Backup Camera Installation

For several years I've been interested in installing a backup camera in my pickup truck. When Jim Beletti posted his messages about his experiments with rear view cameras, I read them intently but they didn't give me detailed information about installing one in my truck. My current truck, a 2005 Dodge Ram with 20" wheels, sits 4" higher than my old F-150 and, therefore, has a much larger blind spot directly behind it. Because of this I've been a little fearful when backing out that I'd dent someones vehicle or, perish the thought, hit a little critter.

I finally decided to move this project to the top of my long list of projects and started researching the Internet for ways to do it. I concluded that my best method was to replace my truck's original AM-FM receiver with a Jensen DVD-AM-FM receiver and a fold-out monitor and install a Boyo license plate frame with built-in camera. My truck sat idle for over a week and a half during the installation - more than half of this time was spent in pondering or gathering information via the Internet or phone calls. It's finally completed, or, 98% done but it works well. Now I can see the area directly behind my raised tailgate - but not the hitch because I haven't yet found out how to tilt the camera downward. After I'm able to see the hitch in my monitor, it may be an invaluable aid for hitching up my TM.

The first photo shows the DVD-receiver unit with the monitor retracted. The second shows the monitor up and the camera activated. Finally, the third shows the fairly inconspicuous camera at the top of the license plate frame.

This particular camera has an f2.0 lens that provides very bright images, even at night. The downside of that open aperture, though, is that headlights of vehicles coming up to your rear tend to overpower the camera's image at night. As it approaches, the vehicle appears as a bright ball of light in the center of the frame - until it comes in very close and its outline becomes visible.

Since installing this camera my anxiety level has been much lower whenever I'm backing up in a shopping center's parking lot.

This Jensen DVD-receiver only has one video input and, therefore, can't be used to show the images from a second camera mounted on the rear of a TM. With another DVD-receiver unit that has two or more video inputs, one could easily run two camera cables to the rear of the tow vehicle and provide the second one with RCA plugs that mate with the TM camera's cable. The mating camera cable could be run in a split loom fabric conduit underneath the TM to a camera mounted on the trailer's rear bumper. That would avoid the problem of having to run the cable through or on the shells.

My apologies to electronic experts, like Bill or Rocky Mtn Ray, who might scoff at the length of time it took me to do it. This was my first mobile radio installation of any kind and many hours of my pondering were required before it was completed.

Larry

Welcome back Larry! We haven't heard from you in quite some time. Your installation looks great - I've thought about doing something like that only on the back of the TM. I don't need it on the Jimmy. Great report and pictures! Thanks.

[wbmiller3]

It's amazing how small color TV cameras are now. Thanks for the post, another addition to the wish list!

Great job Larry, don't matter how long it took to install just as long as it works! Since we all have different TV and ideas on installing things installation can vary for each of us. That's a great idea, do you mind telling us a ball park figure on your cost of system? Your sources for components?

I bought my wireless backup camera at Pep Boys. I paid $130.00 for it. Now is it reduced to $79.00 after rebate. I have it attached to my backup lights. Instructions informs me that I cannot have it on constantly because it would burn out the camera if it is on more than five minuites. It works great for me for hitching up.

Midwest and other TMrs who are interested, here is a fairly good primer article written by YanLab about backup cameras:
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/yanlab...ew_Camera.html

Of course YanLab's hope is that potential customers will purchase their cameras after reading the article. I'm not familiar with the quality of their cameras. There is a wide range in the cost of backup cameras from the cheapies that one can buy at Walmart and eBay to the most expensive cameras usually found on the rear ends of some commercial trucks.

I don't mind giving you the cost details. My installation costs ran approximately $700. I consider that a low cost if the system will help me to avoid an accident. I bought the Jensen VM9312 DVD-receiver with monitor ($399) and Boyo VTL200 camera ($225 sale price) from Crutchfield Electronics. Shipping via UPS Ground was free. A roll of green 16 ga. wire, 25' of 3/8" flexible conduit, wire taps, insulated spade connectors, heat shrink tubing assortment, etc. cost about $50. I had on hand rolls of 18 ga. wire in various colors, bundle ties, insulating tape, and spiral-cut tubing (that I cut from inexpensive polyethylene tubing) so didn't have to buy any of this. One of the pluses about Crutchfield is that they provide unlimited technical assistance to customers via a toll free phone number. I had to phone their tech. experts several times for help. One expert, Gabriel, apparently pored over manuals to find the various color coded wires of my Dodge truck to which I had to connect.

I chose the moderately priced Jensen DVD-receiver because I wanted to maintain an uncluttered look on my dashboard. When not in use, the flip-up monitor remains hidden inside the DVD-receiver. There are backup camera monitors one may select that will mount on top of the dash, in a sun visor, on the ceiling, or over the standard rear view mirror. They range in size from 3.5" monitors to 7" (and perhaps larger) ones and are priced from around $99 to many hundreds of dollars. Having used my system for several days by now, I recommend that you get at least a 7" monitor if you install a wide angle camera. That's because the wide angle view makes an object to the rear much tinier that it would appear in your rear view mirror - if you could see it at all. A 3.5" monitor might have you squinting all the time.

