2022 Chevy Colorado install question

[wcu02mpa]

I have a 2022 Chevy Colorado and I am planning to install a Yaesu FT-891 and a Motorola XTL5000 VHF. I plan to install an HF antenna on the rear of the tailgate area (Most likely a Rago mount). My question is, where would I run the coax out of the cab to the rear of the vehicle? I am wondering if there is a grommet access port area in the rear or am I going to have to run it through the firewall and then route it to the rear. I have everything else sorted out. I have done many installs over the years, but never on a Colorado. Thanks

 

[mmckenna]

Only grommet I used on my wife's 2021 was under the dash on the drivers side, and that was only to pull a #6 for battery power.

I've never noticed a suitable grommet in the rear of her crew cab, but I may not have been looking very hard.

 

[AK9R]

Many full-size pickup trucks have vents in the rear cab wall. Look carefully between the cab and the bed to see if there's a vent. Or, poke around behind whatever is covering the back wall of the cab. If your Colorado is a crew cab, there may be a release somewhere that you can manipulate to fold the rear seat back away from the back wall of the cab.

On my 2011 Ford F-150, the cab vents lined up almost perfectly with grommets in the front wall of the pickup box.

 

[K6GBW]

I ran a 6 meter radio under the backseat of my Colorado. I had a 6 meter quarterwave on the driver's side rear fender near the gas tank filler. I ran the coax down to the frame rail and then zip tied it along the top of the frame rail to the area under the rear driver's side door. I drilled a small hole and used a device called a Cable Glands to run the coax through. The cable glands has an appeture that when twised closed down around the coax to create a very right seal.

 

[rdyabout]

I have a 2021 GMC Canyon which is an equivalent vehicle.

You can find brackets that install over the rear top light above the cab. You can mount the antenna on the bracket and run the cable down through the light into the cab. It is a pretty clean install.

Since it was a new vehicle I paid a profesisonal car stereo installer to put it all together.

With an antenna at the top of the cab you get great performance but you have to deal with clearance in garages.

You can also mount the antenna on the front hood and run the cable through the firewall to the cab. The dealer sells brackets that mount to the fender mounting bolt. The antenna sits outside the hood so there is no interference with operation..

I went through a professional installer to protect the warranty.

 

[slowmover]

Rear cab vents (bed removed)



On my Dodge — under the rear seat — the floor has several plugs which can be removed and modified.

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[madrabbitt]

I have a 2021 GMC Canyon which is an equivalent vehicle.

You can find brackets that install over the rear top light above the cab. You can mount the antenna on the bracket and run the cable down through the light into the cab. It is a pretty clean install.

HF antenna. LARGE HF antenna. Not NMO. Thats what he's needing the cable outside for.


Although thats a viable solution for the moto VHF.


Back to the original question. Just did a large number of colorados which we had to run a multi conductor cable out of the cab.
On teardown we didnt find anything suitable, and ended up drilling (and obviously sealing) in the floorpan on a rear corner. That being said, these were all for a fleet in a low/no salt state with no rust issues. I wouldnt want to do that outside of the southwest unless i ABSOLUTELY had to.

 

[slowmover]

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[slowmover]

HF antenna. LARGE HF antenna. Not NMO. Thats what he's needing the cable outside for.


Although thats a viable solution for the moto VHF.


Back to the original question. Just did a large number of colorados which we had to run a multi conductor cable out of the cab.
On teardown we didnt find anything suitable, and ended up drilling (and obviously sealing) in the floorpan on a rear corner. That being said, these were all for a fleet in a low/no salt state with no rust issues. I wouldnt want to do that outside of the southwest unless i ABSOLUTELY had to.

Cable gland?

.

 

[madrabbitt]

Cable gland?

.

no, just self-vulcanizing sheet on the interior, rubber grommet plus black RTV in the hole, and a shot of rustolium as soon as the hole was drillled. Pretty standard for that.

 

[slowmover]

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Example of waterproof cable gland for those new to use.

If I run coax thru an unused portion of the air line panel on big truck firewall, it’s an easy way to ensure integrity.

Mechanically secure against pull-out.



Rust prevention also needed (as in post above).

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[slowmover]

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