Wireless Backup-Camera

[campadk]

Has anyone bought one of these? I'm looking for something like this for both backing up the trailer, and for hitching. Unfortunately Camping World provides not details on this item...

http://www.campingworld.com/browse/s...34302&tab=spec

Thanks!

[grizzy]

I bought one from Walmart ($98.00) several months ago. I mounted it on the Avalanche rear license plate. The camera I put on the underside of my visor. Installing the whole thing took maybe 45 minutes. You do need to have a power source for both the camera and the monitor. I took monitor power from under the dash and camera power from the tail-light wire on my 7-way connector. When I want the camera on I just turn the parking lights on. The monitor has a switch. Originally I was going to move the camera between the truck and the Bambi, but I decided to leave it on the truck. It makes hooking up a dream. It takes a few times to get the forward/back position correct (depth perception) on the ball and hitch but side-to-side is accurate 100% of the time. For $98 bucks you can't go wrong!

[Chipster]

I bought one at Costco today for $89.00 but don't have it hooked up yet, I was thinking that it might work on the back of my A/S, any opinions?

[audiobox]

I have a wireless set up from a former studio, but haven't hooked it up yet. I have to back into our very gnarly, "blind side only" storage spot next week and I'm planning on trying it out on the back of the AS. I'll post the results.

Craig

[thecatsandi]

With my new truck I purchased a new stero with the camera cacpability. I mounted the Camera on the top of the reciever. Great view of the ball! Should be a huge help in hooking up the trailer. ;-)

[CaddyGrn]

This looks like a great item! I would love to hear more on the pro/cons of them! As I am clueless about how they work... do you leave them on or remove them after each use? Do they travel with you and if so how do they hold up in winter weather, or scorching heat?

Mrs. NorCal Bambi (traveling in S Tardis)

[campadk]

Grizzy...

Is the camera angle that wide vertically that you can see the ball without having to bend the camera down off the license plate?

What are the buttons for on the version at Camping World?
http://www.campingworld.com/browse/s...34302&tab=spec

Here in Canada, I can get one from Canadian Tire... it looks the same, but doesn't have those buttons.. just has two.... whatever they are for... Less buttons 50% bigger price! LOL

http://canadiantire.ca/browse/produc...bmLocale=fr_CA

I was thinking that since the price is pretty good... I'd buy two units so I'd have 2 cameras (only need one monitor). One camera on the back of our Yukon for hitching up, one on the back of the Bambi for backup assist. I could simply unhook one camera when the other is in use. Great too because you don't have to run video cable from the back of the trailer up to the tow vehicle. Sound like a plan?

[guy99]

Does anyone know the range? - Does it use RF or send a signal through the power wire?

[jzelle]

Here in Canada, I can get one from Canadian Tire... it looks the same, but doesn't have those buttons.. just has two.... whatever they are for... Less buttons 50% bigger price! LOL

http://canadiantire.ca/browse/produc...bmLocale=fr_CA

I was thinking that since the price is pretty good... I'd buy two units so I'd have 2 cameras (only need one monitor). One camera on the back of our Yukon for hitching up, one on the back of the Bambi for backup assist. I could simply unhook one camera when the other is in use. Great too because you don't have to run video cable from the back of the trailer up to the tow vehicle. Sound like a plan?

Hi Dave, I saw a review of that system somewhere and it will barely work on your tow vehicle and most likely not from the back of your trailer- it simply doesn't have the range (and there is all that metal in between). If I find the URL for the review I'll post it.

I've been thinking of a rear view camera on the back of my trailer and I guess it will end up being a wired unit.

For hitching up I use a convex mirror mounted on a rod that slides into a holder that I mounted on the tongue (wireless and only $8.95). When we're camping the holder is used for the flagpole.

[campadk]

Ah! Another fello Airstreamer from Orleans! Probably just down the road from you John.

I see by your sig that you have all the toys I am looking for, for next season LOL

Thanks for the heads up on the range of that unit.

Well I guess if I can't find a suitable wireless unit, I'll go wired. Would mean having to run a video cable under the belly of the Airstream though. I thought in that case , I would just site the camera on the bumper and plugging it into the video cable in that event. It wouldn't have be permanently mounted, or else use one of the license plate units.

This one is a possiblity...

http://www.rvtoyoutlet.com/p-RV0091.html

[Frank S]

Hi--I have the wired unit. Works OK. Screen is very small and dim. If the sun is shining on the camera, you can't see anything but glare. Has a very wide angle lense. Mounted on my license plate bracket I can see my hitch ball, as well as the ground at the edge of my rear bumper. Mine is wired to the back up light, so it only goes on when I back up. The screen is mounted on the back side of my visor, which I flip down. With a dash mount the screen is too dim to see in the day.--Frank S

[jzelle]

http://www.trailerlife.com/cforum/in...7.cfm#18626027

[Druupy]

We used to have a wireless cam on the back of the trailer.

Funny story now.
We pulled into a larger RV park to set up, the picture that showed up was rear view from the class A accross the driveway. It was much closer to the receiver than the back of the trailer was, but the same channel. That cam was on the whole time we were there. Got no usable picture till we left the park.
Had to back in the old fashion way.
And hard wire is the way to go, last time I tried the wireless cam, it knocked out the wireless network at home. Had to reset everything, they are all 2.4 ghz

[Chaplain Kent]

Originally Posted by jzelle

http://www.trailerlife.com/cforum/in...7.cfm#18626027

Thanks for the link, it convinced me this is not a viable option.

