Anyway to have the rear camera come on while driving?

[JimmyC]

It would be nice to be able to momentarily turn on the rear camera while driving. I could then see the trailer and monitor its condition. I’m thinking a momentary push button to take a Quick Look.

Anyone tried this?

 

[greenerob441]

Tried - Yes
Works - No
Stupid - Definitely

 

[DieselMonk]

You should be looking at the road, not at the trailer hitch. If something goes on in the back, you feel it and act accordingly. No need to look back IMHO.

 

[Ed Fogle]

It would be nice to be able to momentarily turn on the rear camera while driving. I could then see the trailer and monitor its condition. I’m thinking a momentary push button to take a Quick Look.

Anyone tried this?

I wish.

 

[Johnathan M]

You should be looking at the road, not at the trailer hitch. If something goes on in the back, you feel it and act accordingly. No need to look back IMHO.

I would respectfully disagree with your assertion that we shouldn't look at our trailer hitch in a camera. It's normal, expected, and a very good idea to often look in side and rear view mirrors to be aware of what is going on around your vehicle - including to the rear. It would be no different to glance at a rearview camera to see what is going on with a trailer load.

Unfortunately I haven't found a way to do this with the factory camera. However, I recently purchased a wireless camera (magnet mount) with built in solar panel and 7" screen for inside the vehicle from Amazon. This works great to keep an eye on a trailer load. It also works great to stick to the back of an enclosed cargo trailer to be able to see behind when backing up. I paid around $100.00 for it and have not regretted it in the least. I'll try to post a link to it in a bit.

 

[Johnathan M]

Here's a link to the camera I purchased. Works great! Aside from the mount it shows, it also comes with a suction cup mount to attach the screen to the windshield.

Amazon.com

 

[DieselMonk]

I still don’t get it why I should be checking the trailer hitch on a camera while driving. Beats me. The trailer is supposed to be locked on the hitch and a larger trailer I use sway bars. As far as looking backwards goes… I use my mirrors with and without the trailer during driving forward or reversing.
My new truck has this trailer backup assist crap. Never used it once and not planning to use it either. I don’t even know if it works! To me it’s just a useless function, that one has to get with the HD trailer tow. I’d rather have a locking rear end than this trailer backup assist. Just my preference.

Kinda neat cam you found, I am in for a new dash cam.

 

[Johnnie Parker]

It would be nice to be able to momentarily turn on the rear camera while driving. I could then see the trailer and monitor its condition. I’m thinking a momentary push button to take a Quick Look.

Anyone tried this?

2010 Gen 3 Limited. I have a "Lockpick" I installed. You can turn on the rear camera, install a front camera, turn signal cameras and a cargo camera. And yes it will let you input info in the nav system while the vehicle is in gear. And something you should NOT do if you have a front dvd, it will also let you watch movies.

 

[Johnathan M]

I still don’t get it why I should be checking the trailer hitch on a camera while driving. Beats me. The trailer is supposed to be locked on the hitch and a larger trailer I use sway bars. As far as looking backwards goes… I use my mirrors with and without the trailer during driving forward or reversing.
My new truck has this trailer backup assist crap. Never used it once and not planning to use it either. I don’t even know if it works! To me it’s just a useless function, that one has to get with the HD trailer tow. I’d rather have a locking rear end than this trailer backup assist. Just my preference.

Kinda neat cam you found, I am in for a new dash cam.

Sorry, I realize I said looking at the trailer hitch, but I primarily meant using the camera to check the load on a trailer. I totally agree that there shouldn't be anything happening with the hitch, and if there is, there's a bigger problem than what a camera is probably going to help with. However, when hauling a load on a flatbed trailer, there is always the possibility that something could shift in the load, and maybe as a result a strap could be loose and flopping a bit. It's just a nice feature to be able to glance at the rear camera and confirm that everything is still good back there. I know it's not a necessity, but it is a nice option.

And I agree on the mirrors. I don't really like using a backup camera as my main view when backing up. I'm still in the habit of using my mirrors as well. Where the camera comes in really handy is, as I mentioned, on the rear of a cargo trailer. There's no way to see what's directly behind your enclosed trailer (or camper, if that's what is being pulled) with mirrors, and it's really nice to look at the screen and know some kid or other small car or whatever isn't behind your trailer when you go to backup.

