Rear view cameras (1 Viewer)

[TMFTM]

Hi everyone, another request for advice please?
I was thinking about getting a reversing camera which would of course be wired through the reverse lighting circuit. Then I thought more about getting one which was permanent and linking through to a monitor located on the dash.
I have seen cameras that are mounted on the number plate. Surely that can't be practical with all the muck that gets thrown up, can it?
As a technical numpty, i was leaning towards a wireless option. Is there any trade off in quality as opposed to hard wiring and in the case of wireless cameras for permanent use, how are they powered? By battery?

 

[Odd job]

I had a twin camera system installed by Towsure, the monitor fits over the rear view mirror and gives a normal driving view, then a button dips it for reversing. It's hard wired and has worked very well for years. I think it cost about £400 to have fitted

 

[The Old Man]

My first trip without a camera were, fraught, scary and hazardous.

Additionally I couldn't access some places I wanted to visit because of the lack of reversing accuracy.

So I was plagued by the same questions.

I settled on;

A twin camera.
High mounted.
Monitor located above/on the speedo console, not on the rear view mirror. Less eye movement between the monitor and mirrors.
Paid a motorhome specialist to instal it, I wouldn't want to be drilling into my water/damp proof body.
Got a great deal on an end of range model.
It came with a remote control pad, for which I have found no use and all the controls are on the monitor and where I had it mounted I can reach it easily.

I would add, once fitted I took the van, some cardboard boxes and four traffic cones to a large supermarket carpark late on a Sunday afternoon and practiced so as to 'calibrate' the camera and my driving skills.

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[Mr Chrysalis]

This is a kit I bought from Amazon. It has a monitor mounted on the dash and this is wired to a number plate camera. It originally came with a wireless set up and I used that with the monitor on the internal mirror and the wireless camera inside the rear window. However my bed Moho had no internal Mirror or rear window so I bought the number plate camera and wired it directly. It picks up powee from the main fuse box and I have a switch so I can use it anytime. The wifi set up used to get occasional interference from other cars ( fuzzy lines) but generally ok. The camera does get the odd spot of rain water on the lens but I just wipe it off. They are so cheap if it suffers from water ingress it's easy to replace. The parking lines are a nuisance, with some models you can"switch them off by snipping a wire. I also have a built in reversing camera which came with the van. It shows a "looking down" rear view on the radio head unit when reversing. In the second picture you can see both views ( the car behind is my toad, other cars are not usually that close!)

 

[andy63]

Hi everyone, another request for advice please?
I was thinking about getting a reversing camera which would of course be wired through the reverse lighting circuit. Then I thought more about getting one which was permanent and linking through to a monitor located on the dash.
I have seen cameras that are mounted on the number plate. Surely that can't be practical with all the muck that gets thrown up, can it?
As a technical numpty, i was leaning towards a wireless option. Is there any trade off in quality as opposed to hard wiring and in the case of wireless cameras for permanent use, how are they powered? By battery?

Instinct tells me to stick with hard wired to rule out any of the possible sources of interference. .. could save a lot of grief in the long run. .
A high level twin camera system with a narrow angle camere for rear view and a wide angle for reversing...
You usually only need to source a live and negative supply and the reverse supply as a trigger to switch views.. you might want to install a isolating switch..
The hardest part is running in the wires but with most new systems that's a single wire with two lots of connections at each end... very simple to wire.
Andy.

 

[pappajohn]

Wireless can be on the very limits of transmission distance and susceptible to interference.
Stick to hard wired, harder to install but far superior picture quality.

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[sallylillian]

My camera died, well not the camera but the flip up motor so new one at Bella Vista for when we get there next week, but to be honest I have not missed it and for the odd occasion I still have the steam driven one which also has Audio, the wife!

 

[Xabia]

Get the twin lens set up from parkingcameras.com, had mine for some time and very pleased with picture quality. Much easier drive with the long range rear camera on, switches to reverse camera when reverse gear engaged.

 

[138go]

Dash mount works really well. Nice big screen and tucked out of the way. Easy access to fit as the vent is removable. Ours is also connected to the Satnav so when on the move I have a repeat of what's on the Satnav screen. Switches to rear view when reverse selected. Use mirrors when driving forward don't find you need the rear camera and at night they are a pain in the neck as they try to compensate for different lighting conditions.

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[Head Gardener]

A friend used this company and was delighted with the work (no affiliation, bla bla): RoadPro

Don't know what motorhome you have - we're picking up our PVC conversion next week and have had a reversing camera installed into the high level brake light, I'm guessing on a lot of coachbuilts that wouldn't be an option???

 

[TMFTM]

Thanks once again to all who responded. I have found a local company (Southern Motor Security)who will supply and fit a hard wired twin camera system with monitor (either mirror or dash mounted) with the work to be completed at my home.

 

[Mr Chrysalis]

View attachment 189307
This is a kit I bought from Amazon. It has a monitor mounted on the dash and this is wired to a number plate camera. It originally came with a wireless set up and I used that with the monitor on the internal mirror and the wireless camera inside the rear window. However my bed Moho had no internal Mirror or rear window so I bought the number plate camera and wired it directly. It picks up powee from the main fuse box and I have a switch so I can use it anytime. The wifi set up used to get occasional interference from other cars ( fuzzy lines) but generally ok. The camera does get the odd spot of rain water on the lens but I just wipe it off. They are so cheap if it suffers from water ingress it's easy to replace. The parking lines are a nuisance, with some models you can"switch them off by snipping a wire. I also have a built in reversing camera which came with the van. It shows a "looking down" rear view on the radio head unit when reversing. In the second picture you can see both views ( the car behind is my toad, other cars are not usually that close!)View attachment 189308

Update. The monitor on the original set up had 2 inputs and the screen is switchable between the two. Now I have a Toad I get a great view of the Toad in the number plate camera, but little else. So I have mounted the original wireless camera inside the top of the rear window on the Toad and the wireless receiver just inside the rear wall of the motorhome. It is just to one side of the number plate, but inside / underneath, in an area that doesn’t seem to get too wet (I hope). The receiver gets it’s power from the cable I ran for the number plate camera, and I ran a second video cable to the monitor. As the receiver is about 7m from the engine and only 3m from the wireless camera, there is negligible interference. The camera in the Toad gets its power from a small 8xAA switchable battery holder which is mounted just inside the hatchback, so I switch it on when I hang the “tow car”sign and change the number plate. As the Toad ignition is off when being towed, 12 V is not easily available, but I may wire it in later. I’ll see how long the AAs last. The monitor has a remote control, which I have mounted on the dashboard so I can now switch between two alternative rear views when towing. The original downward pointing reversing camera is still connected to the head unit, so can be used in conjunction with one of the other cameras when reversing ( with or without Toad).