[Lyle V]

I have a working back-up Camera in the rear of my 28' Safari, the signal is micro-waved from the rear of the trailer to just rear of the passenger seat of my Suburban. I primarily wanted to be able to see what was behind me while driving and when backing.
OK I cheated a bit, my Business is Closed Circuit TV & I design systems, but I wanted to do this inexpensively & reliably under ANY lighting situation. What I have works very well. I only used 2 components that I sell, the Camera/lens & mount (Old Demo Equipment), the other pieces were purhased new from othe sources. I used a Bosch wide dynamic (light) range camera with a varifocal lens. It is mounted under the storage bin above the bed, between the curtain & window 12 vDC power comes from the reading light wiring. The X-10 video microwave xmtr 9vDC ($99) is mounted (w/heavy duty velco) immediately in back of the camera, so the antenna has a clear shot of the front trailer window. The microwave Rcvr 9vDC is mounted (w/ heavy duty velcro) to the DVD player on the ceiling of my Suburban. Viewing is wth a 7" "Coby" flat screen LCD TV monitor that I have sitting angled in the console ($125). Camera sees very well even @ nite. I do lose picture temporarily when turning, & the picture is reversed.
I do not use it for hooking up as that is not a problem. I have a very narroe driveway entrance and a weird angle to my storage area. I really like the unit on the highway & use it just like a rearview mirror. 12vdc to 9vdc adapters are available @ Radioshack.

[2airishuman]

Originally Posted by campadk

Has anyone bought one of these? I'm looking for something like this for both backing up the trailer, and for hitching!

hi dave

hows that new trailer? been driveway camping yet?

i love good gadgets...
i had zero experience towing...
i 2 wanted a backup camera system.
one camera on the truck 2 see the ball and a 2nd on the trailer to see be hind...

wanted at east a 5 inch screen and really wanted to pull the radio and replace it with a double din camera.

when i asked about these things,
here on the forums, nearly 2 years ago,
there weren't many using them and i got no good recommendations.
search wasn't helpful either...

so, i visited a couple of high end car stereo/video shops...
they were going to fabricate a 'one off' system...$$$

ultimately i did not get anything.
learned to drive the big truck, back up safely and get out and look.
covered the center rear view mirror and learned to drive the truck without it...
learned to hitch up alone, again with practice and simple physical devices...
learned to watch rear traffic and got bigger brighter brake lights...
learned to handle the whole mess like everyone else does...
pulling a trailer that is right against the truck and blocks normal rearview vision takes practice....

i was completely intimidated by the notion of towing, hitching, backing up and parking between trees, outlets, water pipes and other trailers...

now i'm glad i didn't get a quickly outdated av system...

left me more money for other great gadgets....

still lyle V's setup reads sweet....

let us know what you do...

cheers
2air'

[ghatfield]

I too tried a wireless camera, but mine was from Radio Shack. I first tried it in the house. It worked fine if the camera and receiver where in line of sight of one another. If I moved into a side room there was too much interference to be useful. So I returned it without trying it on the trailer.

I next bought an inexpensive wired video camera from Harbour Freight for about $30. Mine is B/W, but they have a color version for about $10 more. I fashioned a removable bracket that fits in the slide out storage shelf on the back of my 25' 2003 Classic. I ran the wire under the trailer to the hitch. I connect it to the truck with a four prong trailer connector. Then into the truck to a DVD player. I have the screen of the DVD facing forward and then view the screen with a mirror facing backward to give the correct right/left orientation. Total cost about $50 and it works pretty well. The camera does not deal with bright light well (over exposed), but generally it works well enough to see traffic in back of the trailer which was my goal.

George

[Minnie's Mate]

At the time I purchased our Airstream, JC was supposed to have started pre-wiring for back-up cameras in Classics at the end of '05 and then started pre-wiring all Airstreams in the '06 model year.

At first I was told by the dealer that they didn't include the Safari's. Then I was told that the manufacturer of the back-up camera that Airstream intended to use when a customer ordered one went out of business, but JC continued to install the wiring without advertising the fact while they searched for a new vendor. It is foggy whether they found another vendor or not and how long they continued to do the pre-wiring and if they still do.

One report had the pre-wire running to the center running light like the Classic motor homes had and one report had the wiring run to the center above the tag mount. I don't know how you would find it if it is in the wall behind the tag mount unless you could confirm with the factory, but you might could remove the center running light to see if there is any wiring under it. I have thought about checking behind the running light a couple of times but never have. I wouldn't know where to look for the other end at the tongue of the trailer or how to connect to a monitor without some more research.

[jzelle]

The pre-wire is not a shielded video cable that you can connect a conventional camera to, it is simply a power wire requiring a special system that carried video over a power wire. These systems in the past have not worked well, especially for color video and it is no surprise that the company went belly-up.

I have come accross one company on the web that sells a similar system but it is quite expensive.

[Minnie's Mate]

I guess that is why they don't advertise that it is there. You'd think they would have gone ahead and run something of value rather than go to the expense of running something of no real value. Could you use that wire as a pull wire for a shielded cable and power off the tail lights or running lights? BTW, which location do they use?