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Old 05-30-2020, 10:40 AM   #1
PaulHasher
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Attaching a Rear View Camera to 2017 Passport

Hi I'm planning to attach a rear view camera to the back of our 2017 Passport (19' with rear bath). This model did not come pre-setup for a camera. I'm figuring on attaching it above the 3 lights that are high up on the back wall. I'm wondering what's the best method for doing this. How thick is that wall? What type of fasteners. Are there any electric wires in that area? I'm planning to get my power from the middle light.

Any help is greatly appreciated.
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Old 05-30-2020, 10:54 AM   #2
JRTJH
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Originally Posted by PaulHasher View Post
Hi I'm planning to attach a rear view camera to the back of our 2017 Passport (19' with rear bath). This model did not come pre-setup for a camera. I'm figuring on attaching it above the 3 lights that are high up on the back wall. I'm wondering what's the best method for doing this. How thick is that wall? What type of fasteners. Are there any electric wires in that area? I'm planning to get my power from the middle light.

Any help is greatly appreciated.
Paul Howard
Don't attach it "ABOVE" the three lights. At night and in foggy/dim lighting, the camera "looks down" and the light will wash out the image. Mount it BELOW the three lights.

If you use butyl putty tape to seal the back of the camera, the two screws will hold the camera in place on the FILON back panel without any additional backing or support.

A hint: Look at your mounting screws. If they don't have threads all the way up the shank, don't use them. It's the threads that "allow the bite" that secures the camera to the FILON, if the screws end 1/2" under the head, those screws won't work !!!!! I just repaired a "DIY camera installation" for a guy that installed it at home and couldn't figure out why it kept falling off the back of his trailer.... Yeah, people really do try some strange "fixes"....
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Old 05-30-2020, 03:21 PM   #3
wiredgeorge
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Couple more things... first, MOST cameras that you install on the back of a trailer have a mount that points down too far (my opinion I guess). Take a Dremmel and clean out he channels the side mount screws are retained through or just make a mount with a piece of aluminum or steel channel so you can adjust the angle as you with.

Next, before connecting to the DC in your center marker lamp SOLDER the hair thin wire leads from the camera to a couple pieces of short 20 ga. wire. Then you can connect the DC wires from the trailer to the camera comfortable. The hair thin wires are really not suitable for good connection.

I went through 3 or 4 wireless camera/monitors before taking John's advice and installed a wired system; used wiring channel to hide the wire going down under my trailer and back to the front of my 5ver. I bought a kit that give me the bulkhead connector for the truck and proper cabling and while it is tedious to crawl under a camper is much more reliable than wireless.... again just a personal opinion.
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Old 05-30-2020, 05:27 PM   #4
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I mounted mine on the lens of the middle light so the mounting was reversible if it didn't work out. Just have to change the lens to remove the camera.
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Old 06-07-2020, 09:56 AM   #5
PaulHasher
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Good Idea

Very interesting idea. That fixes the problem of mounting it above and having the picture wiped out by the light at night. The thing that I noticed is that the wall is very sturdy around and above the lights but kind of flexible below the lights. Mounting to the center light itself solves a lot of problems.
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Old 06-07-2020, 10:14 AM   #6
PaulHasher
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More on Backup Camera Mounting

After a closer inspection of the situation I discovered that the light cover/lens is just a snap on piece. I don't think that is safe enough to hold the weight of the camera when driving down a bumpy road. Right now I'm leaning toward mounting the camera as high on the wall as I can where it's the most sturdy and putting some black electrical tape along the top edge of the center light to hopefully fix the light washing out the camera at night. I might just put that tape on the top edge of all of the lights while I'm at it. Any other thoughts/ideas?

Thanks,
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Old 06-07-2020, 10:21 AM   #7
tjkarch60
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I was in Costco last week and noticed they had a license plate frame backup camera on sale for $129.99. I decided to get one to replace the old, small one that was in my pickup.
The camera is wireless and solar powered and is a license plate frame type.
The monitor is 6.8" and only needs power from a cigarette lighter. The picture quality is excellent, and you can even adjust the view up and down a few degrees on the fly. Down for hookup and up for on the highway.
I took the camera and walked about 70 feet away from the monitor and it still worked, so I went and got a second camera/monitor. They sell the camera separately for $100, which is only a $30 savings. So for $30 you get an extra monitor.
The camera is solar powered, but has a USB charging port if it runs down.
So for $260 you get 2 cameras and 2 monitors, which is much cheaper than one RV setup.
https://www.costco.com/type-s-solar-...100425010.html
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Old 06-07-2020, 02:29 PM   #8
notanlines
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Tom, your statement "I took the camera and walked about 70 feet away from the monitor and it still worked" was my experience also. I took the advice from another member earlier (maybe you) a few weeks ago and bought the system. It worked fine in the storage yard. The very minute we hit 4-lane it went dead as a hammer. Yes, I charged the license plate fully before we left.
I am in northern Wisconsin right now, and the receipt and box it came in is in Germantown, TN.
I finally got it to work more than sporadically by wiring the entire bracket to the rear of the RV so it protrudes out as far as a rear-view mirror, AND wiring the charging wire into the battery (power point) of the Harley.
True, it does have a very clear picture for $130. I don't think it can be programmed to stay on all the time.
The solar charging is only good enough to charge the camera enough to use when you back up, not full time.
I'd send it back, but I simply don't have the receipt or the box, etc.
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Old 06-16-2020, 12:08 PM   #9
PaulHasher
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I have one more question. What size screws? I found a couple of #14 x 3/4" stainless sheet metal screws in my collection. The threads go all the way up to the head. Should these be OK?
Thanks,
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Old 06-16-2020, 03:01 PM   #10
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I have one more question. What size screws? I found a couple of #14 x 3/4" stainless sheet metal screws in my collection. The threads go all the way up to the head. Should these be OK?
Thanks,
I would start with a # 8 x 1"
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