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Install forward facing camera in overlander?

aussiejt

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I have plenty of rubicon factory extras in my 20 overlander, alas forward facing camera is not one of them ☹

Is there a loom hiding somewhere on the vehicle to retro fit one?

And for a bonus question, could it then be hooked up to a hard drive to act as a dash cam?

Cheers legends!
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Mr._Bill

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I have plenty of rubicon factory extras in my 20 overlander, alas forward facing camera is not one of them ☹

Is there a loom hiding somewhere on the vehicle to retro fit one?

And for a bonus question, could it then be hooked up to a hard drive to act as a dash cam?

Cheers legends!
No and No.
 

Gvsukids

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Unfortunately if your Gladiator did not come with the factory trail cam, the process to install one is very cumbersome, time consuming, and $$. There are a couple threads on this forum with a write-up of the process, here is one:
https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/forum/threads/my-oem-front-trail-cam-install-thread.52216/

If you have a Tazer (or plan to get one), Z Automotive has a front facing camera that works great. The Tazer will allow you to add the Cargo Cam option to your head unit to view the front camera. It is not HD quality, but the quality is still good. I installed on my Gladiator and I find it very useful on the trails, as well as for parking. Not as good as the factory option, but if you didnt get the factory option, the Z Auto route is a great alternative option.
 

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I have plenty of rubicon factory extras in my 20 overlander, alas forward facing camera is not one of them ☹

Is there a loom hiding somewhere on the vehicle to retro fit one?

And for a bonus question, could it then be hooked up to a hard drive to act as a dash cam?

Cheers legends!
Short answer is yes you can add it. No it's not worth it. No you can't use it as a dash cam.

Get a Wolfbox 900 Tri cam. You'll have a dash cam, trail cam that's better than factory, and a rear view cam.
 

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ShadowsPapa

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You can get halfway decent cameras that will use your phone or other means for viewing - some are bluetooth, others have wires.
I was looking into one a couple of years ago to help line up my snow plow and so on. They aren't much money and are pretty versatile. Search Amazon, there are plenty of options for not a ton of money. They can mount on bumper, grill, or whatever.

I have the FCW and ACC and don't want my center mirror messed with so stayed away from looking at the sort that uses a mirror.
 

XraytecH

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I have plenty of rubicon factory extras in my 20 overlander, alas forward facing camera is not one of them ☹

Is there a loom hiding somewhere on the vehicle to retro fit one?

And for a bonus question, could it then be hooked up to a hard drive to act as a dash cam?

Cheers legends!
Unfortunately... there is no Plug & Play provisions for the OEM trail cam. You can try unlocking the bed cam feed in the Infotainment system and us it a forward facing cam. But the image is low rez, sometimes can be blown out in direct sunlight, and is not great in low light conditions.

WolfBox G900 TriPro Bumper Edition can stream its bumper cam to a smart phone or tablet.

And...

IT'S A DASH CAM!!! Records footage on an micro SD card.

https://wolfbox.com/products/wolfbox-g900tripro-bumper-version-3-channel-rearview-mirror

I had a spare bull bar light mount and 3M VHB it to the top.
Jeep Gladiator Install forward facing camera in overlander? IMG_0113


From left to right... Dash Cam/Bumper Cam/Rear Cam
All three feeds are stored on the SD card
Jeep Gladiator Install forward facing camera in overlander? IMG_0114.JPG
 
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ShadowsPapa

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Unfortunately... there is no Plug & Play provisions for the OEM trail cam. You can try unlocking the bed cam feed in the Infotainment system and us it a forward facing cam. But the image is low rez, sometimes can be blown out in direct sunlight, and is not great in low light conditions.

WolfBox G900 TriPro Bumper Edition can stream its bumper cam to a smart phone or tablet.

And...

IT'S A DASH CAM!!! Records footage on an micro SD card.

https://wolfbox.com/products/wolfbox-g900tripro-bumper-version-3-channel-rearview-mirror

I had a spare bull bar light mount and 3M VHB it to the top.
IMG_0113.JPG


From left to right... Dash Cam/Bumper Cam/Rear Cam
All three feeds are stored on the SD card
IMG_0114.JPG
Is the camera powered by the vehicle? Or internal battery?
One advantage aftermarket has over factory is it can be mounted to suit the purpose and doesn't preclude certain hood lock systems.
 

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I installed a GoPro Hero 11. I use it as dash camera at times - I modified the electrical (nothing major) to sit atop of my center tray dashboard. It works perfect.
You’ll need some basic wiring knowledge. It’s not necessarily a dash cam per se, but I use it to capture everything or some video. It’s not fixed, so it can be easily detached or removed.
I drilled a 1” diameter hole on top. I bought a universal dual USB charger port and slipped that on in - tapped into my lighter (constant) using micro connectors. I used a perforated foam to protect and cover my GoPro from direct sun and heat.… and wa-la.
See attached pics. It’s another idea if this is something you‘re after.

Enjoy

Jeep Gladiator Install forward facing camera in overlander? IMG_4642


Jeep Gladiator Install forward facing camera in overlander? IMG_4641


Jeep Gladiator Install forward facing camera in overlander? IMG_4643


Jeep Gladiator Install forward facing camera in overlander? IMG_4642


Jeep Gladiator Install forward facing camera in overlander? IMG_4641


Jeep Gladiator Install forward facing camera in overlander? IMG_4643


Jeep Gladiator Install forward facing camera in overlander? IMG_4644
 

Josh00333

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Is the camera powered by the vehicle? Or internal battery?
One advantage aftermarket has over factory is it can be mounted to suit the purpose and doesn't preclude certain hood lock systems.
Little of both, primarly the truck. You can opt for live all the time, or just when the truck is running. I set mine up for just when running, as I park for long periods of time and don't need it killing the truck recording my garage doors.

It also has a capacitor that charges up and will run some time after the power is turned off/you have an accident.
 

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Rough1

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I added the Z Performance (Tazer ppl) front camera and it works well. I've used it in Moab during EJS and it's great. I am not aware of any way to use it as a dash cam though.
I bought a cheap 'action camera' from Amazon for $70 and it works great for that.
 

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Short answer is yes you can add it. No it's not worth it. No you can't use it as a dash cam.

Get a Wolfbox 900 Tri cam. You'll have a dash cam, trail cam that's better than factory, and a rear view cam.
Yep! This! I have the Wolfbox 900 TriPro. It has one forward-facing camera on the back of the mirror, one forward-facing camera that mounts up front in the grill/bumper area, and one rear-facing camera that mounts in the rear. I love mine. I will attach some pictures. You can see where I mounted them.

Jeep Gladiator Install forward facing camera in overlander? DSC_1140 (1)


Jeep Gladiator Install forward facing camera in overlander? DSC_0810 (1)
 

Thunderspud

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I have plenty of rubicon factory extras in my 20 overlander, alas forward facing camera is not one of them ☹

Is there a loom hiding somewhere on the vehicle to retro fit one?

And for a bonus question, could it then be hooked up to a hard drive to act as a dash cam?

Cheers legends!
FWIW, IF you already have an aftermarket headunit with some sort of A/V input (something like one of the Stinger units) this job becomes much easier......and cheaper.

Any Amazon HD camera with the correct cabling could be wired pretty easily.
 
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XraytecH

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Is the camera powered by the vehicle? Or internal battery?
One advantage aftermarket has over factory is it can be mounted to suit the purpose and doesn't preclude certain hood lock systems.
I have mine powered by the main battery and can be set to record while parked.
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