Anyone have experience with a rearview mirror backup camera set up?

[JEM Motorworks]

It is a full time camera, meaning no mirror function. The glare isn’t too bad, it’s noticeable when you are at a stop light. The screen does get whited out. That is due to the camera at bumper level.
It is a shift from your standard mirror, but I quickly got used to it. Having a wide open rear view is well worth that inconvenience personally.

[Rich69shortfleet]

I didn't realize the V5 Pro wasn't a regular mirror as well, that it is a dedicated camera monitor.

I wish there was a practical way to mount the rear camera at a higher point than the license plate. I have a retractable tonneau cover that has a metal crossbar/handle at the back I could mount a camera to but then it would be sticking up and be easily knocked off not to mention wiring on a moving platform would be a trick to work out. I also guess you could mount the rear camera to the top of the rear window looking rearward but then that kind of defeats the point of having it function as a backup camera.

I DO like the ability to not wire it to the reverse light and just being able to use it as a backup camera naturally and being able to turn on the lines manually if you really want them.

Where did you mount the GPS module?

['68OrangeSunshine]

Perhaps a Camera mounted in the Cargo Light?

[Rich69shortfleet]

Originally Posted by '68OrangeSunshine

Perhaps a Camera mounted in the Cargo Light?

That might work pretty well, but I don't have one on the truck.

[Lokin4AReason]

dont they have a factory mirrior w this option on the aftermarket market

i remember seeing something on another forum at when they put it in reverse , a smaller image or the whole mirror would show up on the backup camera . . . ?

[Rich69shortfleet]

Originally Posted by Lokin4AReason

dont they have a factory mirrior w this option on the aftermarket market

i remember seeing something on another forum at when they put it in reverse , a smaller image or the whole mirror would show up on the backup camera . . . ?

There are plenty that are just backup cameras that are a true mirror and when reversing a panel illuminates inside the mirror to show what the backup camera sees. The V5 Pro we've been discussing is a front and rear looking dashcam device built into a rearview mirror body. If all you want is a backup camera, the true mirror w/backup feature would be fine and work as a regular mirror when not in use.

[MARKDTN]

Originally Posted by Lokin4AReason

dont they have a factory mirrior w this option on the aftermarket market

i remember seeing something on another forum at when they put it in reverse , a smaller image or the whole mirror would show up on the backup camera . . . ?

I said Gentex 983 in my earlier post but it is actually a 657. Sorry. I think 983 is 10pin with CAN that you don't want but 657 is 14 pin without CANBUS that you can use in a retrofit.

The Gentex mirror I used is this. Full time mirror and shows backup when you go in reverse on about half the screen. You could fab a bracket to get from mirror to existing roof mount or just glue a mount to the windshield like the cars it came from. It has a bunch of functionality like OnStar that you don't need, but with a few wires you can have a backup camera and an autodimming mirror. You just need ignition power, ground, reverse signal, and video at the mirror.

At the back you can use a license plate style camera. Hook both power and trigger to the reverse lights. Use an RCA camera cable (with a trigger wire) to get up to the mirror. Routing the wires up the A-pillar and over is probably the hardest part. This one could be pretty inexpensive. $15 mirror at the pick-a-part, $22 for a camera on Amazon, and $12 for the RCA cable on Amazon. So roughly $50 and some time. You could buy a custom cable on Ebay that would drive the cost up or splice on to the mirror cable from the donor car (or just use the donor plug and buy pins from Mouser).

[Rust_never_sleeps]

You might also scavenge an in-mirror setup and camera from an 07-10-ish F0rd Expedition/Lincoln Navigator.
No idea what you'd have to do for mounts, but if you can supply power it'll work

[Rich69shortfleet]

Originally Posted by JEM Motorworks

It is a full time camera, meaning no mirror function. The glare isn’t too bad, it’s noticeable when you are at a stop light. The screen does get whited out. That is due to the camera at bumper level.
It is a shift from your standard mirror, but I quickly got used to it. Having a wide open rear view is well worth that inconvenience personally.

