Next: putting in the rear camera.

[Sebulba]

Hello all,

Making steady progress on getting ready for our journey to West Yellowstone, MT., got the hitch on the bus and the toad.

Now I'm looking at how the run the wires to my rear camera.  I was hoping to install it very near the top of the back cap, but there seems to be a ceiling of sorts right above the coolant reservoir, about a foot below the top of the roof.  Is the a way to get in the there, or run wires into that?

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Seb

[chessie4905]

They make wireless versions, btw

[richard5933]

They make wireless versions, btw

I haven't seen a truly wireless backup camera. All the ones I've seen still required some wiring to the power source and transmitter unit. Do you know of one which doesn't require wiring behind it?

[edvanland]

Can you get to that area from the inside? Thats how we did ours on our MCVI7. heck above the bed and see if you have access, then run the wires down the top inside to the front.

[Sebulba]

Can you get to that area from the inside? Thats how we did ours on our MCVI7. heck above the bed and see if you have access, then run the wires down the top inside to the front.

Nope no access that way.  I think I will just have to put it where I can reach.  It will have to work.

It just surprised me that I couldn't reach all the way up there.

Thanks

Seb

[richard5933]

I put my Garmin rear-view camera towards the top of the engine compartment door. The wiring follows the hinge back towards the firewall, and then I went through the firewall to mount the transmitter in one of the cabinets at the rear of the bedroom in the back of the bus.

The camera is not as high as it would be mounted at the top of the bus, but it's plenty high to see what's necessary. Even at the top of the engine cover, it's still above most cars on the road. Actually, I'm thinking that mounting it where I did allows me a more natural view out the back as the angle from the roof down would affect the way things close to the bus look.

The Garmin camera is very small - only about 1" square. It's not very noticeable from more than a few feet away.

[chessie4905]

https://typesauto.com/collections/backup-cameras

[richard5933]

https://typesauto.com/collections/backup-cameras

These seem to list a distance of 30 feet. Do you have any experience with one working 35+ feet from camera to monitor on a bus?

I looked at lots of cameras designed for cars but at the time couldn't find one that would covert the distance without the transmitter mounted inside. Still wireless in that you don't need to run wires all the way front-to-rear, but not totally.

[lvmci]

Wireless setups don't like to transmit thru steel and aluminum. I ran my cables on the floor and above in the bays all the way to the engine compartment. lvmci...

[Van]

Wireless setups don't like to transmit thru steel and aluminum. I ran my cables on the floor and above in the bays all the way to the engine compartment. lvmci...

 

[sledhead]

 

x2

[chessie4905]

The one on the tt has a power source, but thats all. Monitor in truck about 45 feet away. There is a signal booster in bed under cap. Used all summer and never a signal problem. Camera gets its power from clearance lights. Mine is a Furrion. Solar should work just as well as long as booster is used. My booster is very small, about the size as a small box of wood matches.

[lvmci]

Don't forget to wrap the camera cables in the radiator or engine compartment in some kind of heat protection, lvmci...

[Sebulba]

These seem to list a distance of 30 feet. Do you have any experience with one working 35+ feet from camera to monitor on a bus?

I looked at lots of cameras designed for cars but at the time couldn't find one that would covert the distance without the transmitter mounted inside. Still wireless in that you don't need to run wires all the way front-to-rear, but not totally.

I chose not to go wireless.  It seems like 40 feet was a bit of a challenge for some of them.

Seb

[Sebulba]

Don't forget to wrap the camera cables in the radiator or engine compartment in some kind of heat protection, lvmci...

I am putting them in a plastic wire loom and I don't think they are in an areas that get's terribly hot.  Not close to the engine and not on the hot side of the radiators or directly in front of the radiators.

Seb