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Jobs for lockdown - Hardwiring a Dash Cam

Did my dashcam today.
Nextbase 522GW with hardwire kit from Halfords.
View attachment 57606
First routed cable into headlining

View attachment 57607

Then squished into A pillar trim towards door seal.
View attachment 57608

Then down the door seal to bottom of dash

View attachment 57609


Then under dash towards a little hole where I could get wires to fuse box which sits behind bottle holder in my T6.
View attachment 57611
Bottle holder was removed by two black clips inside which you squeeze together to release bottle cooler thing which comes away in one piece to reveal fuse box. I’ve highlighted the fuse I used and screw I used for earth
View attachment 57613

Connected to fuse with wires from fitting kit
View attachment 57612

no trim removed, pretty easy job..
Pleased with it.
Might get a rear camera later, although fitting it in an Ocean will be hassle, can’t decide if it’s worth the bother.
Did my dashcam today.
Nextbase 522GW with hardwire kit from Halfords.
View attachment 57606
First routed cable into headlining

View attachment 57607

Then squished into A pillar trim towards door seal.
View attachment 57608

Then down the door seal to bottom of dash

View attachment 57609


Then under dash towards a little hole where I could get wires to fuse box which sits behind bottle holder in my T6.
View attachment 57611
Bottle holder was removed by two black clips inside which you squeeze together to release bottle cooler thing which comes away in one piece to reveal fuse box. I’ve highlighted the fuse I used and screw I used for earth
View attachment 57613

Connected to fuse with wires from fitting kit
View attachment 57612

no trim removed, pretty easy job..
Pleased with it.
Might get a rear camera later, although fitting it in an Ocean will be hassle, can’t decide if it’s worth the bother.
This is brilliant willwander, thank you for going to the trouble of putting this step-by-step guide together. I’ve had the Nextbase hardwire kit for months but been reluctant in case I mucked something up. Thanks to you I’ve now installed
Did my dashcam today.
Nextbase 522GW with hardwire kit from Halfords.
View attachment 57606
First routed cable into headlining

View attachment 57607

Then squished into A pillar trim towards door seal.
View attachment 57608

Then down the door seal to bottom of dash

View attachment 57609


Then under dash towards a little hole where I could get wires to fuse box which sits behind bottle holder in my T6.
View attachment 57611
Bottle holder was removed by two black clips inside which you squeeze together to release bottle cooler thing which comes away in one piece to reveal fuse box. I’ve highlighted the fuse I used and screw I used for earth
View attachment 57613

Connected to fuse with wires from fitting kit
View attachment 57612

no trim removed, pretty easy job..
Pleased with it.
Might get a rear camera later, although fitting it in an Ocean will be hassle, can’t decide if it’s worth the bother.
This is brilliant willwander, thank you for going to the trouble of putting this step-by-step guide together. I’ve had the Nextbase hardwire kit for months but been reluctant in case I mucked something up. Thanks to your post I’ve now installed it today and works perfectly!
 
Did my dashcam today.
Nextbase 522GW with hardwire kit from Halfords.
View attachment 57606
First routed cable into headlining

View attachment 57607

Then squished into A pillar trim towards door seal.
View attachment 57608

Then down the door seal to bottom of dash

View attachment 57609


Then under dash towards a little hole where I could get wires to fuse box which sits behind bottle holder in my T6.
View attachment 57611
Bottle holder was removed by two black clips inside which you squeeze together to release bottle cooler thing which comes away in one piece to reveal fuse box. I’ve highlighted the fuse I used and screw I used for earth
View attachment 57613

Connected to fuse with wires from fitting kit
View attachment 57612

no trim removed, pretty easy job..
Pleased with it.
Might get a rear camera later, although fitting it in an Ocean will be hassle, can’t decide if it’s worth the bother.
Many thanks for the fitting guide got a hardwire kit from Argos this morning and fitted this afternoon all working ok.
John
 
I followed this guide and it worked perfectly (thanks again willwander). The camera mysteriously stopped working a couple of weeks later though, annoyingly. After examining everything it turned out to be the earth wire (very last thing I checked, of course). Seems it wasn't connected properly for some reason, and the power will not work at all if the black earth wire is not connected. All good now!
 
