First Mod: reAngle the Backup Camera

With the factory camera, half of everything I could see was the tailgate paint. Useless except the rare case of hooking up a trailer or trying to knock an apple off a pylon. I really want to be able to see what is behind me, not immediately at my bumper.

So here is what I did:

Start by taking the tailgate down.



Remove the camera bracket (10mm).



Remove the camera from bracket.



Mark view area.



Check new angle, note top half of screen is black.



Perfect, we're done!



Consider cutting up bracket.



Decide to make new one instead.



Bend and drill hole for fitting.



More bends to utilize the original mounting bolts.



Final bends.



Placement



Marked around camera. Had to estimate and mark with camera out, then place and adjust cut marks.



Start with a pilot hole. Fail at cameraing.



The plastic is so soft you can drill by hand (but don't because it will snap off!)



Get out the dremmel to fix the broken plastic.



Exactly as planned.



Perfect, we're done!



Go back to brackets. Little L is a counter piece that turned out not to be necessary.



Note the divot to help with placement. It doesn't.



Installing. Again, counter L shown wasn't needed.



Perfect, we're done!



Simulating a friend holding it in place to simulate the other bracket.



Beef curtains.



Trim number 3.



Perfect, we're done! But just to be sure some markers.



Perfect, except I love taking the camera out so, so much…



Trim number 7. Some trims edited for time.



Finally let's just make the second piece. This is the 2nd second piece, incidentially.



Ignore the divot, note the washer added to vertically position.



Installed.



Perfe… ah, I'm not saying it.



Looks factory.



Nice field of view.



How close?



This close.



How close?



Close enough, we're done.


Thanks for reading.

 

Is the camera sealed up from weather? Looks like there are some gaps in the 6th pic from the bottom. Nice job overall.

The only thing I don't like about this is that the backup camera should only be used when backing up and stopping close to another car or object; IMHO. It shouldn't be used as a wide angle shot; this leads to people looking at the camera and nothing else. I.e. my wife looks at the camera and tends not to put her head on a swivel when backing up. You can guess what this has caused.

 

It's not sealed and I haven't figured out exactly what to put in the gap yet.

As for the camera being on, I'm a strong proponent of "all the time", when I put it in D I want to see how far I pull up away from something, or how I'm aligning as I move forward. Suddenly blinding part of my overall view is just stupid.

I put a camera in my van that I use as a full time rear view mirror and it's insanely helpful- whether merging on the interstate or watching a trailer load as I drive. I'm actually planning a second camera on the taco, one in a more useful position.

That said, my wife immediately backed into our trailer after I installed the van camera, for the same reason you stated. But limiting the camera into uselessness doesn't address the real problem, the camera is no more or less of a tool than blind spot mirrors.

 

Well done! Nice writeup, good pics! Rep sent.

 

Nice job OP

 

You didn't happen to notice what gauge wires are used for the camera did you?

 

well done sir! and great write up... the beef curtains snuck in there

 

What position would you mount the 2nd camera?

 

Small, like 20g? It's in connectors at each end so it's hard to say exactly, but the OEM camera is only 6v so it can't take much.

I was thinking around the 3rd brakelight, so I can watch bed loads and see well to the sides of the rear- thing is I will likely cobble something together on a long lead and test a bunch of positions (read: blue painters tape) before installing. I'd also like to find a less fish-eye camera than stock, most aftermarket cameras are 170º and the taco cam seems like more.

 

Well done.

 

Nicely done. The expanded view from the backup camera looks great.

 

I'm not sure which was better... the simulated friend simulating the simulated bracket, or the through beef curtain view. LMAO.

 

Any pics of a boat or trailer in tow? My backup camera was much less usefull for backing down my boat then I expected. I was thinking about doing this too.

 

Why would the camera be useful for backing down the boat? Do you just see the hull?

The advantage of having the camera is seeing how close you are to a bumper/object when parking/backing up and also landing the ball right under the trailer receiver on the first shot. Backing up the boat should be down with side mirror and looking out the back window imo.

Nevertheless, cool mod.

 

all I see is the very front of the boat, can't tell the angle...I have a very steep driveway and I also have to back it in at a sharp angle then turn back sharply to get it straight into my garage. The boat disappears at a certain point doing this, so I can't see if I'm going straight in. It's a pain in the ass lol. There's also some really steep short boat ramps where I'm at. My boat's a short, flat bass boat. I figure the angle of the camera probably won't do much though. Another camera at the top of my shell seems like it would be better for that...and possibly side mirror extensions.

 

(Old thread alert)
Where did the photos go?