Hardwiring a Dash Cam on a Dodge Durango

I wanted to install a dash cam in my 2018 Dodge Durango R/T, but didn't want a power cable hanging down from my windshield. So I looked into how I might more permanently installing a power source for the dash cam. Most guides on how to install a fixed power source for dash cams show running a cable to the car's fuse box, which is typically under the dash, and installing a fuse tap to extract power. However, the problem with the current Durango model is that the fuse box is in the engine compartment. So I had to figure out how to run a wire from Durango's interior to the fuse box in the engine compartment. Fortunately, someone else figured out the key secret, which is that there is a firewall plug accessible under the passenger side dash.

Below are instructions for how to replicate my install, with plenty of pictures. I make several product recommendations below. I have not been paid by anyone to do so, however the product links are Amazon affiliate links.

Step 0 - Select and Purchase Dash Cam and Parts

This article is not intended to be a review of dash cams, just how to install it. None the less, here are the dash cam parts I did order:

Rexing V1P Pro - Rexing dash cams are generally well reviewed, and that influenced my choice here. But the strongest selling point was the front and back high resolution cameras, GPS logger, and the connectivity with a mobile app.

Rexing Mini-USB Hardwire Kit - The whole point of this exercise is to hardwire the dash cam to my care so I don't have to use a cigarette lighter for a power source. However, the car's power supply is at 12+ volts, while the dash cam needs 5 volts. This kit from Rexing provides an adequately sized power converter to step down the car's voltage to the level the dash cam needs.

The goal in this project is to construct the power cable that will run power from the fuse box back to the passenger compartment. Given that I tend to own my cars for a long time (I kept my last 2003 Durango for 15 years), I also want to be able to change out the dash cam in the future with a newer model without needing to run new wires into the engine compartment. This means I don't want to hard line the dash cam directly to the fuse box. Instead, I want to create a socket under the glove box area that I can plug and unplug devices. Another design choice is that I want the power line into this socket be able to carry up to 10 amps. This is a bit of overkill for the dash cam, which pulls less than 1.5 amps. However, it should future-proof any new devices I would want to adding the future.

Given these design goals, I selected the following parts (click on links):

14 Gauge high temperature wire - 14 gauge wire is more than enough to sustain 10 amps of current over the short distance between the fusebox and under the glovebox. Since this wire is going through the engine compartment, its also a good idea to get wire with temperature resistance silicone covering.

Fiberglass heat shield sleeve - While the wire selected above is high temperature resistant, putting it in a fiberglass sleeve only improves its resistance to heat. But probably more importantly, the sleeve will help keep the wires organized.

2 Pin Weather Pack Connectors - The connector will be be used to connected the dash cam to the power line coming in from the fuse box. The connectors identified here are rated for 20 amps, so that exceeds my 10 amp goal. You also get 5 sets of connectors in the pack. I will save the 4 unused connector sets to use when I have a new device I want to connect to the power line (well, I will only use one half of the remaining sets as I will only need to connect to the existing socket).

Micro2 Fuse Tap - This device replaces an existing fuse in the Durango's fuse box and allows you to draw power from that connection. Note that it has two fuse slots on the side. One slot (the lower one) is used for the existing fuse that the tap replaces so that the original circuit can still get power, and the second is used for a fuse that will protect the new power line we are installing. This kit I identify here actually comes with 5 fuse taps. I only need one but this kit was still cheaper than other fuse tap kits that only had one tap.

Heat Shrink Solder Seal Wire Connector - Wires will need to be connected together. Soldering is always the best way to connect wire, but it can be difficult to do in and around the car. Thats where this connectors come it. All you do is put the two wires into either end of the connector, then use a hot air gun to seal and solder the connector. These things are great! If you don't have a hot air gun, something like this will do.

Micro2 Fuses - I need a fuse for the new power line. While the fuse tap kit above comes with fuses, it didn't have the fuse I wanted. Even though I designed the power line to be able to carry 10 amps, the dash cam I got only draws at most 1.5 amps. Given that, I will be fusing the new power line with a 5 amp fuse.

Spade Fork Terminal Connector - Only one of the 14 gauge connectors is needed. I had a large collection of these already, but if you need to order some, this is a good kit.

Step 1 - Locate the Firewall Plug

Looking in the engine compartment, you will see the fuse box to the starboard side. Behind it is a smaller compartment, which will refer to as the firewall plug compartment, in which you will find the firewall plug.

Looking down the firewall plug compartment you will see the firewall plug near the bottom.

Step 2 - Remove Dash Liner

If you pull down the edge of the line under the passenger glove box, you'll see it is held up by three of these black plastic fasteners.

Using a fastener remover, pulling straight down on the fastener under the plastic structure it is attached to will remove it. Do not pry against the plastic structure, as it will break. If you do break it, super glue will fix it.

Once all three fasteners have been pull out, the liner can be pull down. Do not pull it down too far, as the under dash light is still attached to it. You do not need to completely remove the liner, you just need to pull it down enough so you can reach up to reach the firewall plug.

