Trailering a boat with rear view camera

[vesder21]

Yes, I tow the boat with my wife’s GX so it’s a midsized/larger SUV. I don’t like things stuck to the windshield so keep the monitor down by the cup holders and the signal stays 90% of the time without any chop.

If I hold it up towards the front windshield (a more clear line of sight) there’s little to no delay.

Hope that helps!

 

[vesder21]

decided to mount my solar license plate camera below the t-top and am very happy with the results. now I don't have to worry about dipping the frame in the water each time I launch and retrieve!

 

[Ronnie]

I just bought this, wired three camera system with the display built into the rear view mirror. One dash cam, another for the back of the tow vehicle and finally one for the back of the boat trailer. I’m waiting on some extension cords but hope this modified system will work for me. It’s designed so that the dash and second camera are installed inside the vehicle and the third cam is meant to be the back up camera.

 

[RobbieO]

I ended up buying a Garmin backup camera with the attachment for a roll bar (tower). Works great for backing into my storage.

Garmin DriveSmart 55 & BC 40 Wireless Backup Camera

Garmin DriveSmart™ 55 & BC™ 40 Wireless Backup Camera offers GPS navigation with a 5.5-inch display & a camera that installs easily for rearward visibility.

buy.garmin.com

 

[Ronnie]

@RobbieO nice system and set up. I was about to ask what it costs but saw the $349 price when I used the link you provided. Here is a screen shot of the system I bought via Amazon. I’m thinking of upgrading the indoor dash and cabin cameras to outdoor versions and using them as a forward cam to act as a dash / front hitch-trailer alignment camera and as a rear View/parking camera. i plan to mount the third camera on the boat trailer under the rear cross bar (where I usually mount the camera). The exterior cameras are not in stock so I will work with what I have until the exterior cameras are available again. I’m currently under $300 into this but the total should be close to $400 including the upgraded cameras. What I like about this system is that the display is integrated into the rear view mirror and it records all three channels simultaneously. It also ads a rear view / reverse camera to my tow rig.

this will be my third wired camera system for my third boat tow vehicle over the last decade or so and I’m hoping it will be my best and last. I like the ease of installation of wireless systems but have always experienced some kind of interference on them or the cameras overheat after a few minutes of use. I’ve never had such problems with wired systems but they weren’t premium price brand name systems either. I would expect the garmin system like the one you have to work flawlessly and hope yours does.

your storage looks as tight as mine. Do HOA rules prevent you from storing the boat at home? I have a relative in a gated community nearby who stores his boat in the backyard behind a fence. He has to drop the tower so it can’t be seen from the street or he will have to store it elsewhere, it only takes a few minutes to raise and lower the tower but he probably would have reconsidered buying that House if he knew beforehand that he would be buying a boat with a tower.

here are some old videos in which the front hitch and trailer cameras came in handy. I’ve since refined my storage policy/process so that I only have to back the boat trailer in once or twice a year, basically I park it in front of the fence during the season and behind the fence out of season and when I’m on vacation.

 

[RobbieO]

@RobbieO nice system and set up. I was about to ask what it costs but saw the $349 price when I used the link you provided. Here is a screen shot of the system I bought via Amazon. I’m thinking of upgrading the indoor dash and cabin cameras to outdoor versions and using them as a forward cam to act as a dash / front hitch-trailer alignment camera and as a rear View/parking camera. i plan to mount the third camera on the boat trailer under the rear cross bar (where I usually mount the camera). The exterior cameras are not in stock so I will work with what I have until the exterior cameras are available again. I’m currently under $300 into this but the total should be close to $400 including the upgraded cameras. What I like about this system is that the display is integrated into the rear view mirror and it records all three channels simultaneously. It also ads a rear view / reverse camera to my tow rig.
View attachment 164737
this will be my third wired camera system for my third boat tow vehicle over the last decade or so and I’m hoping it will be my best and last. I like the ease of installation of wireless systems but have always experienced some kind of interference on them or the cameras overheat after a few minutes of use. I’ve never had such problems with wired systems but they weren’t premium price brand name systems either. I would expect the garmin system like the one you have to work flawlessly and hope yours does.

your storage looks as tight as mine. Do HOA rules prevent you from storing the boat at home? I have a relative in a gated community nearby who stores his boat in the backyard behind a fence. He has to drop the tower so it can’t be seen from the street or he will have to store it elsewhere, it only takes a few minutes to raise and lower the tower but he probably would have reconsidered buying that House if he knew beforehand that he would be buying a boat with a tower.

here are some old videos in which the front hitch and trailer cameras came in handy. I’ve since refined my storage policy/process so that I only have to back the boat trailer in once or twice a year, basically I park it in front of the fence during the season and behind the fence out of season and when I’m on vacation.

Yes, my HOA rules prevent any recreational vehicles being stored, even in the garage. However, we can park them in front of our homes for 48 hours. That at least gives me time to clean it up or work on it. We aren't supposed to work on them (repairs, maintenance) but I ignore that rule. I have about 18" on each side of my storage so it's not too tight. I need the camera because I'm usually by myself and have to get out multiple times while backing. My SUV is narrow, so hard to see when backing. I did pay a lot for the system, but I can also use the the head unit in my other vehicle as stand alone navigation. I like Garmin products. Can't use the rear view mirror style, because my rear view mirror has numerous features built into it.