DIY: Installing A Rear Vision Camera On Your RV
Providing extra safety, there’s no reason not to consider installing a rear vision camera — and it’s easier to install than you think!
I reckon one of the best safety innovations of the last few years has been the rear view camera.
When we changed our tow vehicle last year, it came with a big screen CD/radio with a lead for an RV rear view camera already set up and a switch to change between it and the camera on the back of the ‘Cruiser.
With half the job done, there was no excuse to not get with the safety program, so I ordered a camera and leads through Safety Dave.
Off We Go
The instructions were simple, and the job looked straightforward, but finding a suitable pathway for the lead was a bit daunting.
Having chosen a suitable location for the camera high on the rear of the van, it took a while to undo some panels in the bedside wardrobe to check how the leads could be run.
After removing the top decorative panel in the bedside wardrobe I was able to gain access to the interior of the rear section over the bed. By exploring the void at the back of the van with a 1m length of bendy 10mm timber dowel, I was able to reach where I had planned to place the camera and could feel there was no structure there.
A small 5mm drill hole assured me there was no obstruction under the cladding and the opening was enlarged with a hole saw drill to fit the camera lead’s connection plug. After pushing the plug and lead through, it looked surprisingly easy to wrangle it into the driver side wardrobe and down through the floor to the chassis.
Finishing Off
With the camera flush against the cladding I drilled holes for the self-tapping screws and sealed the back of the camera with Sikaflex to keep the installation waterproof.
Other holes were made through the panels at the top and base of the wardrobe and the lead was fixed neatly with hot glue into the cupboard corner. The space under the wardrobe has the water tank inlets so there was plenty of room to run the lead through and under the timber floor.
With plenty of length supplied it was pretty straightforward to fix the lead out of harm’s way and onto the A-frame and in reach of the vehicle plug.
I’m very happy with the view the camera offers. I can see what’s behind at all times, particularly tailgaters, much better than through the vehicle mirrors.