Silverado/Tahoe Five Minute Front Camera Installation

wottenad · February 21, 2013

For those that are looking for a VERY easy do-it-yourself front camera installation on a Silverado/Tahoe/Suburban with the crosshatch grille, the new Advent CAM500 camera can function as a front camera if you have an input on your deck for it (or want to do the mods that will allow a front camera input).

I just installed one in my own 2011 Tahoe, and mounting the camera took less than 5 minutes after opening the box! This camera has some very large threads on the back of it - so large, in fact that it is an almost PERFECT fit into the openings on the crosshatch grille. All I did was wrap the threads with a couple layers of electrical tape and forced the camera into one of the holes in the grille. It is a VERY snug fit and definitely will not move once it's inserted. Unfortunately, there is noting preventing it from being removed (stolen), but once it's installed, it's very unobtrusive and extremely hard to pick out as anything other than a factory accessory.

It comes with a harness that you can route inside the cab through the large grommet to the right of the steering column, and only requires power and ground to operate. I fired mine up on a toggle switch that allows me to use BOTH the rear and front cameras any time I want to using the "A/V" input on my OGM1. This video shows how the system operates:

Camera mounted in grille under Bowtie emblem:

Camera detail view:

Camera display on Advent OGM1:

MikeNH · February 24, 2013

Pretty neat! But if it is threaded why not use a nut to secure it a bit more? Obviously it won't stop someone determined to grab the camera but its a help.

wottenad · February 26, 2013

Pretty neat! But if it is threaded why not use a nut to secure it a bit more? Obviously it won't stop someone determined to grab the camera but its a help

The threads on the camera are so shallow that they will not protrude through the grille to allow you to put the nut on the backside.

Although it seems kind of cheesy, wrapping the threads with electrical tape and friction fitting it into the grille results in a very, very snug fit - as a professional installer, I have kind of a philosophical disagreement with this type of mount :- ), but it works extremely well!

Also, it is so unobtrusive that it is HIGHLY unlikely that it will even be noticed, let alone get stolen…