Brake controller, & Backup hazard warning alarm

[denellen]

Newby here with a 2012 Interstate. It's 8 days old today. Diggin it!
There are 2 loose harnesses under the driver's seat. I presume one is for the brake controller. Anyone know what the other one is for?
Does anyone know where to get a connector and harness to go from under the driver's seat to the dash for installation of a brake controller?
Has anyone replaced the existing rearview mirror/ camera for the optional Sprinter "Park Alarm System"? The Airstream installed camera is not very good. Maybe I just don't know how to adjust it properly . The OEM one pager is little help. What say you?

Can't access Sirius XM station. I get a "not connected" message. Am I missing som precedent requirement?

MB/ Sprinter dealer, & AS dealer couldn't answer above questions, & I browsed the Forum to no avail. Would appreciate any/all help y'all might be able to give.

Tnx: Dennis

[masseyfarm]

Congrats on your new Interstate.
I will bump this and hope someone can help you.

Dave

Originally Posted by denellen

Newby here with a 2012 Interstate. It's 8 days old today. Diggin it!
There are 2 loose harnesses under the driver's seat. I presume one is for the brake controller. Anyone know what the other one is for?
Does anyone know where to get a connector and harness to go from under the driver's seat to the dash for installation of a brake controller?
Has anyone replaced the existing rearview mirror/ camera for the optional Sprinter "Park Alarm System"? The Airstream installed camera is not very good. Maybe I just don't know how to adjust it properly . The OEM one pager is little help. What say you?

Can't access Sirius XM station. I get a "not connected" message. Am I missing som precedent requirement?

MB/ Sprinter dealer, & AS dealer couldn't answer above questions, & I browsed the Forum to no avail. Would appreciate any/all help y'all might be able to give.

Tnx: Dennis

[xrvr]

Try the Sprinter Forum. jim

[BL1996]

Dennis:

Brake controller harness is under the driver seat. Don't know what the other is for. I had an installer run new wire to the controller.

Check the Sirius antenna that is located on the dash. I occasionally get the message. It is probably not in the best place.

The cam is fine in day time but not much at night.

[denellen]

Originally Posted by masseyfarm

Congrats on your new Interstate.
I will bump this and hope someone can help you.

Dave

Thanks Dave.

Dennis

[denellen]

Originally Posted by BL1996

Dennis:

Brake controller harness is under the driver seat. Don't know what the other is for. I had an installer run new wire to the controller.

Check the Sirius antenna that is located on the dash. I occasionally get the message. It is probably not in the best place.

The cam is fine in day time but not much at night.

Hi BL:
I'll get an installer to do the harness. Hoping he can provide a plug in connector so I can move my controller from one car to another.
I figured out how to increase the brightness on the cam. Turned it almost all the way up. Much better. Now if I could figure out how to improve the perspective, ie; vehicles only one or two car lengths behind me appear to be a mile back. Tiny bits in the mirror, can barely see them.
Sirius; still need to work on that.
Dennis

[73shark]

Not much you can do about the camera's perspective since it has a "fish eye" lens.

I assume that you have a Sirius subscription.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by BL1996

Check the Sirius antenna that is located on the dash. I occasionally get the message. It is probably not in the best place.

The cam is fine in day time but not much at night.

Sirius antenna on my 2012 is on the roof, right over the driver's seat. GPS antenna is on the dash, though, on the passenger side. Airstreams don't come with a free 1-year subscription ot Sirius XM; you have to get it yourself, and you'll need the ID number for the Kenwood head unit, found on your Airstream installed parts list.

I find the camera much more effective at night than during the day, actually, possibly because it's a low-light camera. Also because the rear-view-mirror-mounted monitor still works as a rear-view mirror even when the monitor is on, unless I crank up the monitor brightness to the point that the picture washes out. That means I get a reflection AND the camera image, overlaid on each other, making for a confusing view. You CAN make it work day or night, but you have to fiddle with brightness and contrast for the lighting conditions you have at the time, and who wants to do that every time? So I set mine for low-light when the other mirrors don't help as much, and ignore it during the day.

Then again, I've had experience driving commercial vehicles that didn't have an inside rear-view mirror, so relying on just the door-mounted mirrors is not much of a problem for me in daylight.

[denellen]

Originally Posted by 73shark

Not much you can do about the camera's perspective since it has a "fish eye" lens.

I assume that you have a Sirius subscription.

Yah, I guess the camera is what it is. I can live with it; I understand the rear view compromise.
Got Sirius working. Turns out they had it subscribed to my other car. My other car seems stuck on music from the 40s (giving away my age). In this one I might try some other stuff. Not Howard S., but maybe kick it up to the 50s,& 60s.
How do you get smileys on the I Pad app? ;-)

Took a 4dayer to The Keys. The coach was easy.Stayed at State Parks ; Long Key, and Bahia Honda. Both great parks. Not fun driving the coach thru narrow streets of Key West, but managed to maneuver wherever we wanted to go. Still diggin it.
Dennis

[denellen]

WTHeck, I just noticed that I got a smiley on my previous post. Where'd that come from? I typed in a made-up, and it turned into a smiley. Did I answer my own question?
Dennis :-()

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by denellen

My other car seems stuck on music from the 40s (giving away my age).

No matter what your age, Glenn Miller is great music for driving! I wasn't even born until the late 50's and I still like 40's music.

Even for those who listen with the windows open, 40's music won't offend other drivers when you're stopped at the same traffic light, except maybe those poor young deaf people who can't afford hearing aids and have to listen to their rap with the volume turned up to 13.

[BL1996]

Just got back from a bike trip where we pulled the bikes to Panama City then rode to Key West and and back. The Interstate was great and pulled a 4600 lb trailer without incident. Got 13.6 pulling at 70-75.

[denellen]

I've found a source for a harness, and choice of 2 different mounting brackets for my Prodigy brake controller, but I can't find a really good place to install it where it will be both out of the way and readily accessible. Any suggestions for mounting it in the Sprinter van?
What kind of bracket did you use, and where'd you mount it, anyone? I'd appreciate your suggestions
Tnx: Dennis

[Protagonist]

etrailer.com has a video tutorial for mounting a brake controller in a 2007 Sprinter van, that shows them bolting it to the borrom edge of the dashboard directly in line with the accelerator, or directly down from the ignition switch, however you want to look at it.

Of course, that's for a 2007 plain-Jane Sprinter that hasn't been converted to an Airstream, so that location may not work for your 2012 Airstream.

[denellen]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

etrailer.com has a video tutorial for mounting a brake controller in a 2007 Sprinter van, that shows them bolting it to the borrom edge of the dashboard directly in line with the accelerator, or directly down from the ignition switch, however you want to look at it.

Of course, that's for a 2007 plain-Jane Sprinter that hasn't been converted to an Airstream, so that location may not work for your 2012 Airstream.

Sent you a PM.
Thanks: Dennis

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

etrailer.com has a video tutorial for mounting a brake controller in a 2007 Sprinter van, that shows them bolting it to the borrom edge of the dashboard directly in line with the accelerator, or directly down from the ignition switch, however you want to look at it.

Of course, that's for a 2007 plain-Jane Sprinter that hasn't been converted to an Airstream, so that location may not work for your 2012 Airstream.

Update: You can find the video here Trailer Brake Controller Installation - 2007 Dodge Sprinter without Tow Package Video | etrailer.com