47-55.1 Thoughts on tailgate/forward facing camera's?

[JDarby]

All,

I have been thinking about a tailgate back up camera that is viewed via the rear view mirror and with the flip of a switch

a forward recording camera that records every 5 or 10 minutes or so in a loop.

Anyone installed such a beast and how does it behave?

Thanks as always in advance!

[e015475]

As I age, I've really come to depend on rear view cameras on my newer cars and miss this feature on my '49.

I'm not that keen on having wires up to the mirror (I should have thought about this during the build) Have you thought about using your cell phone for a display for a backup camera?

I have original instruments that I don't trust all that much with the LS motor, so I have an ELM327 bluetooth device on my OBD2 connector to monitor engine parameters via TorquePro on the phone. I also have a camera in the garage to help me with parking that displays on the phone. (For a driving camera, the plan is for a passive device that records on a loop on an SD card I can access in case of an 'incident'.) I guess my point is that I already depend on the phone, so why not use it for backup too since I'd like to keep my cab interior as 'original' looking as possible.

Looking forward to hearing your and others opinion on how to implement a back up camera in an old truck

[leegreen]

It is a tough one to balance the old truck interior aesthetic with having an LCD screen you can see. I don't have a solution but some things I have considered......

You could get wires up the A pilar and then down to the mirror. But the original mirror is part of the 'look'.
You could mount a screen in the sun visor and flip it down to see it.

We have strict laws about hand held electronics while driving, so using the cell phone would require a mount.....also something that might look out of place.

If you have a full size DIN head unit mounted in dash you could swap out for one will a pull out screen.

I have a thread on hiding a stereo. https://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/...d.php?t=841095 that would not lend itself to a pull out screen as the face of the head unit is recessed. In that thread I also show an overhead console. I could have made that a touch bigger and put a screen there instead but I wanted the gauges and I did not want the console to dominate the interior. Still mulling over a flip down screen that would sit flush with the headliner when it is flipped up.

I am also toying with the idea of using proximity sensors to just trigger lights in o/h console when there is a car in blind spot or there is something close behind when in reverse.

I have also become aware as I get old that I need to keep neck and upper back limber so I can look behind myself when biking, kayaking and driving.

[mr48chev]

I'm with one thing leegreen mentioned 100% and that is no hand held thingies.

Amazon and Ebay are full of both front facing cameras and rear facing cameras that often as not are part of a license plate frame.

I've got a front facing camera that clips on my mirror and has a larger mirror than my original mirror. The good is that If I am out playing show and tell I can slip it off the stock mirror and tuck it away in the stash bin behind the seats. The other good is that I have a high capacity SD card in it and can record days of driving before it reloops and covers up what was on it.

I've got a backup camera that has a tiny screen on the dash and is all hard wired for my 71 and it is positioned right above the trailer hitch on top of the license plate. My main reason for getting it at all is that that is the truck I tow my boats and trailers with and I want to see the hitch when I back up but it will also take a decent capacity micro SD card. Front or back those recordings probably earn their biscuits if you ever have to go to court.

[vintovka]

Here's my $23 set up. Came with infrared back up cam and works well enough for me. With auto android does it all from Google maps, phone text, news, audio books the works and on. Adding a front cam soon and may store video in my phone.
Cheep tech is cool. BTW for under $20 you can have backup/forward set up using your phone. Best hurry as future tariffs may change it all. Adios TEMU!!

[mr48chev]

You can get a small dash cam off Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Dashcams-Park...342956&sr=8-21

That runs an endless loop vidio on up to a 128 gig SD card and communicates to you phone for 40 bucks. You don't need what is up front going down the road on a screen when you are driving anyhow but that lets you record everything that is going on while you are driving or the truck is parked. That would tuck up in front of the mirror on most trucks and be out of line of sight making it legal for not obstructing forward vision.

I've got an inexpensive license plate rear mount camera with pretty tiny screen that I bought to put on my 71 GMC for backing up to a trailer. I think the add claimed it was intended as a backup camera and that can be pretty handy in the parking lots around here with drivers that blast through parking lots not paying the least bit of attention.

I need to get a new GPS as my old Garmin that the whole family used and called Broomhilda gave up the ghost a couple of years ago.

[vintovka]

Dash cams seem to be handy for accidents and Utube filler of late. Those who persist in bad driving like "brake checks" are still unaware that they may face extreme long term financial/legal problems. Insurers may include cameras as evidential "tools". The effects of new 360 cameras remain to be seen as technology rapidly outpaces human ability to deal with it. BTW Amazon is like 100 to 400% more than temu/ali express right now but prolly not for long. As many (if not most) auto parts may get tariffs its gonna be a bumpy road ahead. Maybe stock up is in order???