Could you possibly post a couple more pictures to show how and where you mounted the camera at the back?

[nightmare]

Extending what Rust_never_sleeps said, my sister's 2012 Ford F150 has the backup screen in the rear view mirror. Turns on when in reverse, and is a regular mirror when not.

I was also looking at the Jeep Gladiator tailgate for the camera. It's a flat area that has an angled mounting surface for it. Thoughts?

[dmjlambert]

I'm confused about Auto-Vox V5 Pro discussed above. Is it not reflective at all and is not a mirror, just a non-reflective blank screen when the camera is not on? Or just the way JEM Motorworks wired it makes it on all the time?

[Rich69shortfleet]

Originally Posted by dmjlambert

I'm confused about Auto-Vox V5 Pro discussed above. Is it not reflective at all and is not a mirror, just a non-reflective blank screen when the camera is not on? Or just the way JEM Motorworks wired it makes it on all the time?

It is not a mirror at all. Just a monitor for cameras. Search for it on Youtube and you can see examples that are not powered on, it us just a blank dark screen when not on.

[Rich69shortfleet]

I just ordered the Auto-Vox V5 Pro. Will be making a mount like JEM made to fit it in the same manner. Bought it directly from Auto-Vox, about $179 shipped.

[Rich69shortfleet]

The dashcam/backup camera/mirror kit arrived today. Really nice looking equipment.

[sixty8HDC30]

Originally Posted by Rich69shortfleet

The dashcam/backup camera/mirror kit arrived today. Really nice looking equipment.

Sweet! let us know what you think when you get it setup. This might be the only piece of modern tech that I will eventually install in my 68 c30 which has a flat bed with a headache rack with expanded metal so its not easy to see through with a mirror anyway.

[Rich69shortfleet]

Since it will be a while before I can get the system installed I tested the mirror/monitor and camera to make sure they actually work. They turned on and worked fine, picture from the rear camera was very clear and sharp.

[Rich69shortfleet]

Originally Posted by dagnabbitt

Driver's side A pillar. There's a great youtube video on how to easily run the wire.

At one point I found a short video of how a guy ran wiring up the A pillar using a string and compressed air but now I can't find that video again. Can you post a link to a video you know of for routing wiring up the A pillar?

I took the visor out and couldn't find ready access to the hollow part of the A pillar by probing with a straightened coat hanger. I also don't have any ready made holes in the cowl under the dash where a wire could exit but I can drill a hole as needed. If my pre-made wiring harness was long enough, I'd just run it from the mirror mount to the rear corner of the roof, down the B pillar which is wide open and then down along the door sill to the fuse panel. I guess I could extend the power wires, but I'll have to see if the video cable is long enough to run from the back to the firewall and then to the door sill. But I'd much rather go down the A pillar if I can.

[dagnabbitt]

This is the one, I think. Tx Firefighter hasn't been on the board for a couple months or I am sure he'd chime in. Good video to bookmark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=-53fdPXgVLA

It looks like he is working on a squarebody, but as you can see from this cab light diagram, it's the same.

[LockDoc]

-
Here is another picture.

I used a flexible speedometer cable in through the visor hole and down through the "A" pillar hole. I still had to shake it a little bit to get it all the way down.. I opened the hole in the kick panel to 3/4" and used a piece of wire with a small hook on it to fish the cable over to the kick panel hole. It still took some time to get it done.

[Rich69shortfleet]

Originally Posted by dagnabbitt

This is the one, I think. Tx Firefighter hasn't been on the board for a couple months or I am sure he'd chime in. Good video to bookmark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=-53fdPXgVLA

It looks like he is working on a squarebody, but as you can see from this cab light diagram, it's the same.

That's the video I was looking for! Thanks! I hope the same technique will work for me.

