Boondock Back Up Camera?

[Ray Eklund]

A backup camera is great... if you are alone and like to watch live television.

The BEST Backup Camera is having a passenger who can actually see everything, wide angle vision, and make better judgments actually seeing the entire situation.

Nancy is my backup camera in tight spots. Hand signals.

The photographs are from 2007 and our first year towing the 2006 23 foot Safari. These photos were taken May 1, 2007 in New Mexico.

We never high center.
We never backed into a tree.
We never scraped the sides of the trailer.
We never plowed our AC Units off the rooftop.

We use Airstream Teamwork. I have never used the back up camera screen to back up. I cannot recall using it.

The backup camera cannot detect a low hanging branch that could remove your Air Conditioner... instantly. Or most of it... and part of the aluminum skin.

If you follow some threads using a backup camera and crushed the back of their Airstream... consider... the passenger. Stereo vision. Good loud voice, if necessary.

At those moments I am not sure what is exactly in the way... I get out... we both look it over and sometimes, try something else.

Teamwork. Over time both driver and passenger know the limits of ground clearance, side clearance and top with AC clearance. Sometimes I have to get out, get the trimming saw or long handled loppers... to clear the obstacles. If you don't it will not happen by itself. Eventually, many National Forest Roads will be blocked with fallen timber across the road and encroaching growth.

If you come across a dead tree laying across the NFS road... most drive around the fallen tree, even if they have to drive into the ditch. We get out, pull it off the road. Or cut off what is in the road and then move it in two parts. If it is a large tree... the road is closed.

What are your options? I am a Neanderthal and like to use Human Bean Common Sense.

[CMHM]

Nobody relies on the backup camera to reverse into a tight camping spot. The backup cameras (wrong way to describe them honestly) are now so good that you basically use them as a rear view mirror while driving. The wide angle ensures I don’t need extra side mirrors as an object behind me, no matter on which lane will be spotted on my monitor and/or the mirrors.

[Ray Eklund]

Originally Posted by CMHM

Nobody relies on the backup camera to reverse into a tight camping spot. The backup cameras (wrong way to describe them honestly) are now so good that you basically use them as a rear view mirror while driving. The wide angle ensures I don’t need extra side mirrors as an object behind me, no matter on which lane will be spotted on my monitor and/or the mirrors.

******
Too many photographs on the Airforums that backed into things and asking what will it cost to fix. Also side swiping things like a can opener.

I never use the REAR END VIEW CAMERA. I never use the Camera at all. I would have ordered an Airstream without and saved myself money.

I have no control over someone rear ending me.

If I see my Airstream bumper laying on the dirt road... it is already too late.

[Dennis C]

My main use for the backup camera is when I’m parking my Airstream at the storage facility. My wife doesn’t usually accompany me when I do this, so I don’t have a spotter. I still get out and look multiple times to make sure I’m not going to hit anything. I find it particularly useful to help determine if I’ve backed in far enough by looking at the rear bumper in the camera view.

I keep my camera on while driving too. I find it helpful for situational awareness on the highway.

[Ray Eklund]

Our 23 foot Safari had the plumbing behind the rear axle. BAD.

Our current 27FB has the plumbing in FRONT of the front axle. GOOD.

No camera for either plumbing to view. We look for short stumps in the grass. Boulders not seen in tall grass. Brush not seen... on and on.

Boondocking has a bit more risk for backing up, than onto concrete.

Never use the Camera at NIGHT. A second person with a flashlight is better.

There are good uses for a camera. Myself, I find none, but it was on most, if not all trailers. I also do not need glasses to drive... or reading glasses to watch the small screen, if it works. I do not know. Never looked. I will this year to check.

[PB_NB]

I used my camera on the first few trips but found that the viewing angle was never where I wanted to look. I tried using my GoPro in the back/bathroom window and it gave me much more viewing range and was clearer. I just don’t have it setup on every trip so I don’t rely on it.

I usually wait till me my wife is in position as the spotter before backing.

[CMHM]

I’m not advertising a product here, but once you start using the Haloview MC10 system it will be your best friend. I’m actually surprised not more companies make them. It really helps:

[Ray Eklund]

Originally Posted by CMHM

I’m not advertising a product here, but once you start using the Haloview MC10 system it will be your best friend. I’m actually surprised not more companies make them. It really helps:

******

Great idea.

This keeps us from having to move our heads like a chicken, to see the sides of the trailer traffic and oncoming traffic.

What else is out there we... may need or can use?

Anyone who mentions a product on the Airforums may be surprised to see it as an advertisement for sale... just for us.

Anyone top that?

[guskmg]

You can use a backup camera to good use when backing up anywhere. Namely, at the Terraport in Jackson Center, OH. At the rear center of the parking spot place two mini traffic cones inline with the desired path to backup on. As you progress rearward the need for correction is quickly noticed in the camera as the alignment of the cones will deviate. Just make slight correction back toward the cone and then return to the desired path. I have used LED flash lights for this purpose. Just turn them shinning to the rear to prevent glare in the camera. The above procedures are really a help if you are alone and have no extra eyes.
guskmg

[nitzo]

I don't use the camera to backup, but I do like watching behind me when I'm driving. I used it today on a lonely section of I-10. Was kinda cool, behind me looks like in front of me.

