ideas of backup cameras?

[Jolly Roger bus 223]

of course i have been to the web and have an idea.
but have never had one.
my new short bus is for my wife to do here traveling lab tech work and her little car has to be on at least a two wheel dolly.
she has an idea about backing a trailer?
i would like advice of what of what yall use?
i would like one on the back of the bus for her backing up to the tow dolly and one on the back of the car for her attempting to back it up somewhere..
am thinking hard wired to the back bumper and a remote one for the car on a dolly?
dont know yet if i am building the dolly or buying or one yet.
if i build it then i can wire the camera in if i tape it to the rest of the light wiring.
want a tow dolly with electric and if i build one it will be juice.
bus already has a 9 pin but the only ever wired was brake lights so gotta figure that out.
regardless?
who has back up cameras and how do you like yours.

 

[o1marc]

This may be just what you need. I ordered one from Amazon and was surprised when I read the installation instructions. Basically step one says go on line and post a review and they will send you a free second camera.

https://www.skoolie.net/forums/f13/2-for-1-back-up-camera-27091-2.html

 

[Dixon M]

I bought mine from safety vision because my step van came with a system from them and it was still working from 07 but I wanted a bigger screen and color and while I was at it I added the passenger side camera and got the screen that splits images if I want the option.

 

[JDOnTheGo]

I've had a backup camera on all my motorhomes and now my coach. They have always been helpful when maneuvering in tight spaces but nowhere near as valuable as your side mirrors. Several years ago, I installed this camera in the coach (one camera on rear, one on top to watch for tree branches). I choose wired and some people were reporting problems with wireless over the length of a 45' coach.

Fyi... you cannot backup with a vehicle attached with a tow bar and that can also be true of a dolly (with the vehicle on it), depending on the type ('steerable' platform). With all the moving parts, it is like pushing a wet noodle. You can damage your vehicle doing so. However; there are probably many different types of dolly's and variables so likely exceptions. I mention this as it is one of the scenario's under which a lot of damage is done. People get in a hurry - blocking traffic or something - and decide that they MUST backup and crunch. I know how these things go and I know how terrible it feels to ruin other people's lives by making them wait 2 minutes but that is where a cool head must prevail. Of course, planning helps to avoid those situations.

 

[ol trunt]

What JD said.

Since it is very likely that you will have to back up with a tow bar at some point, hedge your bet and buy a high quality setup--not a HF variety. The better quality units will tolerate some backing without being damaged if you are careful. My cheezy GPS system directed me down a narrow sloping dead end street late one night with a cherry "You have arrived" having ignored Avenue and street in the calculations. I put Wifey in the toad to steer and backed a block to flat ground where I could finally disengage the tow bar and get unsnarled.
Jack

 

[RolesvilleMarina]

Got my camera's from walmart for $12 each during black Friday sale
I ordered a 4 way monitor from amazon for $30

the cables that come with these kits are too short for a school bus, and the chinese wiring is to thin to solder.

so what I did was used Composite to coax adapters on each end of RG-6 to splice and extend the wiring.

our Vista has 4 camera's

1. High mounted rear view
2. Low mount rear view (monitor trailer tires, etc)
3. One on the passenger mirror shooting aft down my blind spot (for city driving)
4. One in the "garage" to monitor the motorcycle and stuff back there.

The monitor will let me see each view individually, or I can see a combination..

I usually have it on a setting which puts High rear up like a rear view mirror, with blind spot and low view in little boxes under

whole kit was less than $100 for all of it

edit: yes that is a indeed a marine ship to shore... we spend most of our time near the sea, and it is fun to listen to whats happening, and the NOAA instant weather when needed.

