Reversing Cameras

[Parksy]

I'm thinking about fitting a reversing camera to my towcar.

It's a Mitsubishi Pajero 4x4 and it's sometimes difficult to judge where the tow hitch of my caravan is in relation to the towball and how far back I need to go.

The rear door mounted spare wheel is offset and to hitch up from my driveway I have to reverse the car up my levelling ramps to overcome the pavement camber and this can be awkward at times.

Herself doesn't drive and has no spatial or directional awareness and she isn't much help with vague flappings of her arms and shouted instructions that I can't hear over the engine noise.

I don't want to spend a fortune and I wondered if I should mount a camera near to the number plate and if it would 'see' the towball or should I use two cameras, one low down near to the bumper and the other higher up for a good all round view.

Is there anything else that I ought to know about, I'm a reasonably competent diy - er and my car doesn't have modern fol de rol's like bus bars and computers ( I use an abacus), the car is SWB so I hoped that a wireless system would work ok.

Any thoughts or recommendations?

 

[Rita1]

Have you got a Mover fitted ? If yes all you need do is reverse till you are close then use mover

But cheaper to train SWMBO

Thats womans logic

 

[Parksy]

No mover Rita, I don't want the weight penalty and I never have problems manoeuvring the caravan, it's just seeing that last little bit to get the towball in exactly the right place as opposed to 'close' that can be the problem.

If I had a spare 50 years I could train Herself, she's really good at many things but helping me reverse onto the hitch is not her forte.

I watched a young man reverse his 4x4 straight to his tow hitch at an angle going up a slope on a recent rally and I was very impressed. At the moment on a bad day I'm in and out of the car like a Jack in the Box so I'm hoping that a rear view camera will do the trick.

 

[Rita1]

Mmmmm suppose if you have not got 50years to train "Herself"

you'd better get a reversing mirror :-0

 

[Sproket]

Hi Parksy

I have one of these

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VR3-3-5-Wireless-Reversing-Camera-Colour-monitor_W0QQitemZ370262475713QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM?hash=item56355d03c1
I have the camera fitted just above the number plate on my truck, ( this new camera lens by the look of it is easier to adjust the angle ) any way this is wired to the reversing light for the power to the camera, the monitor i have on a piece of Velcro stuck between the air vent on the dash, & then just plug the jack plug in for power, i just plug it in / put on the dash when i want to use it.

It is very good when you get somewhere like a multistory car park with tight spaces.

Sproket.

 

[RayS]

Shall watch this thread with interest as i've been wondering about a wireless reversing camera on the back of the caravan -fixed bed, no rear window - with monitor in the car.

It seemed to me that if there is a 12v version this may work, but i think most motorvan caravans are hard wired.

Maplin had a good offer a few weeks ago but don't know if it's still available and whetheer it would transmit through the caravan body panels and the car rear window - any techies out there who can advise ?

 

[xtrailman]

I have the standard fit camera on the xtrail explorer.

Its well worth having as it employs guide lines for aid in reversing, not just the picture. You can see the tow ball, but it is a view from above, its great for parking.

The only negative i can think of, is with two wing mirrors, a rear view mirror, plus the camera, i have to put more concentration into actually reversing! maybe its just me?

But well worth having, i would be happy to part with

 

[WatsonJohnG]

I also have the XT with rev camera so no excuse for hitting anything

I believe that a Sat Nav is available with rev camera

I have had them on the back of the caravan for 7 years and use them for permanent rear view

There is no problem legally if they are being used as a rear view mirror (ie not match of the day)

I have taken the wired route as I have read reports of interference on wireless

On ebay there are a lot of them with various monitors and cameras at very cheap prices

I pick up the 12V power from the fridge or charging circuit as all else is "off" via the habitation relay

The coax is run under the van and connected with a phono plug/socket in the car boot

The monitor is connected into the car 12V at the cigar socket rear

 

[WatsonJohnG]

http://gadgeteer.org.uk/2008/07/28/satnav-with-rear-view-camera/

 

[ShadySadie]

Friends who were impredded with the camera got me a basic small Maplins wireles reversing camera when they had an offer on.

Its on permanently when towing and is simply the best on busy roads, the field of veiw shows the front of an overtaking car as it virtually in line with the rear of the caravan and even works well at night, when following headlight beams flare on the screen the car passing is to close to pull out.

I have 'dual lock'(HD Velcro) lock fixing points at the rear and front of the caravan and on hubbies race trailer.

Hitching up is faultless with the camera.

 

[ShadySadie]

Friends who were impredded with the camera got me a basic small Maplins wireles reversing camera when they had an offer on.

Its on permanently when towing and is simply the best on busy roads, the field of veiw shows the front of an overtaking car as it virtually in line with the rear of the caravan and even works well at night, when following headlight beams flare on the screen the car passing is to close to pull out.

