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Old 12-04-2017, 10:55 AM   #1
Flying Bambi
 
2017 19' Flying Cloud
JACKSON , MS
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camera for viewing behind trailer while driving

We have a 2017 19' bambi that I pull with my 2014, Toyota 4-runner. They do not make side mirrors for my car. We got some that do fit, but they shake and it's really hard to see the cars in the lanes when you need to change a lane. Is there a good camera that someone can recommend for the back of the AS. thank you!
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Old 12-04-2017, 11:20 AM   #2
Rivet Master
 
2002 19' Bambi
Lafayette , California
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I can't recommend a camera (no knowledge!), but mirrors which will work on your Toyota are available. We have happily used McKesh mirrors for years for towing our 19'. You can find quite a discussion of mirrors here: http://www.airforums.com/forums/f295...ml#post1943749.

Tim
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Old 12-04-2017, 11:32 AM   #3
Vintage Kin
 
Fort Worth , Texas
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McKesh. Eagle One. Either is a good choice. A camera won’t give what you need. And add a large convex on both sides.
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Old 12-04-2017, 12:20 PM   #4
PKI
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The Voyager camera system works well and is an appropriate upgrade. We have been using a $200 Rear View camera system that was functional for the purpose about 80% of the time. The Voyager is a significant upgrade.

A camera is augmentation for your mirrors and highly recommended. It can replace the mirrors, but not without a multicamera install. Much more sensible to add extended mirrors. Using mirrors is also a skill worth learning and enhancing. The McKesh mirrors recommended above should work well for you. We use a set of Aero 2 mirrors. They work, but do move around and that bothers some folks. The McKesh straps do tend to move from wind pressure, but twisting or using pads seems to quiet their movement. Examples of discussion on links below.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f238...es-171676.html

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f238...al-149876.html

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f463...ors-61435.html

Good Luck with your mirror investigation. Pat
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Old 12-04-2017, 12:28 PM   #5
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Great links thanks Pat.

Peter
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Old 12-04-2017, 01:19 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PKI View Post
The Voyager camera system works well and is an appropriate upgrade. We have been using a $200 Rear View camera system that was functional for the purpose about 80% of the time. The Voyager is a significant upgrade.

A camera is augmentation for your mirrors and highly recommended. It can replace the mirrors, but not without a multicamera install. Much more sensible to add extended mirrors. Using mirrors is also a skill worth learning and enhancing. The McKesh mirrors recommended above should work well for you. We use a set of Aero 2 mirrors. They work, but do move around and that bothers some folks. The McKesh straps do tend to move from wind pressure, but twisting or using pads seems to quiet their movement. Examples of discussion on links below.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f238...es-171676.html

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f238...al-149876.html

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f463...ors-61435.html

Good Luck with your mirror investigation. Pat


Nothing beats the McKesh design from the 1960s & 70s. Not aftermarket or OEM. These can be found on eBay. (Company sold and product cheapened in interval).

The advantage

1) The distance the mirror head can be moved outward; plus the size of the main mirror.

2) That a genuinely large convex can be installed is the trump.

I “like” the Milencos, etc, and some of the factory pickup towing mirrors. But they fall short.

A camera (or multiples) are “nice”, but don’t add anything. Backing, they would be handy.

It’s the speed of information acquisition. Observation plus interpretation. The mirrors don’t lie. And they’re faster in every event. Not just a legal requirement per “point of convergence” behind the rig.

What’s beside one (the convex) is where most problems occur. This is where pickup mirrors fall short.


Pat, I can usually tell when an RV has picked me up in the mirrors. Add-ons are last, pickups midway, and door-mounts as good as any other 18-Wheeler. My rate of closing speed tunes that up: the faster I am, the more obvious the RV driver reaction. (I’m not in a billboard sized condo& box van, but a midroof tractor with tanker no taller; I’m on top of many before they realize how close I really am; how fast I may be moving relatively).

In fact, if I hang to the right side of the travel lane, I can delay that longer than you’d think. It isn’t just driver-attentiveness. It’s a correlation to size & placement of the mirrors. (Cameras aren’t the thing for distance).

Unlike RVers, these are observations I must take. Other calculations depend on them.

It’s the exception otherwise to this. I could pretty well name around here who wouldn’t give away the game. Recognition, and secondary reaction. Happily, that’s a few members of my fan club, and some others. In their case with low traffic volume, I wouldn’t t see much of anything at all under a half-mile out.

Everyone else, I will.

For that everyone else, the mirrors are even more important.

.
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Old 12-04-2017, 02:31 PM   #7
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Blue Sky Ranch , Texas
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Currently have the Voyager cam on the AS and are totally happy except for the $650 installed price.