Step 3 - Remove Firewall Plug

If you look up and to the right under the glovebox, you will see where several bundles of wires crosses into the passenger compartment from the engine compartment. To the right more you will see the firewall plug. Sorry, no picture of the plug in place. I thought I got this picture. See the picture below in step 6 that shows the firewall plug being reinserted to get an idea of what it looks like from the interior side of the firewall.

Using a nylon trim royal tool you can squeeze into place, very carefully pry the firewall plug inward so to remove it.

I can't emphasize this enough: carefully pry inward. The plug can easily be pushed through into the engine compartment. If the plug does get pushed forward, the plug will fall into an area that you cannot easily retrieve it from. If this does happen, you will need to figure out out how to fish it out.

Step 4 - Prepare Power Cable

I used 10 foot 14 gauge high temperature wire suitable for use in the engine compartment. Note the red and black colors. Red is used for positive power, black is for negative.

For additional protection and good organization, I used a fiberglass heat shield sleeve.

Work the black and red wires into the fiberglass sleeve. This is easier to do if you do both wires at the same time.

Once the wires have been worked into the sleeve, ensure there are good length of wire on either side.

Drill a hole in the center of the firewall plug removed in the prior step. The hole should be just big enough to fit the black and red power wire through.

Work the red and black power wires through the firewall plug hole. Also workout an inch of the fiberglass sleeve through the hole too. The fiberglass sleeve should go through the hole from the side of the firewall plug that was facing into the engine compartment. Once worked through the hole, use small zip ties around the fiberglass sleeve on either side of the firewall plug to hold the wires, sleeve, and plug in place.

In order to attach the Weather Pack connector to the power wires, you first connect the metal connectors to the wires. I attached the female connectors to the power line on the passenger compartment side of the firewall plug (the side without the fiberglass sleeve). This means the dash cam will use the male side connectors. Technically these connectors are crimp-on, however, I also soldered it some for good measure.

Here is what the finished socket connector. Here are some more detailed instructions on how to assemble these weather pack connectors.

Step 5 - Prepare Hardwire Kit

The hardwire kit I purchased was originally designed to connect directly to the fuse box in a car. If you look closely at it, you see that it has a fuse tap already connected to it. Since I intend to connect this hardwire kit to the power line built int he previous step, we will be clipping off it's hardwire connectors and instead attaching them to the male connector that will attach to the power line's connector.

Since we are not using the connectors provided by the hardwire kit, we will simply clip the off.

Connect the wires that used to be attached to the hardwire kit's connectors to the male side of the Weather Pack connector (similar process as in the previous step). Note that the male and female connectors can only connect in one orientation. Polarity is important! Be sure to line up the red wire of the hardwire kit to the red wire of the power line built int he previous step.

The power line and hardwire kit completely assembled and connected together.

Step 6 - Install Power Line

For this next step, using an electrician's "fish tape" tool will greatly simplify the task of threading the power line into position.

Thread the fish tape from the engine compartment into the hole left by the removed firewall plug.

Push the fish tape through until is comes out below the glove box.

Use some electrical tape to attach the engine compartment side of the power line (the side without the connector) to the fish tape. This will allow you to pull the power line through the firewall plug hole and into the engine compartment.

Pull the fish tape back through to the engine compartment, pulling the power line through. Stop just prior to the firewall plug reaching the open firewall hole.

Gently push the firewall plug into position in the firmware hole. If you push too hard, the plug will go all the way through the hole. You don't want that. Ensure that the plug is well seated in the hole.

Now the power cable should be emerging out of the firewall plug compartment. Detach it from the fish tape.

Between the firewall plug compartment and the larger engine compartment is a divider with several pass throughs for wiring. On my Durango, there was one pass through unused. We will route the power cable through this on its path to the fuse box. Use the fish tape again to do this, reattaching the power line to the fish tape after passing it through the divider from the fuse box side.

Now the power line has made its way all the way to the fuse box.

This is what the power line looks like emerging from the firewall plug on the engine side of the firewall.

Step 7 - Making the Electrical Connections

We are going to have the red power line enter into the fuse box from the side where there is no fuse being used. Drill a hole that is just large enough to pass through a single wire of the power line (the red wire, specifically).

Adjust the positioning of the power line so that it is not too loose and not too tight (you want some play) between the fire wall plug and the fuse box. Identify where the power line would intersect with the hole that was drilled. Snip a hole in the fiberglass sleeve at this point. Be careful to not cut the wires in the sleeve. Work the red wire out of the sleeve at this hole.

Once the red wire is worked out of the hole, use zip ties on either side of the hole to keep the wires in place and stress relief on the sleeve.

Now thread the red wire through the hole drilled into the fuse box, and use a zip tie for street relief on the interior of the box. Clip the zip tie of the extra length (picture shows it unclipped).