Great step by step guide
Decide to try fit the rear nextbase dash cam on my Ocean. Bit of a job.

First step was to thread the inner metal cable of a bicycle brake cable through the headlining at the front to the B-Pillar on the passenger side. The metal cable is stiff so is easier to find a route and push through
View attachment 57764

I then taped the dashcam cable to this metal cable and pulled the metal cable through pulling the dashcam cable through with it.

View attachment 57765
I had to remove the passenger side B-Pillar trim to thread cable, easy to take off trim but a faff to get back on due to seatbelt adjustment clip.
View attachment 57766
Pulled the metal cable through dragging dashcam cable behind.
Then removed two small lights above sink so I could access cable.
View attachment 57769
Next the hardest bit. Routing cable past rear air vents into back of wardrobe. The only route I could find was to the top and front of vents. This took a long time to get metal cable and pull dashcam cable through successfully. Multiple attempts and much swearing.
View attachment 57771
Comes out in top of rear wardrobe cupboard
View attachment 57772
next was to connect it to dashcam end at top of rear cupb
View attachment 57773
cable is stuffed through trim and connects to dashcam which is mounted as in photo below
View attachment 57774
here is view from back
View attachment 57775
Not a bad place to mount it, you get a decent view from cam, and you don’t have to worry about tailgate. Rear blind is still closes ok, just need a bit more care so you don’t knock cam.View from cam.
View attachment 57776
Quite a tricky job. Lots of swearing trying to route cable, but it’s all turned out well. Really pleased with it.

Will
Really good step by step guide, thank you. I am planning on getting the Nextbase 522GW dashcam plus rear window cam. The Nextbase rear window cam suggests it comes with a 6m cable. Is this all I need, or do I also need a hard wire kit? I plan to plug the front cam directly into the USB on the dash of the T6.1.
 
Great step by step guide

Really good step by step guide, thank you. I am planning on getting the Nextbase 522GW dashcam plus rear window cam. The Nextbase rear window cam suggests it comes with a 6m cable. Is this all I need, or do I also need a hard wire kit? I plan to plug the front cam directly into the USB on the dash of the T6.1.
The hardwire kit allows the wiring to be hidden and use an Ignition On feed to power.
The USB socket, is it ignition On only socket?
 
The hardwire kit allows the wiring to be hidden and use an Ignition On feed to power.
The USB socket, is it ignition On only socket?
That I don''t know as yet. T6.1 on order, build date week 41. Can't find this info on line
 
That I don''t know as yet. T6.1 on order, build date week 41. Can't find this info on line
Some sockets, USB or otherwise, on the Dash can be either and if Ignition controlled may not switch off for 10-20minutes after the vehicle key is removed or vehicle locked.
 
I followed this guide and it worked perfectly (thanks again willwander). The camera mysteriously stopped working a couple of weeks later though, annoyingly. After examining everything it turned out to be the earth wire (very last thing I checked, of course). Seems it wasn't connected properly for some reason, and the power will not work at all if the black earth wire is not connected. All good now!

Funnily enough the same just happened to mine, after 6 months of working perfectly it suddenly decided that it didn’t like the earth I had chosen, Once I had relocated the earth wire to an alternative point, it worked fine again. Took me a long while to figure this out.
Here is the new earth.
C0E95660-9736-4B7D-977F-BA1A7AFAE314.jpeg
 
Hi Willwander,

I’ve purchased the Nextbase 522 the same as yourself and intend to conduct the fit this weekend.

I have a question relating to switched/permanent fuses.

Does your parking mode feature work with your current solution?

Regards,

Mark
 
Hi Willwander,

I’ve purchased the Nextbase 522 the same as yourself and intend to conduct the fit this weekend.

I have a question relating to switched/permanent fuses.

Does your parking mode feature work with your current solution?

Regards,

Mark
No, not on the fuse I chose. It turns on and off with the ignition. It would probably work if you chose a fuse with a permanent feed.
 
Hi Willwander,

I’ve purchased the Nextbase 522 the same as yourself and intend to conduct the fit this weekend.

I have a question relating to switched/permanent fuses.

Does your parking mode feature work with your current solution?

Regards,

Mark
My Nextbase version purchased from Aldi but warranty by Nextbase has a built in rechargeable battery for Parking Mode.
 

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