 

[Ronnie-SKO]

I bought the one Johnny mullet used on his bus and it has worked great for me. Look up his bus build "thunder bus"


I do find that mirrors are what to use to back up, the camara is only to be sure nothing is right behind you. or to watch what you are towing to be sure it is ok

 

[Jolly Roger bus 223]

thanks for all the responses and i understand the mirrors for backing cause i have been pulling and backing trailers almost all my life. and without a camera.
the only one i ever had kick my but was a short tongue welding machine that you couldnt see out of any mirrors behind the truck but i figured that one out within a week or two of having to back it every morning and half without a spotter.
i have no problems .
but this one is for my wife and she doesnt have much experience and needs a wide open field? not really. she has gotten a little better over the 20 years of being around me.
just cant expect her to back in our driveway within an hour.
she can pull it with no problems and knows where to go in a parking lot she just dont have the backing up thing quite down yet.
she wont be in any hurry because she is worried to death about trying and messing something up including a trailer?
this time it will be her little car on a dolly that she loves and has to try to back up. and wont be seen out of the mirrors until its almost already on to far of a turn? depending on the situation of course.
sorry the stuff in my head.
i like the idea of the rear high mount one as well as the low mount.
i could use the idea i did for that welder trailer.
i stuck a post in the back middle with a tennis ball on it so that i could see it in the rear view.
but for her i could stick something to that effect and teach her how to see the difference from center in the camera until it was in mirror view for a sharp back up.
i like the multiple split screen view
i have seen some that pair to a smart phone and assume it could pair to a tablet.
for GPS?
i am to tech challenged to pair to much into one so it is the KISS method.
keep everything seperate so if you lose one you dont lose all.
thanks for the advice

 

[Brad_SwiftFur]

I bought a Whistler kit at Wally World (AKA Walmart) for $100. Small-ish monitor but the thing I liked about it was completely wireless install for the camera. No power wires (solar charged). The monitor has a typical cigarette lighter power supply. Out-of-the-box plug and play, the camera paired with the monitor on the first go, the monitor supports 2 cameras (one at a time, obviously). Yes, there is a little latency with the image, but for my purposes I found this very acceptable. It went on the back of my Suburban, my driveway is steep and curved, and I have to back down if another car is parked in the driveway when I get home. Difficult to do when dark, or raining and virtually impossible if both. The backup camera made this much easier. I have yet to use it for hooking up a trailer.

 

[Jolly Roger bus 223]

maybe a little rain hood and sun visor is in order?
will play with idea when i get some?

 

[cadillackid]

does anyone make a mirror replacement camera system for coaches / busses, that is available?



i'd love to ditch the ugly side mirrors on my dev bus

 

[Brad_SwiftFur]

You may find that even if such a system exists, that most states still require actual mirrors and do not (yet) allow camera/monitor replacement.

 

[Iceni John]

I bought a Rear View Safety system from Costco a few years ago when they were on sale - it's the best thing I've ever done for the bus. (OK, maybe not THE best, but certainly it's made my life much easier at times.) I can see the full width of the rear bumper, and with the camera's own infrared LEDs and my extra backup lights, and the docking lights for each wheel, it's no more difficult backing up at night than during the daytime. I have the monitor next to the driver's side window, then when backing up I can see the driver-side rearview mirror and the monitor simultaneously. Well worth it.

John

 

[cadillackid]

You may find that even if such a system exists, that most states still require actual mirrors and do not (yet) allow camera/monitor replacement.

Driven doors off jeeps for years and only stuff on a side mirror when I feel like it.. never been bothered by a single cop..

I just don’t like he negative air pressure the side mirrors cause. I can’t get any air in my driver window.. when I had the mirrors off for some work that issue didn’t occur but of course driving a bus without side mirrors is a royal pain

 

[RolesvilleMarina]

does anyone make a mirror replacement camera system for coaches / busses, that is available?
i'd love to ditch the ugly side mirrors on my dev bus

I also am unsure if it is legal to do remove the mirrors.

however having extra cam's on said mirrors shooting down the blindspot is awesome and I highly recommend for city driving. At least a starboard side one

Again, $14 at walmart per camera and I haven't had any issues so far with rain or fog... A chinese one from amazon on our ford explorer ended up being shite though and waterlogged.