 

[DieselMonk]

Sorry, I realize I said looking at the trailer hitch, but I primarily meant using the camera to check the load on a trailer. I totally agree that there shouldn't be anything happening with the hitch, and if there is, there's a bigger problem than what a camera is probably going to help with. However, when hauling a load on a flatbed trailer, there is always the possibility that something could shift in the load, and maybe as a result a strap could be loose and flopping a bit. It's just a nice feature to be able to glance at the rear camera and confirm that everything is still good back there. I know it's not a necessity, but it is a nice option.

And I agree on the mirrors. I don't really like using a backup camera as my main view when backing up. I'm still in the habit of using my mirrors as well. Where the camera comes in really handy is, as I mentioned, on the rear of a cargo trailer. There's no way to see what's directly behind your enclosed trailer (or camper, if that's what is being pulled) with mirrors, and it's really nice to look at the screen and know some kid or other small car

Now I agree with this. Sorry, I could not figure out the cam looking at the trailer hitch. Might as well mount the camera underneath the truck and watch the spare tire deflate. Lol

 

[bman440440]

Lockpick

what is that?

 

[tominwi]

what is that?

AFAICT it's a gizmo that only worked with "hard drive" models of navs in vehicles not seen in 15 years or so. Company (Coastaletech) out of business it seems.

 

[Moeman]

I totally agree this would be a nice feature and I repeatedly find myself in a situation where I want the camera on in Forward. Example, pulling back to hook up, overshoot slightly, or on a hill and get a slight roll after stopping, place the vehicle in Drive to correct, but camera turns off. Other times I felt something from the back end while towing - often times just an impact from the road, but still - it would be nice to be able to turn on the camera for a second and check to see if anything is going wrong for some peace of mind. Stop with the BS argument that you should be looking at the road. I'm sure a lot of you making these arguments have your noses in your phones and on your infotainment screens all the time.

 

[tominwi]

Too bad the 15" display can't be used for an outboard camera--I can NOT abide yet-another display in my face. OTOH since my iPhone is always in view I might try some type of Wi-Fi camera that would connect to its hotspot.

I've tried to ID a way to get a live display thru CarPlay to the 15" but always get lost in the details...

 

[ChaLug]

The only way I know of doing this is with a different head unit. I bought a Kenwood unit a few years back for my previous Expy (2011). It had a touchscreen button you could push to activate the backup camera on screen anytime you wanted. It also had the capability to connect another camera. I toyed with the idea of adding a front camera, but never did.

Actually, after going back and looking at an image of that Kenwood head unit, there was a separate manual button, not touchscreen. It was very easy to get to.

Here is a link to a picture of a Kenwood like I had: Kenwood

Notice the CAM button on the right.

 

[DieselMonk]

Sorry, I realize I said looking at the trailer hitch, but I primarily meant using the camera to check the load on a trailer. I totally agree that there shouldn't be anything happening with the hitch, and if there is, there's a bigger problem than what a camera is probably going to help with. However, when hauling a load on a flatbed trailer, there is always the possibility that something could shift in the load, and maybe as a result a strap could be loose and flopping a bit. It's just a nice feature to be able to glance at the rear camera and confirm that everything is still good back there. I know it's not a necessity, but it is a nice option.

And I agree on the mirrors. I don't really like using a backup camera as my main view when backing up. I'm still in the habit of using my mirrors as well. Where the camera comes in really handy is, as I mentioned, on the rear of a cargo trailer. There's no way to see what's directly behind your enclosed trailer (or camper, if that's what is being pulled) with mirrors, and it's really nice to look at the screen and know some kid or other small car or whatever isn't behind your trailer when you go to backup.

For ***** and giggles while driving down the highway at 70mph I flicked on the camera button on the screen on my 24. Sure enough, the backup camera came on and I also had the option to turn on the trailer hitch camera! However the front and side cams were disabled. Go figure!

 

[bluedown818]

All you do is you take a toggle switch and you splice a power going into reverse wire