Trying to get trailer camera wire fished through to the Pin Box

[Fonecop1]

Does anybody have any tips or tricks to getting a wire fished from the pin box existing hole to the front storage compartment? I have the GM camera and plan to take the cable loose at the camera since others have said that’s the way to go. The trailer is a 310GK and I tried to start a stiff fish steel in that hole earlier and didn’t get anywhere so thought I’d ask here before I wasted a bunch of time. Thanks in advance.

 

[LMagelitz]

Does anybody have any tips or tricks to getting a wire fished from the pin box existing hole to the front storage compartment? I have the GM camera and plan to take the cable loose at the camera since others have said that’s the way to go. The trailer is a 310GK and I tried to start a stiff fish steel in that hole earlier and didn’t get anywhere so thought I’d ask here before I wasted a bunch of time. Thanks in advance.

The hole that the existing trailer wiring goes thru extends up into the front cap. Our washer/dryer is in the middle in our rig, and we have a closet on either side with drawers on the bottom. If I take out a drawer, I can get back to where those wires come into the front cap. You may not have this same layout.

I ran a trailer camera wire as well, but cut a hole in the filon just off the back corner of the pin box, and from there you can fish back to the front compartment. From the front compartment you can get into the area just above the coroplast. I took the coroplast loose along the frame on the door side, and tucked the wire into the area above it to get to the back of the trailer.

 

[Fonecop1]

The hole that the existing trailer wiring goes thru extends up into the front cap. Our washer/dryer is in the middle in our rig, and we have a closet on either side with drawers on the bottom. If I take out a drawer, I can get back to where those wires come into the front cap. You may not have this same layout.

I ran a trailer camera wire as well, but cut a hole in the filon just off the back corner of the pin box, and from there you can fish back to the front compartment. From the front compartment you can get into the area just above the coroplast. I took the coroplast loose along the frame on the door side, and tucked the wire into the area above it to get to the back of the trailer.

That explains why my fish steel didn’t want to go anywhere. I was planning to use 1/2 inch cable clamps and attach the cable to the outside using the existing screws. It doesn’t sound like it would be that much more trouble to go on the inside. I was also planning to use the ladder to get up the back of the trailer and maybe mount it to the prepped camera mount to avoid drilling into the trailer, haven’t been up there to really scope it out yet though

 

[Johnww]

I used a wire fish to run the wires for my disc brake project. I removed the small screws the held up the exterior cover along the path of the wire travel then pushed the fish with the wire attached through the pinbox back to the front storage area. I recall seeing evidence of some rigid foam particles on the nose of the wire fish. It was an easy project as I recall.

 

[LMagelitz]

That explains why my fish steel didn’t want to go anywhere. I was planning to use 1/2 inch cable clamps and attach the cable to the outside using the existing screws. It doesn’t sound like it would be that much more trouble to go on the inside. I was also planning to use the ladder to get up the back of the trailer and maybe mount it to the prepped camera mount to avoid drilling into the trailer, haven’t been up there to really scope it out yet though

It’s not that bad. You can fish along part of the frame and not take down the entire edge of the coroplast. I went up the ladder as well, and over to the prepped mount area. That is too high for the GM specs, but I didn’t want to drill in a different area, plus at that time I was planning to put a bike rack back there which would have covered the height that GM wants it. If you are taking the cable loose from the camera, I’d put it in a stick of conduit up the ladder. I’m not that pleased with mine zip-tied to the ladder.

 

[Fonecop1]

It’s not that bad. You can fish along part of the frame and not take down the entire edge of the coroplast. I went up the ladder as well, and over to the prepped mount area. That is too high for the GM specs, but I didn’t want to drill in a different area, plus at that time I was planning to put a bike rack back there which would have covered the height that GM wants it. If you are taking the cable loose from the camera, I’d put it in a stick of conduit up the ladder. I’m not that pleased with mine zip-tied to the ladder.

Yeh I wasn’t planning to use the see through trailer because my 22 truck doesn’t support 5th wheel, I could probably lie to it in the profile and get it to maybe work but after going through all of that on my travel trailer I’m good with it up high. If my 22 truck ever gets the update to do 5th wheel then I might buy the HD camera and give it a try.

