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View Full Version : Rear View and Backup Camera's....



Dennis Peacock
04-21-2018, 3:04 PM
I'm looking for a rear view / backup camera system for my little Sonoma p/u truck. The LOML wants to drive the truck some but also wants to be able to backup to the trailer to hookup. Do any of you have a system like this in your truck? I'm looking for advice to a decent system setup. Looking for around $250 or less.

Lee Schierer
04-21-2018, 4:21 PM
Our Honda Pilot came with a back up camera and it is great for hooking up a trailer. You can back the ball right under the hitch. As far as after market goes, I hear good things about the Furrion systems.

Ronald Blue
04-21-2018, 5:47 PM
There are a lot of options, wired and wireless. Google it and see what looks like it fits your needs. It is nice for backing up to the trailer. Both my vehicles have cameras. As Lee says you can back right up to the hitch and hook up.

Tom M King
04-21-2018, 6:29 PM
I bought a Garmin GPS w/ backup camera for my truck that's older than when they started putting them in from the factory. I've had it for several years, and it works fine. I don't remember what I paid for it, but I'm sure it was less than $300. It has a 6" screen, and a clear picture. The GPS works fine too.

Jim Becker
04-21-2018, 8:11 PM
I'm not familiar with aftermarket products outside of a unit that many equestrian trailer users, um...use. All three of our vehicles have factory backup cameras and yes, they are "the best thing since sliced bread" when it comes to trailer hook-up. I can pretty much back the ball right under the coupler 99% of the time first try. And honestly, IMHO, they are an essential safety item that really should be on every vehicle to avoid injuring folks including kids as well as helping to avoid parking lot accidents. They were originally supposed to be standard on all new vehicles starting in 2011, but like everything that makes sense, that got delayed a number of years. ETrailer.com has some offerings as does Amazon. If your vehicle doesn't have video inputs, you'll want a system that includes the small LCD screen for in the cabin.

I will also mention that I'm "one of those folks" who prefers to back into parking spaces, etc., and the backup camera has made that a "first try, dead nuts on" operation each and every time.

Dennis Peacock
04-21-2018, 8:33 PM
This is for a 2003 GMC Sonoma p/u truck.....so no existing hookups for a camera system....so I'll have to install a wired unit or really do some homework on the wireless ones as some of them seem to loose "signal" when traveling down the road.

andy bessette
04-21-2018, 10:20 PM
...IMHO, they are an essential safety item that really should be on every vehicle to avoid injuring folks including kids as well as helping to avoid parking lot accidents. They were originally supposed to be standard on all new vehicles starting in 2011, but like everything that makes sense, that got delayed a number of years...

Let's go with freedom of choice, rather than decree, no matter how wonderful an accessory might seem.

Matt Day
04-21-2018, 10:29 PM
This is probably your cheapest alternative.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Reese-Towpower-SoloHitch-Alignment-System/15125824?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&adid=22222222228009434075&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=m&wl3=40839230432&wl4=pla-78315040849&wl5=9015253&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=online&wl12=15125824&wl13=&veh=sem

John Terefenko
04-22-2018, 1:20 AM
I would love to see as an option or even make standard dash board cameras as well as backup cameras for safety sake and for security sake. Help in insurance as well. Very easy to do but I am guessing some legal issues. But should make an option then.

Tom M King
04-22-2018, 8:08 AM
This is for a 2003 GMC Sonoma p/u truck.....so no existing hookups for a camera system....so I'll have to install a wired unit or really do some homework on the wireless ones as some of them seem to loose "signal" when traveling down the road.

