What's new
Fantasy Football - Footballguys Forums

Welcome to Our Forums. Once you've registered and logged in, you're primed to talk football, among other topics, with the sharpest and most experienced fantasy players on the internet.

Car backup camera - DIY? (1 Viewer)

shuke

shuke

Black Ice Skeptic
Anyone installed their own?  I need to replace the stereo in our Dodge Grand Caravan.  Going to upgrade to better system with Bluetooth. Will get something that has additional rear input for backup camera. Wondering if I could do the camera myself also. Anyone done it?

 
Leave the stereo and no backup camera as is on this vehicle. Not worth the expense or time. Just wait until your next vehicle.

 
Considered this for a while and eventually just paid someone.  Got one that includes a screen built into the rear view mirror. Amazon sells em for like $150 and I can't imagine its that difficult, but I still paid some schmuck like $400 for it installed. 

 
I'm willing to attempt a good number of diy things. Replacing a car head unit was one thing that I attempted, but then had to bail and call in an expert. If I didn't have steering wheel controls, it would have been fine. When I went to a shop for the stereo, they would have done the camera for 200. 

YouTube your vehicle and see how much of the interior you will have to pull up and put back in place. Some cars are easier than others. 

 
Johnny Rock said:
Leave the stereo and no backup camera as is on this vehicle. Not worth the expense or time. Just wait until your next vehicle.
Click to expand...
Why?  No plans to sell the car. I can get a touch screen stereo with blue tooth for like 200 and can install easily. 

Maybe I'll wait for the camera, though. 

 
shuke said:
Why?  No plans to sell the car. I can get a touch screen stereo with blue tooth for like 200 and can install easily. 

Maybe I'll wait for the camera, though. 
Click to expand...
Like Brony said if it has steering wheel controls it can be a huge pain. For the backup camera I'd imagine running the wire to the camera is a serious pain.

 
I know this is probably not helpful as it's not super specific.  My brother in law--who is definitely a bit of a handy man type--installed a wireless backup camera system in his older beat around SUV and mentioned that it was pretty easy.  However--he also had to install the screen that came with the wireless camera unit on his dash as it was not integrated into his radio.   My guess is this--if the system requires being hard wired into your new radio--I'd probably hire a pro to install it.  If it wirelessly works with your radio--and you are a bit of a handy man--you can probably do it yourself.  I admittedly am not a handy man--so I just purchased my vehicle with the bells and whistles that I needed. 

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Fwiw, I love my back-up camera and it will be a requirement for any future vehicle I buy. It's that helpful.

I would suggest getting the dealership to install but I suck at repairs/installs/handy stuff.

 
What year caravan? What model radio? Did this in my Jeep with an aftermarket head unit, not terribly difficult.

 
drove a rental for a week, last month. had a backup camera. that's my first experience with one. i found it disorienting to watch the camera. 

you still have to check the peripheral vision so it's a matter of retraining your eyes to bounce between rear-view and looking side to side.. to looking down at your dash. not a huge deal, i suppose but.... strange.

couple times i tried backing up using just the camera and found it difficult to back up as precisely. the perspective on camera is skewed and it was ####### with me.

i'd try DIY first, see how far you get. 

 
mr. furley said:
drove a rental for a week, last month. had a backup camera. that's my first experience with one. i found it disorienting to watch the camera. 

you still have to check the peripheral vision so it's a matter of retraining your eyes to bounce between rear-view and looking side to side.. to looking down at your dash. not a huge deal, i suppose but.... strange.

couple times i tried backing up using just the camera and found it difficult to back up as precisely. the perspective on camera is skewed and it was ####### with me.

i'd try DIY first, see how far you get. 
Click to expand...
I agree. Just got rid of my 10 year car that died, but was loaded. It had just the rear sensors. My wife has a newer car with just backup camera and I liked the sensors much better because you can hear it and look at your mirrors. I love my new car (used RX 350 F-Sport). It has both and the parking sensors are front and back. I barely use the backup camera, but do use it more. They put it higher than in my wife's Highlander so a little easier to use without feeling like you are looking down.

My oldest will be getting his grandfather's car soon and that has nothing so I'm definitely planning to look around. I was going to get him the GPS/Bluetooth radio since they are so cheap but adding the backup camera might not be a bad idea. 

