Do you use your side view cameras?

[pasdad1]

Originally Posted by mricet1005

A little off topic, but many cars these days have blind spot detection and collision avoidance capabilities. Are there any motorhome manufacturers or chassis providers incorporating these technologies? I recently rented a car with blind spot warnings and found it useful.

Newmar King Aire is available with the Eaton Vorad Adaptive Cruise System.

[csrrsr]

There are no blind spots for us. The double mirrors show everything next to the coach and out about 20 feet or so. The other part of the mirror shows everything behind me as far as I want to see. When passing a vehicle, the rear view camera shows it as soon as it equals the back bumper. I'm so used to this set-up I doubt I would ever use side cameras.

[Dennis_K]

My side cameras are mounted in the convex side mirrors. I can see much better in the mirrors than in the color camera. They became so annoying I disconnected them. Now I need to replace the convex mirrors so I have more mirror viewing area.

[Cat320]

The rear camera has a wide enough view so I can see someone approaching from the rear on the side. Plus we have the triple glass mirrors so I never use the side cameras.

[Pusherman]

My coach does not have side view cameras, and for most parts, I have never missed them, preferring using the mirrors, which work well.

That said, all coaches have blind spots immediately behind the driver's and passeger's seats. It can be demonstrated by having someone walk from the rear of the coach, to the front along the side, approximately 4-6 feet from the side of the coach. You will find that you lose the person in your mirror's vision, both the convex and flat mirrors, as the person approaches the front of the coach, before you see them from the front windshield. Try it.

Since I do not own side view cameras, those mounted along the side of the coach, I would think that they would give you some vision into this blind spot. But I don't have any personal experience to say that they do. You'll have to do the above test to see if they do or not.

I also agree that they are clumsy to use. No value if the driver doesn't glance down to the monitor just at the time a vehicle is entering your blind spot, with turn signal activated, which activates the side view camera.

I had an occurrence where I passed a car while towing my toad. I used my rear camera to verify that I'm clear of the vehicle I just passed. He wasn't there, so checked my right mirror; all clear to pull back in the right lane. Guess what -- the driver decided he didn't want to be passed and speeded up, and was in my blindspot when I started to pull back into the right lane. I almost ran him off the road.

[chuckftboy]

I nomally don't use the side view monitor when on the open highway but I find them very useful when in conjested, city driving. I guess to each their own

[koda59]

I use both all 3 cameras and my mirrors.

[Mac99]

X2 to all that think the side cams are useless, I agree.
There is no way you have time to take your eyes
away from the road to look into the cam display.
Dangerous as well as useless when driving, IMHO.

[96 Wideglide]

Originally Posted by macandphyl

X2 to all that think the side cams are useless, I agree.
There is no way you have time to take your eyes
away from the road to look into the cam display.
Dangerous as well as useless when driving, IMHO.

Don't know about that. You should be checking your mirrors every 5sec or so!

[HerbZilla]

I mainly use my mirrors also but since I have the side camera I figure I might as well glance at it anyway as a double check. Plus there were times when my side window has been fogged or rain streaked and the camera came in very handy. My wife also likes to push the screen forward which cuts down on the visibility of the mirror, again camera very handy. Even though if we are in heavy traffic I have her pull it back because I do like using the mirrors. It's a tool use it as you see fit. Not every tool in your tool box is your favorite but you have it in there anyway.

[89sandman]

Originally Posted by 96 Wideglide

Don't know about that. You should be checking your mirrors every 5sec or so!

X2, even when driving my car I am constantly watching my mirrors to know where all the vehicles near me are. My wife on the other hand...

[Dutch Star Don]

Side cameras are new to us, and the first problem I found is that I use the rear camera to watch when my tow vehicle clears the person I'm passing and I can change lanes. This prevents me from turning on the turn signal until the last minute when I lose the view of my tow vehicle.

[michelb]

I have to agree with Pusherman that all large vehicles suffer from some blind spots and I think mirrors and cameras can / should be used together to maximize the view.

I do not have side cameras and try to adjust my mirrors so that I have the best view but no matter how I adjust them, I think I still have a blind spot for a low car basically at my front bumper on the passenger side (i.e. basically right below the passenger side mirror). I've purchased (not yet installed) larger, 3 section mirrors and I hope that will improve the situation but I'm considering getting side cameras as well just to increase the tools I have.

That said, I have to agree that I like keeping my rear camera view so if I do get side cameras, I'd probably want them manually controlled or better yet, on a separate smaller monitor (basically just to use them as an extra 'shoulder check').

[La-Z-Boy]

Originally Posted by Dutch Star Don

I use the rear camera to watch when my tow vehicle clears the person I'm passing and I can change lanes.

This is exactly why I keep my side cameras turned off. I'm not comfortable loosing sight of my tow when merging.
Just saying
Jeff