@TundraTex's FRAC harness (Front/Rear Anytime Camera) Install/Review

Ever have a hard time parking nose first and figuring out how far the car/wall is in front of you?
Ever want to view your rear cam while in motion?
Ever want to input navi address while driving?(of course your passenger would be doing this)

What you want is @TundraTex FRAC Harness! - 2014+ Front/Rear Anytime Camera (FRAC) Harness
It is completely PNP with the exception of wiring the front camera + wire. Requires you to crimp some connectors(which is provided in the kit!)

This is installed on my 2016 Platinum

The FRAC Harness:


The Camera i chose for my PRO grill:

$14 NOAUKA Waterproof IP69 Night Vision 170 Degree Car Rear View/Reversing/Reverse Camera Universal Color CCD high-Definition chip Backup Parking HD Front View Camera

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XNM7GNS?ie=UTF8

Tools needed for the install:

• 10mm socket wrench with extensions
• 12mm box wrench for front camera nut
• Panel removal tools(assortment)
• Wire Stripper
• Crimper
• Hot Glue Gun(optional)
• Soldering Iron(optional)

Time it took me for install(Keep in mind I'm no professional) : ~2 Hours


The Installation:

• Remove grill to install front camera. I used Hot Glue Gun to secure the wire behind the grill.
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• Run front camera wiring into cab through passenger side. I prefer to solder the camera power wire to extend it into the cab.
  • Connecting the camera to the cable extension to get it into the cab
  • I cut both white & green jumper wires for my camera to disable parking lines and enable front view.(every camera is different so read your manual)
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  • Here is were I grounded the camera(next to the airbox).
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  • There is a grommet on the passenger side firewall that you can access through under the dash.
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  • Pop out the passenger side panel to help fish the wire to the back of the radio
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  • Pop out the trim under the AC controls. It is held in with 4 clips
  • Pop out the AC controls. Also held by 4 clips
  • Remove 4 10mm bolts under the Radio
    • Pull the radio straight back, there are 2 clips holding it in. Grab some extra clips from the dealer as I lost one of them in the dash.
  • Replace the two connectors with the FRAC harness
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  • Connect the RCA for the front camera and the power wire. Make sure to tape the RCA connection to keep it from coming off.
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  • This is where I installed my switches since I don't have any blanks available
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    • I could not use the connectors because of clearance issues. I had to solder the wires on the switches to clear. Maybe lower profile switches might make this location better. I also put a dab of hot glue to keep them from moving.
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• Test everything before putting it back together!
• All Done!

One of my favorite mods to date! Looks OEM.

 

Thanks for posting.

 

Nice!
@TundraTex can I get a kit too?

 

Seriously!!! So Great!

 

Can you show us a pic of front view when in a head on parking spot? Wondering if camera angle is adequate.

Thanks!

 

looks great !! Cant wait to get mine installed !

 

@Berettafan, here's the link to my parking spot "calibration". It'll be interesting to see how @BlueBottle's compares.

 

@Scpringle, looking forward to your install/review.

 

@BlueBottle - and everybody else - look at the picture where you showed the head unit connectors. If you look at the upper right tab position for the HU, you can see the yellow retention clip from your HU still in the dash tab slot. That has happened to me a couple times when pulling the HU. They tend to slide of the HU when you pull it out of the dash. But with a pair of needle nose pliers, you can retrieve the yellow retention clip and slide it back in place on the HU tab before reinstalling it.

Didn't think about mentioning that until you made the comment.

 

@BlueBottle, great place for the switches. I was wondering where to put mine. Question, can the male ends be bent over? One thing I don't have is a solder gun, but may have to pick one up. Thx to both you, & @TundraTex for the GREAT write ups.

 

@TundraTex If this package gets returned to you let me know and I will send you an updated shipping address and pay for re shipping . The address on my PayPal account is my parents (used it as temp banking address as I was moving ) and mail sent there is being forwarded to Vermont for the summer . I will have my family ship it to me in Jackson MS. But if comes back let me know . The FRAC harness is getting a nice tour of the USA this summer !

 

Still wanting that 4 camera system. Can you get us a pick of the nose close up to an object?

 

@Skippy i would not recommend bending the switch terminals. The switch housing is plastic and I think the likelihood of damaging the switch is pretty high. A soldering iron is the much better choice.

 

@Skippy just like Tundratex said, I wouldn't not recommend bending the tabs. Most likely will break. Find a friend with soldering iron and have him solder some 6" wires to the switches then just use connectors to connect them in your truck. I am planning to do that later so it can be serviceable.

 

I realized that after lol. They still easily drop when you pull out the head unit. One of mine dropped when i pulled mine out.

 

thanks for linking the front cam for the pro grill. just ordered mine

 

@Berettafan I actually did this "calibration" check on my truck last night. When the object is at the very bottom of the screen, it is 12" away from the front of my truck. Keep in mind there will be different variables in this. Camera selection, Grill kind, Lift kit etc.. but overall happy with my $12 camera.

 

Great writeup @BlueBottle !

 

Same with mine. 1 foot away when the parking stripe is lined up with the bottom of the display screen. And in an angled parking spot the front stripe intersects the bottom middle of the screen when the drivers side bumper is at the line.

 

@TundraTex i was thinking of getting these or something in the like. HKBAYI® 10Pair / 10sets 3 pin JST SM Male Female plug LED Connector Cable For WS2812B WS2812 WS2811 LED Strip Lamp with 15cm Long Wire

HKBAYI® 10Pair / 10sets 3 pin JST SM Male Female Plug LED Connector Cable for WS2812B WS2812 WS2811 LED Strip Lamp with 15cm Long Wire

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NBSF724/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_yP6wzbP3TYSZG

My plan is to solder one side to the switches and solder the other connector on the harness side.

This will fix the clearance issue with my switches but still make is serviceable if ever have to remove the panel. Maybe you can incorporate something like this on V2 for more flexibility
Make sure you call it the BlueBottle mod lol jk.

 

Looking forward to receiving. I have also moved since ordering so I'm sure my mail forward option is taking some extra time. I'm about to start an audio build, too, so I'll do all of this at the same time. Great write-up.

 

Nice install AND write up Blue

 

I want one too. Please make more.

 

Damn @TundraTex looks like you'll be busy for the rest of the year lol.

 

No kidding! I'm up to the challenge though!

 

Thanks so much for the insight guys. Can't wait to do this on my own truck.

 

When you doing it? Share with us which camera you went with if you went with a different cam. Only thing with my camera is I'm not 100% convinced its 170* view. Its wide but I think it can be wider still. Wish I had a giant protractor so I can measure my field of view...

 

Nice work by the way.

 

Blue im signed up for round two so might be a little bit. Will certainly report to the board once done. Head on parking is just too darn tough to judge in the tundra. AND would be nice to be able to verify tailgate closed on the move without putting it in reverse.