 

[Fonecop1]

Thanks for the tips all. I ended up drilling a 7/8 hole just back and next to the pin box, I had a 3/4 grommet but that didn’t give me enough room to fish the cable connector from the camera end so I had to go with a 7/8. I was strapped for time so I ended up using some stainless 1/2 inch cable clamps to attach it to the underbelly screws. I had just enough cable to drape it over the tailgate to the bumper connection. I plan to move the connection to the bed but not sure how I will enclose/protect them since I have an aftermarket Curt 7 way plug I added in the bed since my truck wasn’t prepped with the oval enclosure with the 4 way and 7 pin.

 

[powerscol]

Does anybody have any tips or tricks to getting a wire fished from the pin box existing hole to the front storage compartment? I have the GM camera and plan to take the cable loose at the camera since others have said that’s the way to go. The trailer is a 310GK and I tried to start a stiff fish steel in that hole earlier and didn’t get anywhere so thought I’d ask here before I wasted a bunch of time. Thanks in advance.

Get a 1/8" thick flat bar (1 to 1.5" wide) and slide it flat along the top of the overhang cover (removing the inner field screws helps) It may hang up on insulation, just wiggle as you slide. Once through twist it 90 degrees. This will give you a space big enough to get your wires through. BTW tape a pull string to the end of the bar before inserting. I went from the pin box back to the front compartment.

Hope this helps.

 

[RoscoeTX]

I have successfully installed a GM camera in two different Reflection 5th wheel trailers, a 2020 230RL and 2023 337RLS. Both installations were challenging, especially routing the cable from the front storage bay to the pin box. After mounting the camera on the back and routing the cable along the RH frame rail, the cable is routed through the RH gas bottle compartment and into the front storage bay near the RH leveling jack.
The space between the pin box and storage bay is covered with white plastic and stuffed with pink fiberglass bat insulation. I routed the cable to the center of the trailer inside the bay and pushed it through the insulation using fiberglass fish tape. The camera connector is large and about as smooth as a cactus so use electrical tape to attach it to the fish tape and smooth the rough edges. You will push a tennis ball size piece of insulation but that is to be expected. Use an additional cushion clamp to clamp the camera cable at the pin box with the same bolt that the trailer cable is using. I used spiral cable wrap from Home Depot to attach the camera cable to the trailer light cable. You will end up with several feet of excess cable, so wind it up and stash it behind the RH level jack. I also swapped the GM bumper and inside bed connectors using camera extension cables from Amazon.

GM camera extension "Fakra Z Female to Male Vehicle Antenna Extension Cable 1m 3 feet: https://a.co/d/cCjnI5T

Contact me at [email protected] if you would like to get my phone number and discuss this project in more detail.

 

[Fonecop1]

I have successfully installed a GM camera in two different Reflection 5th wheel trailers, a 2020 230RL and 2023 337RLS. Both installations were challenging, especially routing the cable from the front storage bay to the pin box. After mounting the camera on the back and routing the cable along the RH frame rail, the cable is routed through the RH gas bottle compartment and into the front storage bay near the RH leveling jack.
The space between the pin box and storage bay is covered with white plastic and stuffed with pink fiberglass bat insulation. I routed the cable to the center of the trailer inside the bay and pushed it through the insulation using fiberglass fish tape. The camera connector is large and about as smooth as a cactus so use electrical tape to attach it to the fish tape and smooth the rough edges. You will push a tennis ball size piece of insulation but that is to be expected. Use an additional cushion clamp to clamp the camera cable at the pin box with the same bolt that the trailer cable is using. I used spiral cable wrap from Home Depot to attach the camera cable to the trailer light cable. You will end up with several feet of excess cable, so wind it up and stash it behind the RH level jack. I also swapped the GM bumper and inside bed connectors using camera extension cables from Amazon.

GM camera extension "Fakra Z Female to Male Vehicle Antenna Extension Cable 1m 3 feet: https://a.co/d/cCjnI5T

Contact me at [email protected] if you would like to get my phone number and discuss this project in more detail.

I took the camera apart and unplugged the cable from that end, it was a lot smaller at about 1/2 to 5/8 inch

 

[Fonecop1]

[MENTION=21922]RoscoeTX[/MENTION], thanks for that link to the extension cable. I like the sub $7 price of those a lot more than the price of the Pasternack ones.