bendav Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 looking to fir a reversing camera to our 7.8 motorhome, any suggestions as to type, what parts are needed, can you fit them above rear bumper, other half very practical hopes he can do it himself. Any advice welcome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 There are a lot, at varying prices, with various features. Some will give you two cameras, one giving a permanent rear view, the other a downward view to aid reversing, often, but not always, activated when you select reverse gear. Others just give the downward view for reversing and, as above, usually activated when reverse gear is selected. Otherwise, if the camera is not automatically selected, it must be operated manually, which may dictate where the monitor must be mounted. Some have lighting to aid night-time reversing, some include microphones to provide audible warning of vehicles etc behind the vehicle or to allow instructions to be given. For the latter a monitor with a built-in speaker is required. There is also a wide variety of monitors, ranging from rear view mirror substitutes to individual dashboard mounted screens. Some are supplied as complete manufacturers kits with camera, monitor, and all necessary connecting cables, others are "pick and mix". Suppliers will often assemble all the required parts into kits for ease of installation. Some are "wireless" installations, though power is needed to both camera and monitor, others require signal cable to be run from back to front to power the camera and bring the images to the monitor. Some have found the wireless variety prone to interference from outside sources, and therefore less reliable. Prices vary accordingly. Relative to the cost and inconvenience of I'd suggest looking at Conrad Anderson, here http://tinyurl.com/hcmqlsf to get an idea of what is on offer. They are not the only potential supplier by any means, but I have found them prompt, reliable, and very helpful both before and after purchase, and they offer a quite representative range. Personally, I would not go for a low mounted camera. Motorhomes generate a huge cloud of spray on wet roads and even high mounted rear view cameras become affected. A low mounted camera, IMO, would be liable to become useless after a handful of miles, and so obstructed by crud from the road that you'd need to get out to clean it before using it to reverse. I have DIY fitted three, to different vans. The most difficult part is threading the signal cable neatly through the van. The most technically complex parts are identifying a usable ignition switched power supply, and picking up an activation supply from the reversing lights. The most nerve-wracking part is checking that all mounting points are suitably robust, and that any holes drilled from outside emerge at the right spot inside, and vice versa. Some very careful transferring of locations from outside to inside (and above/below the dashboard) is necessary. It takes time, patience, and careful planning - and double jointed elbows would be a great help! :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
athiest Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 Hi bendav, my van is 21 ft and I have two reversing cameras fitted. One is a Wireless and one is Wired. Apart from very slight flickering as you travel along I have never lost the picture from either. I have a 9 inch rear view mirror that also serves as the screen when the cameras are switched on. Both cameras are manually operated, not off the reverse gear so that I can get a better view in the rear view screen if I need too. The motorhome fixtures do not give me a full view via the screen in normal use. I have run a Fused cable from the leisure battery to the two cameras. One camera is fitted inside the van & looks straight through the rear window giving me a view of the road behind, the other camera is fitted as normal above the rear window outside and looks at the road directly behind the van. The monitor, (rear view screen) is fed from the interior light above the dashboard. I have had this setup for the last five years with no problems what so ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
athiest Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 Hi bendev again. the wireless kit that you need to do this is (2.4gig 12volt wireless transmitter/receiver) on EBay bought in UK for about £10 but if you can wait buy it from Hong Kong or China for around £6. Hope this helps. "A" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AliB Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 Mounting the camera low down by the number plate will give blind spots in your field of view. Even with a 1/3" CCD camera with a 2.8mm lens the angle of view will be 120 degrees. Less with the cheaper CMOS cameras. This means you will not be able to see the corners of the van. Hence, it is easy to reverse into a low level post or boulder. Mount the camera as high as possible on the vehicle looking downward and you will see all of the van from corner to corner. It is simpler to buy a kit consisting of camera, monitor and cable. The best systems use the 4-Pin aviation connector which will power the camera from the monitor with just one multi-core cable between the camera and monitor. The aviation type connector has a locking ring which gives a very