Reversing Cameras..

Author
Discussion

bacchus180

Original Poster:

779 posts

284 months

Saturday 23rd August 2014
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As a weekend (7.5) driver rather than a true commercial, I don't have a huge amount of practise reversing into tight spots especially my drive.

The biggest problem I seem to have is the OSR corner. Simply judging how far from the gate post or parked cars I am when its out of view. NSR is fine as its in view in my mirror.

I have a tail-lift and that is incased in a housing that extends the length of the box even more, so the overhang is quite considerable.

I was thinking about fitting some reversing cameras, does anyone have any thoughts or experience with these? Thanks.


deltashad

6,731 posts

197 months

Saturday 23rd August 2014
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I dont have any experience with a commercial, but I have reverse cam on my Pick-up, it makes my life so much easier.
A quick look in the mirrors then just watch the screen and can park inches away from walls etc with great accuracy.
The best feature in my opinion on any vehicle. I will fit one to my Lotus too, as the rear view visibility is carp.

Nickyboy

6,700 posts

234 months

Saturday 23rd August 2014
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The one i have on my truck is brilliant, helps with turning etc as well as reversing.





It helps having a good quality screen too.

I'm not sure what make etc it is but i can find out next week.

bacchus180

Original Poster:

779 posts

284 months

Saturday 23rd August 2014
quotequote all
Thanks for your replies.. That last one looks great the quality is excellent. I have been looking at the kits, it seems I will probably need two as they will have to be mounted on the top of the shroud as the lift will hit them otherwise, One for the corner and the other for the overall rear view. I will look on ebay or amazon for them. thanks again.

chilistrucker

4,541 posts

151 months

Saturday 23rd August 2014
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I've never had 1 but certainly think they would come in very handy, especially on a blindside reverse.

OP, thats a fair size tail lift smile

GC8

19,910 posts

190 months

Saturday 23rd August 2014
quotequote all
All of my experience was with camera equipped vehicles (they were mandatory) and I find driving without one far, far more difficult.

You have a permanaent rear view mirror (always leave it on) and reversing is easy. With an adjusted camera on my own vehicle I could reverse a 32 tonne eight wheel tarmac tipper onto a paving machine pan to the inch. Reversing without a camera, even on a 7.5 tonne puddle-jumper is more akin to guesswork.

Btw: in order to establish where the rear of the body is Id suggest laying a plank or similar on the ground a few inches behind the rear of the vehicle, then fitting a sturdy tie-wrap through the mudguard set to protrude in line with the plank in your drivers side mirror view - hey presto! You always know where the back of your body is now.

Edited by GC8 on Saturday 23 August 20:17

s p a c e m a n

10,774 posts

148 months

Saturday 23rd August 2014
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Lol Nickyboy that looks like a full size telly hanging off the roof hehe

I've got a little screen above my head and it's the absolute nuts, it's supposed to only come on when I put the motor into reverse but I've bodged it up so that it's on all the time and use it like the windscreen mirror on a car. Makes reversing 10x easier (i'm in an artic though), especially on the blind side as you can just look in the camera to line yourself up without having to squint in the little convex mirror and guess.

grumpy52

5,571 posts

166 months

Sunday 24th August 2014
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We have a couple of transits at work fitted with reversing cameras with sensors and guidance,the rear view mirrors turn into screens when reverse gear is engaged,if you stay in the green lines you won't hit anything ,(in theory).Couple of our numpty van drivers still manage to hit things .

jagracer

8,248 posts

236 months

Sunday 24th August 2014
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We have them on all our trucks and I'd hate to be without one. Could you mount one below the lift as you'd get a better view. Alternatively you can get slim cameras that mount on the side of the body so maybe get a twin camera system with split screen so you have both.

s p a c e m a n

10,774 posts

148 months

Sunday 24th August 2014
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Off topic, but whilst we're all here talking about reversing..

All of our new HIAB trailers have come with reversing sensors on the back, rather than beep inside the cab to give you a distance they just engage the brakes on the trailer when they sense that they're half a meter away from something. Great for wide open spaces where you wouldn't need them, but you can imagine what it's like trying to slot them into a space in the yard where you have to hook the trailer around between two vehicles. You can't reverse the things unless they're perfectly lined up with everything so you need to hook them around an extra meter out. Rules out most of the places in London for space then, which is where we're based rolleyes

They've all got cameras on the back too, so I have no idea why they need these stupid things.

It's hilarious watching the drivers try and park them up at night, reverse 10 inches and all of the brakes come on, reverse 10 inches and all of the brakes come on, reverse 10 inches and all of the brakes come on, driver shakes his head, reverse 10 inches and all of the brakes come on.. repeat until it's a third of the way into the gap rofl

mattdaniels

7,353 posts

282 months

Friday 29th August 2014
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OP what camera system did you go for in the end out of interest? The OH has just bought a horse lorry and I'm thinking of installing a double camera system - one camera for reversing and one to watch the horse whilst in transit.