Install of BlackVue 750s 2-Channel (Front and Rear Dashcams)

[O Captain My Captian]

So I thought I'd take advantage of the lovely weather we had yesterday, and installed a front and rear dash cam. I have to thank other forum members who posted their experiences and ways of installing and hardwiring accessories in their Ram trucks. The support provided by BlackBoxMyCar.com (where I'd purchased the camera) was really informative as well. It really made this process easier. I hadn't come across any description or "how to" for the 2020 Ram, so, in the spirit of paying it forward, I'll try to describe my process and how I achieved my result.....which worked out very well.

The BlackVue cameras can also be bought with a Power Magic Pro box. This device supplies power to the BlackVue cameras from the truck's battery according to the configured voltage and timer to prevent vehicle battery discharge. You can then have your camera "on" after you park for a programmable time and/or threshold battery voltage, without having to worry about killing your battery. This needs to be connected to an always active fuse and an inactive fuse.

I first started by exposing the fuse box located behind the knee bolster. A 7mm ratchet was used to take off the two bolts and then I used a trim, removal tool to gently pry off the panel. There are 5 small clips that hold it in place. There is no cover for the fuse box.


I then looked for the active (or always on fuses) and the accessory switches (ignition-activated) fuses. Using a simple "Test Light" I found the following fuses to be always active. I chose to use F33 (3rd pic below)for my active connection.





There were two inactive fuses that I could have chosen from as well, and I chose F55.



I could have used an add-on circuit but as I only had one on hand, I just decided to run the wire alongside the fuse.



I then went about getting the wiring for the cameras in place.
For the front camera, I decided to install it below the rear view mirror box. This would not be readily visible from the inside of the truck by either the driver or passenger, and was still high enough in the windshield to give an expansive view of the road in front.

Using a trim tool, I loosened the casing around the rear-view mirror. I then placed the camera-end of the wire in with some slack and began to run the wire along the top, tucking it into the headboard using my fingers and trim tool. It felt like there was a small lip that the wire could settle into.






At the A-pillar junction, I exposed the space by pulling down the weather strip. I ran the wire down trying my best to avoid interfering with the airbag.

 

[O Captain My Captian]

Continuing on......
Wiring down the A-pillar


From there, I was able to pass the wire in through the exposed side panel (also removed using a trim tool).
I left the wire there and then directed my attention to running the rear camera wire.

For the rear camera, I took a similar approach. I planned on installing the rear camera on the rear window on the passenger side, as close to center as possible. This avoids any interference from the sliding window.

I laid out the wire on the small groove above the window and then began to run it down the rear panel towards the sill plate.







I ran the wire under the sill plate and base of the b-pillar. Here, the wire was slightly exposed, but I did not feel it was at risk for becoming more exposed given the lack of slack present.



Ran the wire under the front passenger's sill plate and then up the A-pillar. I had to slighty remove the panel that the weather stripping goes behind to get my wire nicely tucked away.



From here, I just did the reverse of the front camera. Ran the wire up the A-pillar to the headliner, and then over to the rear mirror casing. I tucked any extra wire (about 6") into the casing and closed it up.



Attention was then directed to cleaning up the electrical wires, and plugging everything in to make sure it worked!






Plugging in the camera to the Power magic box gave life to the camera. I zip tied the wires together. There was an adhesive backing for the box, so I stuck it on a metal brace, the power plug fit nicely in a groove above. Zip tied those together, and closed everything back up.




I hope this helps others looking to do similar projects.

 

[LamboTexas]

Excellent write up- thank you! How are they performing for you?

 

[O Captain My Captian]

Working really well.
I haven’t saved any photos as yet.
Here are some installed photos.

 

[victorydiv]

I've been looking to do this as well for my Limited. Did you compare the Blackvue to any other dashcams and if so, why did you choose the Blackview? Are you happy with the Blackvue? I've narrowed down my choice to either the Blackvue or the Thinkware U1000. Also, you made it look pretty easy. I was going to have it professionally installed just so i can blame someone else (LOL) if something gets scratched, but I may just install it myself. Thanks for the detailed post!

 

[O Captain My Captian]

I had a BlackVue camera professionally installed in my Maserati in 2015. I liked the quality of the Camera and the magic box to allow for parking surveillance as needed.

I decided to try the install after reading other posts. It really is a straightforward procedure. Take your time with the panels and use trim tools to remove panels and to help maneuver wires.

When it all comes together in the end, the sense of satisfaction is priceless.
The money you save by DIY can be applied to buying a higher end camera.

 

[Bay Area RAM]

I have the blackvue 900s 2 channel in my truck, I like the system and ease of using the app. The only issues I’ve had are the cameras overheat and power down on a semi hot day.. I’ve laser sighted the temp as high as 200 degrees on the outer casing of the camera. I’m trying some work around like blackout tint above the camera and a heat sink on the camera itself but honestly, if I could do it again I wouldn’t buy it until they figure out the issue.