The one with the Garmin unit, that I posted about earlier, is a wireless unit, although not exactly completely wireless. The camera has to be tied into the backup light circuit -light green on my '01 Chev. The camera comes with a long enough wire to the transmitter. There was enough wire to run from the camera under the 8' bed, clipped on top of the license plate, up to the back window of the cab, where it sticks on. I put the transmitter directly behind the location of the screen on the dash, which is not in line with any heads. It's never had any kind of interruption to the picture.

edited to add: I installed this enough years ago that I momentarily forgot all the details. It did not come with a long enough wire to route like I did under the bed, but they do sell an extension cable, which I now remember buying. I didn't trust the signal being consistent coming all the way from the back, but didn't try it like that either. I don't think the extension cable was expensive, so I just did it like that to start with.

Al Launier
04-22-2018, 10:17 AM
This is probably your cheapest alternative.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Reese-Towpower-SoloHitch-Alignment-System/15125824?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&adid=22222222228009434075&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=m&wl3=40839230432&wl4=pla-78315040849&wl5=9015253&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=online&wl12=15125824&wl13=&veh=sem

I'm with Matt. This is exactly what I was going to suggest. However, I didn't realize that these were actually for sale. I made mine many years ago (perhaps 50) with a dowel rod epoxied to the top of a magnet that I ground on the bottom to better suit the curvature of the ball & coupling. Made two, set one rod on top the trailer coupling, the other on the ball & when one touched the other I was dead on, good to go. It worked great.

Getting back to rear view cameras they are a Godsend. I much prefer to back into a parking spot as I believe it is much safer to pull out rather than back out with limited vision. Plus, I simply cannot gage distance behind me ever since the car trunk designs sloped off to much with no reference point to gage by. The camera really solves this problem.

Joe Bradshaw
04-22-2018, 10:19 AM
Dennis, I just purchased a back-up wireless system from REAR VIEW SAFETY. It was around $185.00 with shipping. I had purchased a dashcam and back-up system from this company a couple of years ago.
Joe

Brian Elfert
04-22-2018, 10:28 AM
Let's go with freedom of choice, rather than decree, no matter how wonderful an accessory might seem.

I suppose we should just make seat belts, air bags, traction/stability control options too?

I would have like to have an integrated backup camera on my 2016 vehicle, but not available unless you spend thousands more to get an upgraded model and then spend even more to buy the navigation package that includes the backup camera. I wouldn't even consider the add-on models. My parents have the same vehicle as me, but they paid the extra for the backup camera. The integrated cameras are nice as they have lines to show where the vehicle will travel as it backs up so you know if your path will end up hitting something. I often park in areas where things are really tight and I have to worry about backing into another car.

Jim Becker
04-22-2018, 12:45 PM
Let's go with freedom of choice, rather than decree, no matter how wonderful an accessory might seem.

I have no objection to freedom of choice, but I honestly fail to understand why some folks don't like the idea of a backup camera. It's not driving the vehicle or taking away control. It enhances the driver's ability to see what's there when backing up and that's a positive thing. The mandate came partially because of so many horrible situations where small children were injured or killed, often in the driveway of their own homes by a family member who just didn't see them get behind the vehicle in what is a major blind spot.

andy bessette
04-22-2018, 12:59 PM
...I honestly fail to understand why some folks don't like the idea of a backup camera...

Some folks simply don't want to be forced to buy something.

Ken Fitzgerald
04-22-2018, 1:07 PM
Dennis, which ever system you buy, if you have to buy a monitor, buy the largest one available. My neighbor drives a Toyota Highlander and it came with a small monitor making it difficult to use. My Honda Pilot, which is several years newer, came with one that has a larger monitor. The first time my neighbor rode in my Pilot and saw how easy it was to use the larger monitor when backing up, he stated his jealousy.

BTW...I am not selling Hondas Pilots or denigrating Toyota Highlanders. Both are good vehicles IMO.

Art Mann
04-22-2018, 1:15 PM
Jim, I don't dislike the idea of a backup camera. I just bought a car with a very nice one. My objection is the government forcing people to buy these features whether they can afford them or not. Somehow, against all odds, I have managed to drive daily since 1970 without ever backing over anything. So have nearly all other drivers on the road today. On the other hand, there are people how are careless enough to run over things whether there is a backup camera there or not. You can't engineer away stupidity. The same principle applies to Sawstop table saws.

