mounting overhead monitor in 2006 honda odyssey with sunroof

[MyFartsStink 10+ year member]

I was wondering what should be the correct way of mounting the overhead monitor with a sunroof. I can come up with a few ideas like putting a piece of wood above the liner and screw it to that and just let it hang but I am looking to get the correct way of going about this. This is my bosses wifes car and he is wanting me to install it. So if anyone can help me out it would be greatly appreciated.

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[Worlddre 5,000+ posts]

well first you need to determine if an overhead is a good idea in this particular vehicle by having a look under the headliner. Simply pull back the the seal around in sunroof hole thats attached to the healiner and look under there for something to mount to because you really never want to rely on the headliner alone to support the weight of an overhead. There should be a metal brace under there that crosses the top of the vehicle. Now push back the sunroof pad and see how close the pad comes to that brace. If its too close to put a 1/2" screw through that brace then you need to do headrests instead. If you have some space like say that brace is not flat and has some recessed places that can be screwed through then go for it.

My method

Tape off the area of headliner in which the overhead will mount. Measure the center of the head liner width-wise and mark it. Overheads usually come with a mounting plate. Take it and mark the center of it width-wise using a sharpie. Now determine where that brace is and line the center markings up along that brace and trace that mounting plate onto the taped area of the head liner. Also mark any areas where wires are designed to pass through that plate. Now its time to cut. I usually cut about a 2-4 inch wide sliver of the head liner out that spans from to top to the bottom of my traced area. Now find some holes that are not going to be used for mounting on that plate. Mark those holes on the headliner and take a straight pick tool and poke through there. Now at those locations CA or hot glue some speed clips to those spots. Also mark and poke holes through the head liner where the mounting holes for the monitor itself are on the mounting plate. Run your wires. Slide the mounting plate into the headliner and and stick the shortest screws possible through those speed cliped holes. Now take your 1/2" self tappers and put those two through the mounting plate and through that brace we found earlier. Now slowly test sunroof and pad function listening for any scratching of that pad usually you have about 3/4" of not visible space on the sunroof pad so listen closely. If all is well pull your tape off and use the holes you poked to line up and mount the overhead. If you have any scratch try grinding down the ends of those screws until the hold but dont hit the pad. and all done.