So the rear view camera on my 5th wheel is obviously on its last legs. It shows are multiple colors and unrecognizable shapes. When it did work, I hesitate to say that, it lost signal constantly on the road at both high and low speed.
I’m doing the normal net search and am better informed and more confused. I understand that distance from camera to monitor can be an issue.
Just looking for some real world advise on what others have that actually work. Any suggestions much appreciated.

 

My Furion works well for what it is. Rear view only.

 

Just before one of my trips earlier this year, the rear view camera on my 5er decided not to work. Since we were leaving the next morning, the only thing I could find locally was the Hopkins VueSmart.
It's done a very good job but it does have some downsides.
It doesn't give a very large picture size and it ties up your phone during the trip,if you want to keep it on all the time. If picture size is important, then I guess you could use a cheap or old tablet to run the app.
Picture quality remained constant except for a small amount of flicker on bumpy roads. It's mounted on a 34 foot 5er and the wireless signal never lost connection.
It's certainly not a Furion, but works very well for a camera that retailed for less than $100.

 

My adviCe would be that the Furion works quite well on our 33’ Grand Design Reflection. It came with a repeater, for a longer installation, but we have not needed it. It has a mic installed, which we never use (you can turn it off). We mostly use it as a rear-view monitor when on the road. You can see your blind spot, directly behind you, when you need to change lanes. My wife is my spotter when backing in. I use the camera to see where she is, much more than looking at anything else. We have a rule: If I can’t see you, I don’t move.

The key to a rear-view camera is that it only shows where it is aimed, nothing more. In other words, in most cases, it cannot see the tree limbs that are just out of view and that you are about to hit with one of the upper corners of the trailer. UPS installed them on their local delivery vans, in an attempt to reduce backing accidents. The drivers stopped backing into cars that were behind them, but accidents increased in hitting higher objects, like awnings, due to reliance on the camera. They ended up removing most of them from the parcel vans.

That’s why, if available, a live spotter is better than a camera when you are backIng in.

 

You _may_ be able to install the Ford trailer camera. The picture quality is just OK, but signal is never a problem since it is hard wired. The big downside is that it only operates in reverse.

 

I would never trust mine for backing up. Nothing like getting out of the truck and looking at obstacles when backing up. I use it to see what is behind me or in my blind spot when changing lanes.

 

Like Jim mentioned, if you can do the hardwired one, it might be a consideration. I've got it installed on my fiver, and there's at least no signal degragation. Really comes in handy backing into my driveway solo. There's ways around the 'only in reverse' by using a bypass like the NAV-TV, but that comes with it's own complications of disabling the navigation while the cameras are running.

Or, alternatively, with a bit of googling, here's a 'thinking kind of outside the box' option:

https://www.etrailer.com/RV-Camera-S...VS-770614.html

It looks like it was intended for use on motorhomes, but in theory I think you might be able to wire it in on a trailer. You'd have to find a decent way to couple the cameras to the truck each time you hooked up, but you'd seem to have the best of both worlds, a hardwired camera system that doesn't suffer dropouts, and non-interferance with the truck's built in systems.

 

My main intended use is to assist on the highway to know when I’m safely past another vehicle.
My preferred method for backing up is the wife outside near the rear of the trailer yelling at me on the phone to STOP!!

 

I've thought about hard wired systems but having to route that cable has got to be a bear.

 

I agree and I still get out to look for myself. It saves a lot of pulling up and trying again.

 

If you run that cable I would also run one for some back up lights.

 

I installed a hardwired unit from Amazon....


It works great and is inexpensive! Routing the camera is super easy with just a little work.

If you contact them after you purchase, they will send you an extra cable for your truck so you can have a disconnect at the hitch. They will also send you a second camera for free as long as you post a review on Amazon.

PS. Always order a longer cable than you think you need as it almost always takes more than you think.....

 

Which camera did you purchase? How long was the installation?