Rear View and Backup Camera's....

[Dennis Peacock]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

...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]

This is probably your cheapest alternative.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Reese-Tow...&wl13=&veh=sem

[John Terefenko]

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]

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]

This is probably your cheapest alternative.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Reese-Tow...&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]

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]

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]

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]

...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.