tailgate trim removal to fit rear camera

[Joss Apps]

Does anyone know how to remove the tailgate trim? I'm fitting a rear view camera and need to run a cable from the top of the door to the plastic trim with the rear number plates but really can't work out how to remove the tailgate trim. I've removed the deck chairs and the foam padding and can see lots of plastic fittings with allen key heads and then a few star bolts. Ideas welcome.

 

[abz_cali]

I guess a bit late to help.. I have being doing the same job, fitting a rear camera. So came on here to see if there was any guidance. So what I have done so far. Removed all the plastic fittings with allen key heads. About 50% worked, 50% the allen key just rotated. Pain one.. Had to lever the inside and then force out with a trim removal tool.

Then remove the two black plastic circle covers (one each side) and remove the torq bolts. The entire grey plastic panel, which holds the chairs) will now come off. Now for problem two. This revels a ply panel that needs to come off. All the remaining torq which hold on the ply cover simply spin ( The threaded pop rivet moves. So now stopped.

Plan is to measure where the number plate is and cut a hole on the ply as an access hatch. Will then try and work out how to get the wire through. Assuming succes will upload a pic. I don't want to end up drilling out 10 failed rivets. Seems a poor design. This is my first VW and not loving the legendary build quality! I used a cable tool to feed string through the plastic roof connector. Used soap on the wire and pulled the reverse wire through. Still need to get from the tailgate to dash.

I will upload some photos when complete some steps.

 

[nclarke8]

Fitted a reverse camera a few weeks ago and had same problem with spinning Riv nuts. luckily managed to get one side of the hardboard panel loose so I get take off the trim piece that holds the number plate lights. Had to dremel off one Riv nut and replace it. If you haven't seen it already look on youtube for alpine reverse camera install

it shows the components pretty well and personally you will need to remove the board in order to feed the cable through.
Good luck !!

 

[abz_cali]

I gave in an used the angle grinder to remove the spinning riv nuts, along with a hammer and punch. You do need to get the card of. I am intending putting wood behind the holes and using screws rather than trying to find replacement rivets. Now looking at how to route from rear to front. Any tips from anyone who has done this?

 

[nclarke8]

Following the path from the video on youtube and using a flexible rod I fed a cable from the the rearmost kitchen light into the rear wardrobe. (The 2 small lights pop out easily, don't touch the large centre one as that is very awkward)
Secondly feed the video cable through the rear door (as video) and through the rubber grommet with the tailgate wiring. Next pull the video cable through to the kitchen area with the first cable. Then feed from rear kitchen light to front kitchen light.
As per video take of the grab handle and pull off the rubber door seal. Take of the facia end panel and unclip airbag disable switch. With the flexi rod you can feed the video cable from the front kitchen light to where you have removed the rubber door seal. Feed cable behind headlining and refit the seal. Bit of a ballache so take care not to damage the A post trim with the vent in it. gentle persuasion needed.
Next take out glovebox (5 screws) and then you feed the video cable underneath to the headunit. Refit facia end panel with Airbag switch wiring Before turning on ignition just in case it generates a fault.

Sounds a lot but if you've already got the rear panel off then its not that bad.

 

[abz_cali]

thanks, the kitchen lights were the tip I was looking for. I have the wire through to the tailgate and in the rear wardrope. Had watched the youtube clip, but hadn't worked out how to get from the wardrope to the front. I have swapped out the head unit so happy with that bit. Job would be much much easier if the rivets didn't spin... After this job is towbar, can hardly wait...

 

[snowy55]

If the allen key spins in the plastic fittings, screw a self tapping screw into the allen key hole and pull out the centre part of the fitting with a pair of pliers, then the outer part pops out easily.

 

[fred]

I just installed a rear camera without removing the whole board. Had to remove the bottom (plastic) fittings, and 4 torx bolts that were set in alloy screw rivets (2 were stripped, grrr). But having done that it's possible to reach in to the space and find the central grommet behind the trim that houses the number plate lights. Its about 50mm lower than the bolts that attach the trim to the tailgate, and dead centre. Push that grommet through, feel your way inside the hole for the number plate lights. Push the wiring out of the way whilst you drill your cable and mounting pilot holes for the external camera from the outside.

Biggest pain (after the stripped torx bolts) was getting a decent feed from the reverse light. Ideally someone will have worked out how to take a feed from somewhere other than the back of the light cluster, as its a total ballache getting power from that point all the way back to the camera.

The camera I installed http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00UIW6086/?tag=unique09f-21

 

[fred]

Whilst you've got the tailgate trim off it's probably a good idea to do this mod too

 

[briwy]

It's worth while spending a few quid on a set of plastic trim removal tools. Saves a lot of effort and broken trim buttons.
Incidentally, the plastic buttons are some sort of torx screw, not hexagonal which is why they round off easily with allen keys.
I got one of these from Maplins, fits all sorts of stuff on the Cali.

