Rear View Camera Extension -$20 bounty on pics

How tinted is your back window? I just started modeling a suction cup mount that will be pretty slick. I have mine mounted on the inside with the smallest possible drill through the camper for just the lens, i'm going to post some pics in a bit today

 

photo of how i have it mounted

 

I love what you are doing here and your mounted camera looks awesome. Can you share photos from the interior?

I've got a Super Pacific X1 on order and am interested in working something out. Only issue I see is there is very little room for the camera unless I put it in the rear door.

A couple of questions:

1. Are you still planning on a blanking panel for the location where the camera a pod is removed from the truck? I'd love to get one before my SP X1 is installed in late April so that I have something finished under the camper.
2. Would you consider some type of camera protection case/shell to house the camera inside the camper? I would probably mount this inside of the rear door and drill through the door similar to your installation.
3. As an extension of 2 above, a second housing for an internally facing camera for the bed camera.

Thanks for everything you are doing here. You definitely have a marketable product that I think will appeal to quite a few Tundra owners!

 

I appreciate the kind words man! Hopefully I at least break even on this project haha! The cables were more expensive than I planned, plus I "HAD TO" buy a 3d printer

those are good questions.
1. Yes, although i havent come up with a good solution. That area on the light isnt actually watertight, if you look at yours now youll see a gap between the camera and housing where water can get in and it weeps out the bottom of the light. so the main goal would be to block any large debris and most of the water,. I'm thinking about offering something glue in or just printing fake cameras like this:

2. Yes i have a few different prototypes of how to mount and protect and hold the camera. this is what i am running right now in my camper with VHB tape to secure it:


I also have a suction cup mount in the works:

And I made a Leer bracket prototype for @DexterL:


These will go on the website when they're ready, printed in ABS or PETG.

3. I think i'll change all of these to hold both cameras with the bed camera facing backwards.

Let me know if you have any ideas, I'd love to hear them. If you havent preordered, I would because I'm raising the price. Sorry - I decided to get another 85C braid put over them to protect from the elements since they'll run along the frame and extended them to 26' which ballooned the cost a lot. Pre-orders will get the non braided cables and then an option to get the better ones at cost later once they arrive.

 

Thanks for all the additional info!

I'm leaning towards mounting on the inside rear door of the camper with a small penetration (similar to yours). Although, mounting something to the t-slot of the tent frame above the camper would provide clearance for things like vertical bike racks. For that option, a simple but robust housing with a way to mount to the t-slot would be awesome. This would also be compatible with GFC and anything with a t-slot and wouldn't require a penetration. Of course then I'd need a separate mount for the bed-camera on the interior.

Got any images of where the cable leaves the truck body? I'm trying to think of how that will look and then bridge the gap to the camper.

I'll pre-order next week if that isn't too late. This wan't in the original build budget and the SuperPacific has me cash poor!

 

It has the factory tint on it, but I plan to black it out a bit more.

How has it worked so far with your drill-in setup? I'm open to all the options, but the mounts are looking pretty good.

 

The through hole solution is ideal since it Doesnt occlude the lens at all. My setup has been working great, I've only had it one for a few days now since I just got the camper prototype.
I just designed this mount last night and have decided to include it will all the preorders. It will mount nicely to t-rail or 80-20. I figured y'all will need at least something to hold the cameras. Happy to work on custom solutions too if it has potential to be sold on the website

 

Awesome! I just preordered this morning. Shell goes on tomorrow, so I can play with it a bit more.

 

I just shipped a bunch of yall's orders. Please let me know how the install goes for you and anything that I can improve. Hopefully the free mount I sent out works for most of you, please post up some pics of how it looks on your setup. I am still developing more camera mounting solutions, if you have an idea for a mount that works for you, sketch it up and I can work with you to design and print it for you.
Thanks for the support!

 

@GG.Offroad The kit looks great! Are there any labels on the cameras to suggest who the supplier is? It looks like the cameras are $300-350 each through Toyota. Do you think there are aftermarket cameras that could work so we don't have to remove the existing cameras? Second, is there a way to swap the cords up front (instead of in the headliner) so it is easier to swap back when the truck topper is removed?

