Backup Camera Installation

[kycamper]

I have decided to treat myself to a Rear View Safety two camera system RVS 770614. Has anyone installed one of these? I am curious how I will route the wire from the camera at the rear of the trailer to my TV. No clue. I asked the company if I can preview installation instructions, but the buzz on the web is that the instructions are weak, at best. What do you recommend I do? Once again, thanks.

[leslie]

I have decided to treat myself to a Rear View Safety two camera system RVS 770614. Has anyone installed one of these? I am curious how I will route the wire from the camera at the rear of the trailer to my TV. No clue. I asked the company if I can preview installation instructions, but the buzz on the web is that the instructions are weak, at best. What do you recommend I do? Once again, thanks.

The instructions are VERY weak. I had my dealer install the rear view camera onto the back bumper of my Camplite. Then the wire went under my trailer, fastened by metal clamps along the way. The technician fed the wire to the tongue, and there is another connection there. It connects to another wire that was placed just under the bumper of my tow vehicle, on the opposite side of the hitch from my 7-pin connector. It is very easy to detach when unhitching, which I like.

The other camera was fastened to the midpoint of the bumper of my tow vehicle, a Jeep Grand Cherokee. The wires go under my Jeep and come up through the engine to connect to the monitor that I wanted on my dash.

I am not at all mechanically inclined, and my husband has a back problem causing him great difficulty in getting down on the ground and back again, so we were happy to have technicians handle this. They told me it was very simple to install up to this point.

The only problem they ran into was when it came time to get power to the monitor, and where to run the wire to get power.  They explained the situation to my husband and me, and we came up with the solution about where to run that wire.

If all else fails, I would recommend hiring a tech who knows what he is doing.

[drdave]

I've run 12V power to the rear bumper of my CL, and I'm also about to install a backup camera.    It's very easy to run cables underneath the trailer.   There are plenty of nooks and crannies to tuck cables in and out of the way.   A handful of zip ties and everything will stay in place.    As long as you don't mind crawling under your trailer it's quite easy.

[kycamper]

Thanks for the info. I envisioned having the trailer camera mounted up high near the running lights and wondered how to run the wire down to the trailer bottom. Where did you find the tech to install your setup? May I be so bold as to ask about how much it cost to install. My wife wants to know! Thanks y'all.

[charliem]

[font size="3"]gleamb,

The RVS system should work for you. I had an RVS  wireless system on my previous rig and it worked fairly well for a wireless system, but when I tried it on my new rig (CL 21 plus 2013 Tacoma) it bombed.  This was due to the analog wireless technology they used. [/font][font size="3"]The Bluetooth system in my whiz-bang new truck wiped it out. [/font][font size="3"]The 770614 is wired so it will work much better. Wired is always better than wireless for video quality. The installation manual can be found here: [a href="http://www.rearviewsafety.com/media/mconnect_uploadfiles/r/v/rvs-770614_lowres.pdf"]http://www.rearviewsafety.com/media/mconnect_uploadfiles/r/v/rvs-770614_lowres.pdf[/a]. I finally went with a Voyager wireless system which works very well, but is also very expensive. So if you've settled on a wired you're on the right track.

I assume you want one camera on the back of the trailer and one on the TV? RVS offers hardware and cables designed for TV/TT application, but there are other solutions. I mounted a camera on the roof just above the three clearance lights. You can route wires over the roof edge, into and through the center light fixture. This will get you inside the trailer inside the black cable molding at the ceiling of the bathroom. From there I would route the wire down to and through the floor to end up outside and under the trailer. Then run forward to the tongue and install the proper connectors between the TT and TV. Ditto for the wiring of the TV. I'm not sure how the 770614 handles DC power to the cameras, but you want the camera on the TT powered continuously while you're driving. Several ways to do this either from the TV when hooked up or from the TT through a switch.

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[pinstriper]

Buy it at Camping World. Aren't they supposed to do installation for $35 for Good Sam members ?

[leslie]

Thanks for the info. I envisioned having the trailer camera mounted up high near the running lights and wondered how to run the wire down to the trailer bottom. Where did you find the tech to install your setup? May I be so bold as to ask about how much it cost to install. My wife wants to know! Thanks y'all.

The techs at the dealer installed the system for me. I do not know how much the charge was, because they did it before I took delivery, and it was bundled into installation of several things I wanted installed prior to delivery. They told me what the total charge would be, and I accepted it. There was quite a bit of negotiation involved.

The techs went through the pros and cons of installing the camera high up on the trailer vs placing it on the bumper. We decided to go with the bumper.