I have 'dual lock'(HD Velcro) lock fixing points at the rear and front of the caravan and on hubbies race trailer.

Hitching up is faultless with the camera.

IMPRESSED ;-)

 

[Parksy]

Many thanks to all who have responded so far, the reversing camera is looking like an attractive proposition and of course it's a gadget and blokes like me just love gadgets.

From the answers so far I'm thinking of starting initially with the camera for the towcar to help the hitching process and perhaps adding a second licence plate mounted camera to the rear of the caravan at a later stage.

 

[DeliDave]

I have a camera fitted under the bumper with a clipon monitor over the interior mirror,hardwired with a 4 pin waterproof plug.It has infrared LEDs so its very good at night reversing.There are two inputs so a second camera would be quite feasible with a touch screen to change between inputs,Its on a delica,very similar to a pajero.I also have a camera on the caravan,just disconnect the 4pin lead and connect the caravan camera.one camera and monitor and wiring cost

 

[Sproket]

Shady.

do you get a good picture from the rear of the van ok just on wireless ??..

I was just having a look back on my fle-bay feedback ... its two years since i bought mine ... any way

 

[WatsonJohnG]

As I see it

You would need to get the wireless sender as near to the front of the van as possible so its not any more work to have the coax long enough to reach the car boot(probably less)

Wireless is more costly to buy and there have been reports of people going that route and regretting it because of interference

I have met several people who suddenly lost picture or picked up CCTV instead

My friend has an auto electrical business and he has a wired system on his own caravan and supplies only wired systems to customers

 

[ShadySadie]

The simple Maplins cameras instruction suggested wiring to reversing lights.

I had it wired via an always live 12V plug inside the caravan so I can move it to our trailer. HD velcro'd centrally just under the rear caravan window. The cable is trapped by the window seal. The cable is quite long and the send/receive box with aerial fits on the sink top nearer the caravan front and has direct line of view through the windows to the Monitor in the center of the dash.

We've tried having the camera lower and found it restricted the veiw available, fitted next to the lower edge of the rear window it also stays pretty dry and grime free more so than when it was by the number plate.

Interference is minimal, never had any serious issues with that.

The cameras wide field of veiw gives a far better view of overtaking and following and overtaking vehicles than any mirror.

At night you first see headlight glowing, when they get close the lights flare on the screen showing that passing vehicles are very close. We've found that you soon learn to judge the speed of vehicles gaining on you.

With a long caravan on long bends you have a better view than with mirrors.

The camera screen is small and its a very cheap system compared to someothers, caravanning friends were impressed with theirs and got me one on the special offer. For a basic cheap setup it is very very good. The screen is small but does all we've ever needed and is not a distraction.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=224282
I think it was

 

[RayS]

Thanks everyone for the info. I've passed all the details to Father Christmas, but I suspect he will have to sub-contract to the Easter Bunny as I don't think Maplins have any branches in Spain.

 

[DeliDave]

We tried the Maplins one but couldnt get a constant good picture got refunded no problem,wnet for the hard wired one then.

 

[WatsonJohnG]

A while ago a poster asked about cameras and after a lot of replies opted for wireless

It wasn't long before he reported poor results

Other people have had success with wireless but it could mean buying twice

 

[Parksy]

After reading through the replies I'm starting to think that a wired system might be better if I want to add a second camera so that I have one on the towcar and and one on the caravan when it is hitched up.

The caravan is 7.96 metres long overall so maybe a wireless system would give trouble due to interference. Because the caravan has an end washroom there is no rear view through the caravan so a camera system would be ideal and the one on the towcar would help with hitching up as originally planned.

All I have to do now is to send the note to Santa and hope for the best.

 

[ValA.]

You'd be better forgetting the letter, and relying on a visit to Argos or Motorworld Parksy! Apparently letters to Santa are no longer going to Lapland for Elf and Safety reasons.

 

[Parksy]

Lapland!

I never realised that Santa lived in that strange building with the blacked out windows in our High Street!

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Unlike Parksy I've got Her Ladyship trained to get the tow hitch within 1.5 inches of the towball so can usually get it hitched by move 2. My problem is judging how far I am from walls etc. when reversing in car parks. I think the mirrors on my Sorento are slightly convex and I just can't get it right :O(

and this is something I've never had problems with before. Then again, like everything else, perhaps my eyesight is failing :O)

This the only complaint I have regarding the Sorento otherwise I love it :O)

Here is my question. Is the one Sproket mentioned on eBay ok and how difficult are they to fit?

 

[Parksy]

Hi Lord B

I've only got myself to blame really because for the past ten years I've been telling my o/h that this

I----------------------------I

is six inches.

The camera that sprocket mentioned is on ebay

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

God bless you Parksy, after all these years you cannot begin to believe how much better you've made me feel showing me what six inches is. Foolishly I've been thinking I was under developed and must have stood at the back of the queue when the good Lord handed them out :O)