Where is your reversing monitor? (1 Viewer)

[DanielFord]

The reversing camera monitor on our van has been on it's last legs for quite sometime now, it is one of those that clip over the rear view mirror. On our recent excursion to Europe, I found this a complete pain in the arse, because it is so large, I spent all the time ducking down to look under it. In fact if we are honest, the rear view mirror serves no useful purpose so I am going to remove both.

I have purchased a monitor that will be mounted on the dash, and I was intending to mount it on the fairly useless clipboard thingy in the middle of the dash, slightly angled towards me. But now I am thinking, perhaps I should mount it on the right hand side of the instrument cluster (currently the sat nav lives here)

Where have others got their monitors, and what are your views (pardon the pun)?

 

[markh]

I abandoned the reversing camera as my wife nips down to the back window to look, so no need for it, my sat nav is stuck to the windscreen, in the middle, just below eye level and angled toward me, I use it as my speedometer as the Fiat one is hard to see and also inaccurate

 

[jollyrodger]

I have a twin cam system ,with the monitor mounted in the middle of the dash with a slight angle towards me .
The long range camera is on constantly and acts as a rear view mirror ,as the mirror itself is useless

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Cal54]

Mine is a flip down monitor set in the roof well pleased with it as it can be closed up when not in use. Didn't want anything else on the dash, already got dash cam, tyre pal and sat nav on there and couldn't have a mirror mounted one as it would foul the blinds.

 

[irnbru]

We dont have a big one on this MH . There is a small monitor for reversing in the radio/cd unit. Not great but does the job I suppose.

 

[filopastry]

Mine clips over the rear view mirror. As the van has a full garage at the back the mirror has zero use so bought twin cams, one now works as if a standard rear view mirror the other cam operates automatically I select reverse and voila, close to rear and down looking camera

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Allanm]

We have the clip over mirror type too, no windows at the back. We get a discount on insurance for the reversing camera and I have it on normally when driving. It doesn't obstruct my vision any more than a normal rear view mirror.
I can see how it does though. Looking at other vans coming towards us, ( as well as waving). I notice people driving A class vans seem to be sitting quite low and look relaxed. A lot of people driving coachbuilds tend to be sitting very high, you almost can't see their heads as it disappears above the windscreen!
Me? I sit as low as I can. Maybe some driver seats don't adjust up and down very much.

 

[Badknee]

Ours is far right on the dash, big 7 inch screen on all the time ignition is on, camera switches to close view when reverse selected.

 

[ivorantony]

Ours is far right on the dash, big 7 inch screen on all the time ignition is on, camera switches to close view when reverse selected.

Much the same as above but use a quad camera system that switches on with the indicators to give a view down the side,
When on narrow roads ( west of Loch Lomond for instance) I fold in mirrors and use the cameras, these I can leave on permanently via menu, but are overridden when selecting reverse,
But if the whole lot went up in smoke I wouldn't canceled my holiday

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Deleted member 29692]

In the radio head unit.

 

[Techno]

The big one with tyrepal sat on top
Journey recorder in pen tray
EDIT I also changed back to a 4:3 monitor rather than widescreen. When used with a 90 degree lens the rear view is far more realistic and better for judging following traffic.

 

[maison]

Ours is far right on the dash, big 7 inch screen on all the time ignition is on, camera switches to close view when reverse selected.

Ours is the same. Mounted on the far right of the dashboard, near the A post, it is completely out of the way while driving normally but fully visible when needed. I don't like too many items in the centre of the windscreen. (Sat av etc).

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Lenny HB]

On the last van i fitted one of the clip over the mirror ones, good position but the monitor had a glass screen had to see in bright sun. Current van I fitted a twin camera and a double din stereo unit that displays the cameras, much neater solution.

 

[DanielFord]

The big one with tyrepal sat on top
Journey recorder in pen tray
EDIT I also changed back to a 4:3 monitor rather than widescreen. When used with a 90 degree lens the rear view is far more realistic and better for judging following traffic.
View attachment 74238

That's the sort of setup I am thinking of (except in reverse on ours being a RHD) actually look quite neat.

 

[GJH]

Ours is far right on the dash, big 7 inch screen on all the time ignition is on, camera switches to close view when reverse selected.

Ours is mounted at the right of the dash as well. See Here.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Charlie]

Ours is where the rear view mirror would be. It's just so intuitive as when I'm driving our car that's where I look.
Our one is switched so it's permanently on. This means at a glance I can see what is coming up behind me and how far away it is . Just like glancing in the normal rear view mirror.

For me having another device on the dash is not an option if I want it permanently on. I have the Nav on the dash the camera where I intuitively would look so another device is one to many.

I'm not sure about the legality of having the camera on all the time but it is much safer and I can turn it off on the remote control if I want too..

 

[Puddleduck]

Ours is on the right hand side on the dash and is a dual camera so you have a view of the road behind you and then it goes to a view of the rear bumper when reverse is selected. I like it there as when driving forward (as in most of the time) I can see the camera vie at the same time as I use the wing mirror.

Rear view mirror gives a look at the van interior as is useless for seeing what is happening outside unless there is a truck so close it needs a condom...... but isn't their some law that say you have to have a rear view mirror? I know all the panel vans and closed cab vans I have driven have always had them.