[nmken]

I've got a wired camera that I installed on the bumper.  My TV is a 2004 4runner so also had to do all the wiring for it - definitely was a major job.  One simplification I decided on was to tap into the rear lights power line for the camera - so my lights need to be on for the camera to work - works fine for me.  I had tried a couple of the cheaper wireless cameras before putting in the wired cameras - they proved to be unreliable for me.  I emphasize though they were very cheap on amazon - the little wireless transmitter/receiver are apparently not designed to run for extended periods of time - they burned themselves up.

[pinstriper]

I've got a wired camera that I installed on the bumper.  My TV is a 2004 4runner so also had to do all the wiring for it - definitely was a major job.  One simplification I decided on was to tap into the rear lights power line for the camera - so my lights need to be on for the camera to work - works fine for me.  I had tried a couple of the cheaper wireless cameras before putting in the wired cameras - they proved to be unreliable for me.  I emphasize though they were very cheap on amazon - the little wireless transmitter/receiver are apparently not designed to run for extended periods of time - they burned themselves up.

Why didn't you come off the backup light power ?

[charliem]

[font size="3"]A few points on backup and rear view cameras:

[ol type="decimal"][li]A backup camera is generally used only while backing up or hitching up. As such it can be powered from the backup light line on the TV.
[/li][li]A rear view camera operates continuously and is used on the highway for lane changing and general situational awareness behind you. As such it needs a continuous source of power..
[/li][li]A rear view camera on the back of a trailer may be powered from the "parking" or running lights. This is sometimes convenient, but requires the running lights be on even in daylight.[/li][li]The trailer mounted rear view camera can be powered from either the trailer battery through a switch or from the TV electrical system with the proper wiring. The latter would be the preferred method, IMO.[/li][li]The trailer mounted rear view camera does not replace the spotter (wife) when maneuvering into a campsite. Don't leave home without them.[/li][li]nmken suggests some backup cameras cannot withstand continuous power. This may well be true. Before you buy, check with the manufacturer. Rear View Safety has some helpful people available by phone, but you have to speak Brooklyn.
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[shovelhead]

I went with wireless... Not too expense and so far no channel interference.

[kycamper]

Thanks, charliem. Once in the bathroom wall, is it hard to fish the wire to get it under the trailer? Is there insulation in the outside wall, or is it hollow??

Leslie....what were the pros and cons of a bumper vs. a roof mount? I have a new bike rack centered on my bumper, so I lean towards a high installation.

I am definitely going with the wired version. I will get the license mount for the hitch and mount the other camera on the trailer.

[pinstriper]

[quote source="/post/7850/thread" timestamp="1426442394" author="@charliem"][/quote]It has a whine/complain mode ?

[charliem]

[quote source="/post/7868/thread" timestamp="1426462584" author="@pinstriper"][quote source="/post/7850/thread" timestamp="1426442394" author="@charliem"][/quote]It has a whine/complain mode ?
[/quote][font size="3"]Yes it does, as an option. And they even give you a discount if you order it   
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[charliem]

[quote source="/post/7861/thread" timestamp="1426458816" author="@gleamb"]Thanks, charliem. Once in the bathroom wall, is it hard to fish the wire to get it under the trailer? Is there insulation in the outside wall, or is it hollow??

Leslie....what were the pros and cons of a bumper vs. a roof mount? I have a new bike rack centered on my bumper, so I lean towards a high installation.

I am definitely going with the wired version. I will get the license mount for the hitch and mount the other camera on the trailer.[/quote][font size="3"]It's easy. The black wire mold conceals the wires to the rear marker lights as well as other circuits crossing the trailer at that point. If you remove the molding, held on by about 4 screws, you will see the holes behind each of the 3 marker lights where their wires pass through the foam wall insulation and wall board. On the outside you remove the amber lens and file a small notch on the bottom of the lens. Run the wires from  the camera through the hole in the fixture into the camper and replace the lens with the notch on the bottom. Seal with goo. Once inside it's easy to snake the wire to the left and into the cabinetry above the sink.  Once inside the cabinet it should be easy to find a path to the floor somewhere near the WH. Drill a hole and you're under the trailer. Seal with goo. I stopped inside the cabinet because I only needed DC power and I had LL run 12V to the cabinet. I mounted a toggle switch in the cabinet front surface and use it to turn the camera on/off. Therefore I didn't go all the way to the floor, but it shouldn't be too hard. You will also be running a video cable so plan for it. You may have to drill bigger holes to accommodate connectors or take the connectors off first. Don't worry about coiling up some excess video cable somewhere if it makes installation easier.

I mounted my camera on the roof, centered left/right, and as close to the roof edge as I could. The high position has several advantages. I'd be interested in hearing Leslie's reason for bumper mounting.  
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