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Gnarls · 10-22-2020, 10:15 PM

I installed one today. Spent a bunch of hours looking at them online, they are one of those gadgets that can get kinda spendy, esp if you have the installation jobbed out. After much consideration and shopping I decided to go cheap first, just to see what I thought about them. Options, lemme tell ya, there are options out the wazoo, bluetooth, mirror sites, add GPS, DVR , front / multi cams / hard wired, wireless 4,3" up to 10" screens, rear view mirror mount, bluetooth to phone, MP3...Jeez...Having never driven a vehicle with back up assistance I decided to go simple first, 1 camera, and a 4.3" monitor, 1 upgrade to a wireless transmitter ( for ease of install ) total cost through ebay, $30 free shipping, was here in about 5 days. Installation instructions are non existent in the package, prolly could have found some on Youtube, but its a simple concept. The camera is activated by the backup lights. 1 hot wire, 1 ground wire. After a little poking around, I discovered the wiring in the rear is not standard color coded as with previous trailer wiring I am experienced in AND its hard to access, esp from down low to up high vertically, so...I opened up the tail light, ( discovered my backup light bulb was blown to boot, so its good I went that route) found hot and ground wire in about 1 minute and was connected with existing wire nuts. Now because I will be pulling boats / motorcycle trailer/ utility trailer I needed mine to be up above for line of sight purposes, which added its own challenges as a tag frame unit is too low, you couldnt see through the boat / etc. Wanting to go high, and no access to top center of body dictated I mount it to the ladder. The corner trim has a rubber insert, so I jump from the light box with the turn signal / brake lights about 6" to the corner trim, pull the rubber insert, go even to the top rung of the ladder and back out the 6" to the ladder support bar and secure the wire to it w black electrical tape. Removed hollow ladder rung and stuffed extra wire and connectors inside. The camera itself and the transmitter I placed on the bottom side of the ladder rung screwed in the camera ( about the size of an old timey ice cube) to the underside of the ladder rung and taped the transmitter to it. Voila, its IN ! The monitor came with a cigarette lighter connection and a universal hardwire plug. Since the cigarette lighter is usually busy charging phones, I hard wired the monitor to the fuse block, finding an empty plug in the ACC area was, simple. Likewise a grounding spot was simple, the monitor turns itself off if it is not picking up a signal, so boom its done now too and in only about 10 minutes ! With several more hours work I could hide all the wires, but didnt think it worth the effort if Im going to ever upgrade the system, which i prolly will. Id like about a 10" monitor that has my GPS, DVR ( front facing, recording camera(s) bluetooth, stereo, all in 1 monitor, thats big enough for old, fat, blind men to see. Given the $30 price tag, the 1 afternoon install time I count this a very successful upgrade, and recommend it for any / all LARGE RVs. Next upgrade will be a permanent decent size TV or TV mount in the overhead area of the cockpit, maybe one in the back bedroom to boot, more notes as things progress !
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Dav L · 10-23-2020, 06:16 AM

Use paragraphs when you type.
Can't read this.

Arby49 · 11-08-2020, 09:17 PM

Thanks Gnarls for the information. Been thinking of upgrading myself.

Ray,IN · 11-08-2020, 09:41 PM

If you use the Google search box at the top of the page you'll find many threads concerning rear and side camera systems.

Piros1 · 11-08-2020, 10:33 PM

Gnarls I’m nit sure what kind of coach you have but all three of my coaches came with backup and side view cameras. That said I was going to upgrade my CC Affinity mainly due to age of the technology but never did. I still may add some of my ideas to my Essex. My plan was to add two camera monitors yo the dash of the coach. The factory monitor is centered in the dash more or less and coming out of driving trucks most of my life I find it kind of useless other than backing up. My thoughts were to add a monitor in the right and left side of the dash that I can see when looking into the mirrors. They would have to be positioned as to where you can see them but not to where they interfere with the mirrors and also have a switch that would allow them to be turned off and dimmable as needed. They would also need to be able to read all three cameras. I’m sure there is a lot more to this than what I have posted. My two cents worth!

GypsyR · 11-09-2020, 12:29 PM

Yah, that's a big block of text.

I prefer to have the camera on all the time. Helps me keep an eye on what I'm towing for one thing. On my coach the running lights are always on with the ignition so it's easy enough to tie the camera power into one of those. And since some are at the roof line no need to snake wires far at all.

Gnarls · 11-12-2020, 06:35 PM

All of you have made great points ! First of all Let me apologize as I am not a writer, Im a carpenter, and my rig is a '92 454 Damon 31'. I also have a vintage Datsun Z car, and 20 antique and classic bikes. Screen size / placement, Is paramount, Im starting to think now that dedicated screens might be the way to go left and right backup cameras, left and right monitors at each end of the dash, or right next to the mirrors. A dedicated GPS front and center. I dont need a monitor for my music, and dont think you should watch porn while driving so the only other need for monitors would be front and side cameras, some of you have a central in dash 1 or 2 DIN monitors should or could display everything , but for me it would take too many button pushes. The size of the monitors is key too, I know I couldnt see a 4.3" from 5 or 6 feet away prolly need a 10" x 3, or 5, then you start obscuring the windshield. What do yall think ?

