Thread: 120 deg Wide-Angle Rear View Reverse Camera off Ebay - REVIEW

Giddyup... I'll check at WalMart tonight to see if they have anything I could use.. I would want one that has the hole through it so I can put a pin I think...

Hmm... Just been thinkin.. I liked the idea of trying to get it recessed in case I would happen to get ran into or something and with this hitch cover idea I dunno if that will work...

Unless you get hit at a rather low speed I think you would be buying a new cam anyway.

True that... True that...

Well the PVC idea would depend on the size of the hitch and the camera. The PVC would have to be big enough for the camera to fit inside and small enough to fit in the hitch. If the measurements are close but not perfect, the pipe could be drilled out a little bit to accomodate the camera (if that's the problem) or sanded on all 4 sides to fit in the hitch (if that's the problem). The only problem with this is that you'd have to glue the camera in place, which could be a problem if you ever want to sell it or use it for something else, like a different car.
Whatever you do, you want to use a material that won't rust in place, so aluminum or galvanized steel are probably your best bets for making a bracket. Someone posted a recommendation for using a pre-made plug from WalMart, but it will be hard to secure the camera in place unless you glue it, and that kind of thing won't translate easily into a mount for the trailer.
I'd probably use a piece of sheet metal bent so that it fits inside the hitch and so that the camera easily screws right onto it using its already-existing nut. Your local hardware store will probably have what you want, or else McMaster Carr definitely will. If want to be a cheapskate you could probably use a piece of free scrap metal for this (maybe from some old dead gutters or siding).
Make sure that the sheet is small enough to fit in the hitch, drill the necessary holes, and bend it in a U-shape. A brake is the right tool for this, but if you don't have one of these, a bench vice will work nicely (if you use aluminum, don't make the edges too sharp or they can snap - just watch the outer radius of the metal as you're bending it). If you do this, you can put some extra holes in one side of the bracket to make it easy to mount to the back of your trailer, but if you're towing a boat don't back it into the water with the camera there!
If you don't mind gluing the camera in place (you could waterproof it if you do this), get a chunk of plastic and cut it to size (dull tool bits have a tendency to melt certain plastics). Drill the necessary holes and glue the camera in place, taking care not to drill through the camera or wires. If you do this you can easily waterproof the camera for all-weather driving, and even add an extension to go the back of your trailer.

camera is alrealdy "weather-resistant"...

Originally Posted by tbird2340

That sounds like a sweet idea but what would I do to make it not "stick out"...

Just drill the hole for the hitch pin closer to the camera. This really depends on how long the camera is and how far back the hitch pin is. You also don't want to recess it TOO much because the hitch will block some of your nice wide viewing angle.

__________ (hitch wall)
| | ______ |
| | _____| | (camera)
|_|_______|

^-- (hitch pin)
If your hitch pin is deep enough in, there may be enough room for the camera.
__________
| | ______|__
| | ______|__| (camera)
|_|______|
^-- (hitch pin)
If the hitch pin is close to the end, you might not have a choice but to let the camera stick out.

Originally Posted by tbird2340

...White PVC and a metal camera inside a black hitch...

Black spraypaint.

Originally Posted by hd54321

camera is alrealdy "weather-resistant"...

What I was getting at but didn't say is that if it's epoxied and sealed in place, he could put it right on the bottom part of his boat trailer (if that's what he has away from where the boat will actually run) and back it right into the water without worrying about it.

I'm really not sure how useful the camera would be if you were just looking straight back (never seen how that works); other than to warn you if you are about to back over a child or something. I still think you should place it high, and angled down so you can see how far the car behind you is from your ***.

Does the tray door have a handle on the inside? If so you could remove the black handle make a plastic housing where the camera sits in... Kinda like this:

Code:

-
  |
  |__
 /   /
 |  /O  <--Camera facing down and to the back
 \ /
  |
  | <--- tray door
  |
  |__
      |
      |  <---- Bumper
_____/