 
All three of our cars have backup cameras.  I wouldn't buy one without it at this point.  If only for the fact that you read these tragic stories about people backing the car over their small children.  A few hundred bucks well worth the peace of mind.

 
My buddy recently bought an upgraded radio for his older SUV. As he was checking out from Amazon, he saw an ad that said "customers who bought this, also bought this"... it was a backup camera. He paid like $17 for it and said it was super easy to install and works great. For that kinda money, why not?

 
Otis said:
All three of our cars have backup cameras.  I wouldn't buy one without it at this point.  If only for the fact that you read these tragic stories about people backing the car over their small children.  A few hundred bucks well worth the peace of mind.
Click to expand...
I want one of these in my next car... and the auto parallel parking feature as well. :bag:

 
E-Z Glider said:
My buddy recently bought an upgraded radio for his older SUV. As he was checking out from Amazon, he saw an ad that said "customers who bought this, also bought this"... it was a backup camera. He paid like $17 for it and said it was super easy to install and works great. For that kinda money, why not?
Click to expand...
Can you get a link?

 
shuke said:
Can you get a link?
Click to expand...
lol... just texted him and he said the $17 one stopped working after a few weeks. He now has a Fanco License Plate Backup Camera (search on Amazon) that was like $25 that he said its been working for a couple months now with no problems.

 
EYLive said:
I want one of these in my next car... and the auto parallel parking feature as well. :bag:
Click to expand...
as much as this looks awesome i kind of hope it doesn't catch on.

i like watching people struggle to parallel park. makes me feel a sense of accomplishment when i can do it in one shot.

 
I am not very handy at all but installed a Bluetooth one in my daughter's car without much trouble. I only did the camera wiring to the rear light though. The car didn't have a backup camera so I used the screen out of the box which mounts on dash or wherever you want it. Very easy. 

 
mr. furley said:
as much as this looks awesome i kind of hope it doesn't catch on.

i like watching people struggle to parallel park. makes me feel a sense of accomplishment when i can do it in one shot.
Click to expand...
I'm awful at it. Thank goodness for bumpers!

 
First step was stereo.  Wiring was a little more complicated than I anticipated, and also had to hack up some difficult-to-reach metal in order to get the new head unit in.  I wasn't able to figure out how to connect the satellite radio input because the connections were different, so I didn't bother.  I figured we won't need it with Bluetooth and all of the functionality the stereo has (Pandora/Spotify/iHeart/etc.).

Installation video

Result prior to reattaching trim

 
shuke said:
Where did you hook into power?  How did you run the video cable to your head unit?
Click to expand...
video cable under the carpet the length of the vehicle(its a wrangler so this is easy)

For power I hooked into the reverse light power, when reverse lights go on, camera gets power.  If I did it again I'd run power from the head unit with the video cable so I could have the camera on if I'm not in reverse.

 
mr. furley said:
as much as this looks awesome i kind of hope it doesn't catch on.

i like watching people struggle to parallel park. makes me feel a sense of accomplishment when i can do it in one shot.
Click to expand...
I always feel it gives me a better chance at a good parking spot if 50% of drivers can't parallel park.

 
the only thing i use my camera for is the "overhead" view. I can see how close I am to wall/curb/car etc

The grid on the camera is wider than it should IMO.  I;m better with my mirrors

 
shuke said:
First step was stereo.  Wiring was a little more complicated than I anticipated, and also had to hack up some difficult-to-reach metal in order to get the new head unit in.  I wasn't able to figure out how to connect the satellite radio input because the connections were different, so I didn't bother.  I figured we won't need it with Bluetooth and all of the functionality the stereo has (Pandora/Spotify/iHeart/etc.).

Installation video

Result prior to reattaching trim
Click to expand...
What'd you install that with, bubble gum?

 
EYLive said:
I'm awful at it. Thank goodness for bumpers!
Click to expand...
Good job, nothing like slamming someone else's bumper - I mean, who cares if you mess someone's expensive bumper up and they have pay to fix it. Parallel parking is some really difficult stuff. So tough, it is a requirement for a 16 year old obtaining a driver's license. 

