RetSgt7114
East of Los Angeles & West of Boston
Full Member
Joined: 12/22/2012
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
 Online
|
Does anyone have any first-hand experience in the installation of a hard-wired back-up camera system on a class c RV? I have a camera system with a rear camera and 2 side-view cameras that I'd like to install but I'm not sure if this is a DIY project or if it's something I should have the dealer install. This is not one of those systems that mount on a license plate.
Has anyone done this install DIY? If so, how difficult was it?
Where did you run the wires for the cameras?
Where is the monitor mounted? WHat about the Junction Box?
Is the system on full-time or only when you back up the rig?
The main reason I bought this particular system was for the side-view cameras. I want to have better visibility on the sides when changing lanes, etc.
If anyone has any input, I would appreciate it.
As always, thanks in advance.
Ron
------------------------------------------------------------------
2002 Gulf Stream Yellowstone Sport M6280
USAF Veteran
US Army Veteran
Retired LEO 32 years
|
Home Skillet
Pearland Texas
Senior Member
Joined: 10/21/2004
View Profile
 Offline
|
I did my single camera system a while back. It's not too bad of a job.
I ran the wire inside the overhead cabinet at the rear of the RV.
Then I ran it down to the left side,through the outside, down along the frame rail all the way to the front driver's foot well.
There's a hole in the footwell that you can run the cable up to the inside of the driver's cab.
Ran the cable up through the A pillar, on to the display, which I mounted between the sun visors.
I ran the power signal feed to be on with the key on, instead of the back up lamp circuit.
2005 Gulf Stream Conquest 31ft
BigFoot Levelers,SmarTire,Bilstein Shocks,Trans temp guage,Lowrace iWAY
|
belairbrian
Alabama
Senior Member
Joined: 04/18/2005
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
not a class c but did both my truck and 5er.
If your goal is to have the camera work as an electronic rear view mirror, mount it up high on the rear.
There isn't much camera wiring the camera needs 12v, a ground and the video cable run forward. Just need to figure out the path.
I chose an in dash unit combining gps, stereo, ipod control, cd/dvd, and camera display with a 6 inch display. I can switch between all the displays and it switches to rear view when I go to reverse.
TV 2003 Chevy 3500 Crew Cab Dually w Duramax/Allison
2005 Keystone Cougar 314 EFS
Reese 16K Slider Hitch, Prodigy BC, Delorme GPS
USAF Retired
|
RoyB
King George, VA
Senior Member
Joined: 04/13/2008
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
|
X2 on mounting high on the rear - this keeps on-coming truck/auto lights from flaring out the camera if you also use the system for seeing whats behind you when on the road..
|
Tango, AE7UI
Taylorsville, UT
Senior Member
Joined: 09/19/2011
View Profile
Offline
|
Just don't mount it above the red clearance lights.
The glare will be seen in the monitor and diminish the view.
This was in the instructions with the system I used.
I installed it just below the center light of three on the rear of the fifth wheel.
2007 Tango 2660RKS Fifth Wheel, 2006 Chevy D/A 3500 with service body,
|
|
|
TakingThe5th
Chicago
Senior Member
Joined: 09/21/2012
View Profile
Offline
|
Questions - for those who use the camera as an in-transit rear view mirror, how shaky is the image? Also, any comments on how well the camera works at night?
TakingThe5th - Illinois
Ford F350 Crew 6.0 Diesel Dually. Stock.
Keystone Cougar 333MKS
|
belairbrian
Alabama
Senior Member
Joined: 04/18/2005
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
I don't have any noticeable shake on either camera.
As for night time performance that will very quite a bit by camera as well as available light.
|
Tango, AE7UI
Taylorsville, UT
Senior Member
Joined: 09/19/2011
View Profile
Offline
|
I don't have any shake on the monitor and I like the at night image and the sound.
|
soling2003
Federal Way, WA
Senior Member
Joined: 09/09/2010
View Profile
Offline
|
There shouldn't be any shake on good systems. And night time they work pretty good. Mount the camera in the back high pointing down so that you can just see a spotter about 5 ft from rear of rig. You should be able to see a long ways back still. Side ones about roof hight of normal car, pointing slightly down.
If you can install a stereo, you can install one of these. The hook up is easy, just a few plug in wires, power and video feeds. Harder part is running the wires and finding the correct power sources. Do a thorough walk through first to determine where you are going to run the wires from monitor on back to cams BEFORE drilling any holes. the rear cam might be run easiest underneath. Make sure that the video cables are long enough, or order an extension.
I've installed many, both trucks, 5th wheels and MH's. The biggest thing is just were to run the wires.
There are two thoughts on where to mount the monitor. Either by the rear view mirror or on the dash. Since most RV's don't have a good clear usable rear view mirrow, you are always using your side mirrors. So I mount the monitor somwhere in line between the two so I can look in one mirror, the monitor to the other mirror.
The http://www.rearviewsafety.com/ cams also have audio on most cams. You can hear your spotter but you can't talk to them, and the monitors have a scale on them. Pretty usefull. You can have up to three cams on the basic model and you can hook up a dvd player to it too....
Sorry for the long post....
Good luck.
DW and 2 dogs
2011 Ford F350 Dually LB 4x4 CC 6.7 diesel
2007 Grand Junction 35TMS
Peterson 37(just sold) T-37 R/C Sailboat at home
|
Dave-Sparky
Woodinville, Washington
Senior Member
Joined: 11/02/2009
View Profile
Offline
|
When I installed my cameras several years ago I ran the wires in the walls and added them to the bundles that were already existing under the trailer. In the van I tucked them into the gap between the headliner and the plastic trim.
Here is an earlier post on cameras My install
* This post was
edited 01/03/13 08:18am by Dave-Sparky *
Dave and Colleen
Colleen's Beach House
1991 Dutchman TT 24FK
2002 GMC Safari AWD
|
|
|