Old-Biscuit · 11-12-2020, 07:01 PM

SHE gets out...walks to back and hand gestures

That's the only 'backup camera' I have ever used

Dav L · 11-13-2020, 06:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gnarls

All of you have made great points ! First of all Let me apologize as I am not a writer, Im a carpenter, and my rig is a '92 454 Damon 31'. I also have a vintage Datsun Z car...

what year is the Z? I had a Z Car restoration / sport race fabrication business when I was a bit younger. I still have my 71 title, (78 body) small block chevy, fuel injected Z with my own body kit. Needs some going over to get it road worthy again. Some day!

but back to the topic, I am putting my own cameras together this week. Will post some results in a few weeks. My repair work is done so now upgrading stuff....

05DamonOwner · 05-29-2021, 08:15 PM

Glad you were able to get yours working....
Not having the same luck trying to install a Rohent R7 HD 1080P RV Wireless Backup Camera with 7 Inch IPS Split Screen Monitor Rear View Camera Observation System that I purchased via Amazon and knew it need 12 v connection on both the monitor & camera.

The monitor install went well and was able to get power to the unit and it fired up, but when going to the back the fun started.

The old camera is mounted 8 foot up the back cap and has an access hole above where the old cable went through the end cap and into the coach.
My thought process was that I would be able to drop down the inside of the end cap, but could only get down 6" before hitting something that I couldn't get past to get the hitch wiring harness to get the 12 v needed.
Next went up to the clearance light above and found that the two wires were both black and now way to find polarity as the camera needs polarity.
Putting a meter across the two contacts [194 wedge base bulb]and reads 11.9 v.

So finally the question, has anyone been able to get 12v power from somewhere on the back cap of a 2005 Damon Challenger without tearing everything apart?

Piros1 · 05-30-2021, 12:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 05DamonOwner

Glad you were able to get yours working....
Not having the same luck trying to install a Rohent R7 HD 1080P RV Wireless Backup Camera with 7 Inch IPS Split Screen Monitor Rear View Camera Observation System that I purchased via Amazon and knew it need 12 v connection on both the monitor & camera.

The monitor install went well and was able to get power to the unit and it fired up, but when going to the back the fun started.

The old camera is mounted 8 foot up the back cap and has an access hole above where the old cable went through the end cap and into the coach.
My thought process was that I would be able to drop down the inside of the end cap, but could only get down 6" before hitting something that I couldn't get past to get the hitch wiring harness to get the 12 v needed.
Next went up to the clearance light above and found that the two wires were both black and now way to find polarity as the camera needs polarity.
Putting a meter across the two contacts [194 wedge base bulb]and reads 11.9 v.

So finally the question, has anyone been able to get 12v power from somewhere on the back cap of a 2005 Damon Challenger without tearing everything apart?

All you need to do to check polarity of your lighting circuit is connect a wire to a known ground like the frame or something else. Turn your lights on, use a test light and clip one end to the ground wire you just ran and prob each of the wires running your marker light, the one that illuminates your test light is the positive wire and the other is a ground.
I hope this helps.

Gnarls · 05-30-2021, 10:23 PM

sorry so long to reply, Mine is a '74 260, no V-8, LS26. 280 cam, Headers, SS 2 1/2" exhaust w electric cut out, electronic ignition, triple Webers, Tokiko struts and springs, all new rubber front to back, new glass, new carpet, upholstery, floor pans. No roll cage.

Gnarls · 05-30-2021, 10:36 PM

Well as it works out,. we took it out last weekend and the backup camera has failed. I dont know why yet. The PO did some real sketchy wiring with the radio. Between that and the alternator dying on the way out of town Friday night, I got started a day late and havnt caught back up yet. Now mine has a wireless transmitter but the rear unit just hooks up to the back up lights and ground, I guess you could wire it to send all the time if you can find a wire thats hot whenever the key is on. Only place I know to look for one of them is under the dash. Yours is significantly newer than mine. To answer your question , IDK...

05DamonOwner · 05-31-2021, 10:39 PM

Thanks for the reply, but there is nowhere to get to a grounding source as everything is fiberglass and nowhere to fish anything down to the frame.

But I did get it to work by using the the factory installed cable from the old direct wired system after cutting a small hole in the end cap and finding the cable end that I had cut off, I know I shouldn't have cut before I figured it out but everything worked out in the end by using the two wire running with coaxial cable in the old wire set going to the camera.