BlackboxMyCar | Dash Cam Installation: Dual-Channel Dash Cam in a Ford Bronco (Removable Top)

This installation photo blog will show how we hardwire-installed a BlackVue DR750S-2CH dash cam into a Ford Bronco (with removable hardtop). If you're considering installing a dash cam, we recommend the Blackbox MyCar Essential Install Kit. The BlackboxMyCar Essential Install Kit comes with a circuit tester, trim remover tool, and other handy tools to make the project more manageable.

If you’re a fan of open-air motoring, you would’ve heard of the new Ford Bronco. Standard on the four-door Bronco is a retractable (and removable) soft-top. Looking for something smaller? The 2-door Bronco comes standard with a removable hard top.

But as with all convertibles and cabriolets, the absence of a fixed rear windshield makes installing a rear dash cam challenging - and many owners opt for a 1-channel dash cam instead.

So is a front-only 1-channel dash cam your only option if you drive a convertible, cabriolet, or a Ford Bronco?

Unlike the BlackVue X or X Plus Series, the S Series dash cams do not come with built-in voltage monitoring - you will need the BlackVue Power Magic Pro hardwiring kit for the job.

BlackVue dash cams sport a stealthy cylindrical shape, making them easy to mount and hide behind the rearview mirror in most vehicles.

All front dash cam installations start off with the same step: checking how far the wipers go because if you mount the camera above the wiper’s reach, it will not have a clear vision.

We installed the BlackVue front camera just behind the rearview mirror for this installation.

Regardless of which dash cam you are installing, if you want to use its parking mode features, you will have to choose either a hardwire installation or a dedicated dash cam battery pack - and for this installation, the customer requested a hardwire installation. The fuse panel on this Ford Bronco is right under the instrument panel on the driver's side.

Don’t forget - If you are using the BlackVue S Series dash cam, like the DR900S or the DR750S, you will need the BlackVue Power Magic Pro hardwiring kit. We have a BlackVue Power Magic Pro installation guide on our website for you; use the circuit testing in the Essential Install Kit to help you find the suitable fuse slots to use.

If you don't need parking mode capabilities, you can opt for a more straightforward installation using the 12V power cable and your vehicle's cigarette power socket.

Plug the power cable into the dash cam. Then, gently pull back the trim on the top headliner using the included prying tool to tuck in the cable. Because the fuse panel is located on the driver's side in this Bronco, we guided the power cable along the headliner and down the A-pillar on the driver's side. Popping out the A-pillar in the vehicle should be easy, and you can refer to your owner's manual for how to remove the pillar trims.

The owner of this Ford Bronco decided to go with a 1-Channel BlackVue DR750S-1CH dash cam so our installation stops here. But say you want to capture both the front and rear of your drive - what options do you have?

While this is a workable option, this setup offers a compromised view as the rear camear is too far from the rear of the car.

Some customers will mount a rear facing camera on the front window facing towards the interior to record the cabin as an alternative, but this setup offers a compromised view for capturing the rear as the camera is just so far from the rear bumper.

To do so:

1. Mount the rear camera. If there is no room on the front windshield, you can mount the rear camera on or around the rearview mirror mount.
2. Connect the rear camera to the front camera using the rear camera connecting cable. Remember that most rear camera connecting cables are 3-4.5m long, so you will have a lot of excess cable to tuck away in the headliner.

The downside of this mount option is the chances of the rear camera detaching or falling off is high.

In this case, you will mount the rear camera on an interior part that doesn’t come off with the roof, preferably as close to the rear as possible.

To do so:

1. Find the perfect spot for the rear camera:
1. A flat surface, a part that doesn’t come off with the roof
2. As close to the rear as possible
2. Connect the rear camera to the front camera using the rear camera connecting cable. You may have to remove the hardtop to run the cable properly.

Note that we have seen cases where the rear camera detaches or falls off unexpectedly

Nextbase comes with multiple rear camera modules so you can create the 2-channel system that best fits your needs.

While all of Nextbases dash cams come as a front-only 1-channel dash cam, you can add rear camera modules to create your own 2-channel system.

Nextbase offers 3 different rear cam modules, two directly connecting to the front unit, with no wires to run or cables to hide.

• Cabin View -Recording inside the vehicle is ideal to capture vehicles beside you, as well as passengers in the car
• Rear View - Connects directly to your Dash Cam and records the rear view of your journey through your car

In other words, these modules would let you record an extra channel without needing to mount any additional cameras.