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Tailgate backup camera install help needed

Discussion in '1st Gen. Tacomas (1995-2004)' started by RysiuM, Jun 16, 2017.

  1. Jun 16, 2017 at 2:08 PM
    #1
    RysiuM

    RysiuM [OP] Well-Known Member

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    DD Deck+backup camera, LED DRL, All LED except H4 Hella
    Here is a deal. I have double din radio with the backup camera install. All cool.

    [​IMG]

    With the camera installed in the blank inserted into trailer hitch receiver nobody can steel it or crash it.

    [​IMG]

    It is quite OK when I want to get close to the wall. For example if I see the image like this:

    [​IMG]

    I am parked like that:

    [​IMG]

    Cool, so what's wrong with it? I'll tell you what's wrong with it, my lad. 'E's dead, that's what's wrong with it!

    No, it is not dead, really it's still showing the picture OK. But after driving my wife's car with backup camera I noticed I could see way more in her car, especially to the sides. I'd love to see my bumper corners especially when navigating 15-point turn on crowded parking lot with slots designed for Fiat 500.

    I'm wondering if moving the camera up, onto tailgate on the bent just above the tailgate handle would do the trick. The tailgate metal is bent a bit which would make the flush mounted camera pointing a bit downward. What do you guys think? anyone has a better idea for mounting the backup camera? I want it to be as much hidden and protected as possible.
    I've seen the post with backup camera mounted on the rack over the camper shell. That is to high and to obvious for my taste.

    The camera I'm using is esky. Very nice picture and quite wide angle, but not 180.
     
  2. Jun 18, 2017 at 3:04 PM
    #2
    RysiuM

    RysiuM [OP] Well-Known Member

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    DD Deck+backup camera, LED DRL, All LED except H4 Hella
    BUMP: Does anybody have a backup or rear view camera in your 1st gen Tacoma? Share the details. Not the display (mirror, radio or separate monitor) but the camera installation.
     
    Last edited: Jun 28, 2017
  3. Jun 28, 2017 at 3:22 PM
    #3
    RysiuM

    RysiuM [OP] Well-Known Member

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    DD Deck+backup camera, LED DRL, All LED except H4 Hella
    BUMP2: (I promise, it will be the last bump). Looking for the experience with physical instal rear view (backup) camera in your 1st gen Tacoma? I mean the camera type and location, not the dash unit. I saw a tailgate handle camera but they are only for the 2nd and turd gen, nothing for the 1st.

    My goal is to be able to see both corners of the rear bumper, the area I can't see in my rear view mirrors and not in my current camera setup. This is to be able to get out of tiny parking spaces without scratching or bumping other cars, and do it with minimal number of turns. If there are trees or poles behind me, I don't mind touching them with my steel bumper, but not with modern cars which have plastic bumper covers. They are falling apart during a light touch and I am not the "hit and run" guy.
     
  4. Jun 28, 2017 at 3:43 PM
    #4
    Wyoming09

    Wyoming09 Well-Known Member

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    It comes down to the type of camera .

    I have one here to lazy to look @ $100 it was worthless

    You could not see anything

    Look at the pictures from the different ones

    Moving your camera higher will just move what your seeing higher
     
  5. Jun 28, 2017 at 3:45 PM
    #5
    Justinogo

    Justinogo Well-Known Member

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    I have one installed in my '01. I put the camera in the bottom of the handle for the tail gate (under the handle sorta). It is angled down slightly and gives me pretty good coverage
     
  6. Jun 28, 2017 at 3:50 PM
    #6
    MagicMexican

    MagicMexican Well-Known Member

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    I think it has more to do with the camera and the lens type than the placement if she's getting such a wide angle.

    I put one on my last truck (Ranger) and I found myself rarely using it so I'm probably not gonna put one on this truck.
     
  7. Jun 28, 2017 at 3:50 PM
    #7
    RysiuM

    RysiuM [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Can you show the picture (I mean the camera installed), please.
     
  8. Jun 29, 2017 at 11:39 AM
    #8
    Justinogo

    Justinogo Well-Known Member

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  9. Jun 29, 2017 at 12:22 PM
    #9
    RysiuM

    RysiuM [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Thank you @Justinogo. Looks good. That is tiny camera, looks much smaller than esky. What is that?
     
  10. Jun 29, 2017 at 12:24 PM
    #10
    Justinogo

    Justinogo Well-Known Member

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  11. Jun 29, 2017 at 12:33 PM
    #11
    RysiuM

    RysiuM [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Thanks. I need to run some extensions to see if my esky in that location will see the whole bumper.
     