[mr48chev]

The simplest terms I can put it in is that in the Yakima Valley of Washington State we have so many freaking bad drivers or " self entitled" drivers who do not obey simple basic traffic laws and rules of the road a dash cam is prudent.

A few years ago I used to have the same woman in the same car dart across in front of me at the same intersection more often than not and I would watch for her. The intersection 1.2 miles from my house (US 97 and Larue road) is famous as being one of the most deadly intersections in the state because people will come flying down Larue and glance both ways and not stop and blow the stop sign or try to judge the space between vehicles on 97 and not judge correctly. One car hit a Semi and when my daughter heard about it she asked if it was "that yellow one" and it was, he hit a fuel truck trailer so hard he knocked it into the ditch on the other side of the highway becaus he thought he was too cool to have to stop and wait.

[Hot Pursuit]

I plan to get a review mirror with the forward and rear facing cameras. I plan to mount the rear camera in the license plate area unless i can find a less conspicuous place.

[dsraven]

a higher mounted camera gives a better view of things other than the front bumper of the guy right behind you, also a higher mount means less stuff stuck to the camera lense. most newer cars that come with rear cameras have them mounted higher up. probably a reason for it. on my silverado the camera is in the tailgate handle. on my little suv it's the same, mounted higher.
it's your truck so you gotta do what makes sense to you. not saying do it this way or you're crazy, just saying higher may be better. in the rear window may be an alternative, plus you can see better what is driving in your blind spot, maybe.

[vintovka]

A top of dash camera position seems about right. According to insurance companies cameras are putting a dent in scam accident and vandalism criminals income. Understand prosecuting them based in the videos

[mr48chev]

I've got a rear facing camera for my 71 just to back up to the trailers as my wife hates to play mo back.

I agree that for no more than what they cost it is prudent to have them on our trucks though. There are a bunch of idiots in this area who seem to think that racing up and whipping over in front of you when you are already slowing down to make a stop or a turn is the way to do things scammer or not. They don't pull it on my 1 ton as much as much as my other rigs though as that truck has the look that says if you tangle with me you loose. If you rear end it you for sure will loose as there is a few too many hundred pounds of iron hanging below the back of the frame. That standard cab 1 ton goes over the scales at about 8200 empty because of all the added metal and the heavy duty 10 ft bed with a hoist.

[vintovka]

I have found that rear cameras have gone from novelty to convenience to necessity. The one in my 54 now gets used constantly because the warranty on my neck has passed and its really painful to look back. Front cameras will be the future for no other reason than liability. As said earlier insurance companies (and the courts) may force the issue. Most big rigs have them as a standard feature.

[dsraven]

it seems, also, that the car makers install a rear camera and then make the outside rear view mirrors smaller and shaped so that if adjusted to see whats behind you then you cant see stuff like parking lot curbs etc. then some install a convex mirror built into that small outside mirror so the viewing surface becomes smaller yet.

[JDarby]

Originally Posted by dsraven

a higher mounted camera gives a better view of things other than the front bumper of the guy right behind you, also a higher mount means less stuff stuck to the camera lense. most newer cars that come with rear cameras have them mounted higher up. probably a reason for it. on my silverado the camera is in the tailgate handle. on my little suv it's the same, mounted higher.
it's your truck so you gotta do what makes sense to you. not saying do it this way or you're crazy, just saying higher may be better. in the rear window may be an alternative, plus you can see better what is driving in your blind spot, maybe.

My 55.1 GMC will have an outside visor so maybe I can figure out a clean way to mount the forward camera on it?

Just a thought now but anytime is a good time figuring out this kinda stuff!

[dsraven]

If you can keep the camera inside that's what I would do. No wind to bounce it around and create unstable video, no weather to muck up the lense, possibly a cleaner look on the outside too. Again though, it's your truck so you gotta do what you like. Just suggestions.
Minus 17C here today, with a skiff of snow overnight. Looks Christmas-y. Better finish my shopping. Lol.

[vintovka]

Originally Posted by dsraven

If you can keep the camera inside that's what I would do. No wind to bounce it around and create unstable video, no weather to muck up the lense, possibly a cleaner look on the outside too. Again though, it's your truck so you gotta do what you like. Just suggestions.
Minus 17C here today, with a skiff of snow overnight. Looks Christmas-y. Better finish my shopping. Lol.

Very true. Rear ones get muddy and wet fast and can't imagine a front one with no protection. While I just found that My cheepy auto android dash linked display apparently has the capacity to have both front and rear cameras decided against using it. Now getting a whole new one $20 dash cam now before the tariffs kick in. Not sure i like the idea of the second cam in my face tho!. The only other appealing tech would be one that just links to my cell phone for recording and playback.