Initially I wanted to install the Sanyo CCA-BC200 camera on my truck. I think that it is the most unique backup camera currently on the market as it allows one to see what's behind his vehicle from several viewpoints. One viewpoint provides a wide angle view, a second provides a normal, undistorted view, and the third a (computerized) view looking down from above. This latter "AirCam" view is unique to the Sanyo camera. It is an aerial view that permits a driver to see how close his vehicle is getting to an object while he is backing up. Here is a brief Sanyo article about their camera:
http://us.sanyo.com/entertainment/mo...productID=1507

After downloading the Sanyo camera's operating manual and reading it, however, I decided not to buy this one. That is because the AirCam is mounted on a bracket that has to be mounted at least 29" off the ground. That's difficult to achieve on a pickup truck without mounting it somewhere on the outer surface of the truck's tailgate. I also wanted a rather inconspicuous camera installation so as not to tempt the many delinquents (both juvenille and adult who frequent our area) with a surface-mounted, Sanyo camera waiting to be plucked off like a ripe fruit. The Sanyo AirCam, though, might be well suited for mounting on the roof of an SUV or truck cap if you live in a more genteel area.

Finally, there are wireless backup cameras with monitors costing around $100 or less available at Walmart and other discount stores. Much of the information I read about wireless systems mentioned that they provide inconsistent performance, perhaps due to interference from other electrical sources. I feel that the Visor View system perhaps may be an effective one - with a smaller, 5.5" monitor installed in the driver's side sun visor. Although the monitor is smaller than a 7" one, it is mounted close to the driver's eyes. Therefore, it may make objects appear about the same size as those viewed in a more distant, dash-mounted 7" monitor. The Visor View was my second choice. It was not my first choice because I preferred not to have to take off interior trimwork in order to run a camera cable along the side posts and into my sun visor.

If any of you have other questions about a backup camera installation, I'll try to answer them - though with only one installation under my belt, I'm not much of an expert on them.

Larry

Originally Posted by Shleper

I bought my wireless backup camera at Pep Boys. I paid $130.00 for it. Now is it reduced to $79.00 after rebate. I have it attached to my backup lights. Instructions informs me that I cannot have it on constantly because it would burn out the camera if it is on more than five minuites. It works great for me for hitching up.

Shleper, I know that wireless backup cameras aren't entirely wireless as they must be wired to a source of power, like one of the tail lights. I don't understand why the camera would burn out if it is left on for more than 5 minutes.

The hardwired backup cameras can be left on for a long time without suffering any disastrous consequences. My camera, for example, is on whenever the truck's ignition switch is turned on. Normally, my monitor's screen displays a selection of AM or FM stations or a menu selection of some kind. When I switch to backup camera or put my truck into reverse gear, the camera's image pops up on the monitor's screen. Actually, it still doesn't work when my truck is in reverse gear as I haven't made a final connection to the backup light switch (I haven't identified the switch and the downstream wire from it to the backup lights). What I did to make this system work was to install a single pole, double throw switch to provide an alternate source of DC current to the DVD-receiver's relay (?) that routes the camera's image to the monitor's screen. I've fastened a coil of 16 ga. wire from the second pole of the switch to a hardpoint near the firewall in the engine compartment. It awaits the day when I'll identify the backup light switch. The system works so well with the bypass switch, however, that I've probably relegated this final step to the bottom of my To-Do list. ;<)

I finally managed to tilt the camera downward sufficiently so that I can see the 2" ball on my hitch. Now, hooking up to the TM or any other trailer should be much easier as a one-person operation.

Currently, backup cameras are available on luxury sedans and some economy models made by Saturn, Suzuki, etc. I predict that they will be available as standard or optional equipment for all sedans and light trucks within 5 years.

I read these article with great interest since I just bought a wireless camera system and put it on the TM. I was an XO vision (about $80 at Wallmart). I probably should have bench tested it first but I decided to install it while I was hanging around at the campsite. The installation took me about 20 minutes. Unfortunately, it was 20 minutes I'll never get back. It just didn't work. Specs indicated that the camera output was 2mW, which I thought was too low to travel the 35 or so feet to the front of the TV and I was right. I'll be returning it.

I'm not giving up though. I think I'll cobble together something with a wired camera. The one question I'll have to deal with is how far the video signal will go over the right type of coax. The other choice is to shell out the $800 for a system that has been tested in these kinds of applications. Their displays tend to be larger too. You can see from the picture of my driveway why I'd be interested in the back up video capability.

Phil

Phil, I hope that you don't have to back your TM down your steep and crooked driveway!

I suggest that you look into installing a backup camera system like the Visor View one. Here's a link to their two camera setup, which costs $499:
http://www.visorview.com/trailer_cameras.html
Click on "Contact us" in the upper right hand corner of the page to get a toll-free number through which you may ask questions about this system. I won't hide from you the fact, though, that installation of any hard wired backup camera system involves a lot of work - unless you've got access to a commercial hydraulic lift. Using such a lift makes it much easier as you'll be able to stand up and work under your truck. It's difficult when you have to crawl around under it as I had to.

Since we haven't taken any trips with our TM for a couple of years, I was more interested in a rear vision camera for my pickup truck than one for my TM. It's marvelous to be able to see now to the rear almost as well as to the front of my pickup! In fact, I can see more clearly what's on the ground 2' away from the rear of my truck than I can see what's 2' away from the front of my truck. I'd get into trouble quickly if I were driving my truck in a city filled with midget and dwarf pedestrians. ;<)

[Joesjunk]

When someone finds a wireless camera that I can install on the back of my 2720, to see behind the trailer, at a reasonable price, let me know.
For under $30.00 I can buy a wireless phone that has a range of 100+ feet from the base station on a small battery and is bi-directional. And for less than $100.00 I can buy a wireless security camera for home. Surley someone can make a wireless camera that can send a signal more than 19 feet (the range of most backup cameras) that will operate on 12 volts.