Waeco Perfectview Cam50 Reversing Camera

[stevec176]

Hi, started my van for the first time in 2 months to take it in for it's service and noticed that the picture from the reversing camera is flickering. It was so bad I couldn't see another van when trying to park. I've asked the garage to look into the problem but thought I'd look on line for the price of a replacement but I can't find one. Does anyone know if there is a direct replacement please, want to be prepared if it's bad news.

Thanks

[Brian Kirby]

Waeco were taken over by Dometic some years back, so your best chance to get advice would be to contact Dometic. They produce a range of cameras and monitors, as well as kits.

 

Your problem is likely to be determining whether the fault is in the camera, the monitor, or between. If you can find a Dometic agent near where you live your best bet might be to contact them for advice, as when I had problems with a Waeco set up some years back I was invited to take our van down to their home in Blandford St Mary, Dorset (now Dometic UK) and play swapping cables, camera, and monitor, until they found the culprit and then, after one false start, the camera was replaced under warranty. It seemed at the time that they had no reliable test apparatus to determine what was mal-functioning. Be cautious over substituting different makes of cameras, as it seems which wire of connected to which on these systems is not consistent meaning that a "Bloggs" camera may well not speak the same language as the Waeco monitor.

 

Once you are clear whether the fault is camera, monitor, or connecting cables, it will probably be best to stay with Dometic kit or else be prepared to replace the entire installation - to avoid the cost and tedium of arriving at that point one piece at a time with a different brand! Good luck.

[Derek Uzzell]

Steve

 

The Apollo Motorhomes website advertises three WAECO PerfectView CAM50 cameras

 

https://www.apollomotorhomes.com/?mcmsListStart=10&mcmsAction=ListNext&CurrentCat=99

 

but I'm doubtful that the website is up to date.

 

My 2015 Rapido 640F had a WAECO CAM50C (silver colour) reversing camera that displayed on a (horrid) Pioneer AVH-X2700BT 'multi-media' head-unit mounted in the vehicle's dashboard.

 

The WAECO CAM50 camera range was marketed from around 2011 and - if the Rapido motorhome brochures are to be believed - Rapido factory-fitted a CAM50C (either as standard or optionally) until the 2020 model-year. Rapido changed from Pioneer head-units (Good!) to Kenwood units a few years back, but (according to the brochure photos) continued to fit a CAM50C camera. If you want an exact replacement, you might find that Rapido still has CAM50C cameras gathering dust on the factory shelves in Mayenne and a UK Rapido main agent (I suggest Highbridge Caravan Centre) may be prepared to contact the factory to confirm if that's so.

 

The equivalent camera in the current Dometic ranges would be either a CAM45 or CAM55. As will be seen from the following link, how these mount on the vehicle differs from the CAM50 mounting-method - but they should otherwise be technically compatible.

 

https://www.dometic.com/en-gb/outdoor/uk/products/safety-and-security/driver-assistance-systems/rear-view-cameras

 

(Photos in the latest Rapido brochure show a smaller neater reversing camera, but the camera's make is not stated.)

 

The Pioneer AVH-X2700BT head-unit 's menu allows a reversing-camera to provide a continuous rear-view display, rather than just displaying automatically when reverse-gear is selected. So - if you haven't already done so - you might try having the camera on continuously for a prolonged period to see if 'warming it up' does any good. It may be that, when the Pioneer unit is switched on, the camera is also receiving power but only displays according to how the Pioneer unit's menu has been set. But it would still be worth trying the 'continuous display' ploy. (God, how I used to loathe that Pioneer head-unit!!)

 

Access to the connection between the camera's cable and the cable that fed forwards to the cab area was straightforward in my 640F's case, as there was a removable rear panel in one of the high-level storage lockers over the bed's head. The 665F model has a transverse rear bathroom, but (hopefully) access to the camera's cabling would be similarly simple.

[stevec176]

Thanks for the update, as the van is currently with the dealers having it's service I'm going to have to wait to see if they come up with a solution before deciding what to do next. Don't think it's something I can do without so got to be sorted one way or another.