Did I do this correctly (hiding dash cam cables)?

I’ll admit I don’t know much anything about vehicles. I drove a 2010 Matrix S for 13 years and didn’t took care of it like that other than bringing it to the shop for maintenance. When I got my 2023 Tacoma SR V6 4 months ago, I told myself I will maintain this truck as clean as possible.

Anyway I just installed a dash cam Rexing V1 FHD. I have to use the driver side to hide the cables (see attached files). I’m wondering if how I hid the cable will not cause any problems. My concern is when I got in the bottom where I have to hide it under the floor mat

 

You can pull some trim panels off and tuck the wire behind them and under the dash instead of running it on the floor. Should be easy to make it completely hidden.

If that wire is for powering off the cigarette lighter, there are also some adapters out there that piggyback the rear view mirror's power supply so there are no wires you need to run, just have to look up if your camera is compatible.

 

Dongar makes an adapter to power a dashcam off of the auto dimming rearview mirror. That would save you running the cable.

https://dongar.tech/products/12pin-tacoma

 

In addition to the other suggestions, you can also get an add a fuse and tap one of the fuses in the lower left side fuse panel.

I went this route and have been happy with the result. I’ve got a bit of cable coiled under my dash, but pretty straight forward install.

Happy to answer questions if you want to go this route.

 

fuse tap and I would get a plastic trim panel puller and pull the wires out and run them in areas that wont be compromised in an accident. Ive seen accidents where wires were run next to airbags and they get blown out or can cause the airbag to be distorted in the accident.

 

I was with you until you got half way down the door..

Pull off the kick panel you went over and tuck the wire up under the dash. If you can't put an add-a-fuse together and put it into the fuse panel at least you won't be stepping on the wire.

 

I also tapped my camera into the mirror. The mirror power and adapter for it works very well, but it’s not going to be full-time if you want parking monitoring as it only works when the ignition has turned on.

 

oooohh, nice call on that one. Completely forgot I can lift the kick panel under the dash. Yea I only got a SR so I don’t have power rear view windows so I have to go through the lighter route

 

It might be prewired

 

No. That is no bueno. Not good.

You ran the wire under the floor mat for goodness sakes.

Tap into the rear view mirror wiring harness. It is literally less than 12 inches away.

If this is not your cup of tea, take your truck to the nearest MobileOne Audio shop and have them do it (hardwire it). That is a comically simple job and you should expect to pay no more than 1 hr of shop labor because it will take their newest tech about 15 minutes.

How you did it just wrong and not going to last once that wire chaffs apart.
My two cents.

 

If you’re good with it is all that matters!
But I’d avoid the air bags!

 

You could hardwire it directly into the fuse panel. There is an empty switched fuse slot at the bottom of the panel. Use a mini fuse addafuse.
Then you don't have any visible cables and it turns on and off with the truck.

 

the biggest thing is that the air bag explodes outward from the door seal area. as long as you ran along the windshield all the way down the a-pillar, you're in good shape to avoid it.

the main mistake i see is running the wire underneath the floor mat. while some of the other recommendations for an add-a-fuse, or mirror tap are definite options;

if you want to keep what you already have, you really just need to run it underneath the dash. if you poke your head under the steering wheel, it's a massive cavity that is mostly free of obstacles. if you run your wire at the rear edge at the bottom of the plastic dash panel, you'll be entirely clear of any problems, and can keep the hookup method you've already got.

 

Everything I was going to say.

Something like this is what @vicali mentioned but look on Rexing for your particular model as I think this is different. Wires right into your fuse box for cleaner install. If you really don't want to do that and still use the lighter I believe you could feed it along the panel below the steering column perhaps.

Not sure on yours but my 2010 doesn't have power anything and still had a spot or 2 with fuses that were prewired that I use to run my cameras.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I am guessing you have just a 1 channel camera?

 

Yes i only got one for the front. Im relying mainly on YouTube how to install the camera, which is pretty much using the cable

 

Gotcha. In the last picture where it comes out near the center console/shifter, if you can live with that much exposed wire I would feed the wire along the bottom panel that's closest to the pedals right below the steering wheel. That would be the easy way I feel and if you're okay with still using the ignition power from the lighter it's still doing that.

I have a 2 channel is why I asked, mine I had to run along the bottom of the floor and back up for the rear but you wouldn't have that.

 

Before OP goes out and buys one, I tried the Dongar with a Rexing and it would not power it. I have since replaced the Rexing with a Viofo, but have not tried the Dongar since I have already hardwired to the fuse box.

As others have pointed out, you can continue to tuck the exposed wires under the other trim panels.

 

When I installed my dashcam, I pulled the A-pillar trim and ran the power wire behind the side-curtain airbag. With that piece of trim removed, the wire can be routed straight through the dash and behind the kick panel. If you contort yourself just right, you can look up from underneath the dash and see the opening at the top. I used a section of wire coat hanger to fish the cable through the dash. As I recall, it's easier to push the hanger/wire up from the bottom.

I had the camera and wire installed like this in my '17 Taco when it got wrecked, and the side-curtain airbag deployed without without issue.

 

I’m guessing an SR doesn’t have a auto dimming mirror so there is no power to it so a dongar won’t work