Trailer Tow Tech Camera Package

I haven't seen much written about the Toyota Tow Tech package so I though I would chime in. I honestly didn't know what came in this package but it includes a very heavy, wireless Panasonic Bluetooth camera that streams to the center console display and the rear view mirror, one or both. The image includes a zoom feature, useful for wider viewing traffic to the rear or zoomed up close for backing into tight spaces. A switch on the mirror lets you choose between video display and mirror reflection. The camera itself is robust, about 3-4 lbs and weather sealed. It includes a tiltable mounting bracket, hole template, hardware, pair of antennae, hex key, cable lock, electrical plugs with pigtail wiring, grommets.

The camera has an internal rechargeable battery and can be used without any electrical hookups. It comes shipped in a 'sleep' mode that wakes when you connect it to an external power source, either 12V dc or USB-C, (cable separately required). It can be charged from either one. If you use it wirelessly from the internal battery it can run all day. When finished, you must put it in sleep mode again (from the touch-screen), to prevent battery rundown. It came already paired to the truck but you can un-pair it or re-pair it as needed. To wake it from sleep, it must be reconnected to a power source, USB or 12V dc.

The image on the center console display is good not great, but the latency is low, almost realtime. It's brighter on the rear view mirror video display but cropped. Buttons on the mirror allow you to pan the image for the desired view. The center console display is the full image, panning not needed unless zoomed.

I've lived without one and never backed into anyone, but having it seems indespensible now, especially for maneuvering around the gas pumps or parking spaces.

 

Senior moments are becoming more of a 'thing' for me. I don't know if I've forgotten how the zoom is controlled or whether it doesn't include it at all but I couldn't find it, so you can just assume I lost my mind and it doesn't have zoom. It definitely has pan for the rear view mirror.

My toy hauler, a 15 foot Sunray Sport has a sticker indicating "camera prep" location. I'm not sure how much actual prep was involved in that, but minimal to say the least. You start by drilling a half inch hole and notice the fiberglass insulation stuffed inside the hole. I plucked away at the insulation until sure enough some wires appeared, about 6 in all. Only one was marked; -Ve. 3 wires were bundled to one wire nut and 3 to another. This trailer is cute for sure, but no electrical schematics or wiring diagrams come with it or downloadable. I separated all the wires for identification. When the trailer is plugged into the Tundra and started, none of the wires are live unless the parking lights or headlamps are on. At that point, 1 wire is live, so that becomes the 12 Vdc+ for the camera, and the other camera wire goes with the grouping of common wires. What it means then, is the camera only receives power when the Tundra lights are on, which turns on and charges the camera when the trailer marker lights come on. Whether the camera is being powered or not through the connection, the camera comes on when the Tundra is started. When the Tundra lights are on, the camera is charging from the trailer, if not the camera is running off its internal battery supply. Either way, from the internal battery or the Tundra lights, the camera is working so no worries there. It will charge itself when the headlights or parking lights come on; at night when you drive, or worst case in daytime with the internal camera battery discharged, you can turn on the parking lights. The camera readout on the center console has a battery condition icon to indicate the level of charge and the whether it is charging or not.

The camera manual recommends the camera to be angled down 35 degrees but for my toy hauler, 25 degrees works better.

90% of the time spent is figuring out the trailer wiring and fishing them through the 1/2 in hole.

My toy hauler, brand new, like every camper I've ever owned is broken before I've had a chance to use it. The freshwater pump was somehow burned out before I used it, so I replaced that. It had been winterized with propylene glycol which is good, but the tanks were stinking. I flushed the tanks, water heater and the lines with a mixture of fresh water and white vinegar. Tomorrow I will refill the freshwater tank with water and a solution of drinking water freshener, a solution of diluted sodium hypochlorite, flush the lines some more and should be good.