relocate tailgate camera.

[CascadeF250]

Has anyone relocated the factory tailgate camera to a location above the license plate ?. I installed my 5th wheel tailgate today and would like to have the camera located there so I can use it with both my stock tailgate and the 5th wheel one. I contacted the Lockpick company and they informed me that they had nothing that would plug into the stock wiring harness by the spare tire. Their camera requires me to plug in under the dash and run new wiring to the rear of the truck. I don't want to do that. I priced the camera and wiring at Ford camera-$380.00 and the short wiring link $18.00 (ouch) . I am tempted to pull my stock camera and remount it and am curious if anyone has done it. ( how quick I got spoiled and used to having a camera ) Thanks for any information you have.

[mor4wd]

I had my tailgate cover off today beating a dent out of it. It would be no problem to pull that camera out and move it to somewhere else.

[matty21]

I'm curious swell, I want one of those 5th wheel vented gates but don want to loose the camera

[CascadeF250]

Originally Posted by mor4wd

I had my tailgate cover off today beating a dent out of it. It would be no problem to pull that camera out and move it to somewhere else.

Thanks for the information. I wonder if the camera is waterproof, if not a person could build a small housing so that it was enclosed.

[Painted Horse]

You can buy license plate cameras off Ebay and lots of accessory company websites. They are fairly inexpensive. What you can't get is the Ford Plug.

Pretty much any other product you buy will require you to splice into the factory wiring harness. Or buy the Ford wire and cut the end off of it and attach it to your new camera.

I've been wanting to add a 2nd or 3rd camera. Leave the tail gate camera for my day to day hooking up work trailers. But add a license plate camera on the back of my Gooseneck Horse trailer and maybe even an in bed camera to I can see to back under my gooseneck hictch. these will require a series of relays to turn on /off the appropriate camera.

[CascadeF250]

Originally Posted by Painted Horse

You can buy license plate cameras off Ebay and lots of accessory company websites. They are fairly inexpensive. What you can't get is the Ford Plug.

Pretty much any other product you buy will require you to splice into the factory wiring harness. Or buy the Ford wire and cut the end off of it and attach it to your new camera.

I've been wanting to add a 2nd or 3rd camera. Leave the tail gate camera for my day to day hooking up work trailers. But add a license plate camera on the back of my Gooseneck Horse trailer and maybe even an in bed camera to I can see to back under my gooseneck hictch. these will require a series of relays to turn on /off the appropriate camera.

Painted horse,
Do you know if the aftermarket cameras have the same number of wires and are compatible with Fords receiver up front? If not I guess the only way to find out is to experiment and see. The ford camera rear harness is not very expensive.

Thank you,

Cascade F250

[BigKid]

Originally Posted by CascadeF250

Painted horse,
Do you know if the aftermarket cameras have the same number of wires and are compatible with Fords receiver up front? If not I guess the only way to find out is to experiment and see. The ford camera rear harness is not very expensive.

Thank you,

Cascade F250

My license plate camera only has 3 wires, and the ford camera has like 7? or so I think?

I put a newer tailgate on my 02, it has the camera in the handle. I already had an aftermarket camera on the license plate from a long time ago. I was looking at doing just the opposite of what you are interested in. Hook up the tailgate camera and ditch the license plate camera. But since the wires don't match up, I didn't want to mess with it. So I'm interested to see what you find out(what wires hook up to what).

[Painted Horse]

The OEM camera wires for 2011 are White with Green strip for + and Brown with purple strip for -


I'm just in the process of expiermenting with mine. My license plate camera just arrived.

[ucpa111]

MOR4WD....beating a dent out? That sounds like fun.
I remember hitching up my Dad's 2500 Ram for him one day (right after I graduated college) to his 36 fifth wheel combo horse/camper trailer. I thought I had her lined up...closed the tailgate...said...ahh...need to adjust just a smidge. I got in...moved forward a bit...watched the rear view and just "bumped" the inside of the tailgate with the neck of the trailer. I thought...just a little bump....then got out and saw the torque of the Cummins "v"ed the tailgate out. Had to beat it with a sledge to straighten it so it would open. I felt like an a$$. As I said...college grad and all Dad sure was proud (NOT!). I offered to buy that junk tailgate for the rock bottom replacement price of $1100. Dad refused...he should have hammered me.
Lesson learned for me!

[mor4wd]

I suppose everyone has to back into their gooseneck or fifth wheel once before they learn their lesson. I learned my lesson not to always rely soley on the backup cam when backing up close to a trailer. The camera doesn't see that high very well, plus it was in a dark warehouse. Not justifying my stupidity, just explaining how stupid I am. Won't happen again.