[Jeff7176]

Originally Posted by CMHM

I’m not advertising a product here, but once you start using the Haloview MC10 system it will be your best friend. I’m actually surprised not more companies make them. It really helps:

I installed this today (the RD-10 version with the signal booster). The mirror and associated cable went in the truck can with no problem. When I went to remove the old Voyager camera, the wires pulled free and I had to fish around to find them by pulling the middle light out of the rear overhead compartment. It was more of a pain than I was expecting, but in the end all ended well and this camera is far superior to the Voyager.

I recommend this as well, but caution anyone thinking it is a simple swap. It also doubles as a dash cam ( front and rear) which is a nice bonus.

[Boxite]

Just woke up a bit critical today…so here goes…

Saying a backup camera is useless …or you never use it… or would be better off saving the money instead of paying for one…. is silly. And short-sighted. (pardon pun)

It’s a bit like saying you never use your seatbelts or airbags because you’re always careful.

HOWEVER… a backup camera (or seat belts and airbags) is a Great TOOL…but not an excuse for careless operation…. you just have to be aware of their limitations.

I was not aware of a limitation of the backup camera I installed….and paid for that lesson in Canyonlands N.P. boondocking…. when I relied on the camera to backup into a place I thought was clear.
Yes…I had walked it personally… but I hadn’t trained my wife how to direct me in backing…so I didn’t ask her to get out and watch back there…. I relied on the camera while overlooking it’s shortcoming.

I was backing up in a right-curving direction while watching the camera and while also checking left-right outside mirrors…. and smashed the trailer into a cottonwood tree, crunching the left-rear-corner of the Bambi.
I didn’t think about the fact that the camera doesn’t look UP…. and while backing in a curving-right-direction…the left outside mirror cannot view the left rear quarter-panel of the trailer (which is completely out-of-view).

The wife standing back there with the family-frequency-walkie-talkie (we always carry on camping trips for when we are out-of-sight of each other) … she could have broadcast “STOP”.

Instead, $7K later those panesl were replaced by an Airstream repair outfit.

Lesson learned. BUT…those rear view cameras are VERY USEFUL when you ARE being tailgated so you know they’re BACK THERE. How? Because if you are turning left…. you can know some idiot tailgating you back there is about to PASS you on the LEFT! and you can avoid being clobbered!
Also, it’s very helpful when backing STRAIGHT.

[KCurtis]

I only turn my camera on when we enter traffic situations. I have had too many drivers dart around me when I turn on my blinker to change lanes. Having the camera on allows me to monitor who is behind me. I have also used it to successfully back into our storage space where I have about 2 inches to spare on each side.

We use the walkie-talkie method to back into sites. It works well for us.

[richard5933]

Cameras and spotters are good. They can help in many situations. Neither is a good substitute though for being able to safely back a TV & trailer using the mirrors. This is a skill that many dislike, but one which everyone pulling a trailer should have.

Cameras fail and you won't always have a spotter. If you have them it's great, but the ability to back without them is important.

If you look at semi trucks as you pass them or see them parked you'll often see stickers which read G. O. A. L. - this stands for Get Out And Look and is a key skill needed to successfully and safely back any trailer. Even if you have a camera, and even if you have a spotter, get out and verify what's behind you. If you're working with a spotter, this is a great time to compare notes and make sure that both of you are working towards the same plan and that both of you see the same obstacles.

[PB_NB]

The idea of a camera to see behind is great, I found that our AS provided camera is limited so I did a comparison with my GoPro and found that being able to see what is behind you with a wider field of vision makes all the difference. I had my GoPro sitting on the window frame in the bathroom. I did not go to the trouble of mounting it for this comparison. GoPro’s have many different mounting options.

First pic is from my roof mounted camera (Voyager)
Second pic is from my GoPro Hero 7

[JamuJoe]

My first improvement when we bought a 2015 FC28 was to add a Furrion continuous rear observation system, a later version of that which I had installed on our 2011 FC23. It is without doubt a safety enhancement which I value highly. I still deploy my human spouse for eyes-on backing and close maneuvers, and we use Sena headsets for voice comms, as is her preference. My 2021 RAM 2500 has five cameras which combine to produce, among others, a top down surround view of the truck. I find this extremely useful for tight maneuvering of this beast. Mature and experienced a driver as as I may be, I embrace technology that enhances safety.

[MattMarshall]

Originally Posted by Ray Eklund

******
Too many photographs on the Airforums that backed into things and asking what will it cost to fix. Also side swiping things like a can opener.

I never use the REAR END VIEW CAMERA. I never use the Camera at all. I would have ordered an Airstream without and saved myself money.

I have no control over someone rear ending me.

If I see my Airstream bumper laying on the dirt road... it is already too late.

I find rear facing cameras with trailers useful when changing lanes, particularly in heavy traffic.

Beyond that, while I cannot speak to the rear end camera system that comes with newer Airstreams, the aftermarket camera system I installed with my '87 Excella also records to a SD card.

As the system I bought came with two cameras, I mounted one on the back of our Airstream and installed the other as a dashcam. This way, in the event of an accident, I have video evidence of anything happening behind and in front of me.