If you carry your "protect at all costs" logic to its logical extreme, we should not be permitted to travel anywhere by motor vehicle. Walking will prevent 100% of all fatal car accidents.

Nicholas Lawrence
04-22-2018, 1:35 PM
Like anything else Jim, more features mean more cost. A couple of hundred dollars may not seem like much, but a couple of hundred here and a couple of hundred there, and pretty soon you have a car that starts at $30,000. Some people cannot afford that, and want the ability to chose which of the extras they want.

I don’t know that much about cars, but I live in an area where new townhouses start at $700,000-$800,000. A lot of that is the cost of land, labor, etc., but a fair amount is regulatory requirements. My house is 50 years old, and would be illegal to build today. Not enough insulation, wrong windows, doors, not enough electrical outlets, etc. But it is a single family home, on a nice lot, in a good neighborhood, with good schools, a nice backyard where my kids can play, is sound, safe, keeps the rain off my family, keeps us warm in the winter and cool enough in the summer. Everything in the building code makes sense to somebody, but all of it comes at a cost, and those costs add up. If I had to buy the equivalent of what I have now built to the modern codes, I could not afford it.

Some people probably think the goverment should bulldoze old houses, like they did with the program to crush old cars a few years ago. It would be nice if everyone had the best, but I worry about what we are doing to the people who don’t have much and can’t afford what the rest of us think should be the bare minimum.


I have no objection to freedom of choice, but I honestly fail to understand why some folks don't like the idea of a backup camera. It's not driving the vehicle or taking away control. It enhances the driver's ability to see what's there when backing up and that's a positive thing. The mandate came partially because of so many horrible situations where small children were injured or killed, often in the driveway of their own homes by a family member who just didn't see them get behind the vehicle in what is a major blind spot.

Rick Potter
04-22-2018, 2:35 PM
Any shop that installs car stereo's should handle these cameras as well. My Grand daughter had one put in her Civic. Loves it.

I am sure they could advise you about which is best for your needs.

Tom M King
04-22-2018, 5:05 PM
I remember when people talked sarcastically about people getting power windows in their cars. How many want to do without them now?

If you have ever tried to hookup a heavy gooseneck trailer by yourself, the backup camera is worth the price of admission. A gooseneck is more critical than a bumper pull for having the ball EXACTLY under the hitch. You aren't going to shake it a half inch over. I have a little magnet based rod with two plumblines that hang down from the end after I put it in its place with the rod going horizontally straight back. One is for the equipment trailer, and the other for the horse trailer, but both hang down from the same rod. When one of the lines touches a certain spot on its designated trailer, its one and done. Otherwise, you are getting in and out of the truck five or six times, at best, before you can find the perfect spot, and not talking about on uneven ground. The only way I can see that plumbline, is with a backup camera.

It's a nice luxury for regular backing up too. My truck is a 4x dually, with the largest toolbox made in the bed. The blind spot is 8 and a half feet wide, and 5' 6" tall. That's taller, and wider than any car, and all small children.

Brian Elfert
04-22-2018, 7:01 PM
I am guessing that those of you who think backup cameras should be an option would never buy one if optional. I highly doubt it costs manufacturers several hundred to add a camera. At retail prices a display and camera cost maybe $100 depending on size of display. Most manufacturers already have a dash designed for a screen for navigation systems. It realistically shouldn't add more than $100 to the MSRP since auto makers get incredible deals on components.

Cars aren't necessarily going up in price as much as some think. I bought a 2000 Grand Caravan SE at the end of model year for $20,000 new. It had rear bench seats, no rear heat/A/C, and was a very basic vehicle. I bought a 2012 Grand Caravan SE new in 2012 for $19,600 so I paid less than a new Grand Caravan SE in 2000 and got more air bags, rear captain's chairs, LED brake lights, traction/stability control, better headlights, stow and go seating, steering wheel radio controls, and a larger engine with better transmission. It also gets much better gas mileage.