 

[Bon Voyage]

Don’t plan on backing up with a tow dolly or a tow bar. You can damage things. If you want to be able to back up you have to put the car on a flat bed trailer with all 4 car wheels off the ground.

I’ve owned a tow dolly and currently use a tow bar (all 4 car wheels on the ground). Tow bar is WAY easier to hook up but very few cars can be towed that way.

But don’t buy a tow dolly and plan on being able to back up. Not good practice.

 

[o1marc]

Speaking of cameras, I think everyone should have a constant running camera in your vehicle. I was recently involved in an accident where I basically rear ended a car that had pulled into my turn lane late, and at a much reduced speed. She said she was in the turn lane the whole time. All the cop had was 2 stories and 100' of skid mark ending at her rear bumper. I was issues a citation for following too close. I then remembered I had the camera and after downloading it later that night found the whole day had been recorded. The video was shown to my insurance, the issuing officer, his superiors and the District attorney who all thanked me for the decisive video showing her clearly at fault. Here's why the camera is so important. She claimed she hurt her left ring finger and left the scene in the ambulance to the hospital. Hired an attorney the following day. She saw her pay day and went for it. Till the video showed up and she got a call from the State Trooper to meet him at the courthouse for her ticket for improper lane change. Her insurance, Progressive, is refusing to pay me, even with the video evidence and their insured being ticketed. I sued her the following day. Without the camera I would have a lawsuit on my hands that would be hard to defend, and could put a world of hurt on my life. Every car should have a camera as well as every cop a body cam.

 

[Artor]

If you can't see your tow vehicle in the mirrors, put a whippy flag on it, so you have some idea of it's position.

 

[teknomad-SKO]

something to consider is "FPV Cameras". I've got a bunch laying around for my quadcopters. They're ultra tiny. Dirt cheap. Low power usage. You can choose which channels each one transmits on.

I was planning on using them all around my bus as security cameras. I'll almost be a google maps vehicle at that point. Im not sure how feasible they are for bus use, as i dont have a bus yet ;D They probably wont interface with any existing software, unless it uses the same video channels. but you could totally stream the video to a mobile device or screen with a cheap receiver. they use the 5.8ghz frequency. not sure what these 'backup cameras' use.

 

[RolesvilleMarina]

Speaking of cameras, I think everyone should have a constant running camera in your vehicle. I was recently involved in an accident where I basically rear ended a car that had pulled into my turn lane late, and at a much reduced speed. She said she was in the turn lane the whole time. All the cop had was 2 stories and 100' of skid mark ending at her rear bumper. I was issues a citation for following too close. I then remembered I had the camera and after downloading it later that night found the whole day had been recorded. The video was shown to my insurance, the issuing officer, his superiors and the District attorney who all thanked me for the decisive video showing her clearly at fault. Here's why the camera is so important. She claimed she hurt her left ring finger and left the scene in the ambulance to the hospital. Hired an attorney the following day. She saw her pay day and went for it. Till the video showed up and she got a call from the State Trooper to meet him at the courthouse for her ticket for improper lane change. Her insurance, Progressive, is refusing to pay me, even with the video evidence and their insured being ticketed. I sued her the following day. Without the camera I would have a lawsuit on my hands that would be hard to defend, and could put a world of hurt on my life. Every car should have a camera as well as every cop a body cam.

For this very reason I have a dashcam in the dump lorry

and I have TWO dashcams in the bus (windshield is so wide I need two)

100% agree, and they are cheap at walmart and amazon, plug into cigarette lighter

not sure what these 'backup cameras' use.

They are hardwired... nothing that fancy, but yours is a good idea if one is tech savvy with the wireless... streamed to a phone is cool. If there is no wi-fi what is the streaming range on them?? via straight radio I mean... enough to be in the store or restaurant and keep eyes on the bus