Homemade backup camera

83Excella · 06-30-2002, 04:24 PM

Here's a goody, how would you like to have a camera for the rear of your trailer? see whats behind you and even helps in backing, can be made for motorhomes too. This link will tell you how to build and install it including instructions and a parts list. www.funddealernet.com/cartercam/

John

Pahaska · 07-08-2002, 07:15 AM

I think this is a great idea. I had tinkered with the idea myself in the past, but hadn't gone so far as to look for appropriate hardware. My previous trailer was a TrailManor that folded to 5' high and I could see all trucks and the tops of most cars over the trailer. That made the camera a lot less necessary.

I ordered the camera last week. The monitor is temporarily out of stock, but their website has provision to email me as soon as they are available.

The off-center rear window over the sink in my International AS extends to the centerline of the trailer. I'm going to try permanently mounting the camera inside the window on the centerline, looking straight back. That way, there are no worries about weather or vandalism. I'll have to make a round hole in the window screen; that can be easily done with a hot soldering iron or wood-burning pencil. I'll run the cord down through the cabinet and up to the hitch area underneath the trailer.

I'll probably set the monitor on the console of the truck. Another option would be to hang it from the overhead console in view of the rear-view mirror as was done by the originator of the idea.

I'll post some feedback as the project proceeds.

83Excella · 07-08-2002, 09:18 AM

John,
Do post your progress, I plan on doing one myself down the road.

John

Pahaska · 07-08-2002, 10:59 AM

I'll post progress photos on my own website as I go and publish the links here. Since I will get the camera first, probably sometime this week, the first photos will be of the camera installation in the trailer and the signal wiring.

I was out at the trailer this morning doing some minor chores. While I was there, I looked at how I might route the cable from the camera and what sort of mount the camera might require.

I won't know until I have the camera in hand whether the venetian blind will cause a problem. Depending on the size of the camera, I may need to travel with the blind open

53flyingcloud · 07-09-2002, 10:58 AM

Excellent Idea~!!
Like you John, I've also toy'd with this thought.
Every since I backed the Burb into the TT tongue.
Grrrrrrr, That hurt~!~(cost almost 900$ to replace the door!)
Have you looked at the wireless cameras? With these units, you could not only have in the rearview of your A/S but, have one in the back of your tow vehicle as well..
I'll be interested in seeing your pictures.
ciao

Pahaska · 07-09-2002, 11:13 AM

According to the web page, you can hook several cameras to the monitor and supply 12v only to the one you want active at any given time. That would do what you want.

Fotunately, when the trailer tongue is high enough for the ball to get under the socket, I can just see the top of the power jack over the top edge of my tailgate. That helps in lining up and keeps me from backing too far.

The camera arrived 7/11.

Jim Clark · 07-09-2002, 08:44 PM

I tried the X10 and could not get a good picture or the sound to work. I gave up after the second one. I wish you better luck as I would love have a back up camera. Keep us posted please.

Pahaska · 07-11-2002, 04:12 PM

The camera came this afternoon. I immediately hooked it up to my VCR and got a really good picture, much better than I had expected. Sound was working OK, but the sound quality wasn't very good. I don't care about sound for this application.

I pointed the camera out through a screened, tinted, double-pane window and had an excellent picture of my back yard. The picture quality was good enough that I could clearly see the window screening close-up. I could easily pick out birds on the feeder in the back yard, so seeing cars behind me should be a breeze.

I was happy to find that I can remove the mount easily since I want to create my own mounting inside the rear window of the trailer. The camera will be mounted in a hole in the insect screen with the camera lens cover nearly touching the glass and pointing straight back. The phone-type cord will be routed down through the cabinet and forward under the trailer to the hitch area.

Now, if only the next shipment of Redant monitors comes in, I'll be flying with this project. I may even consider a second camera as a hitch camera since I usually hook up by myself.

83Excella · 07-14-2002, 09:10 AM

This is the link to John's web page to follow his progress building & installing his rearview camera.
http://irwin.home.texas.net/

John

Pahaska · 07-14-2002, 07:18 PM

I built the connector today to go on the truck near the hitch. I really like the way it came out. For more photos and text, go to:

http://irwin.home.texas.net/bkcamera.html

Pahaska · 07-17-2002, 08:30 AM

It's hard to get a good photo of a TV screen, but here is an image from the camera on our 32" TV. At this size, you can see the lower resolution of the camera. I tried it on a small TV and the image is quite sharp.

By the way, those circular ripples aren't on the TV screen, they are from the interaction of the camera and the screen.

I would have posted a shot outdoors, but it is raining and quite dark. The outdoor image is fine to the eye, but not enough contrast to get a decent photo of the screen with my digital camera. Plenty good, though, for a backup camera.

Pahaska · 11-04-2002, 07:10 AM

My original plan for the monitor was to use a Redant 5-inch diagonal LCD Monitor. Unfortunately, this monitor has been unavailable for several months and my project has been on the shelf.

My present plan is to use a $200 camera-mountable Citizen 3.8" LCD monitor (photo) that comes complete with a glare hood and desktop stand. FedEx should deliver this monitor to me this morning. When not used as a rear-view monitor, the monitor will be usable with my Sony digital camera.

The monitor does not have the ability to reverse the image that the Redant monitor had. To compensate for this, the camera will be mounted facing sideways, focused on a little stick-on rear-view mirror. I will experiment with a convex mirror to give a wide-angle view. The camera and mirror will fit nicely between the screen and the glass.

Pahaska · 11-04-2002, 12:20 PM

FedEx brought the monitor a few minutes ago. It seems to be a very nice unit and is small and light enough to hang on the dashboard to the right of the wheel where it will be easy to see.

The glare hood that came with it is too restrictive to be useful as-is, but I will cut it down as appropriate when I choose the mounting location.

I haven't been able to connect to the X10 camera yet because I need a couple of RCA female to female connectors. The screen is quite bright, though, and should be easy to see when installed.

Here is a photo of the monitor with the battery pack on the back and without the stand.

Pahaska · 11-04-2002, 08:30 PM

Not the best photo, but camera and monitor work pretty well together hooked up on my desk. The image on the monitor has pretty good color and it looks a lot better than this photo would indicate.

I did notice before that the camera works a lot better with natural light than it does with incandescent light.