Is there a truly "wireless" backup camera?

lkc001

My truck purchased used did not come with a backup camera or the fancy in dash monitor.  Is there such a thing as a truly "wireless" camera setup out there that just has the camera on a license plate holder and does not require hard wiring into the tail lights, and then has a monitor that plugs into the cigarette lighter inside the vehicle?

I know there are a lot of backup camera posts here, but I'm only finding ones that require hard wiring.

Thank you

Tabaz

I went through this same exercise a few years ago and came up empty.  I previously hooked up a backup camera to a small 7AH, 12volt, battery.  The monitor plugs into the cigarette lighter on the TV dash.  I simply unhooked the small battery after each campout and recharged it at home.

I subsequently direct-wired the camera to the T@B wiring behind the Jensen speakers.

jredder

I recently installed a solar powered back-up camera on the license plate of my towing vehicle (Sienna van) and license plate of our 320S. both bluetooth so no wires. monitor on the dash plugs into the cig lighter. Got both at online Costco. Brand: Type S. Works surprisingly well and stay connected at distance of 30 ft. Love having eyes in the back.

lkc001

@jredder thanks for that info

SLJ

My 7" Garmin GPS has a wireless back-up camera (model BC 40) that mounts to the license plate. I just installed it today. The camera is powered by two Lithium rechargeable AA batteries. All I do is say "Show Video" and the camera pops up on the GPS screen. There's also a button for it on the map screen. First trip with it is next week to see how it performs on the road. Works great in the driveway.

SubaruLou

@lkc001, I have the Type S from Costco that @jredder mentioned. It’s great. The wireless cam on the license plate holder can be recharged by USB if you don’t have enough sun for the tiny solar panels. I second the recommendation 

lkc001

@jredder and @SubaruLou I got the Type S backup camera you recommended from Costco.  Got it mounted and after figuring out it was trying to see the #2 camera, which I don't have, I got it switched to #1 Camera!  Great picture! 

Questions--I can just barely see the ball on my hitch even after adjusting the view by swiping up/down on the monitor screen.  The camera rotation really doesn't do that much--it only "rotates left or right".  Can either of you see part of your bumper or just see only the ball?  Any more ways to adjust that view?   

Do you worry about water getting in the camera if going through an automatic car wash?  The instructions say water can get in if directly sprayed with water.  I take my truck through the auto wash all the time.  

Thanks!

jredder

Glad to hear it is working out well for yall. I especially like how the camera will adjust for bright sun - an issue several do not.
My camera does not view the ball at all so I have learned that when the bottom of the viewing frame lines up with the right position on the crank tower then my hitch is in the right place. Not perfect but close.
Sorry but have nothing to add on the car wash risk. I am trusting Costco will accept the return if my unit stops working under normal conditions (like car washes) - they have in the past, love that place.

T@B on!

lkc001

Thanks @jredder

SLJ

SLJ said:

My 7" Garmin GPS has a wireless back-up camera (model BC 40) that mounts to the license plate. I just installed it today. The camera is powered by two Lithium rechargeable AA batteries. All I do is say "Show Video" and the camera pops up on the GPS screen. There's also a button for it on the map screen. First trip with it is next week to see how it performs on the road. Works great in the driveway.

Update... The BC 40 does not have a strong enough signal. Says it's got a 25 ft. range. It's mounted on the rear license plate and doesn't have enough range to reach the Garmin on the dash.

AnOldUR

@SLJ ... I have the same complaint about the signal strength of the BC-40. It works fine on the back of my Jeep, but won't reach the back of my 320S. Maybe 20' total, but well below the 26' that they advertise. I've been searching (without luck) to find a way to boost the Bluetooth signal. Let me know if you find something.

What I did was mount a BC-30 (also pairs with the Garmin) on our T@B. It does the job, but the resolution is lower.

BTW, Garmin recommends using lithium batteries, but not rechargeable. That could be your problem if it's mounted on the back of your TV and doesn't work at that range. I read that flipping it over might help, but that didn't work when mounted at the back of our T@B.

Ratkity

Just FYI, I was looking for a different kind of wireless backup camera (truck came with one). I was looking for one for the camper. I found out one of the major issues was that wireless signals have a hard time going through aluminum. Guess what my truck and camper are made of? The best wireless camera couldn't compete with all the aluminum. I did finally get a camera with a wired antenna that works (lights have to be on). 

On another note, I had three cigarette-type, always hot connectors put in the back of my truck near the tailgate. The stupid trucks now days won't keep a hot connection (how is the compressor going to reach the camper wheels if they need air?). Keeping this in mind, can you find a place that'll put a hot wire to the back of your vehicle so you can wire a camera? Cap World did mine for a pretty cheap price (can't rem, that was 2018). 

These are random, barely caffeinated thoughts that you may have already considered. Just ignore them if you've already considered such things! 

Much luck to you in your quest!  

SLJ

AnOldUR said:

@SLJ ... 

BTW, Garmin recommends using lithium batteries, but not rechargeable. That could be your problem if it's mounted on the back of your TV and doesn't work at that range. I read that flipping it over might help, but that didn't work when mounted at the back of our T@B.

Bought lithium batteries with it. No go. Not enough range.

AnOldUR

@SLJ ... I was reading an article on increasing Bluetooth range and one method was with more power. Rechargeable battery technology has changed. In the past, most only provided 1.2V. I found Ni-Zn AA batteries that put out 1.6V. Garmin specifically recommends against Lithium-ion rechargeable battery use (different technology than non-rechargeable lithium batteries and may permanently damage the the camera), but does not mention NiZn. Garmin also recommends against higher voltage without mentioning any limits. Some devices regulate the current, so the additional voltage may not even help.

I'll be the guinea pig and give this a try. I've ordered the batteries and charger from Amazon. In the meantime an email to Garmin may give some additional insight.

Michael_Godshall

I just finished testing the Type S solar backup camera.  The Bluetooth connection seems to work much better with my iPhone X compared to the iPhone 8,  one is AT&T the other is Verizon. I really like the fact that it mounts right at the license plate and the backup guidance is adjustable. You can turn the camera on for an extended period of timing - which is food while in heavy traffic, but you can also let it go into standby.   

lkc001

@jredder @SubaruLou. Question- my display screen started telling me the camera was off & to charge overnight.  I took a USB external  battery pack out to the truck & plugged it in to recharge.  When I went out to check on it the lights on the charger had turned off & it didn't charge the camera.  Do you have to take the camera off to charge in the house every time?  It apparently isn't getting enough sun for the solar panels since it's now going into winter.  This is the first time the camera has needed charging  since I installed it in August.

hustoncs

@lkc001 I have the Type S camera's for the TV's backup and rear of the trailer. The answer is no you do not need to charge them overnight as they are solar. However I get that message sometimes and I just ignore it.

However I will be replacing the camera on the trailer's rear with a Haloview. Don't get me wrong I like the Type S, but on the rear of the trailer while driving it has connection issues. I like the rear view while driving to see who is behind me.

I'm almost done installing and I will post what I did when I'm done. The big issues that I had were mounting the camera on the rear and where to get the 12 volts. Anyway I solved both without drilling into the trailer. The only item that I will be securing to the trailer is the camera's transmitter. This is because I did buy the wrong model. I bought the RD10 and should have bought the MC10. Cheers!