My old dashcam died the slow heat death, so I got a new Rexing camera. I'm thinking I can make this a little more stealth, as it can be tucked up behind the "Ford" shaded area, and just the lense hanging down. The only issue is running the power cord all the way around the window to the cigarette lighter.

Has anyone connected their dash cam through the switched power in the overhead? The only issue I see is that the power there is 12V, instead of the 5V that the dash cam needs. So there would have to be room to put in a voltage converter. There are converter/cables you can purchase, but the cables are like 12' long.

 

I ran 5V to that spot from the passenger side kick panel fuse box. The A-pillar plastic comes off after removing 2 screws. It was very easy to run the wire straight up from the fuse box to the A-pillar, and then I tucked it on top of the headliner.

 

I will add that mine still has a cigarette lighter end on the dashcam cord. I used a cigarette lighter socket from the parts store and connected it to power from the footwell. I used an ignition switched fuse circuit, so it turns on and off with the truck.

 

Doesn't the cigarette lighter end have the 12V->5V converter in it? So you wired 12V to a power port socket, into which you plugged the power adapter from the dash cam?

I did not think there was 5V available in the truck with the possible exception of the USB ports in the center console.

 

1. Test fit the location you're talking about first. A lot of things struggle to stick here because it's not a smooth surface. My dash cam is mounted just the the side of it for this reason.

2. Why does it need 5V and not 12V that seems very odd. Mine is powered off of a Micro B USB cord across the headliner down the apillar and into a 12v cigarette lighter.

 

You mean the sticky pad might not stick to the decal? I wondered about this, but it seems like the perfect "hiding place".
USB devices are 5V. All of those 12V cigarette adapters with a USB cord have a 12V->5V converter built in.

EDIT: Correction: Turns out they changed the USB specification around 2012-2014 to add "Power Delivery". Power Delivery can be 20V and 3 or 5 amps depending on version.

 

Yep. Suction cups and adhesive alike doesn't stick well there. That was.my first thought too. I've got a pretty small dash cam though, so it's hardly noticable.

Gotcha. I wasn't thinking that far down. I knew about that with usb being 5v, I just wasn't applying that knowledge lol

 

Yes sir. That’s exactly how I did it.

 

I screwed around under the panel on the passenger foot area then bought a longer cable that I ran over head, down the A piller, under the glove box, tucked under the center console by the carpet and plugged into the console USB port. Works perfect mostly up hidden behind the mirror. I can see when it's on too. I bought the one that included the rear camera also. It was way easier to install along the right side headliner than I could have imagined. The extra wire is tucked up in the headliner over the back window.