 

[fred]

the best money I've spent on tools recently is a cable routing rod

 

[briwy]

the best money I've spent on tools recently is a cable routing rod

Looks handy fred.
I used to work for a company that made structural box beams and occasionally these had to have cables put through them after fabrication. One of the guys trained a ferret to pull a string through to then pull the cables through.
Might not work on a Cali though.

 

[Custardtart]

I'm about to fit a reversing camera to my Cali so will need to remove the rear tailgate trim - both deckchair bag and board. Is there any more guidance since the last post here in 2015?
Has anybody found a video showing how it's done?
I dislike removing trim at the best of times and by all accounts I've read, this is a pig of a job.
Thanks

 

[yanathem]

I'm about to fit a reversing camera to my Cali so will need to remove the rear tailgate trim - both deckchair bag and board. Is there any more guidance since the last post here in 2015?
Has anybody found a video showing how it's done?
I dislike removing trim at the best of times and by all accounts I've read, this is a pig of a job.
Thanks

Are you fitting the alpine one like in the video above?
Removing everything is not to bad, you might need someone to help with the plastic trim once the rivnut screws are removed, which is where you might struggle because most will spin. I ended up taking the screw heads of with a grinder then using a punch just hit the stump of the screw to push the rivnut fitting inside the tailgate. You are going to need more rivnuts and screws anyways so i wouldn't worry about trying to reuse the existing ones. Use new ribbed stainless rivnuts and screws this time round so the screws don't rust inside the rivnut.

 

[Ch1pbutty]

Are you fitting the alpine one like in the video above?
Removing everything is not to bad, you might need someone to help with the plastic trim once the rivnut screws are removed, which is where you might struggle because most will spin. I ended up taking the screw heads of with a grinder then using a punch just hit the stump of the screw to push the rivnut fitting inside the tailgate. You are going to need more rivnuts and screws anyways so i wouldn't worry about trying to reuse the existing ones. Use new ribbed stainless rivnuts and screws this time round so the screws don't rust inside the rivnut.

Do you think wellnuts would also work as a replacement, as then they will be easier to remove at a later date?



I have just got a new Kenwood head unit so tempted to put a camera in a later date.

 

[yanathem]

Do you think wellnuts would also work as a replacement, as then they will be easier to remove at a later date?

View attachment 75591

I have just got a new Kenwood head unit so tempted to put a camera in a later date.

It’s the first time I’ve seen these. Couldn’t see why they wouldn’t work. The flange looks a lot thicker than the flange on a rivnut but that might just be the tech drawing. Downside of a rivnut is either buying or borrowing a rivnut setter. If done properly the rivnut should not spin.
The first time I removed the tailgate panel was to change the rear blind, which is when I renewed all the rivnuts. I’ve had the panel off a couple of times afterwards now and both times it’s been easy with no spinning screws. I fitted that alpine camera using the YouTube video posted. Dead easy and looks very neat above the rear number plate.

 

[Custardtart]

I'm fitting a Kenwood DNX9190DABS and the Kenwood CMOS230 camera.
It should fully integrate with MFSW/MFD/parking sensors/climatronic (hopefully).
I haven't looked at the van yet, but I'm starting to look for advice online about removing tailgate trim to route the camera cable/install the camera. Most people say it's a bear to take apart.

So just plastic trim clips that you pull the centres out of and riv-nuts that may need drilling?
I'll reassemble with new nuts as necessary and use assembly grease to prevent corrosion.

Otherwise is it pretty straight forward? Often times trim is easy IF you know which way to pull it.

 

[yanathem]

No, those plastic centres screw out, its a torx screw fitting. T30 I think.
I don’t suppose which brand of camera you use matters much regarding the cable. But those instructions show you how to get the cable from tailgate to dashboard.

 

[Ch1pbutty]

I'm fitting a Kenwood DNX9190DABS and the Kenwood CMOS230 camera.
It should fully integrate with MFSW/MFD/parking sensors/climatronic (hopefully).
I haven't looked at the van yet, but I'm starting to look for advice online about removing tailgate trim to route the camera cable/install the camera. Most people say it's a bear to take apart.

So just plastic trim clips that you pull the centres out of and riv-nuts that may need drilling?
I'll reassemble with new nuts as necessary and use assembly grease to prevent corrosion.

Otherwise is it pretty straight forward? Often times trim is easy IF you know which way to pull it.

We went for a KENWOOD DMX8019DABS +
£200 info adaptor which in theory will get parking sensors, climate etc on the unit & links to VW steering

When I purchased it was described as ‘plug & play’ and had it down in my head as a 30min job...

but what I didn’t realise was that once fitted you use the Bluetooth from the headunit & not the one already fitted installed in our van which remains live when the original head unit is disconnected, so now need to run mic from new headunit to the interior light casing ( straightfoward but I can’t see the point given that the van already has a mic fitted!). So interested to see if the VW phone control then causes any issues with the head unit steering wheel module.

