Camera for Honeycomb Grill

Hey all! New to the forum and just picked up a 2020 SR5 double cab with lots of extras (upgraded from my 2007 SR5 because I feel I found a unicorn). I’ve been reading a lot about both the FRAC camera and the Anytime backup camera kits and looking to install one of them. Both have their merit but I think I’m leaning toward the FRAC to a VIM button and I feel that it is more plug and play. Two questions before I pull the trigger:

1. Which one did you go with and why?
2. What are you using to mount the front cam in a honeycomb grill?

 

So this really doesn't specifically answer either of your questions, just food for thought on camera placement.

I recently added a front camera when I upgraded to an aftermarket head unit and love it, makes life so much easier. One of the most useful mods I've done to my Tundra.

My camera is mounted down in the valance, much lower view than if it were up in the grill and (while I have no proof of this since I've only ever seen the view I currently have) I think down low provides a better perspective for my intended use, which is primarily for parking this big beautiful pig. (Though it's also helpful for the little bit of off-roading I get to do)

Mounted where it is, I can actually just barely see the top of my license plate frame in the picture, so as long as I can see daylight between that and the object in front of me (car, wall, dumpster, shopping cart, pole) then I know I'm good, and can easily get within a couple of inches.

If it were mounted higher I'd see the back of the car in front of me, but not sure if I'd see the bumper of said car, which is what I'd contact first.

The camera has a little bracket on it and is attached with a couple of small self tapping screws.

I had it done at a stereo shop and they put it where they put it. I had no input on placement, but I like it.

If you can maybe connect it before mounting and tape it in a couple different spots to see what view you like best?

Just an idea based on my limited experience.

 

If you want totally plug and play, Trail Grid Pro offers a kit for a little over $200: Anytime Backup & New Front Camera Kit | 2020 - 2021 Tundra – Trail Grid Pro

I have a '21 SR5 with the honeycomb grille and an aftermarket radio so I didn't need to do a FRAC harness or kit like theirs, but for mounting, I basically did the same thing they have pictured:



I know the picture is of a heritage grill, but the premise is the same for the SR5 grille, basically drill a hole through the grille, camera has a hollow threaded tub the wires pass through, and a nut to tighten it from the back. I ordered a ~$40 camera off Amazon and mounted it directly below the center Toyota logo in the grille, field of view is still up high enough/wide enough for parking purposes.

 

So your camera is (I think) considerably higher than mine.

Do you have any shots of camera view on your screen by chance? I'd be curious to see the comparison.

 

I don't think the FRAC kits are available any longer. I believe that he posted on this a few months ago. The Anytime kit is the only full plug and play available I believe.

 

Not sure if your installing a pro grill but this is what I did for mine.
https://www.tundras.com/threads/diy-remount-front-cam-from-toyota-emblem-to-pro-grill.29539/

 

I thought I saw something about him transitioning the FRAC to being sold/produced by Auto Harness House recently? Or maybe that was old news and I'm confused.

This is the view/mounting location of mine:

 

Post #49. I had to.go back.and find it.

https://www.tundras.com/threads/frac-harness-now-available-for-order.143672/page-2

 

Interesting... so mounted higher but angled more downward. Hmmmm...

 

Yeah since the camera I got is on an upward or downward angle, I had to mount it facing downwards and then cut a couple of the looped wires to flip the feed vertically and horizontally appropriately. It serves my needs for parking totally fine/can see the corners of my bumper. Once it warms up here I have a pro grille to install and I'll probably move it up to the top like in the Trail Grid Pro pic above. I like the straight on view of your camera more though.

 

Couple of ways to accomplish the same thing. (Not run into shit)

I've always had pretty good spatial awareness and been able to tell where my corners, bumpers, wheels are, but something about the sightlines of this truck messed with my head.

When I thought I was super close to something in front, I get out to look and I'm 2' away!

 

Man literally same exact thing for me. I installed my radio first and then after parking in a ramp and thinking I was close to the wall, only to get out and look and see I was a good 2' away still I damn near ordered a cam on the spot. My last two trucks were F-150's and I had no problem with those but like you said something about the sight lines throws me way off.

 

It was kinda' embarrassing sometimes! Like "I hope nobody's watching."

Glad it's not just me.

 

Yes I read that as well and it is still available. I have the opportunity to buy the anytime harness local from a buddy. I think when I do it I will go that route since he has everything on hand. Thanks everyone for the comments.

 

Linking this URL just based on the title of your post..
https://yotaleds.com/products/tundra-sport-grille-bracket

YotaLED has the brackets you'd probably need if you were to want to mount the camera to your grille.
I have their grille lights and have used both the Sport/SR5(when I had my honeycomb grille) and Pro14-17(current) brackets for them and the fitment is perfect.

Just throwing this out there as well...depending on your need for the front camera, there are also dashcams that give you front camera view but with ability to record. I can see having the grille cam right up front as a benefit when off-road. So ask yourself what you really want. But then again this is the Tundra's forum so you can get both

 

Ah yes..please take my money.
I had the 07 and just put gas in it. This 2020 got my credit card on fire after I joined this forum

 

Ditto

 

I'm currently using this bracket and highly recommend it.

 

I don't have the FRAC harness but I connected a front cam to an aftermarket head unit. I'm happy with the camera location. In the pics you can see my vantage point vs the camera.

 

I have the same (or similar) phone mount,,, love it! I tried a few different phone holders and there was something that bugged me about all of them till I got this one.

 

Yes, the magnetic phone mount is great! I bought one made by Mob Armor, seems to be great quality and is super strong

 

I’ve actually just made my own custom camera mount to fit under the Toyota symbol in the center slot of the honeycomb. It’s a rough first try but it snaps in tight and is easily removable with no need to drill. Going to clean it up on the second or third attempt and get dimensions perfect. I’ll post a photo when it’s finalized.

I went with the Offroam mount. Working good for me.

 

To answer question 1:

Go with FRAC.

1. He's a small business owner. I believe his stuff is made in-house in Texas.
2. He doesn't cheap out on materials! The harness I bought had wires for every single wire, even if my car wasn't utilizing them all. This actually came in clutch later on, as I have a Tundra SR and I had no steering wheel controls. I followed some guide to add steering wheel controls to my wheel, but that involved having to add in two wires somewhere that would eventually end up at the HU. I was afraid that the FRAC harness wouldn't have the same wire pinned, but to my discovery, (as mentioned earlier) every single pin is already connected just in case the user needs it later on.
3. Not only is the FRAC harness plug and play, it should be compatible with any other HU that can plug into the OEM harness. I had installed a Dasaita HU and removed the FRAC harness for a few months. I was annoyed that the only way to access the front camera was through scrolling through a few pages in before hitting the digital "button". I even complained about this on the Dasaita thread. Lou (FRAC owner) posted that the harness should be able to work in tandem with the HU, and to my surprise, it worked like a charm.
4. This is more advanced, but I ended up installing yet another 3rd party module so I could get video from the cameras I installed in my side mirrors: (https://www.tundras.com/threads/aftermarket-hu-frac-harness-blindspot-cameras.133035/) Once again, I was able to achieve this by utilizing how the FRAC harness works. Even though it's simple functionality for the end user, it never ceases to amaze me how much foresight was put into this product in case someone wanted to tinker with it. I will ALWAYS recommend the FRAC harness.