Absolutely agree chaps it is a help for a blind spot but only a supplementary tool not a primary necessity.
If the blind spot was so crucial to driving rather than reversing every large vehicle would have one.
I see your point but for me it's not crucial.
If the blind spot was so crucial to driving rather than reversing every large vehicle would have one.
I see your point but for me it's not crucial.
Don't worry dusty REAR view cameras are not compulsory.
Neither are motor movers, but i wouldn't tow without one.
We all have a choice.
What i don't get is those who have to have a go at others that want to improve their caravanning experience.
Neither are motor movers, but i wouldn't tow without one.
We all have a choice.
What i don't get is those who have to have a go at others that want to improve their caravanning experience.
RAY said:
That explains it........you are missing the rear view you have when driving solo as your caravan obstructs your view when towing.
You are fitting a camera to get that view back.
I do not personally worry about not being able to see in this blind spot .......if it is likely to cause a problem I just assume something is there and take precautions.
I am not knocking fitting a camera......each to their own.
johnandrew70 said:
Thankyou Ray and John.
I must have got the wrong end of the stick here.
I'm looking at the Wyoming this morning and seeing where the best mounting place is.The one on our minibus has a wide angle lens and is about a metre above the ground.
hi all,
good thread very infomative I have been thinking about fitting one for quite a while both for the car and the van, but have not been too sure on the kit to get, must say I like the one john bought but a couple of niggling doubts stop me from going ahead.
fitting and wiring are no problem and I have no fear of drilling holes in anything or anywhere as the sealer and waterproof glands available are now so good plus there is no warranty issues to worry about on either car or van,
so with this in mind I wonder if contributors with cameras fitted (or in the process of fitting) could answer a couple of questions!!!.
1. cameras. theses do seem a bit on the large side, and quite bulky with the brackets.(johns photos) so I would probably go for the mini cameras (the ones the size of a 5p piece) drilled direct through the back panels of both car and van. and perminantly wired in. so the question do you need the IR leds and which is the best view angle 90- 120- or 170degrees, and why??.
2. monitors, which is most practical flat screen or mirror mounted!! and is it a good idea to have dual input, or just single, making a crossover is not a real problem although some do come with it built in.
3. security, do you leave them in the car perminantly mouted, or remove them when leaving the car, as it seems like a bit of a theft magnet "like leaving the sat nav on display" if left in, and if taken out is it much hassle remounting and connecting every time one drives the car.
4. and lastly is the equipment senitive to temprature changes, both hot and cold, the reason for this is I have had inside temp range summer/winter of between 45 and minus 15 this is outside the range of some of the equipment I have looked at.
sorry if these questions sound a little basic, but if you dont ask you dont find out.
good thread very infomative I have been thinking about fitting one for quite a while both for the car and the van, but have not been too sure on the kit to get, must say I like the one john bought but a couple of niggling doubts stop me from going ahead.
fitting and wiring are no problem and I have no fear of drilling holes in anything or anywhere as the sealer and waterproof glands available are now so good plus there is no warranty issues to worry about on either car or van,
so with this in mind I wonder if contributors with cameras fitted (or in the process of fitting) could answer a couple of questions!!!.
1. cameras. theses do seem a bit on the large side, and quite bulky with the brackets.(johns photos) so I would probably go for the mini cameras (the ones the size of a 5p piece) drilled direct through the back panels of both car and van. and perminantly wired in. so the question do you need the IR leds and which is the best view angle 90- 120- or 170degrees, and why??.
2. monitors, which is most practical flat screen or mirror mounted!! and is it a good idea to have dual input, or just single, making a crossover is not a real problem although some do come with it built in.
3. security, do you leave them in the car perminantly mouted, or remove them when leaving the car, as it seems like a bit of a theft magnet "like leaving the sat nav on display" if left in, and if taken out is it much hassle remounting and connecting every time one drives the car.
