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LMTV Backup Camera install ideas

jjb

Member
237
5
18
Location
Newton/NJ
Looking for camera mounting/power ideas.

I picked up a cheap backups camera on ebay for $50. It has the license plate style camera mount and a 7" display.

Has anyone hooked one up on an LMTV? I'm curious where you are pulling power from? The J95 plug? I want mine to have power whenever the master power switch is on.

For the display did you splice into a hot wire in the fuse panel or did you use one of the empty fuse locations?

How did you mount your display?

How did you route the wire from the camera to the cab? It came with a 20' wire will that be enough?
 

Suprman

Well-known member
Supporting Vendor
6,861
696
113
Location
Stratford/Connecticut
You need the rv one with long cable. A small one can mount in back by the tail light. You can rap off the reverse light circuit for a trigger and I have the contacts and clips to add circuits into the panel. If you take the passenger kick off you will see where wires pass thru.
 

jjb

Member
237
5
18
Location
Newton/NJ
You need the rv one with long cable. A small one can mount in back by the tail light. You can rap off the reverse light circuit for a trigger and I have the contacts and clips to add circuits into the panel. If you take the passenger kick off you will see where wires pass thru.
Do I need to add a breaker or should I use inline fuses?

I can extend the cable if I need to since I already have the unit.

I want to wire it so I can turn it on whenever I want not just reverse. I am thinking of using a single pole double throw toggle so I don't need a diode.

In one position it's always on in the other its only on when in reverse.
 

Suprman

Well-known member
Supporting Vendor
6,861
696
113
Location
Stratford/Connecticut
If you get the rv one it has a button to turn the monitor on manually and it comes on automatically when in reverse. With the truck light switch on of course or the stock reverse light will not come on. You can add contacts into the panel and add a breaker or tap off one of the switched 12 volt circuits under the panel with a fusible link.
 

Lmtv772

Banned
651
18
0
Location
Florida
I first bought a cheap camera off of amazon <$50. It was wired to the center light marker in the back and I took power for the monitor off of a cigarette lighter plug, which was wired to the 12v post at the fuse panel . I mounted the cam on the bracket beneath the ladder. That cam worked ok for a while ( the picture quality sucked furball and it had cheap cinch wires). Then one day lines appeared on the screen and it went black!


got a $200 cam then . It has a HD screen , air plane grade connectors and 60ft of wiring included. There also is s microphone on the back up cam so I can hear someone give instructions while backing up. This camera I wired to the switch if the beacon light , which I don't have anyway . So every time I turn on the headlights or park lights the camera gets power and I can easily turn the cam on and off from the dash switch . It also can have two more cam connected or 1 cam and a DVD player. It also features 12 and 24v connectivity . I love it
 

jjb

Member
237
5
18
Location
Newton/NJ
How did you get the video wire in the cab? Did you drill a new hole or use an existing one?

I notice you used wire loom. How did you secure it. On my truck there is nothing on the rear of the frame to secure it too. I thought about a few dabs of silicone?
 

jjb

Member
237
5
18
Location
Newton/NJ
I also bought a cheap camera just to see how I like it. It says 12 or 24V and the picture is much better than I expected for the price.

I was hoping one of the trailer connectors was hot when the master power was on. Its looking like that is not the case though.
 

kenet3621

Member
179
4
18
Location
Blythewood SC
jjb, if you were asking me, I used an existing hole in the front passenger panel to run the cable.

In the photo the leftmost arrow shows the existing hole (all I had to do was cut it a bit larger).

Backup Cam (9).jpg

I used wire ties and strapped to the existing wires running down the right hand side of my frame.
 

Lmtv772

Banned
651
18
0
Location
Florida
How did you get the video wire in the cab? Did you drill a new hole or use an existing one?

I notice you used wire loom. How did you secure it. On my truck there is nothing on the rear of the frame to secure it too. I thought about a few dabs of silicone?
I used the opening that was there already , ran the wire along side of what was there already , using zip ties and wrapped the wires around other wires. that worked pretty good.
 

jjb

Member
237
5
18
Location
Newton/NJ
Did you run the wires outside the frame or inside?

Where did you pull power from? I was thinking of running a hot wire from the cab to the camera so I can power it all of the time.

Was the 20ft cable long enough or did you need to lengthen it?
 
Last edited:

aleigh

Well-known member
1,040
52
48
Location
Phoenix, AZ & Seattle, WA
I run the garmin one. Wireless. You just find power for it on the tail lights or wherever. Has a long lead to an antenna so you can locate that closer to the cab. Shows up on the nav.
 

Lmtv772

Banned
651
18
0
Location
Florida
Did you run the wires outside the frame or inside?

Where did you pull power from? I was thinking of running a hot wire from the cab to the camera so I can power it all of the time.

Was the 20ft cable long enough or did you need to lengthen it?
Not sure if you are asking me

with the first camera I got power for the cam from the center marker light. So whenever I had the lights or markers on the camera would power up.
Running a wire with current for a long distance along the truck is not a good idea in my opinion. just in case there could be something happening to the wire.

The new system i installed is a Rear View Safety RVS-770613 Video Camera With 7.0-Inch LCD screen. -very good quality
That one didn't need power supply to the camera
 

Lmtv772

Banned
651
18
0
Location
Florida
I run the garmin one. Wireless. You just find power for it on the tail lights or wherever. Has a long lead to an antenna so you can locate that closer to the cab. Shows up on the nav.
Do you have any issues with interferences? I read that they have that a bit... and decided for wired because of that
 

Suprman

Well-known member
Supporting Vendor
6,861
696
113
Location
Stratford/Connecticut
I did mine last year. I ran a bundle up following the factory harness and ran it into the passenger side of the cab along side a factory wire bundle. No issues. I dont like to use anything wireless I have never had luck with any of it. Once its warm out I am going to do more stuff.

rcam1.jpgrcam2.jpg
 

jjb

Member
237
5
18
Location
Newton/NJ
I first bought a cheap camera off of amazon <$50. It was wired to the center light marker in the back and I took power for the monitor off of a cigarette lighter plug, which was wired to the 12v post at the fuse panel . I mounted the cam on the bracket beneath the ladder. That cam worked ok for a while ( the picture quality sucked furball and it had cheap cinch wires). Then one day lines appeared on the screen and it went black!


got a $200 cam then . It has a HD screen , air plane grade connectors and 60ft of wiring included. There also is s microphone on the back up cam so I can hear someone give instructions while backing up. This camera I wired to the switch if the beacon light , which I don't have anyway . So every time I turn on the headlights or park lights the camera gets power and I can easily turn the cam on and off from the dash switch . It also can have two more cam connected or 1 cam and a DVD player. It also features 12 and 24v connectivity . I love it

I was hoping there was power in the back when the master switch was on and the lights off? Like the inter vehicular connector? If I ran the power from the cab I would use wire loom or hard plastic pipe.
 

Suprman

Well-known member
Supporting Vendor
6,861
696
113
Location
Stratford/Connecticut
Be brave run a wire its really not hard. Lots of room under the truck to crawl around. I use a piece of cardboard to sit on. Drain all the air first and chock the wheels just to be safe though.
 

Suprman

Well-known member
Supporting Vendor
6,861
696
113
Location
Stratford/Connecticut
I like to use 3m electrical tape over the bundle. If you are running wires you might as well run a few extra for down the road. Tape the bundle then loom over and tape over the loom.
 
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