Backup Camera - Montana Owners Club

kozzy · 03-31-2016, 06:33 AM

My 3950 came with a wireless backup camera, I haven't had any time to really look at it in detail, but last time I was hooked up I turned the monitor on and I did not see any video from the camera. Are these things already synced from the factory? will the signal reach the cab of my truck? How is the picture quality and how well do they work? any tips I should try to make sure its working properly?
thanks

GLS3950 · 03-31-2016, 08:41 AM

My 3950 came with an observation camera which can be left on. It is wired to the running lights. Just turn lights on and you should be good to go.
Check and make sure yours is an observation and not just a backup camera.

CWSWine · 03-31-2016, 09:35 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by kozzy

My 3950 came with a wireless backup camera, I haven't had any time to really look at it in detail, but last time I was hooked up I turned the monitor on and I did not see any video from the camera. Are these things already synced from the factory? will the signal reach the cab of my truck? How is the picture quality and how well do they work? any tips I should try to make sure its working properly?
thanks

It needs to be sync to the monitor. There is a button on the camera that you need to press then it will sync to the monitor. That only needs to be done once. Mine is 39.5 foot 5er and it comes in clear and crisp picture.

kozzy · 03-31-2016, 05:14 PM

I'll make sure I sync it and try again. I never did that just assumed it came good to go

GLS3950 · 04-01-2016, 01:26 AM

Mine came synced already. You may have to try different lights to get power to the camera.
From other posts it sounds like Keystone wires it different ways. If it is a backup it may be wired to backup lights.

kozzy · 04-01-2016, 05:37 AM

well then I will check that too. ill be bringing it home from storage in the next week or so to get ready for our first trip, I will get to test it out then.

Forrest154 · 04-02-2016, 05:30 PM

We just purchased a 15 3710FL & it has camera prep, but the camera it's self is not there. Who makes the camera? If I wanted to get it I wanna know what I am looking for.

cw3jason · 04-04-2016, 07:37 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Forrest154

We just purchased a 15 3710FL & it has camera prep, but the camera it's self is not there. Who makes the camera? If I wanted to get it I wanna know what I am looking for.

If they didn't switch manufactures from 2015 till now, Furrion makes the cameras. They have 2 different ones, a back up camera and an observation camera.

kozzy · 04-09-2016, 10:19 AM

ok, I'm glad I checked back, couldn't get the camera to work today when I get it out of storage, tried to sync, but still no go. Had the truck in reverse, still no go, I did not , however, try with the running lights on, forgot about that one. Ill have to try that tomorrow. I did have the truck and everything all hooked up and in reverse and it didn't work. the blue light on the camera, indicating that t has power is constantly on, even now, un hooked from the truck so I would think that the running lights don't need to be on. GLS, is the blue light on your camera always on, or does it come on only when the running lights are turned on? That puzzles me. The monitor has a blue light on it as well, and it is blinking. According to the manual that indicates the camera is not powered on, however, as I said, the blue power light on the camera is always on, even when not hooked to the TV..

GLS3950 · 04-09-2016, 03:29 PM

Kozzy, I am hooked to shore power and there is no light on. Did
you check to see if you have a backup or observation camera. If it is a backup and they wired it hot all the time it may be burned up.
Also if wired hot all the time it will drain the battery. You may be in for a trip back to the dealer.

Buffalochip · 04-09-2016, 03:59 PM

I also have the Furrion Observation camera. The blue light is always on. Reading the owners manual, the Keystone made trailers are SUPPOSED to be wired as always on, or I suspect there is power to the camera but I have not paired the camera and the monitor. It seems you would need power back there but if I'm reading right is meant to at least have the blue light on as a indicator that you have power to it. 2016 Montana 3910 FB

dhuhn · 04-09-2016, 06:24 PM

Mine has the blue light on all the time. The only way the blue light turns off is when I turn battery disconnect off. I'm thinking maybe you didn't get it paird. I would try to pair it again. Mine I also don't need to be hooked to TV,

kozzy · 04-09-2016, 06:31 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by GLS3950

Kozzy, I am hooked to shore power and there is no light on. Did
you check to see if you have a backup or observation camera. If it is a backup and they wired it hot all the time it may be burned up.
Also if wired hot all the time it will drain the battery. You may be in for a trip back to the dealer.

How can I tell which model I have? I have it plugged into shore power at the moment as well and the blue light is still on. Just looked outside. I'll have to look at it more tomorrow. Defy don't think it has to do with the running lights at all.

kozzy · 04-09-2016, 06:33 PM

Also I agree if its always on the battery will get drained.

GLS3950 · 04-10-2016, 01:49 AM

Observation camera is model FOS48TA-BL, backup is FRC12TA-BL.

This shows there is not a standard wiring schematic used by Keystone. I guess I am lucky mine was wired right.

kozzy · 04-10-2016, 02:16 AM

yeah, that's what it shows haha I found nothing in the actual keystone manual that helps either. if its wired hot all the time, I'm going to change that. I may just call keystone Monday, I have a feeling the dealer will take forever and I can probably fix this a lot faster. weird that they would not do it consistently the same every time. Or use the same model for that matter. I checked the box, and I have the wireless backup camera. I would think that should just be wired to the reverse lights, as the instructions show.

Buffalochip · 04-10-2016, 03:22 AM

In the owners manual there is a list of RV manufacturers and it states which way they wire the camera. Or at least the way they are supposed to. At least that's what I got out of it. It will be interesting to hear what they tell you KOZZY.
(I should have said the camera owners manual)

kozzy · 04-10-2016, 05:42 AM

ok, real world testing, here is what I got. I took the camera off, plugged it into the adaptor in my truck, with the monitor and it worked fine. put it back up in the bracket, now it works, don't know what was up with that. it is wired to my interior zone 3, the rear interior lights. So it is on when the battery is turned on, plugged into shore power, or both. if I unplug the shore power, and turn off the battery switch, the light on the camera goes out.
so as long as I have battery on, there is juice to the camera. seems weird. SO, I think I am going to attempt to remove the middle rear marker light, and run a new power wire from that to the camera, it is only a few inches. at least then, the light camera will only be on with the marker lights, and not constantly. ill let all know how that goes. I just don't understand the reasoning behind this method at all, especially because the marker light is right there, and it would have been easy with the unit all apart to just run a wire to the brake light for true activation only when backing. id love to do that but I'm thinking I wont be able to fish a wire to the backup light very easily

Buffalochip · 04-10-2016, 06:21 AM

That is strange. They probably wired the camera as on of the last steps on the assembly line.

DuneBuggyBuilder · 04-10-2016, 07:47 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by kozzy
...it would have been easy with the unit all apart to just run a wire to the break light for true activation only when backing. id love to do that but I'm thinking I wont be able to fish a wire to the backup light very easily...

Actually it isn't difficult to fish a wire from the center running light down to the brake light area. We have done it on numerous rigs when adding a backup camera or converting a wireless one to wired.

Most of us wanted to have the option of having the camera on all the time when traveling. Once you have the camera on while traveling and experiencing the wireless' tendency for picture interference, the conversion to wired is desirable. This also requires fishing a coax down the back cap.

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