Inside of Tailgate

[subzero]

Does anyone know how to properly remove the plastic sheet that is on the inside of the tailgate. I just ordered a backup camera for the runner and I am going to need to access the license plate light hole from the inside. I have looked at the tailgate, and I noticed that there are 2 small tabs that can be removed. One is the tab that is surrounding the hatch cord that allows you to pull down the tailgate. The other opening basically opens to what appears to be a semi clear sheet of plastic. Other than that, I dont see any screws anywhere. Should I just pry the damn plastic off?

 

[T4RUSAF]

yep, just take out that screw holding your latch handle rope thing and then like you would the corner of your door panel give it a little tug. Work all the around and then slide up to clear the window seal. Everything pops in/out.

for the plastic my trick was to pull the clear plastic and take a razor blade to cleanly cut the goop. That way you can take off and put on the plastic fairly easy.

 

[dollaz]

hi subzero, am also going to order a backup camera but have no idea how to run the wire back. i was thinking of mounting it right underneath the keyhole area. Any way you could post pics of step by step how you removed the panels and ran the wire?

 

[subzero]

hi subzero, am also going to order a backup camera but have no idea how to run the wire back. i was thinking of mounting it right underneath the keyhole area. Any way you could post pics of step by step how you removed the panels and ran the wire?

Yea I mean I guess I am gonna attempt this modification totally on my own. I almost ALWAYS find atleast one person on this forum who has done my mod and given some basic info. Unfortunately, it looks like there is no one here for this case. I ordered the camera 2 days ago, and will probably get it around Wednesday. I will take pics of everthing I do (as I always do), and I will post some pics and basic info when I am finished. Hopefully if I succeed in this modification, I will be able to help some other noob like myself in the future.

 

[dollaz]

hey sub, i found some cool pictures on the net of some installs on our 4runner, check these out. I just ordered mine, i ordered the savv 2000 camera for my avic-z1. looks nice and stealthy.

 

[dollaz]

pic 2 of same 4runner, looking upward

 

[dollaz]

different 4runner install, hope this helps your install

 

[Uneek]

dollaz,
The first two look exactly like the factory backup camera with the OEM nav. The third pic is a very clean install.

subzero,
Try searching siennaclub.org, I recall a few members there added cameras to their Siennas.

 

[KimoSan]

backup camera

Hey Subzero, have you thought about placing the camera in the rear bumper or directly beneath it? Not that I'm a fan of cutting a hole in a perfectly good bumper but you might be able to fashion a pretty simple bracket to hold the camera underneath the bumper itself.

I haven't looked myself, but if one of the pics that dollaz posted is of a factory install, do all 4R lift gates already have a cutout in the sheet metal to install a camera? I don't recall seeing on my SE the extra cutout in the trim piece for the camera but you could either do that yourself or posssibly by one from the dealer or Partznet.

 

[dollaz]

hi KimoSan,

Only the limited seem to have the cutout. The 2 top pictures i posted are from the limited and the 3rd is a custom install on a SE 06. I called the dealer and asked if i could buy a limited piece and put it on my SE and they said yes, its 167.00 but they dont know for sure if it will fit. Also, they said special order items in your color are not returnable so i figure i will try to cut myself then if all doesnt work out just replace it. I should be getting my camera any day now so hopefully this weekend i will try to finish it. Im still waiting to hear how Subzeros install is working out....

 

[Spider5]

hi KimoSan,

Only the limited seem to have the cutout. The 2 top pictures i posted are from the limited and the 3rd is a custom install on a SE 06. I called the dealer and asked if i could buy a limited piece and put it on my SE and they said yes, its 167.00 but they dont know for sure if it will fit. Also, they said special order items in your color are not returnable so i figure i will try to cut myself then if all doesnt work out just replace it. I should be getting my camera any day now so hopefully this weekend i will try to finish it. Im still waiting to hear how Subzeros install is working out....

Should be easy to cut its just plastic.

 

[Uneek]

There are two license plate garnishes available, with or without backup camera in chrome or body color. The liftgate shouldn't have any cutout if the camera isn't factory installed.

 

[subzero]

Ok Ok, Im back I got my camera this Tuesday. Unfortunately, it was a little bit bigger than I had thought it would be. First off, my Sport does have the liftgate cutout for a camera. Unfortunately, it is simply a small perforation outlining where the hole should be. This means that I had to cut this hole out myself. That part was not as easy as it would seem, especially for a college student with jack shit for tools. Secondly, I was originally going to just drop the camera into the bumper right above the hitch. I soon realized that this would be impossible. Right behind the bumper is a large part of the frame. While the install would have been easier this way, I can tell you that if someone rear ends you, they are in deep trouble. Also, I read on some other forums about how much better it is to have the camera up near the license plate because it gives you a better angle on the bumper. Apparently this is why all of the factory cameras are in that same location. Ok now to the progress I have made since Tuesday. So far I have run all the wires, installed an override switch, and ran the wires into the lift gate. I have also opened up a hole in the lift gate for the camera mount. I will hopefully be done by tomorrow. I can say so far, after doing a decent amount of custom installations of various items on many vehicles, that this has been one of the most difficult. From making holes in the exterior, to trying to run a power wire and RCA from the outside tailgate to the front of the cab, to the custom mount of the camera itself. A fellow installer once told me that the harder the install is on a vehicle, the better quality the vehicle is. On that scale, lets just say our 4R's are DAMN good vehicles. I will post the simple schematic I made for this install for now. By next week, I will post all the pictures from the different steps of the install, and if needed I can make a pseudo tutorial.

 

[dollaz]

ok guys, i finally got my camera and i was eager to put it in. I bought this savv one in this picture. When i first saw it and look at its dimensions i was pleased with its size and loved the color matching. But when i took the 4RN hatch apart it wouldnt fit where i want to cut there was a buldge behind the plastic piece that i couldnt see until i took it apart so decided to mount it in another location as you can see below. Here are the pics.

 

[dollaz]

first pic looking from the back, its under the wing...

 

[dollaz]

next pic of a side view, i know i know wash the car its dirty

 

[dollaz]

here's how i wired into the vehicle. Never runs over the seal so dont have to worry about leaks.

 

[dollaz]

here's the result on the avic-z1 screen. Its pretty nice as i can see back very far. what do you all think? I wish i could have put it where i wanted it originally, but the camera was too big so this was my alternate position....

 

[subzero]

here's the result on the avic-z1 screen. Its pretty nice as i can see back very far. what do you all think? I wish i could have put it where i wanted it originally, but the camera was too big so this was my alternate position....

Yea I like that setup for the most part. Two things: First, is it me or can you not really see your bumper from that angle? Secondly, were you originally gonna install it where the factory camera would be? If so, I dont see how it didnt fit. If you look at my other thread, you will see that the aftermarket camera I used is nearly twice the size CCD of the one you are using. I do realize that my setup is much more prominent, but I was still able to fit the whole damn thing through a hole I made in the liftgate.

 

[dollaz]

hi Sub,

Yea its about 2 inches from seeing the actual bumper but i figured if i ever have to get that close to something i must be parallel parking like a mad man. I really wanted to to put it where the factory ones were but just didnt have the strength in me to cut the actual door. I would have cut the plastic handle piece with no problem but just didnt have it in me to cut the door. I cant wait to see how you installed yours knowing your camera was twice the size of mine. Sounds great and maybe it will encourage me to think of a different spot to mount it