 
Peyton Marino said:
I'm pretty much 100% reliant on the backup cam when in reverse. Trying to get these for the sides and front too. Ideally I'd never have to look outside at all. 
Click to expand...
I parallel park every time I arrive home. My current car has the 360 view cameras and sensors all around, excellent feature. I could parallel park with my eyes closed, but it is most definitely a nice feature to have.  

 
fantasycurse42 said:
Good job, nothing like slamming someone else's bumper - I mean, who cares if you mess someone's expensive bumper up and they have pay to fix it. Parallel parking is some really difficult stuff. So tough, it is a requirement for a 16 year old obtaining a driver's license. 
Click to expand...
Yeah, and if slamming into other cars from close range doesn't work, I get about 7 feet head start to pick up speed. That always creates enough space for me to park. Bumpers are cheap.

 
EYLive said:
Yeah, and if slamming into other cars from close range doesn't work, I get about 7 feet head start to pick up speed. That always creates enough space for me to park. Bumpers are cheap.
Click to expand...
I like how you rationalize that:

They're cheap (which they are not... Getting a bumper repainted is anywhere from $150-$400), so it's fine to damage someone else's property. 

 
fantasycurse42 said:
I like how you rationalize that:

They're cheap (which they are not... Getting a bumper repainted is anywhere from $150-$400), so it's fine to damage someone else's property. 
Click to expand...
When I say cheap, I'm talking in the $2K range to replace a bumper w/ labor. Any damage totaling less than $1K as a result of my parking isn't worthy of acknowledgement. It's not like there's bodily injury.

 
shuke said:
First step was stereo.  Wiring was a little more complicated than I anticipated, and also had to hack up some difficult-to-reach metal in order to get the new head unit in.  I wasn't able to figure out how to connect the satellite radio input because the connections were different, so I didn't bother.  I figured we won't need it with Bluetooth and all of the functionality the stereo has (Pandora/Spotify/iHeart/etc.).

Installation video

Result prior to reattaching trim
Click to expand...
this is one of the greatest videos i have ever watched bromigosabe well done take that to the bank

 
if you decide to save a few smackaroonies for your next car you just could get a short toilet paper cardboard tube and hold it up to your eye when you turn around to look where you are going it will make you feel official and thats what counts swc making neat backup cam technology available for the rest of us take that to the bank bromigos 

 
Very impressive for a butcher!  :thumbup:

Seriously, I've got a work truck with a topper that has no windows...very utilitarian. I may want to go this route myself. As far as the head unit goes, is it bluetooth compatible? Price range on it?

The video covers all the rest that I can tell (sorry if I missed more info earlier in the thread on the head unit).

EDIT: Sorry, caught the info on the head unit now. :bag:

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Man of Constant Sorrow said:
Very impressive for a butcher!  :thumbup:

Seriously, I've got a work truck with a topper that has no windows...very utilitarian. I may want to go this route myself. As far as the head unit goes, is it bluetooth compatible? Price range on it?

The video covers all the rest that I can tell (sorry if I missed more info earlier in the thread on the head unit).

EDIT: Sorry, caught the info on the head unit now. :bag:
Click to expand...
This is the head unit I bought.  Had to spend an addition $100 on antenna hookup, dash kit, and wire harness.

 
mr. furley said:
drove a rental for a week, last month. had a backup camera. that's my first experience with one. i found it disorienting to watch the camera. 

you still have to check the peripheral vision so it's a matter of retraining your eyes to bounce between rear-view and looking side to side.. to looking down at your dash. not a huge deal, i suppose but.... strange.

couple times i tried backing up using just the camera and found it difficult to back up as precisely. the perspective on camera is skewed and it was ####### with me.

i'd try DIY first, see how far you get. 
Click to expand...
I have the opposite problem. My wife and I haven had backup cam for last 5 or 6 years at least. When I get in a car that doesn't have it, I start looking at the clock radio like a moron. 

 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

C
Car Insurance / Wreck Question
Replies
7
Views
540
STEADYMOBBIN 22
STEADYMOBBIN 22
Terminalxylem
Travel dilemma
2
Replies
75
Views
2K
BassNBrew
BassNBrew
Bracie Smathers
YouTube channels of people building own homes
Replies
0
Views
428
Bracie Smathers
Bracie Smathers

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Top