secure and waterproof connection. Some people have success with wireless cameras but be aware the cheaper models operate on an open frequency so can pickup any signal within the area of operation. You can get terrible interference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 I notice that Dometic (Waeco) now offers a wide range of reversing/rear view aids, including a 2-step zoom camera, and a wifi transmitter linked to a rear camera and displaying on OS/Android smartphones and tablets. The latter system is aimed at caravans, trailers and horseboxes, but might be attractive for motorhomes if a ‘permanent’ rear monitor in the cab isn’t wanted. http://www.dometic.co.uk/markets/camping-caravanning/catalogues/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bendav Posted September 22, 2016 Author Share Posted September 22, 2016 Hi Everyone, it has taken so long to reply other half busy with other jobs, he has just found a wire at the rear of the vehicle which looks like it is ready to have a camera fitted. When he has finished all the other jobs he will look into this more closely. Thanks for all info provided. It is great to know that you are all at the other end willing to help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted September 22, 2016 Share Posted September 22, 2016 Some motorcaravans are ‘pre-cabled’ by the motorhome manufacturer when the vehicle is built (ie. there is a suitable cable running from the motorhome’s rear wall to behind the dashboard) so that it is relatively simple to add a reversing-camera system. I’d be a mite surprised, though, if a 2009 Chausson Allegro 97 (which I think is what you have) would have been 'pre-cabled’, but one never knows... Anyway, it should be straightforward to visually identify whether the cable your partner has found is likely to be for a camera of something else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Posted September 27, 2016 Share Posted September 27, 2016 Our dealer fitted wireless one was so bad I removed it from the van. I think they are made for cars and a 6m transmission distance with a toilet in the way was too far for a reliable picture. If you can't buy a good one I really wouldn't bother, there's a lot of Chinese crap out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BKen1 Posted September 30, 2016 Share Posted September 30, 2016 Charles - 2016-09-27 3:35 PM Our dealer fitted wireless one was so bad I removed it from the van. I think they are made for cars and a 6m transmission distance with a toilet in the way was too far for a reliable picture. If you can't buy a good one I really wouldn't bother, there's a lot of Chinese crap out there. Agree with Charles as to wireless route... as for the Chinese crap not so, bought a 7" screen and a camera with 7 Mtrs of cable from China and its been great have it on all the time when travelling via the side lights has night infrared ..works for me. Brian K Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted October 1, 2016 Share Posted October 1, 2016 BKen1 - 2016-09-30 7:20 PM Charles - 2016-09-27 3:35 PM Our dealer fitted wireless one was so bad I removed it from the van. I think they are made for cars and a 6m transmission distance with a toilet in the way was too far for a reliable picture. If you can't buy a good one I really wouldn't bother, there's a lot of Chinese crap out there. Agree with Charles as to wireless route... as for the Chinese crap not so, bought a 7" screen and a camera with 7 Mtrs of cable from China and its been great have it on all the time when travelling via the side lights has night infrared ..works for me. Brian K This is a potential snag with a wireless camera system that’s to be used to provide a continuous rear view image - you have to obtain a 12V power-supply for the rear camera from somewhere. A wireless system that’s to be used only when reversing can have the camera powered from the vehicle’s reversing-light circuit, but vehicles don’t usually have a 12V circuit at the back that’s continuously live while the vehicle is being driven, nor do motorhomes often have an interior 12V circuit at the rear that could be employed. OK if you are prepared to drive with sidelights on all the time and use the sidelight 12V circuit to power the camera, but otherwise installation may well be tricky. Nowadays digital technology has pretty much overcome the interference problems that used to plague wireless systems, but a wired system is still likely to be the ‘safest’ bet for a good picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FergusC Posted November 30, 2016 Share Posted November 30, 2016 Sorry to be late in on but my thoughts are to go for wired over wireles as 1) the range in a MoHo can give a poor pic :-S and interference from other sources can be a pain (wireless baby monitor on site *-) ) If you are up for fitting yourself DRW electronics http://www.drwelectronics.com/ did me a deal 2 yrs ago! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
