting it inside of vehicle in passenger rear area.
- Run wire behind interior panel next to rear gate hinge and drill hole to pull wire and connector out of the interior panel top.
- Next, inside vehicle carefully and slowly drill 2.5" inside access hole in upper roof area to mount factory camera and wiring. You are only drilling into and through the inside of your roof .... Do not drill through outside of roof!
- From outside, measure and mark position for 11/16" camera lens. ( Tape with masking tape and use a sharp hole saw or 11/16" spade type bit.)
- From outside of vehicle, place camera lens through newly drilled hole and mark two side holes for the 3mm screws that will secure the camera in place. Drill the 3mm holes.
- Connect Quadratec extension to factory camera.
- Place (2) 11/16" rubber washers around camera lens (to act as spacers to flush mount camera lens to roof). Apply black caulk liberally on camera and black rubber washers. Insert camera lens from inside vehicle through the 11/16" hole you drilled.
- Insert 3mm bolts from outside through camera mount holes and mount camera and secure nuts. (Be sure you mount with lens in correct position and not upside down!!)
- Clean off excess black caulk.
- Replace spare holder, spare tire and rear gate plastic. Your efforts outside are now complete!
- Now to finish the job, take 2.5" hole cover, make small discreet slit in cover for camera wire to pass through. Pull wire through and snap cover in place.
- Route camera wire along inside roof horizontally and then down on passenger right rear to connect with your rerouted camera wire and connector. (I used nylon wire clips and small screws. 3M makes the same with small Command(tm) wire clips that stick on but my store was out of them...)
- Turn on acc power or start car and check camera via reverse gear or radio rear camera button.
Job complete!
Now again, not everyone will have the confidence to do this job and drill in to their new JL Jeep. . . But for those that are interested in a factory looking alternative to camera placement, this is new and I have not seen another like it. Also not discussed is the expanded camera view from the higher camera position...
Curious to everyone's thoughts here. I also removed the 'camera tube' off the spare tire holder and can now accomodate my fav tire cover.
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