Now that the red power wire is in the fusebox, we need to attach the fuse tap to it. The fuse taps come with a crimp connector already attached to them. Since I am using the heat shrink solder connectors, I clipped off the crimp connector form the fuse tap wire, striped it to expose some wire, and inserted into an appropriately sized heat shrink solder connector.

I clipped the red power wire inserted into the fusebox to size it within the fusebox (the fuse tap will ultimately be placed in the F90/91 fuse hole), stripped it and inserted it into the other side heat shrink solder connector. Since the hot air gun I will be using to fuse the connector produces very hot air, I used a piece of wood to protect my Durango from the direct blast of the hot air.

After using the hot air gun to fuse the the connector, the wire covering on the fuse tap side melted a little (the board protected my Durango from drippings!). The red power line was OK because it was a high temperature wire. I wrapped the whole connector and either side in some electrical tape for added security and electrical isolation.

Do not connect the fuse tap yet. We need to attached the ground (negative) wire first.

The ground wire is going to be attached to the jump start grounding lug that is near the fuse box. Remove the black plastic covering to the lug, then loosen it. There is no need to completely remove the lug.

Trim the wire and sleeve of the remaining power line so that reaches the ground lug with some but not too much slack. Identify and appropriately sized spade fork terminal connector that can take 14 gauge wire and the fork is large enough to fit around the threads of the grounding lug. With a short bit of the extra black wire, crimp and solder the spade fork connector to one end of the wire and a shrink wrap solder connector to the other end. Using the heat gun (and a piece of wood to protect the car!) attach this connector to the end of the black power line we are installing.

Place the fork connector around the ground lug threads and tighten down the ground lug to hold the connector in place. Use a zip tie to tie down the fiberglass sleeve around the black power wire near the spade fork connector.

You will note in this picture that I have an extra zip tie on the black power line half way between he fuse box and the ground lug. This is because I cut the fiberglass sleeve too short and I had to attach an additional length of the fiber glass sleeve to protect the entire length fo the black power wire.

Locate the F90/91 fuse in the fusebox, and remove it (there is a fuse extractor tool in the upper right of the fusebox). Place the removed fuse in the lower slot (the slot closer to the blades) of the fuse tap. Add a new 5 amp fuse to the upper slot of the fuse tap.

Place the fuse tap into the F90/91 fuse hole. You will note that this fuse hole has two possible positions (hence both the 90 and 91 position identifiers). Place the fuse tap in the position closer to the front of the car if you want your power line to be on only when the car is on, or place the fuse tap in the position closer to the rear of the car if you want the power to always be on. If you choose the always on position, remember to undo that if you ever store your car long term so that you do not drain the battery.

Now go back to the passenger compartment and test the power supply to the dash cam. Yay, it works!

Route the red power wire in the fusebox into a stable position, and close up the fusebox. Clean up around the engine compartment of any debris or tools, and then close your hood. We are done with all work in the engine compartment.

Step 8 - Interior Wiring

On my 2018 Dodge Durango R/T, there was a pre-drilled hole in the headliner just behind the rearview mirror on the passenger side. I am going to use this as the exit point for the USB connector end of the power adapter of the hardwire kit. Figure out where you are going to place the dash cam. I suggest power it up and looking at its view in various locations to see if it is unobstructed. Once you identify a location, ensure there is sufficient start working the USB connector end of the hardwire kit into the headliner starting at the predrilled hole such that there is sufficient exposed length of the wire out of this hole to reach the dash cam at the desired location.

Work the USB power line into the headline (fingers work sufficiently well here) across to the passenger side A-pillar. You will note a small gap between the A-pillar's trim and the ceiling material. start working the wire into this gap.

Continue working the USB power wire into the gap around the A-pillar and to the passenger door opening

Once the wire is around the A-Pillar, work it into the door's weather seal molding and route the wire all the way down to the glove box.

Once you get the wire near the bottom of the glovebox, you'll note a small gap between two pieces of trim. You can use this gap to route the wire across towards the glove box. Here a trim tool is useful to work the ire in. The dash cam I got came with a trim tool (how convenient!). Otherwise, this one is a fairly good and cheap trim tool kit.

Once you work the wire through the trim gap, open the glove box and you will see more trim to work the wire behind on its journey towards the under-dash area where the power line comes through the firewall.

The USB power line has been routed all the way to where the power line we installed comes into the passenger compartment.

Wind up the extra wire for on the USB hardwire kit (there will be a lot) and bundle it with a zip tie.

Place the USB power converter and the bundled wire in a position amongst all the other under-dash wires where it will be held steady. You may choose to anchor it to something with some electrical tap. But keep in mind most of the wiring under the dash is not intended to be structural. Once in position, reattach the under-dash liner. We are done here!

Attach the dash cam to the desire position, attach the USB power cable, and enjoy!

Note that the angled USB connector from the Rexing hard wire kit points down rather than up towards the headliner. Why Rexing design this wire that way is beyond me. It will be a future project of mine to correct this design mistake on their part. But I can tolerate it for now.

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