4. and lastly is the equipment senitive to temprature changes, both hot and cold, the reason for this is I have had inside temp range summer/winter of between 45 and minus 15 this is outside the range of some of the equipment I have looked at.
sorry if these questions sound a little basic, but if you dont ask you dont find out.
colin-yorkshire said:
Hi Colin
I cannot tell you much about it as i have only just fitted mine and wont know what its like until i go away in 2 weeks time (counting the days)
1, One thing you will need to do is make sure you get a camera with the rings which allow the camera to be looking down slightly or you will get a picture of the sky if fitted quite high up, Also the wider the angle the smaller the trafic behind you will look on the other hand the narrower the angle the less chance you have of seeing a car in the lanes either side of you.
2, I have a dash mounted monitor (7") and i opted to buy a vent mount for it instead of using the supplied dash mount, I could have plugged it into the headunit and used that touch screen but thought that i might want to use the satnav as well as the rear view camera, a few people have said they like the clip on mirror monitors but i like to be able to see the front of the van in my rear view mirror haha.
3, I have the wiring wired directly to the fusebox in the car and the monitor now has its own dedicated fuse in the fusebox the wires are fed through the dash and a plug is hidden out of view to just plug the monitor in, When its not in use the monitor is neatly stowed into the centre armrest.
4, I cannot comment on this as i have not had chance to play with it properly yet.
I have to say that i am very pleased with the kit i have as mentioned earlier in the thread it is a chinese kit but i think you will be pushed to find a kit that is not chinese for that kind of money and monitor is clear etc the camera could do with more colour but at the end of the day you dont need to know the colour of the car behind you.Also its got dual input so you could mount another camera somewhere and you can rotate and mirror the image (i am guessing rotate is if you accidentally mount the camera upsidedown haha)
I wonder how Gagakev is getting on with his camera??
John
Hi john, first thing to say there is not enough hours in the day!!!johnandrew70 said:
Have decided on the twin camera, one for rear veiw and one for reverse so differant angles, what I also liked about it was the live feed is fed direct from the monitor so no hassle at the rear of the van trying to wire it in,the monitor comes with a sun/reflection deflector and belive it comes with dash mount. It will go on the roof to obtain better veiws, will use the spare 12s plug and socket to connect to the car.
Perhaps the above will help Colin as well but be prepared to pay alot more than john has paid for his
Am going to order it this week, IF I can find another HOUR in the day.
hi John & Kev,
thanks for the info, mounting the cameras is no problem as both rear panels "car and van" are vertical I checked with a spirit level the van one would go just above the number plate and be 4ft from the ground the car one lower at 2ft6in, again above the number plate.
wiring the power to the van camera is a doddle as when I rewired the car and van I used the spare blue white wire in the 13pin as an extra perminant feed, the car one from the aux power socket in the boot. "note" so I can see the front of the van john
. if I go for a dual feed.
I did think about a mirror monitor though as the dash could be quite cluttered while touring with the sat nav, and hands free phone as well as monitor.
I am still not convinced about security though, may be if someone who uses rear veiw contributes later on, we will see!!
regarding cost this is not really an issue providing I get the right kit "or seperates" that does what I want it to do.
thanks for the info, mounting the cameras is no problem as both rear panels "car and van" are vertical I checked with a spirit level the van one would go just above the number plate and be 4ft from the ground the car one lower at 2ft6in, again above the number plate.
wiring the power to the van camera is a doddle as when I rewired the car and van I used the spare blue white wire in the 13pin as an extra perminant feed, the car one from the aux power socket in the boot. "note" so I can see the front of the van john
I did think about a mirror monitor though as the dash could be quite cluttered while touring with the sat nav, and hands free phone as well as monitor.
I am still not convinced about security though, may be if someone who uses rear veiw contributes later on, we will see!!
regarding cost this is not really an issue providing I get the right kit "or seperates" that does what I want it to do.
"I did think about a mirror monitor though as the dash could be quite cluttered while touring with the sat nav, and hands free phone as well as monitor."
