My boss has just upgraded the work car and it comes with a rear-facing camera, the screen has little lines on to judge distance etc, and it seems like a pretty handy tool. I’m happy to parallel park, reverse into spaces, etc, and if anything am over-cautious about the size of my rear end, so to speak, and have never hit anything.

But, I do have a 2-year-old son who has ninja-like abilities to move around the garden and driveway area, unseen, at speeds you wouldn’t think a toddler is capable of. So even if I check where he is before getting in the car, by the time I’ve got the car started, put it into gear and started reversing, he could have legged it round the other side of the house. Paranoid? Yep, probably.

Anyway, the camera in the new work car got me thinking about possibly retro-fitting a camera into our car, to cover the blind spot below the rear window and between what I can see in the mirrors. One thing I don’t like about the one in the work car is that the screen is mounted in the dash, which leads to the temptation to look at it, i.e. not looking over your shoulder in the direction you are moving, while reversing. I guess the intention is that you initially check the blind spot, then look back while reversing, and stop to check the blind spot, or how close you are to that post/wall/parked car, every few seconds.

So has anyone in the STW hive experience retro-fitted a reversing camera? Are they any good? What features are essential, and what are just gimmicks? Also, I’d like to avoid cutting/drilling any more holes in the bodywork if at all possible…

Cheers.

I fitted one that just replaced one of the number plate lamps. The hardest job was getting the wire back to the stereo (it uses the display on the Alpine unit I’ve got). It’s powered from the reversing light, so comes on automatically. Gives a pretty good view and makes for very easy reverse parking.

Learn to use your mirrors as well as the camera – your eyes will flit naturally between the three points of view.

I have one in the Navara and it gives a really good field of view – I use it in conjunction with the door mirrors and it’s fine – you can always have a glance out of the side windows over your shoulder too. I never look out of the back window, as I can’t anyway.

MarkLG – was yours an OEM/car specific one, or a generic model? Is the wiring easy? Guess it depends on how easy it is to get internal panels off and on again?

Get the camera. But more importantly (depending on your driveway) stop reversing in to it! Reverse in and you’ll know if something crosses into your blind spot through the mirrors, reversing from parked as you say, always has that blind spot you cannot check without leaving the seat.

Reversing cameras are good, and quickly become second nature to use with mirrors. I still managed to reverse into a lamp post while looking in mine – although I was destructed by a car load of arguing family at the time.

Fix the issue, which is an out of control toddler, not a car.

Cameras still have blind spots, personally I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if I reversed over my kid because I was looking atba TV screen rather than addressing the issue.

I agree that fixing the issue is the ideal situation, but that basically means fencing, and lots of it, given the layout of the garden. Reversing into the drive isn’t an option – it’s 250m long, single lane, not even vaguely straight, and 1:4 gradient for about half its length. Have to do a 3-point turn at the bottom to drive out forwards again, and usually reverse into or out of the car port.

Cameras still have blind spots, personally I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if I reversed over my kid because I was looking atba TV screen rather than addressing the issue.

Totally agree with this, I’m thinking that a camera will allow me to check/eliminate a known blind spot before I start reversing. I’m not planning on reversing using just what I can see on the screen.

I basically see it as continuing to do as I currently do, but with the added bonus of being sure he’s not right behind the car as I set off. A small improvement on the status quo.

Get the camera. But more importantly (depending on your driveway) stop reversing in to it!

Drivel. You should ALWAYS reverse into a drive/parking space if at all possible as then you’re not reversing out into a flow of traffic. You clearly haven’t worked in the construction business. Reverse parking is mandatory these days, on safety grounds. 🙂

Not just the construction industry, but driving tests…

I agree with Peter.

*feels unclean*

It’s sad that you have to explain yourself in such minute detail including giving a detailed description of the layout of your driveway just to satisfy the STW pedants when all you want is recommendations for a reversing camera.

IHN 😆

They’re great, our car has one and it makes parallel parking so much easier as you can reliably reverse within a cm of the car behind.

Got them on both our cars. It’s surprising on how quickly you get used to them. In conjunction with parking sensors and mirrors you should see just about anything / little person, behind the car.

I think that you can even get wireless ones that use the rear view mirror?

Or just put a mirror on your drive, so you can see if your son is there?

I think that you can even get wireless ones that use the rear view mirror?

My mate has this in his gigantic motorhome. Very unobtrusive with no visible wires. You have a normal looking rear view mirror and when you put it in reverse the image pops up. He got it really cheap on Ebay, there’s loads available and they’re very easy to install. Just pick one you like the look of and go for it.

EDIT:

Or make your son wear one of these;

sharkattack – I’ve lurked on here long enough that I knew what to expect – and also that there’d be some useful answers mixed in there too. So thanks to those who contributed 🙂

Like the idea of a collar, except he never stops moving so the noise would drive me nuts!

And b r, have considered using mirrors but I’d need two or three, ideally convex. Still might be worth a shot.

But I like gadgets, so I reckon a camera is the way forward for now… an ebay special might find its way under the Christmas tree.

I agree with the the sorting toddlers behaviour / ability to leg it into the driveway.
They need to learn not to run into a road, or across a car park, so your drive is the same.
We really went through this with one of ours at two, who decided that legging it from pavement onto a road was a good idea for a few weeks….
Sort child behaviour, not a camera that only (possibly) sorts an issue, IMO.

Oops, I did mean ‘stop reversing out’, hence the second sentence explaining the benefits of reversing in 🙂

And I did say (depending on the driveway, incase it was 250m long with bends and 1 in 4!

I agree that fixing the issue is the ideal situation, but that basically means fencing, and lots of it, given the layout of the garden.

I admit this is falling for sharkattack’s issue, but is your 2yo really running around totally unsupervised? We’re talking about you leaving your house here if I’ve understood correctly, so assuming he’s not being left on his own the answer appears rather obvious.

The danger of the collar is in later life he grows up to become a morris dancer 😆

We have one as standard on our car, with a 7″ screen and parking sensors it’s awesome.

Have some retro fits at work which use the mirror, not so good, the screens a bit small and it’s hard to get good camera placement that doesn’t get dirty or wet. Better than nothing, but not sure if spend the money on one.

should alleviate your fears of him being on the drive.

I admit this is falling for sharkattack’s issue, but is your 2yo really running around totally unsupervised? We’re talking about you leaving your house here if I’ve understood correctly, so assuming he’s not being left on his own the answer appears rather obvious.

Spot on, if I’m off out in the car then my wife will be at home with the boy. He’s never unsupervised, but the garden is a couple of acres, so sometimes he’s supervised at a distance. Always within line of sight, though, and as long as we know what he’s up to. So we’re happy for him to go off exploring ‘on his own’ but one of us will be following him discreetly. I don’t even know why I’m writing this, as one of the trolls parenting experts will no doubt be along shortly to explain how this will lead to delinquency and untold other problems down the line.

In reality, though, it is extremely unlikely that he would ever be behind the car while I’m reversing. If one of us is in the car, he will be with the other one of us, who will be aware of the car and keeping an eye on him. But there is still a blind spot there, which is a hazard I don’t like, and a camera would help to eliminate it.
Nice gate, trail_rat 🙂 except the trellis looks like it would be a great ladder to get up to the big circular window (assuming it’s unglazed…). To be honest he could probably just squeeze though one of the gaps, he’s lean as a whippet. And it’s not a yard with a neighbour’s fence conveniently close to the house, between which I could put such a lovely climbing frame gate.

Note to self – in future, just stick to simple requests for info, such as “I want a rear-view camera for my car, which one should I get?” without trying to give any context or background info… 😀