 

[Wildman]

its still here

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[MR. FUSION]

previously I had the screen on the clipboard thingy flipped up all the time. This time in my new cab I have screwed the screen ontop of the closed clipboard and have drilled a small hole to take the wires through into the radio compartment. If you take the radio out it obviously makes all this easier if you are going to have to rewire from your mirror to the dash area.
I also bought a double din radio/dvd/internet/bluetooth system which has the ability to display an on screen picture from a camera{s} if you so wish, getting rid of the need for an extra screen. (I have 3 cameras one rear, and two for 180 degrees vision of the scenery on the left hand side of the van for johnny foreignerland) so need the extra screen

I keep my reversing cam on all the time, and it saved me a few weeks ago when some tosser parked up next to my rear bumper and I just saw him in time..........

I had to put a cardboard visor on the screen but the 7" is fine for me to have a good view of the road behind and its not a problem to glance in that position and its not blocking any views.

 

[MR. FUSION]

Ours is on the right hand side on the dash and is a dual camera so you have a view of the road behind you and then it goes to a view of the rear bumper when reverse is selected. I like it there as when driving forward (as in most of the time) I can see the camera vie at the same time as I use the wing mirror.

Rear view mirror gives a look at the van interior as is useless for seeing what is happening outside unless there is a truck so close it needs a condom...... but isn't their some law that say you have to have a rear view mirror? I know all the panel vans and closed cab vans I have driven have always had them.

I think you need the rear mirror to be present for an MOT test ?

 

[Deleted member 29692]

but isn't their some law that say you have to have a rear view mirror? I know all the panel vans and closed cab vans I have driven have always had them.

I think you need the rear mirror to be present for an MOT test ?

No you don't, not even on a car. The rule is that you need at least 2 rear view options so as long as you have 2 wing mirrors you are legal.


EDIT: Just had a look and interestingly the only one that is obligatory is the offside wing mirror.

http://www.ukmot.com/manual/8.1/View-to-Rear

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Badknee]

Ours is where the rear view mirror would be. It's just so intuitive as when I'm driving our car that's where I look.

Yes I understand that but I have spent much more time driving LGV's and vans over the years I tend to use the side mirrors much more that the interior one on pretty much anything I drive. My lads used to ask why I didn't turn round to look out of the back window to reverse and now my youngest after driving a van for about six years doesn't do it when driving his car, just uses mirrors.

 

[GJH]

Ours is on the right hand side on the dash and is a dual camera so you have a view of the road behind you and then it goes to a view of the rear bumper when reverse is selected. I like it there as when driving forward (as in most of the time) I can see the camera vie at the same time as I use the wing mirror.

Rear view mirror gives a look at the van interior as is useless for seeing what is happening outside unless there is a truck so close it needs a condom...... but isn't their some law that say you have to have a rear view mirror? I know all the panel vans and closed cab vans I have driven have always had them.

That's the same as ours.

There is nothing illegal about a monitor being on all the time, it is simply another rear view device.

As regards mounting a monitor (or a sat nav for that matter) on the dash/clipboard, one has to be careful not to fall foul of the rules against obscuring the driver's view. After trying various options (see Here) we have the sat nav mounted on the modified cup holder and the dash cam mounted on the passenger parcel shelf.

 

[MR. FUSION]

That's the same as ours.

There is nothing illegal about a monitor being on all the time, it is simply another rear view device.

As regards mounting a monitor (or a sat nav for that matter) on the dash/clipboard, one has to be careful not to fall foul of the rules against obscuring the driver's view. After trying various options (see Here) we have the sat nav mounted on the modified cup holder and the dash cam mounted on the passenger parcel shelf.

DO you think it might be illegal to drive with the FIAT/Pugeot clipboard in the raised position ???

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Jackspeak]

Mine is sat over the rear view mirror, it's not too large so is no problem, I only use it when reversing so it's idle for most of the time.

 

[GJH]

DO you think it might be illegal to drive with the FIAT/Pugeot clipboard in the raised position ???

It's not something we've ever done so I just went out to have a look. I don't know whether it would actually be illegal but I wouldn't do it as it creates a substantial obstruction.

When we used to mount the sat nav on a plastic board held in the dash clipboard, the latter was closed and the device was far enough away from the screen not to cause an obstruction.

 

[CWH]

As we have no back window, we have a dual rear-view camera + reversing camera, wired in where the rear-view mirror would have been. Came as standard when we bought the van. Doesn't obscure the window. May work for you as you say that your rear-view mirror is useless anyway, and it does give a half-decent replacement for this (only half-decent because you can't change the view by moving your head - still keep trying though).

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[dino]

On the seat next to me

 

[DanielFord]

Mine is sat over the rear view mirror, it's not too large so is no problem, I only use it when reversing so it's idle for most of the time.

In this country, it presents no great problem. When driving on the right, massive inconvenience, especially when turning left! Have to look underneath it to see the oncoming traffic!

 

[GWAYGWAY]

I think you need the rear mirror to be present for an MOT test ?

Do not thinks so but my screen is on there but the mirror IS present anyway even though all there is behind is the bulkhead for the bed.
I find it quite natural to look up there to see what is behind but STILL find myself moving around to see in the mirror to find if there is something on my face/ checking my lippy' ??????????????? Old tit strikes again.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}