athiest Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 Late post for this query but here goes. Why do answers about "wireless cameras" always say that you have to take into account interference from "microwaves, baby monitors"etc.Who uses these things while on the move,the only time that you use the cameras. Never in the last six years while on the move have I noticed any interference over my "wireless" camera. "A" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 5, 2017 Share Posted January 5, 2017 athiest - 2017-01-04 7:12 PM ...Why do answers about "wireless cameras" always say that you have to take into account interference from "microwaves, baby monitors”etc... I’ve seen comments that microwave ovens can cause interference on wirelessly-connected domestic ‘baby monitor’ systems, but (for the obvious reasons that you’ve mentioned) not that microwave ovens or baby monitors may produce interference on vehicle reversing camera systems (Do comments about vehicle wireless cameras “always” suggest this?) Results of a GOOGLE-search on “wireless reversing camera interference” are shown here https://www.google.co.uk/?gws_rd=ssl#q=wireless+reversing+camera+interference One entry advises as follows "Wired vs. Wireless While the picture produced by a high quality wireless system may be okay when the vehicle is stationary, every wireless device (every one!) is susceptible to interference, and that interference may be worse when the vehicle is in motion. Because a wireless system transmits a video image through the air, instead of via a cable, there can be some interference from a variety of sources, including electrical interference, high power radio and television transmitters, and many other sources encountered as the vehicle moves. One serious consideration should be that most of the wireless systems sold (on eBay and elsewhere) are total and complete garbage. The best wireless systems use a digital, spread spectrum, frequency hopping transmitter(s) and receiver, and will typically provide far superior performance over an analog wireless system. Although I previously sold the highest quality wireless rear view camera systems available anywhere, I personally STRONGLY prefer a wired system. If you insist upon a wireless rear view system, then you may have to settle for a lower quality picture than you would have with a high quality wired system, and possibly some occasional interference. Check the specifications of any wireless system you are considering purchasing very carefully, and if you decide to buy a wireless system, I recommend that you buy the best (digital) wireless system available!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blaven Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 I fitted a reversing camera to my 2003 Murvi Morello last year using a wired, 4 pin aviation cable system with the power being picked up from under dash Cigarette lighter terminal. I chose to have a monitor which clips onto my existing driver rear view mirror. I bit the bullet and mounted the small circular camera unit into the nearside rear door, drilling a hole at roughly door handle height, and routed the cable forward as best I could, having to drill access holes through the sides of kitchen cabinets,- not something some of you might wish to do. The main draw back of the 4 pin cable system is that the connectors are fairly bulky and atatched to the supplied cables, and so, the holes you drill have to match these dimensions. Soldering is something I have never mastered, which would maybe have overcome this. In addition, because the cable connecting to the mirror monitor runs close to the roof mounted radio aerial, there is interference to radio signal in areas of marginal reception. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tall_Mike Posted January 20, 2017 Share Posted January 20, 2017 Cable for us - and mounted high up. We have a relatively cheap cabled system, but it does have aero quality brackets and sealing, it's in a pretty exposed position up there. Think it's an AZCO or similar. Never had it cloud over in bad weather and it works reasonably in poor light - it's presents a picture in black and white, no bleeps or range lines as per my wife's reversing camera on her car. - As long as I can see the bollard or child behind me, don't care what colour it is, can work out how close the object is from it - Normally it turns on when the van goes into reverse however it's possible to switch it on anyway, - useful on a motorway if cars are "hidden" behind the van. It points more down rather than out but the degree of angle is enough to see cars that are too close behind in traffic, when I first got it, I positioned a traffic cone moving it to the edge of view in each direction to give me feel for the zone that you can see - and what you cannot. My experience and from talking to other owners on camping grounds is that this is the best type and the best position to have the camera mounted although there are all manner of bells and whistles that can be had Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bjorn Toulouse Posted May 8, 2017 Share Posted May 8, 2017 Just fitted a twin camera wired system with mirror monitor to an old Avantguard 400. It was the £170 - £200 kit available everywhere on line with the Sony CCDs. Had to drill 3 Holes to mount the camera (1 for the cables 2 for the retaining bolts) the cable run was a bit of a pain but thanks to hole for the lhd handbrake no other drilling was required. One problem. Interference when the engine is switched on. will have to re-evaluate taking the power from the cigarette lighter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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