Thanks

 

I havent been able to find the OEM for the cameras and the 360 system, I'm sure Toyota has that supply chain locked pretty tight. but I'd love to be wrong on that.
As for part two of your question, You can grab the digital rear view harness from right behind the mirror, and in the drivers side C-pillar trim see my pictures below.

Youll still need your original cameras out of the light unfortunately. I bought a second set of cameras and they require a pairing procedure with techstream- Which has evaded me thus far. I hope someone will see this and chimes in that theres a learning procedure without techstream.

You could route the 26' cable straight to the mirror:


Cant find a pic of the drivers side c pillar location but its right there and can be accessed in seconds. My original plan was to have all the cables routed there and multiple cameras that I could hot swap between, one for a topper, one as the original and a third for a camera on the back of a trailer! Additionally this would allow DRV retrofit mirrors to work. This mirror pairing with the cameras is a significant bummer for this reason. I'll let know if I can crack the relearn process. Surely its in a service manual somewhere for when there is a mirror failure. I'll believe i saw the bed view camera relearn on the calibration menu, but i'll double check that.

 

Austin,
You might try contacting "RyanWGregg" here on the forum. He seems to be connected to Toyota in some capacity and may be able to help with the PAIRING problem.

Rod

 

OK, if you are still entertaining requests for mounting options I've got one for ya...

While I liked the clean look of your mounted inside with a small hole drilled through, the Super Pacific X1 has the 3rd brake light where it would best work. That combined with the fact that I often have bikes on a vertical rack got me thinking I should go higher!

Sprinters often have roof mounted cameras like this one:


Since the X1 and most RTT's have a t-slot on the top trailing edge it would be easy to mount something like this however the angle would probably need to be adjustable to accommodate varying heights.



I'd still need to work out cable routing but I also have solar up there that I'll probably need to install some loom to accommodate.

Let me know if you're able to put something together otherwise I'll track down someone local to print something up when I tear out the cameras in a few days...

 

GG.OFFROAD - FYI I just purchased your Tundra DRV camera relocation kit and would LOVE to get my hands on one of these if at all possible? Are you able to print another one of these out and add to my order? thank you!

 

I'll print you a couple different options that you can try. TBH I still haven't had time to make my personal mount the way I want it! There is a better design that a customer created that I am tying to buy the rights to...

 

Thanks Jeremy! I do have exterior/waterproof mounts in the works. I'm struggling to find a way to make it look good because of the way the cables come out of the connectors, it makes for a pretty bulky housing. I might be able to swing something like you linked though!
I'll let y'all know when I have a prototype exterior mount, I'll have something in the next two weeks to send to @NitroZ18Fishing for a video.

 

So I have no problem drilling a hole in my camper, my dilemma is how can I angle camera down from that hole... Otherwise it'll look straight down and half of the view will probably be the sky...

 

I ordered the GG offroad kit. Has anyone moved the entire rear camera/light module from the cab to the topper?
I realize I would have to fill in the depression on the back of the cab, and drill the rear of the topper.
I have an ARE topper which has the third brake light on the topper. I'm considering replacing that with the entire white/brake light and camera module. I see that GG offroad has a cable that appears to be the extension for the rear brake and white lite. Is that so?
I think it would be awesome to have the brake light and white light module on the rear of the topper with the cameras.

 

anything is possible with enough money and sweat… never even crossed my mind. It would be slick, but could look very out of place back there

 

I thought of this, but the rear top light enclosure is quiet large and has a very awkward front side that attaches to the roof... It won't just fit on top of the camper shell... And you can't really cut out a chunk of camper shell to integrate this light in.

Best bet is to remove the camera as per GG instructions and try install it into the camper shell. It's actually quite easy to do, but if you want that camera slightly angled down, so you can get better angle of your rear view camera - that's hard to do as I couldn't yet find a suitable say to do this...

