Back up camera / rear observation monitor

[grumbolt]

well while i have the belly off of my monty repairing the black tank and installing insulation, i might as well make an upgrade or 2....



i wanted a good backup camera / observation camera and i wanted it mounted high enough so that when i am hauling my wifes mobility cart it will see over it as well as see all around the back of my unit.



this turned into a pretty interesting adventure.


my unit has the back cap with the massive rear window so simply popping a hole in the top of the cap and dropping a wire down the middle to the belly pan was not really an option.



what i ended up doing was remove the center and left marker light housings as well as the left turn signal housing to provide limited access.



i used a strong magnet to guide a 3/8 nut tied to a piece of nylon twine to fish the twine around the corners and insulation to get it down to the bottom of the cap at the left rear belly pan.



with this done, i now felt comfortable with drilling a hole in the back cap over the window and installing a water tight cord grip.



i drilled the hole slightly smaller than the 1/2 inch national pipe thread tap, then tapped the fiberglass hole.


i pulled the wire into the hole using the nylon twine installed the cord grip onto the cable and used sealant on the threads and tightened it to the cap.


i was able to find a polar white non metallic box and cover at lowes and drilled out the back of it to accommodate the cord grip, drilled the bottom of the box to allow the camera wires to enter (the box doesnt need to be water proof, as it is isolated from the back cap) and installed it over the cord grip. i will be routing the siamesed cable up to the pin box as well as routing a wire from the marker lights up to just forward of the tires so that i can put a amber marker light shining down just in front of the tires to make night driving easier should the wife ever have to pull the camper.


ill update as things get changed!
happy trails!


edit p.s. dont forget to add sealant around all screws and all light fixtures when you reinstall them, i resealed all of my marker lights that are mounted on the back cap while i was there.

[waynemoore]

Very nice job. I don't need a cam but I do want to have a marker/turn signals on the sides just in front of the wheels. It would add a safety factor and let people know I am wanting to change lanes or make a turn.

[grumbolt]

i am needing the cam in case the wife ever drives, and it will make positioning much easier when i go to set up, i wont have to worry about running over the darling wifey!



i already have the belly pan off doing other repairs (black tank and insulation, and installing ethernet wiring throughout the unit) so it is only natural to go ahead and wire in the marker lights while everything is out in the open.



i am using led amber marker lights i found at walmart mainly because in the location they are gonna be in, incadescent lamps or even lamps with a socket will eventually be probelmatic.



i also ran wires to both sides (16 gauge speaker wire is plenty thick enough and one wire is marked so that you can tell them apart) for another lighting project i am working on. i will take pictures of that install as well as the switch location once i am finished with it.


thanks, happy trails!