Fun and games at the weekend!

 

[Custardtart]

Yanathem - thanks, I'm going to try and route my cable the same as the Alpine installation video.

Ch1pbutty - agree, given the VW adapter harness integrates all the other clever stuff, you think they'd be able to pick up the factory mic as well. It's probably only 2 wires in the factory harness. Not sure why they don't. I'll be running the Kenwood mic up to the top of the windscreen. I have seen videos of people putting them inside the OE mic trim but I'm not sure if that'll reduce it's performance and a small mic above the rear view mirror won't bother me.
My expectation is (like you say) that everything will work as it does now with the exception of the bluetooth being taken over by the Kenwood head unit/mic and the Nav directions will only show on the MFD once it's been coded using VCDS (hopefully easy).
I'm expecting the head unit installation to be quick but the rear-view-camera to take quite a bit of time.
Good luck at the weekend - let us know how you get on. I've ordered my parts so expect to be doing it in next few weeks.

 

[yanathem]

A tip for those plastic trim clips if they spin is screw a wood screw into the middle then reverse screw them out.

 

[Custardtart]

Well the plastic clips were ok - just undid with hex and pulled out with trim tool.
I ended up having to drill 7 rivnuts - what a pain - took ages trying to get a hold on rear with mini mole grips.
Running the camera cable from front to rear took a while using electricians cable rods.
Rodding from the rear it appeared inside the A pillar. Few bum-squeaky times when rods seemed to get stuck but got there in the end.
Used bit of silicon grease to get cable/rod through the grommet/hose at the top.
Used a bit of heavy domestic electrical wire to pull cable down tailgate from rubber grommet at top.
A-pillar trim came away ok (removed speaker grill and handle first) and went back very neatly eventually. Glove box needed a bit of a shove to get in/out but ok.
Hope this helps somebody in the future.

 

[Custardtart]

We went for a KENWOOD DMX8019DABS +
£200 info adaptor which in theory will get parking sensors, climate etc on the unit & links to VW steering

When I purchased it was described as ‘plug & play’ and had it down in my head as a 30min job...

but what I didn’t realise was that once fitted you use the Bluetooth from the headunit & not the one already fitted installed in our van which remains live when the original head unit is disconnected, so now need to run mic from new headunit to the interior light casing ( straightfoward but I can’t see the point given that the van already has a mic fitted!). So interested to see if the VW phone control then causes any issues with the head unit steering wheel module.

Fun and games at the weekend!

I had the same issue - OE bluetooth phone module still running (shows in MFD) when I want the Kenwood to handle it. On the advice of Jason at Absolut5 I've unplugged the module (under the white insulation after removing glovebox) and all good now.
To be fair, apart from that, mine was plug and play - the hassle was all related to fitting the reversing camera - but I love it now it's done.

 

[Ch1pbutty]

I had the same issue - OE bluetooth phone module still running (shows in MFD) when I want the Kenwood to handle it. On the advice of Jason at Absolut5 I've unplugged the module (under the white insulation after removing glovebox) and all good now.
To be fair, apart from that, mine was plug and play - the hassle was all related to fitting the reversing camera - but I love it now it's done.

yes, can recommend Absolut5 - very helpful!

In the end swapped the ‘Connects2’ interface for a Kenwood interface from Absolut5 which worked out well as less bulky in terms of wiring, and now also get the radio station showing on the MFD as well as climate, reverse sensors, heated seats etc showing on the head unit. Fitted new Fiscon Mic with 3.5mm Jack which sits in the existing round VW mic housing above the driver seat, USB/Aux dash plug (eBay) & also put a HDMI socket in the glovebox under the dummy airbag box.(VW BT module unplugged, but IPod/iPhone glovebox charger still functions ok). Will do reverse camera a bit later.

 

[Custardtart]

yes, can recommend Absolut5 - very helpful!

In the end swapped the ‘Connects2’ interface for a Kenwood interface from Absolut5 which worked out well as less bulky in terms of wiring, and now also get the radio station showing on the MFD as well as climate, reverse sensors, heated seats etc showing on the head unit. Fitted new Fiscon Mic with 3.5mm Jack which sits in the existing round VW mic housing above the driver seat, USB/Aux dash plug (eBay) & also put a HDMI socket in the glovebox under the dummy airbag box.(VW BT module unplugged, but IPod/iPhone glovebox charger still functions ok). Will do reverse camera a bit later.

I like the idea of the Fission Mic. The 36338-6 looks the same as mine with the round roof trim and maybe the 36338-2 is the same mic but without the trim and would fit?
Which model did you get and where from?