You can easily drill a hole in shell smaller than the camera and pop camera in, but (MOST LIKELY) half of your camera view will be the sky, and only half of the view will be looking down behind your truck (the actual area that you want to look at)... Not terrible but not perfect view angle either. So I'm still waiting to see if I can find aftermarket camera mount that will allow me to slightly angle the camera down,

or if GG can fabricate an exterior or flush mount for this
camera that will be slightly angled down... Hint hint

@GG.Offroad

 

I have been experimenting with the cable and connectors for the digital rear view mirror. I found the following connectors which have worked:
female connector

$15 PAC USB-TY1 Toyota/Lexus OEM USB Port Retention Cable

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00F0YJ49O?ie=UTF8
Male connector

$13 Goliton® USB Female Retention Adapter Compatible for Axxess AX-TOYUSB Select Toyota and Lexus

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01H1A4L06?ie=UTF8

I have tried direct connection between these two and it works ok, but the video signal goes out every once and a while. One of them is shielded and the other is not. I am thinking after reading the forums that the LVDS signal without shielding is not a good idea. I have tried several 10ft cables without success.

I am interested in @GG.Offroad if you made, had created or are purchasing supplied cables for the extension. I am interested in having these for a trailer, I had sourced some parts to be able to create a switch that I could switch between the normal camera and one mounted to a trailer. I am concerned that the signal won't go that far.
I have started on a 3d print of the small panel above the digital rear view mirror that would house the switch.
I was thinking of a cable long enough to get to the hitch and then a ~24ft cable to get to the back of the camper. Have you seen if you can run 2 of your cables and the camera still work?

 

For those with GG offroad kit, did you leave the AC power panel loose after you ran the wires through it? It doesn't look like it closes back up with the wires?

 

I did for a while, then just drilled a hole on the bed and put in a grommet

 

Have you seen anyone use this when they have a bed rack with out without a tent and not an an enclosed topper? Or any housings for an external mount in a situation like that?

 

Good timing! I actually just designed a waterproof enclosure for the cameras just for this application! It will be on the website in about a week after I do some more iterations and testing. I'll give an update when its live

 

My bad! Right now it looks something like this:

I am very open to suggestion in this stage of the design though! any ideas to make it better/ more practical for your situation, I'm all ears! Also what is the fastener spacing on most of these bed racks? Its it 1" on center like 80/20 rail?

 

I’m currently rocking a mid-height truss bed rack from uptop. All of my cameras work great in their stock position still but my plan is to get a tent on there which will likely block both of them. This housing looks like it could be implemented into the back most T-slot on the underside or backside of the crossbar?

My question would be, what’s an easy way to run wires from the harness at the back of the cab without a swinging bridge of cables coming out the back where the cameras were? Are guys running the wires back through the C-pillar and down to cross over to the bed underneath or something?

Another question would be reasonable protection against easy theft? Are these discreet enough or at least secure looking enough to deter that?

Lastly, You posted a camera bracket a few months back that had the cameras looking in two different directions so you could still see bed contents. Is this incorporated into your latest housing too and I just can’t see from the angle?

I am SUPER interested in this project now. Been watching like a fly on the wall for the last year, but now that my build is coming together, I am hooked. Seems like you have the best solution coming along! Thanks for all you’ve done so far

 

I'm trying to mount the cams to the liftgate on an ARE Z2 camper shell. I already trimmed the base mount for it to fit on the 3/4" wide metal window frame. With this mounting method the cameras rotate up out of the way when the gate is lifted and cargo is loaded or unloaded.

The problem is...the "L-shaped" rearview camera mount doesn't allow the proper clearance for it to be aimed correctly out the back window. I feel like a "straight" mount solves this problem, but I don't have a 3D printer or the knowhow to tackle that problem.

GG Offroad can you guys hook a brother up with a mount that will work for my application?

 

Thanks for the feedback
Have you tried flipping that mount around 180 and reverse which side the camera is mounted on? If that still doesn't allow the proper angle i can make a straight version for you.