Rear Dash Camera Mount in our Convertible

[UNSAFE]

After doing some research on this topic I found a thread on the S550 forum that inspired me to come up with this idea. I finished up the installation yesterday. Let me know your thoughts.

Other than my time, tools, and a can of black semi-gloss spray paint that I already had on hand, the two other things I used/bought were the Gooseneck Flexible Clamp Cell Phone Holder and a pack of 2" Mending Bands.

Links:

• Gooseneck Flexible Cell Phone Holder
• 2" Mending Bands

Steps:

1. Power on the camera and install in the clamp/gooseneck holder.
2. Open the camera app to see the rear camera's field of view.
3. This next step requires being in the rear seat. Adjust the gooseneck holder accordingly to find the ideal position for the rear camera, both with the top up and down, as well as making sure the camera mount/position does not interfere with the top opening or closing. I then molded the gooseneck holder to follow the contour of the back of the rear seat down to the rear shelf. What's great about this holder is that it is flat and can be molded and bent to practically any shape while also maintaining rigidity.
4. At this point I bent two of the mending bands into a flat C-shape to fit the flat gooseneck holder against the rear seat back. I then spray painted the mending bands.
5. With rear seat back laying on a table and with the back of it facing up, I put the gooseneck holder in position and secured it to the rear of the seat back with the mending band screws. I'll be painting the screw heads to blend in better.

A few additional thoughts. First, at this time the camera is held in place by the cell phone clamp, but my goal is to replace it with something more like a lower profile flat base that the camera can be affixed to with the double sided tape. I'm looking for something that will fit the gooseneck holder with the correct thread count. Second, I'll be securing the loose cable to the gooseneck holder with small zip ties. Finally, after a test run of a few miles yesterday and over 20 miles today, there is no camera shake, which makes me very happy!

Here are some photos of the project:

Here's a screenshot of the rear camera field of view with the top up:

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[gpershall]

Very ingenious. I have been wondering how I might add a rear camera to my 24 convertible. I may have to give this a try. Is the video stable when you are driving?

 

[UNSAFE]

Very ingenious. I have been wondering how I might add a rear camera to my 24 convertible. I may have to give this a try. Is the video stable when you are driving?

Yes it is. I had the live view pulled up during my testing and looked at the recorded footage and there was no vibration/shake at all. I think what helps it is that the gooseneck holder rests against and is secured to the back of the seat creating a firm foundation.

 

[PS JCS]

Brilliant! I have a Nextbase IQ 4K which only captures front and cabin, but would detect rear impact. PS: you and I are the only ones that have ember glow interior!!

 

[TimSez]

Ingenious, but a bit kooky for my tastes. Kudos on the installation.

 

[UNSAFE]

Brilliant! I have a Nextbase IQ 4K which only captures front and cabin, but would detect rear impact. PS: you and I are the only ones that have ember glow interior!!

Ours is actually the Carmine Red interior. Originally we were going to go with the Ember Glow but decided on the Carmine Red after seeing it in person.

 

[Zuko]

Does this impact the top at all during the transition period and when up?

 

[UNSAFE]

Does this impact the top at all during the transition period and when up?

Not at all. When deciding on the location for installation/placement, I did a temporary install to make sure it didn't interfere with the top opening and closing. I went with a 1.5"-2" gap between the travel path of the top and the mount/camera. This is easy because the mount I used is almost infinitely bendable. It's worked great with no issues.

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