Had a great EsiCam that worked peer-to-peer with my iPhone on a prior trailer. It was good and had a fisheye lens that did a great job across lanes. Only $200. Here is the Amazon link:

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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Old 12-05-2017, 09:27 AM   #8
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2016 19' Flying Cloud
Scarborough , New York
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Rearward vision

Quote:
Originally Posted by dearles View Post
We have a 2017 19' bambi that I pull with my 2014, Toyota 4-runner. They do not make side mirrors for my car. We got some that do fit, but they shake and it's really hard to see the cars in the lanes when you need to change a lane. Is there a good camera that someone can recommend for the back of the AS. thank you!
As an aside, I have a 2016 19' Bambi and have used
Kesh mirrors very successfully....and kindly direct your attention to our classified section where I am retiring a one year old set because of a new tow vehicle. Thank you for your time,

Bob
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Old 12-05-2017, 09:44 AM   #9
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2013 30' Classic
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Get the McKesh mirrors AND the Voyager camera system...
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Old 12-05-2017, 10:15 AM   #10
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I use a WiFi webcam mounted in the rear window, through a router in the trailer running from 12V to my iPad in the cab. The price was right; I had everything available already. Got an app from the Apple App store that allows me to flip the picture. Works great and the system price was right - $3.99 for the app.

Al
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Old 12-05-2017, 10:23 AM   #11
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Voyager Cam

I have the Voyager Model #WVOM43. The $650 Installed Price may be high but having body work done on an AS is much more expensive in most cases. It's nice to see what is directly behind you even if you are not backing up. I have not seen mirrors that do that. I would opt for a bigger screen next time. That is my only objection to this model. The camera has a wide angle lens and a car that appears to be far behind you is closer than it appears.
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Old 12-05-2017, 11:15 AM   #12
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2018 25' International
Boise , Idaho
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Smile Backing up

There is no substitute for side mirrors. However, the Voyager camera system is great for seeing what's right behind you when driving down the road. I can see cars that are coming up behind me and then pick them up in the mirrors. It's also helpful when someone is right behind you out of mirror shot so you don't run over them.
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Old 12-05-2017, 12:04 PM   #13
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We use the Voyager wireless connected to the rear clearance lights and display in the cab. Turn on parking lights while traveling and be on your way. Any wireless cam to Phone app will do the same thing.
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Old 12-05-2017, 03:04 PM   #14
PKI
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Quote:
Originally Posted by slowmover View Post
-- snip -- information acquisition. Observation plus interpretation. The mirrors don’t lie. And they’re faster in every event. -- snip -- the mirrors are even more important.
That does bring up a point about the camera solution. The image will disappear if the "camera to display" coms are lost. Could be at the most inopportune time - Murphy does live you know. We have this issue a bit. May improve with better antenna, repeater, or signal amplification. Not a real issue for us, but if the camera system was a replacement for mirrors, it would be.

Good mirrors don't lose communication. Pat
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Old 12-05-2017, 03:17 PM   #15
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When I am backing and the camera image stops, I stop till it comes back or I can get out and do a walk around...
Sometimes it cuts out for just a second...
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Old 12-05-2017, 03:21 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PKI View Post
That does bring up a point about the camera solution. The image will disappear if the "camera to display" coms are lost. Could be at the most inopportune time - Murphy does live you know. We have this issue a bit. May improve with better antenna, repeater, or signal amplification. Not a real issue for us, but if the camera system was a replacement for mirrors, it would be.

Good mirrors don't lose communication. Pat
True that! Murphy was an optimist...

And as well, I went with a hard-wired solution. It's going to be a booger to install, but unless the separate umbilical comes undone, I can pretty much bet that the image will stay there when I need it.

I have a set of aftermarket extension mirrors on my TV that replaced the OEM ones. Worth a look online..
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Old 12-05-2017, 06:38 PM   #17
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Voyager

I use the Voyager wireless camera. I mounted it next to the license plate looking backwards, and tapped into the power there. This requires turning on the running lights while driving, but that's a good practice anyway. I tested the range once, and could drive over a half block away before the signal disappeared.
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Old 12-10-2017, 05:29 PM   #18
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Warner Robins , Georgia
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Al and Missy View Post
I use a WiFi webcam mounted in the rear window, through a router in the trailer running from 12V to my iPad in the cab. The price was right; I had everything available already. Got an app from the Apple App store that allows me to flip the picture. Works great and the system price was right - $3.99 for the app.

Al
Al,

Please tell us more about your system 😃 and which equipment specifically you bought. I had 12v wiring positioned above our back window during the reno for this purpose. I had planned to buy Fred’s system but he isn’t responding and his website is offline.

Thanks
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Old 12-11-2017, 06:50 AM   #19
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If you are committed to installing a back-view webcam, choose your camera carefully. Frankly, our camera is kind of a gimmick. Essential problem is the extremely wide focal length of the lens. Objects that are 15 ft behind the bumper, look like they’re 50 ft back on the screen. Something 100 ft back looks like it’s a 1/4 mile away on screen. We have the factory installed wireless camera. It is reliable and works well. It’s convenient for backing into a tight space, but one of us still needs to go back to be a spotter. The camera is definitely a poor substitute for rear-view mirrors.

Having written the above, I do think the camera could be a useful tool IF it didn’t give such an extreme wide-angle view. So I strongly suggest considering the view perspective when selecting your camera.
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Old 12-11-2017, 07:47 AM   #20
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2015 28' Flying Cloud
Durango , Colorado
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I tried three camera systems before the Furrion FOS48TAPK-BL Wireless High-Speed RV Observation System with Mounting Bracket. This is a full time rear view camera. It has been flawless in all weather for over 10k mikes. That said, good side mirrors are critical. I used the Dometic DM-2899 Milenco Aero3 Towing Mirror - Twin pack on my Grand Cherokee and was very satisfied - very little vibration.

Safe Travels,
Joe
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