 

[victorydiv]

I have the blackvue 900s 2 channel in my truck, I like the system and ease of using the app. The only issues I’ve had are the cameras overheat and power down on a semi hot day.. I’ve laser sighted the temp as high as 200 degrees on the outer casing of the camera. I’m trying some work around like blackout tint above the camera and a heat sink on the camera itself but honestly, if I could do it again I wouldn’t buy it until they figure out the issue.

I noticed the Blackvue site mentions running parking mode in timelapse to avoid overheating issues...have you tried that?

 

[O Captain My Captian]

I noticed the Blackvue site mentions running parking mode in timelapse to avoid overheating issues...have you tried that?

I have not.

 

[Bay Area RAM]

I noticed the Blackvue site mentions running parking mode in timelapse to avoid overheating issues...have you tried that?

I haven’t tried that.... I didn’t notice that in the setting but I’ll dig deeper. Thanks.

 

[BIG_RED_WAGON]

Great pics of the write up! very detailed infact!! the two fuses you tapped into, red constant and yellow ignition? what fuses are those for? Ill be adding something soon similar and might do the same fuses for power. Where did you tap ground into? Thanks!

 

[Grouper]

I'm considering the BlackVue DR900X-2CH, which replaces the DR900S, but being in Florida, I'm concerned about the overheating issues mentioned above. The DR900X appears to have some ventilation holes that weren't present in the 900S, so maybe it'll be less prone to heat issues?

Does anyone here know if the 900X includes adequate wire length to reach the rear window in a crew cab, if routing down the passenger A pillar and along the passenger sill plate?

Thanks.

 

[securityguy]

I'm considering the BlackVue DR900X-2CH, which replaces the DR900S, but being in Florida, I'm concerned about the overheating issues mentioned above. The DR900X appears to have some ventilation holes that weren't present in the 900S, so maybe it'll be less prone to heat issues?

Does anyone here know if the 900X includes adequate wire length to reach the rear window in a crew cab, if routing down the passenger A pillar and along the passenger sill plate?

Thanks.

I am a HUGE Blackvue fan. Had a DR750S for several years and never an issue here in FL. I have a DR750X in my new 2021. Highly recommend the Blackvue dash cams...there is no better choice if you're willing to spend just a tad more. As far as wire length, the cable is plenty long to get to the back of a Suburban with still wire to spare! I think the 900 series is overkill and the 750 series has amazing resolution and you save a good amount of money. Look at the 750X-2CH and you don't need a power magic pro with either the 750X or the 900X.

 

[Grouper]

I am a HUGE Blackvue fan. Had a DR750S for several years and never an issue here in FL. I have a DR750X in my new 2021. Highly recommend the Blackvue dash cams...there is no better choice if you're willing to spend just a tad more. As far as wire length, the cable is plenty long to get to the back of a Suburban with still wire to spare! I think the 900 series is overkill and the 750 series has amazing resolution and you save a good amount of money. Look at the 750X-2CH and you don't need a power magic pro with either the 750X or the 900X.

Thanks for the info. It looks like the price delta between the 750X and the 900X is less than $100, so I'd probably just spring for the 4K version.

The internal power management is a nice feature but I think I'm going to have to keep the battery voltage cut-off adjustment set rather high, so I'm not sure how useful the parking power mode will be for me. It'll probably only record for a few hours before shutting down. I travel for a living and my truck sits at the airport anywhere from one week to three weeks (and occasionally longer) at a time. A few hours of recording during a two week sit will likely be of little value.

I've only had the truck a short time but there are already several threads on this forum about dead batteries on trucks that have been parked for as little as a week; and I'm talking about bone stock trucks (not trucks that have additional parasitic devices like dash cams).

Despite the fact that I bought a Lithium jumper pack when I got the truck, the last thing I want to deal with is dead battery issues when returning from weeks of travel.

 

[securityguy]

Thanks for the info. It looks like the price delta between the 750X and the 900X is less than $100, so I'd probably just spring for the 4K version.

The internal power management is a nice feature but I think I'm going to have to keep the battery voltage cut-off adjustment set rather high, so I'm not sure how useful the parking power mode will be for me. It'll probably only record for a few hours before shutting down. I travel for a living and my truck sits at the airport anywhere from one week to three weeks (and occasionally longer) at a time. A few hours of recording during a two week sit will likely be of little value.

I've only had the truck a short time but there are already several threads on this forum about dead batteries on trucks that have been parked for as little as a week; and I'm talking about bone stock trucks (not trucks that have additional parasitic devices like dash cams).

Despite the fact that I bought a Lithium jumper pack when I got the truck, the last thing I want to deal with is dead battery issues when returning from weeks of travel.

I travel a ton for business and the dash cam will only run for about 48 hours anyway before shutting down. They draw very little current anyway. After a week at the airport, or more, I have never had battery or starting issues. You are overthinking it and will be fine.