Bill Dufour
04-23-2018, 5:25 PM
Our friend loves the 17" screen his gps has in his Tesla. Of course it cost over $75,000 but they threw in the car and it has a big battery so no worries about draining the battery from overuse.

https://www.google.com/search?q=tesla+screen+size&safe=strict&rlz=1C1GGRV_enUS757US757&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj4j7_pqdHaAhUBBHwKHbfQAHkQ_AUICigB&biw=1368&bih=807#imgrc=804gzheHmY1ciM:

Bill D

John Sanford
04-25-2018, 1:12 PM
This is probably your cheapest alternative.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Reese-Towpower-SoloHitch-Alignment-System/15125824?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&adid=22222222228009434075&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=m&wl3=40839230432&wl4=pla-78315040849&wl5=9015253&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=online&wl12=15125824&wl13=&veh=sem

Useful for backing up to a trailer, not really very useful in avoiding squishing errant toddlers.

Jason Roehl
04-26-2018, 6:39 AM
I'm also a big fan of backing into parking spaces for a couple of reasons.

When one backs into a parking space, be it at a store or home, that person is already in "drive" mode mentally. They pull past the space and look at it for obstacles, then back in. However, if one has to back out of a space, they've usually just gotten in their vehicle, didn't look around, and mentally have not "shifted gears" into driving, which, IMHO, greatly increases the risk of backing into or over something, including garage doors. I don't think too many people would ever pull forward out of a garage through a closed door.

I just bought an '07 F150, and one of my upgrades in the not-too-distant future will be replacing the stereo with a touchscreen/bluetooth/backup camera unit. I also think manufacturers need to pull their heads out of their rumps when it comes to the amount of illumination backup lights provide. WAY underpowered across the board.

Ted Calver
04-27-2018, 11:36 AM
Not only should good quality back up cams come on all vehicles, but also front and back facing dash cams. We wouldn't be without a dash cam these days. There are so many drivers playing with cell phones while driving it's an increasingly dangerous world out there.

Tom Stenzel
04-28-2018, 11:11 AM
;; This buffer is for notes you don't want to save, and for Lisp evaluation.
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My family had a travel trailer when I was growing up. Dad had two backup cameras: Me and my brother. If he had to go back and forth more than twice we would catch the dickens.

Plus we would have to take out the trailer stands and platforms and stow them. Plus assemble the Reese equalizer hitch, hook up the electrical connector, test the lights and check the electric trailer brakes by listening for the clunk they made when actuated. Let's see your backup camera do that!

By the way, my problems with the Chevy Venture are now over. Not by choice mind you. It was the choice of the lady who ran a red light and pushed the passenger door into the seat. Somehow I gimped away unhurt with my clothes full of broken glass. Luckily my wheelchair was undamaged.

Or the time I stopped at a red light and a red Ford Fusion hit the back of the van. You would think when someone hits you they would be concerned that everyone was OK. The fathead got out and said, "I can't believe you stopped!". He took off and got away before I got his license number.

I take my dog for a walk everyday on my handcycle. Once when crossing at a light a Chevy pickup with a cap stopped at the red light. Nice, but it blocked my view of the left lane that had, you guessed it, a red Ford Fusion running the red light. I came close to getting hit but he missed my dog by inches. I'm still convinced it was the same fathead. Had he killed my dog I would have been obligated to hunt him down. And burn his car. With him in it. If the police came my statement would be- smells like pork. When I see red Ford Fusions driven by fatheads I run them off the road just on principle*.

If people can't manage to see red lights or just ignore them a few pixels on some video screen someplace somewhere just won't make a difference.

-Tom

*There MAY be some exaggeration here. But not much.