  12. Jun 29, 2017 at 12:35 PM
    #12
    Justinogo

    Justinogo Well-Known Member

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    I ran all my wiring through the tailgate with the panel open. Worked pretty well.
     
  13. Jun 29, 2017 at 2:24 PM
    #13
    RysiuM

    RysiuM [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Where did you exit the tailgate, so the wires don't get mangled while opening the gate?
     
  14. Jun 29, 2017 at 2:31 PM
    #14
    Justinogo

    Justinogo Well-Known Member

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  15. Jun 29, 2017 at 2:38 PM
    #15
    jbrandt

    jbrandt Made you look

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    Yeah, if you look at the cameras on the newer trucks, they are in the tailgate, near the handle. I think you'd want to get the camera as high as possible, and maybe more of a fish-eye lens to see more to the side.

    To me, the main advantage of the backup camera (have one on my 4runner, not my taco) is hitching up my trailer. SUPER easy with the camera. Where you have it mounted now, that's obviously impossible, but you may not care about that...

    Anyhoo, the way Justin (nice name, btw...) installed his camera might be a good way to go. Any chance we can see a screenshot @Justinogo ?

    Just tape it to the tailgate to see if you like the new perspective, before you start cutting and drilling anything.
     
  16. Jun 29, 2017 at 2:46 PM
    #16
    RysiuM

    RysiuM [OP] Well-Known Member

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    :yay: ROTFLMAO

    Yes, I'll do that. I am the last one to drill holes in my truck. It took a lot of courage from me to cut inserts for DRL.
     
  17. Jun 29, 2017 at 3:31 PM
    #17
    jbrandt

    jbrandt Made you look

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    You could probably find some semi color-matched duct tape, too. No holes required! :)
     
  18. Jul 7, 2017 at 5:45 AM
    #18
    RysiuM

    RysiuM [OP] Well-Known Member

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    I did test my esky camera in various places. Complete failure, I am so disappointed with narrow angle of this camera. The camera creates absolutely great quality picture. Color, balance night - all great. But it is advertised as 170 degree view angle. 170 degree my ass :smack:. Measuring the angle of horizontal angle of view it is close to 140 degree, which is way to low for what I need. In order to see both ends of my bumper the camera would have to be just below the center mounted stop light on my camper. But the camper is slanted forward a bit so when it is mounted on the top of the camper I see the top of the tailgate, not the bumper.

    My Nissan Versa Note has a camera under the handle for tailgate and I can see both corners. I guess Nissan camera is 180 horizontal. I read somewhere that camera sellers to present the product better than it is (read: advertising BS) give the diagonal angle of view, not horizontal. The diagonal angle info is completely useless for users, but 170 will look better on the description than 140. So now I will be hunting for 180 horizontal view camera.
     
  19. Jul 7, 2017 at 8:51 AM
    #19
    cruisedon66

    cruisedon66 Well-Known Member

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    I'd try having an assistant hold the lens in different spots around the back while you watch the screen.
    If you only park on the street (for an example) you'd only need to see the curb side & might be able to mount the camera just above or below the right taillight. That would eliminate camera wire having the flex if it was mounted in the tailgate itself.
     
  20. Jul 7, 2017 at 11:00 AM
    #20
    RysiuM

    RysiuM [OP] Well-Known Member

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    I did not need a assistant - masking tape was my friend. I used 7 inch handheld LCD monitor with e-sky connected to AV input. I was watching on the monitor exactly while I was checking what camera can see and taping the camera in different places.

    I don't have problem street parking with my current setup - yesterday I parked in tight muliti-level garage. The parking spaces were wide, but all short like for Smart :puke:. To not stick my hood out to much I parked my rear bumper one inch from the rail. Easy to see it in my current setup.

    The issue I have is for example making 10-point turn while backing out of parking space with narrow driveway between rows of cars. I can pass my front bumper corner an inch from other cars but the rear bumper corner is to far to have a good depth perception in my mirrors. I have steel chrome step bumper, so if I even touch the other car, it will leave a dent in other car's plastic bumper cover. Or even worse, because 4x4 Tacoma is sitting quite high my rear bumper can easy crack headlights of a car I would collide with.

    So really I need to see both rear corners. The worse scenario I would have to go for split screen dual camera setup. But it would be easier if I have true 180 degrees horizontal view single camera.
     

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