How To Hide Your Dash Cam Cords

One of the many things people often strive for is to have a clean vehicle. No one wants the clutter and mess of a car with stuff all over the place, and getting the nice, factory look is very appealing. When you add a dash cam to your vehicle, and there are a lot of sound reasons for doing so, it represents another area where you want a clean appearance. What are we talking about? Cords! No one wants to have unsightly cords and cables running all over the interior of the vehicle, especially if you’re using your vehicle for making money, such as being a driver in a ride-share business. Let’s talk about how you can hide your dash cam cords to give you a clean, factory-fresh appearance.

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Where To Start

Once you know what dash cam you are using and where you ideally want to mount the camera, you then need to know how you are planning to power the dash cam and where the cords need to go. If you’re hardwiring your dash cam, it is easier to hide the cords than if you’re going to run the power from your car’s 12-volt plug on the dash. Once you know how you will power your dash cam and the placement of the camera, it is time to do some planning.

Mock It Before You Rock It

Have you ever watched one of those fabrication shows on TV? Quite often they will mockup what kind of part they are going to create using some easy-to-work-with material, before they actually dig in and make it. It cuts down mistake time and gives a better picture of what the finished product will look like. The same thing applies to how you hide your cords.

The best tool you can use to start the mock up process is some masking tape. Have your dash cam mounted in place, and start using some masking tape to place the cord where you ideally want it to run. This way, you’re not pulling trim out, cutting access holes, or doing anything permanent until you determine exactly how things are going to work. For example, you don't want to cut a hole in your headliner to run the cord along the pillar, only to find that you can’t run the cord down the pillar in the first place.

Doing a full mockup of the routing before you dig in also gives you a good idea of whether or not you have enough cord to reach the power source. It also helps you determine if you’ll have extra wire or cord that you then need to address.

The Roof

If you’re mounting your dash cam by your rearview mirror, first check to see if there is any cord already running to the mirror area. Some vehicles have an antenna built into this spot, or have a backup camera or some other device. Not to mention map lights, storage sunroof, etc. Most modern vehicles have some sort of device built into the roof of your vehicle that gives you an access point to piggyback running your cord through.

Our biggest word of caution here is to be careful to not run your cord along the seam that adheres your windshield to the frame of your car. This is a good area to avoid simply because if you have to replace the windshield at some point, anything that gets in the way of the installers of the windshield can cause problems. You do not want anything to interfere with that seal, trust us.

The Pillars

The pillars we are referring to are the posts that frame your windshield and attach the roof to the car’s body. These often make ideal places to route cords because you can often pop off the plastic cover with a couple of screws and then have access to run the cord from the roof, down to the dash and firewall.

There is a big caution here. If there is an airbag system built into these pillars, don’t do anything. Consult your manual, or mechanic to see if there is room to route the cord before you even attempt it, as the last thing you need is to mess with your airbags.

The Dash

Once you have your cords down to the dash, it is easier to hide them. Even if you are running the cord down to the 12-volt to plug the dash cam in, you can route the cords down to the dash and up and under it to reach the outlet.

There are a couple of extra things you can find in most any auto parts, or electrical store that can be a big help with stashing cords either in the dash or elsewhere in your vehicle. Zip ties are always going to be your friend. There is no better way to secure an electric cord or wire away from view or to keep it from dangling.

Cord sleeves are also a great way to hide a cord and keep it secured in a spot without being able to route it under an existing part of your vehicle interior. These are often rubber covers that hold the cord within, and have an adhesive backing to secure it in place. It makes a great way to route a cord along trim, or the dash and keep it looking clean. Plus, it can give you an option in case you decide to remove the dash cam later, or relocate it. It is always good to have options.

The most important part of hiding your dash cam cords is to think things through before you jump in. A few moments of planning before you get started will make the process run smoother and work better. It often leads to a cleaner look, too, which is the main point.