I changed the Ford radio head unit for a Pioneer with sat nav and rear view camera input
I have a phono plug/socket in the boot and unplug the number plate light car rear view and plug in the caravan camera for towing
I also have a Maplins small camera for forward view a as I had a camera doing nothing and a small Maplings phono change over switch close to hand for parking in tight spaces
So with cameras and sensors no excuses at all
I tried the mirror monitor but didn't like the restricted forward vision in the car so its now mounted in the caravan to give rear view on site
Beautiful views on some pitches
I changed the Ford radio head unit for a Pioneer with sat nav and rear view camera input
I have a phono plug/socket in the boot and unplug the number plate light car rear view and plug in the caravan camera for towing
I also have a Maplins small camera for forward view a as I had a camera doing nothing and a small Maplings phono change over switch close to hand for parking in tight spaces
So with cameras and sensors no excuses at all
I tried the mirror monitor but didn't like the restricted forward vision in the car so its now mounted in the caravan to give rear view on site
Beautiful views on some pitches
WatsonJohnG said:
beautiful views on some pitches??? I can imagine you may see some wildlife at night but I wouldn't call that beautiful John haha
maybe you been pitching up on a naturist camp haha
john
hi guys,
after reading John G's post I went along to Halfords (nearest place) to have a look at head units, and to see one in the flesh so to speak,
looks good, the salesman (assitant) was going through the normal sales pitch (as they do) and all was fine untill I mentioned that I would like to use a rear view on a caravan when towing, and then he sort of lost interest, when I asked how you use the sat nav while a camera was operating as a rear view, "ummmmm" back to the drawing board me thinks.
one question I did think of though was how do you power the monitor in dual function (rear view +reverse camera) is the monitor perminantly powered and using a sensor to detect a camera or does it have to be switched with a crossover unit.
after reading John G's post I went along to Halfords (nearest place) to have a look at head units, and to see one in the flesh so to speak,
looks good, the salesman (assitant) was going through the normal sales pitch (as they do) and all was fine untill I mentioned that I would like to use a rear view on a caravan when towing, and then he sort of lost interest, when I asked how you use the sat nav while a camera was operating as a rear view, "ummmmm" back to the drawing board me thinks.
one question I did think of though was how do you power the monitor in dual function (rear view +reverse camera) is the monitor perminantly powered and using a sensor to detect a camera or does it have to be switched with a crossover unit.
Hi have fitted a rear view camera, that i leave on permantly when towing
i have one of these stuck with silka flex on the rear roof of the caravan
the wire is fed to the underfoor of the van via the offside awning rail. it then connect to the car with one of these
and i have one of these in the bumper of my tow car for normal reversing
both cameras feed into a selector box, and when i am towing i press the apropriate button and get rear view picture
i have one of these stuck with silka flex on the rear roof of the caravan
the wire is fed to the underfoor of the van via the offside awning rail. it then connect to the car with one of these
and i have one of these in the bumper of my tow car for normal reversing
both cameras feed into a selector box, and when i am towing i press the apropriate button and get rear view picture
johnandrew70 said:
The pitch we like at Blackshaw Moor is on a corner and has a few trees spaced out
It would make a beautiful picture with the setting sun showing through the trees
I expected such comments but whatever turns you on
Appreciate the banter
This pitch would also be good
colin-yorkshire said:
The monitor i have has a button Input 1/2 simples
John
Well finally took the plunge and it has arrived (yesterday) now the fun begins
Plugged it in temporary last night and really pleased with the image, chrystal clear
No separate live feed for camera just plug in the monitor and the monitor powers the twin camera's
Push button on monitor to select view i;e reverse or permenant veiw.
Contrast and brightness control button
Oh and it has a remote control as well
Cant feed the cable in the offside awning channel, there is'nt one!!!!!!
Giong to play over the weekend to see the best position etc.