[Rich69shortfleet]

Originally Posted by LockDoc

-
Here is another picture.

I used a flexible speedometer cable in through the visor hole and down through the "A" pillar hole. I still had to shake it a little bit to get it all the way down.. I opened the hole in the kick panel to 3/4" and used a piece of wire with a small hook on it to fish the cable over to the kick panel hole. It still took some time to get it done.

That picture is perfect for what I was needing to know. I finally grew a brain and got out my articulating boreoscope and found the hole that leads to the hollow of the A pillar. Getting a stiff wire like a coat hanger to make the bend over the corner support and then down the hole could be near impossible so I hope the string and compressed air trick will work. Another thought I had was to tie a fishing sinker to the end of a string, push the sinker over the support and down the hole and the weight of it should pull the string down to the inside of the cowl opening. I dont have a hole in the cowl like in the video but I can punch or drill one. I already had to drill a small hole there already when I added dome/courtesy light switches to the door jams. Originally the dome only came on with the headlight switch, this was a REALLY low optioned truck.

That picture also shows me I can't go rearward or diagonally to the back as the inner and outer panels touch each other in the middle. If I wanted to go down the B pillar, I'd still have to route wiring to the A pillar corner and then back to the B pillar which would end up using up a lot of the length of the power/video cable I need to use.

A pillar routing or bust!

[PbFut]

One note about the A Pillar. I added running lights and needed to run one single +12v wire in the A pillar. I spent a full day attempting to do so. Using the speedo cable method and the compressed air method. I tried both left and right and was not able to get anything down the pillar. On the B pillar there is plenty room to get a shop vac hose up the B pillar fairly high. The shop Vac moved enough air to pull dental floss and complete the run. Using dental floss I got it to feed through the hole for the sun visor inside the cab attach the wire and feed using the floss to guide the way. The roof pinches down pretty tight going towards the back but it was the only way I could get a wire to feed. It did take a bit of working to get it past the obstacles. I have no idea why I was not able to get something to work into the A pillar. Give yourself plenty time.

[Rich69shortfleet]

Well, my first attempt seemed promising but then didn't work. I tied a nut to the end of a string and was able to push it over the lip and into the hole at the top of the A pillar but it only fell in about an inch and stopped. Not sure if the opening is offset or just not big enough for the nut. I then thought I might be able to feed a stiff wire up the pillar from inside the fresh air plenum but found that the air plenum behind the kickpanel vent does not open into the space where the A pillar resides.

I'll have to try the compressed air or speedometer cable trick next time. Too cold out in the garage to work on it for very long.

I wish I could get my boreoscope down the hole at the top to see what is below it for reference.

Now that I think about it a little more, I'm not sure the compressed air trick will work since there isn't a hole at the bottom for the air to exit. If the air can't exit, it can't draw the string along. I guess I'd have to drill/punch the hole first. Not sure exactly where to put the hole.

[dmjlambert]

Originally Posted by dagnabbitt

... as you can see from this cab light diagram, it's the same.

What does the cab light diagram say about the lower hole? Does it need to be drilled to install the cab lights or is it supposed to already be there?

[JEM Motorworks]

When I installed mine I couldn’t find the lower hole for the life of me! I watched the YouTube videos etc, I ended up using a 3/4” rotabroach cutter to pop a hole in the kick panel just above the lower dash rail. Then fished a sting down the factory hole in the top of the A-pillar, I worked thru the visor cutout using a $70 bore scope I’d bought on Amazon. Once I got the string/wire(can’t remember) down the a-pillar I popped a hole by the mirror mount and ran the wire across the header. It took a bit of work but I was able to feed the camera/power cable up the a pillar across the header and down the mirror mount. It took some work but I installed it all in one evening, took 4-5 hours. I couldn’t be happier, granted my visibility is limited due to the topper and sport mirrors. I have a suburban and plan on the same setup. The dash cam is worth it alone to me.