After much debate about how I should go about an install for a back up camera, I finally decided to try a camera that looks as OEM as possible and route it through the rear hatch and through the rubber tubes leading into the headliner and then routed through the B pillar, through the lower moldings and then into the stereo.
To get it all started, I selected an aftermarket back up camera that looks as OEM as possible and a affordable Android 7" touch screen to get the job done since the price allowed for it to be upgraded later should I agree with the camera set up I run through the rig.
Camera: NATIKA Backup/Front View Camera
A cheap Android 7" double din on Amazon (This is cheap enough to pass on to my nephew should I have an urge to upgrade due to any functionality issues):
Amazon.com: ANKEWAY 7 Inch Android 9.1 Car Stereo with HiFi+WiFi+Bluetooth+GPS+RDS+FM, 2021 New Double Din Car Radio 1080P HD Touch Screen Multimedia Player+Mirror Link(Android/iOS)+Rearview Camera+Dual USB: GPS & Navigation
*The first thing you'll want to do is to remove the back door trim so you can begin your journey to access the rear door innards where you'll later guide your back up camera wiring. It helps to have a service manual to understand what parts should be removed.
Note: The factory manual will tell you to take apart everything but you can actually do this with minimal disassembly; You don't have to remove the rear window, regulator, or hatch handles at all.
The first thing you'll want to do is to remove the plastic cover from the hatch hoop that's located on the back door trim:
Next, you'll want to use a trim remover tool, or a small screw driver with tape, to avoid any damage to your parts, and pry up and remove the back door trim which is only held in place with 10 plastic tension clips which can be referenced in the previous picture of the service manual shown above. - Once the 10 clips are unfastened, you'll want to use some pressure and push the back trim as if you were pushing it upward in the direction the window would close up. It's only held in by tension so it will not break anything:
Once removed, you'll have access to a black plate where you'll want to disconnect the electrical connections and also associated mounts from their respective points. *If you don't remove them, they'll keep that black plate dangling onto the back door because you'll want to remove that plate in the next step. So, take your time to unplug and unmount those connections and wires:
There will be several bronze colored screws that hold down the black plate and then you'll want to gentle pry between the plastic fasteners and the black plate will pop off:
Once removed, you'll have access to the inside of the back door. This was necessary for the application as I want to mount the camera onto the back door trim next to the license plate lights. I chose the right side as there appears to be an opening behind it whilst the left side was sealed closed:
This provided enough space to drill a hole into the back door in a place where it will not be noticeable should I choose to remove this one day:
After choosing the position of where I want to mount the camera, I selected a few drill bits that match the size of my camera's mounting bolt and the wiring that needs to be led into the rear door:
I checked the hole which I drilled through the back door and found that it was positioned in area that will not impede on the glass windows path when it lowers down. Now, I began to install the camera and hope that it fits as intended:
The area to work was too small for a wrench so I used a pair of long nosed pliers to fasten the nut onto the back up camera bolt and then finished leading the wires through the back door (tape some electric tape on the plastic trip to avoid any rubbing with your pliers:
From here, I used an abundant amount of gasket sealer and covered the area where I drilled so as to prevent any expose to weather conditions and to act as a buffer against any rubbing that the wire could have elsewise encountered:
Now that I was satisfied of how the camera sits in an OEM style position and it has the OEM look, I gave it a final torque to tighten it and reinstalled the right driver license light back into to place and moved to snaking the camera wire in the door latch.
You'll find there's just enough hand space to guide that wire within the right side of the door assembly and there will be door latch wire that you can use to zip tie your camera wire against. (If you pay attention, you'll realize that door latch wire must not be in the way of the window so you can simply use that as a guide to how you'll want to guide your camera wire through the back of your door:
Once you zip tied your cable toward the right of the door, set the wire aside and look up and you'll see the rubber boot that is covering the wires that lead into your chassis.
You'll want to lead your camera wiring through this boot so you don not cause any wear and exposure of elements to the wiring. To get started, you'll need access to the chassis end of the boot.
To do this, you'll need to remove the bottom plastic retainer panel of your trunk as that holds the side trim in place and you won't be able to pop off your side trim until you remove this piece:
Next, remove your rear door light the screws within will keep the upper plastic panel in place:
Once removed, you can pop off your upper panel using that trim remover tool:
You should now have access to your wiring within the chassis side of the rubber boot:
*If your back up camera wiring is like this one, it comes in two parts; One part is directly connected to the camera and has an end that has a connector. This is the part you've been leading through the back door. The other wire the kit comes with is an extension that leads to your stereo and this is also has a leads that'll connect to your reverse light so you can active the camera.
Next, I moved on to lead the wire extension through the rubber boot that connects the chassis to the rear door.
*Caution: Removing this may cause you to break the plastic retaining fastener and you may have to use gasket sealer to secure the existing boot as you'll have a hell of a time trying to remount the OEM boot back into place.
Next, I unplugged both ends of the rubber boot and also a middle plastic retainer clip and then lead the wiring through the chassis side, through the boot, and out to the rear door side:
I found a hollow metal tube lying around the work area. I lead the entire wire through the tube until the connecter tip, the one that is supposed to connect to the previous wire that we were leading through the back door, was at the end of the hollow tube. I used some silicone to lube up the tube and then inserted it through the boot and pushed it through until it, and the wire connector, both pushed through the end that leads to the back door:
Hollow tube:
Wires successfully snaked through the rubber boot:
..continued
Because of this, I had to decide to either back out of the install or try the install with the existing 2"-3" lift spacers and I went with the later after noticing there was enough slack on all the lines.
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