Plugged it in temporary last night and really pleased with the image, chrystal clear
No separate live feed for camera just plug in the monitor and the monitor powers the twin camera's
Push button on monitor to select view i;e reverse or permenant veiw.
Contrast and brightness control button
Oh and it has a remote control as well
Cant feed the cable in the offside awning channel, there is'nt one!!!!!!
Giong to play over the weekend to see the best position etc.
Gagakev said:Well finally took the plunge and it has arrived (yesterday) now the fun begins
Plugged it in temporary last night and really pleased with the image, chrystal clear
No separate live feed for camera just plug in the monitor and the monitor powers the twin camera's
Push button on monitor to select view i;e reverse or permenant veiw.
Contrast and brightness control button
Oh and it has a remote control as well
Cant feed the cable in the offside awning channel, there is'nt one!!!!!!
Giong to play over the weekend to see the best position etc.
You dont have an awning rail on the offside of the van?? what are you going to do ?
Mine has a remote too but i dont see that i will ever use it to be honest.
Let me know how you get on.
John
hi all,
well I have taken the plunge as well, ordered a mirror viewer 2 cameras one for car (specific) and one for van (generic) all the cables and connector (van to car) glands and grommets, job lot all separates, but from the same supplier,
all I have to do now is wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
their comming from direct form China.
ps hope they are here before we go away in sept, "slow boat and all that"
well I have taken the plunge as well, ordered a mirror viewer 2 cameras one for car (specific) and one for van (generic) all the cables and connector (van to car) glands and grommets, job lot all separates, but from the same supplier,
all I have to do now is wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
their comming from direct form China.
ps hope they are here before we go away in sept, "slow boat and all that"
No its a Fleetwood so no rail, so only one answer drill the roof, was going to go under the van but too lowjohnandrew70 said:
And your right probably wont use the remote either
Go Colin Go.............. Oh no wait until it all arrives, well done,colin-yorkshire said:hi all,
well I have taken the plunge as well, ordered a mirror viewer 2 cameras one for car (specific) and one for van (generic) all the cables and connector (van to car) glands and grommets, job lot all separates, but from the same supplier,
all I have to do now is wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
their comming from direct form China.
ps hope they are here before we go away in sept, "slow boat and all that"
Hope you dont have to wait too long, good luck
colin-yorkshire said:hi all,
well I have taken the plunge as well, ordered a mirror viewer 2 cameras one for car (specific) and one for van (generic) all the cables and connector (van to car) glands and grommets, job lot all separates, but from the same supplier,
all I have to do now is wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
their comming from direct form China.
ps hope they are here before we go away in sept, "slow boat and all that"
Do you have a link colin.
not really Ray, either the direct links dont work or come in chineseRAY said:
one item they are selling is, http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4-3-Car-RearView-mirror-Monitor-2-channel-Video-RCA-AV-input-For-parking-Camera-/251304065878?pt=UK_Sound_Vision_Other&hash=item3a82e3bb56
so I suppose one could visit the shop from there, the thing is I am not yet really convinced about all this rear view stuff or the security angle of leaving it in the car, so I decided that rather than spend a wad on the best equipment I would go for the cheap option to see if it actually works, prices direct from exporter are 50% cheaper than imported gear being sold by UK distributors I know it is a risk but if anything goes wrong it wont be a disaster as the whole lot cost less than £40 post free.
Nothing wroung with buying direct providing the product is of the same quality.
A 4" screen is a little on the small side however?
A 4" screen is a little on the small side however?
hi Ray, well it's funny because I thought that, but when i was doing a bit of searching and measuring trying to decide what to get,RAY said:
I sat in the car, with a measure looked in the rear view mirror and noticed to my suprise that although the mirror is 28cm the actual view through the back window is only 10cm or 4in because 9cm either side is looking at the side windows if you see what i mean,
the viewer I have ordered has the picture in the center not the side (like the link) and I will still have the 9cm either side to watch the van as it is a mirrored glass the viewer is also a mirror image unlike the one in the link so I think it will be ok,
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