ken nugent Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 Can anyone help me sort out the good the bad & the dam right useless when it comes to reversing cameras, i am new to MH's. There seems to be a hugh difference between the cheapest and the dearest. I would prefer a wireless type. What are your experiences please Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 Welcome! I have not got one but wireless are supposed to be unreliable and a wired system far more reliable. this one on ebay for £149.96 gets good write ups on another forum so I have kept it for future reference :-D item number: 230398551330 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AliB Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 The current issue of MMM has a report on reversing cameras, well worth reading. Wireless cameras have been discussed previously. Try these links: http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=17025&posts=4 http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=17525&posts=4 http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=16160&posts=16 The more expensive kits allow you to add additional cameras at a later date. Hence you can have one camera on the rear pointing downwards and a second looking straight back. Handy if you do not have a rearview mirror. The really expensive ones like Waeco have 2 cameras in the one housing or a motorised drive to alter the viewing position. You need to decide if you want a basic system or one that can be expanded. As a minimum you want a camera with a wide viewing angle (100+ degrees) and infra red night vision. Hope that helps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 I got mine from the same guy The Judge mentions. As I didn't want to drill any holes in body I went for a bullet camera mounted in the rear skirt next to the numberplate, not quite as good as a high level camera but it works well enough. For the monitor I got one that clips over the rear view mirror, to the casual eye it's not even noticeable in the cab. His website is : http://shop.reversingcamerasuk.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterrosey Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 The wired camera generally gave better results than the wireless models, but which to go for depends on your van - some are very tricky to fit wired cameras, too, in which case a wireless version may be better. If you run the feed cable underneath the vehicle, it can be easier to fit than wireless versions. The tricky bit with wireless versions is that you have to do more power feed wiring - both camera and monitor need separate feeds. On a wired version the cable powers the camera and transmits the signal to the monitor. It's worth getting hold of the November issue of MMM as I did wire each and every camera up and tested each one. Didn't just read the 'tech spec' box and have a waffle like in some publications... Peter R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davenewellhome Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 Wireless cameras are NOT worth the effort on a motorhome, they are prone to interference which you can almost guarantee will occur at the most important moment. Besides which you need to wire a power feed to the camera so you might as well fit a wired camera and not have the problems of interference. Yes I know you can take a power feed from the reversing light but then it will only work when reverse gear is selected and a rear view camera can be so much more useful while driving, some people have taken the power feed from the side light circuit but then have to drive with side lights on all the time, not a real problem but not worth the hassle when the interference kicks in, and it will! I have fitted wireless camera systems twice, both times supplied by the customer and both times they proved to be crap. First one failed in the first rain shower that occurred just minutes after fitting. Second one was Ok till engine was started then it just disappeared into interference. I've also seen plenty of wireless jobs fitted on customers vans and EVERY ONE suffered interference, without exception! D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 If you wire into the reversing light circuit on a vehicle with a canbus system I would have thought if would cause major electrical problems, perhaps Dave knows if it causes problems? With the X250 chassis its very easy to run the cables along the chassis & gain access to the cab via the battery box, I picked up an electrical feed from the rear of the cigar lighter socket safely avoiding any wiring on the canbus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davenewellhome Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 It could certainly cause a problem with bulb failure monitoring systems as they work in one of two ways (as far as I know), they either send a pulse down the feed and monitor it or measure the circuit resistance, either way adding an extra load may cause problems. Another good reason to use a good quality wired system IMHO. D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 Don,t bother with wireless. Have the biggest monitor you can afford so you can glance at it and see clearly. Mount it so that it does NOT obscure your view through any forward windows or the mirrors. Have one with the capability of adding a second camera. Then add a blind spot camera for your left side as far forward and as low as possible. Then leave the monitor switched ON to the blind spot camera and only select rear view when reversing. Check the spec for low light capability. The Mekra kit we have does not hold a candle to the other kit we purchased from Brigade. Our Brigade reversing camera is mounted on a short aluminium boom overhanging the top of the motorhome so has a fatastic view both down and backwards. C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cronkle Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 We have a cheap wireless camera. It tells me if there is someone or something right behind me if I have to reverse in places where there are lots of children about or I have gone to the furthest pump only to discover that it is out of diesel. When I had it wired to the reversing lights my camera signal always overpowered any local signals such as the filling station security cameras. We have had signals at some strange times. We once saw Sky News on out monitor - I guess it was one of those domestic distribution systems. The camera is now wired so that it can be on all the time whilst travelling. No issues so far. It's not HD quality but it certainly improves the rearward visibility and at a cost that I could afford. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 We have had the Waeco wired system on two vans and it works well even in the dark so that's what I would buy were I to need a new one. You can also still get parts for a three year old system as my monitor died recently and it was replaced under the used vehicle warranty - still took Marquis three weeks to get it ordered and delivered though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 We have a Waeco twin lens job, which is good, although expensive. I fitted it myself. The monitor is 5", and is generally fine. Low light performance is impressive. Switching between look back, and look down, is instant on selecting reverse gear. Switching between cameras is possible via buttons on the monitor, whichever camera has been selected automatically. Thus, you can check how close behind you a following vehicle actually is while driving forward, or for low sweeping tree branches when reversing.The van has Canbus, and the reversing signal is connected at the reversing light, not the gearbox switch. The signal line only activates switching between look back, and look down, cameras, it does not energise the cameras. The power feed is via the ignition circuit, and was connected by a Ford commercial dealership, so the Canbus was "told" it was there. For initial tests, I took power from a cab 12V socket.The camera housing is mounted high, to be as far away as possible from road dirt and inquisitive fingers. It is not the shuttered version (which closes when not in use). Shuttering adds cost and complexity, and in my opinion little else, since dirt etc generally gets onto the lens when driving in the wet, when the shutter would be open. However, it is only when you stop, when the shutter would close, that lenses can be cleaned.The look back camera approximately replicates a rear view mirror, eliminating the blind spot behind the van in which a surprising number of cars, and motorbikes, hide. The look down camera is wide angle, and shows the full extent of the rear bumper, plus a bit to either side, and back to about 15-20 feet. I can reverse to almost touch an obstruction using the camera where circumstances necessitate.If your van, like ours, has no rear window, it is an excellent solution.Reversing cameras that have wide angle lenses do not, in my opinion, lend themselves to rear view applications as the lenses gives too distorted a view, making relatively close objects look much more distant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 Brian Kirby - 2009-11-18 11:36 AM Reversing cameras that have wide angle lenses do not, in my opinion, lend themselves to rear view applications as the lenses gives too distorted a view, making relatively close objects look much more distant. Agreed Brian - ours has a wide angle lens and only gives a few feet of visibility behind the van so it's only value on the open road is for spotting people who are too darned close! It's best to practise reversing up to and/or between some plastic buckets to learn how the distortions apply to distances. The further out towards the sides of the van the greater the distortion - but you easily get used to it and I can quite safely now reverse to within an inch or two of any wall or barrier - however individual tree stumps or fence posts require a little more care! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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