Want a backup camera but don't like my options! Any other ideas?

[SHOBrad]

My wife wants some sort of backup system for her '04 Expy for x-mas but I'm not liking what I'm finding!

I'm not too hip on drilling holes in the bumper to install the little sensor things and the hitch mounted ones don't seem to cover the entire back of the vehicle.

She already has a GPS on her dash so mounting another camera seems like too much.

I looked at the Pioneer and Kenwood in-dash DVD/GPS/camera options but was horribly disappointed with them when I played with them in the store. 1min+ to boot up!?! We have 3 kids she has to run all over so any wait time to get the camera going would be worthless! Also it always seems that the factory stuff has such a better feel and operation that any aftermarket equipment. The Pioneer units hav a volume knob that I could barely turn with my big fingers! It was like putting a quarter on a flat surface and trying to turn it.

I thought about just picking up a GPS head unit from a junk yard. Does the factory nav unit installed on these have a backup camera option? How hard are they to install on a non factory GPS vehicle?

Is there a on-dash nav unit that you can buy that supports a back-up camera? Like from Tom-Tom or Magellian or someone?

Any other advice would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks!
Brad
'04 Expedition

 

[ELVATO]

I don't know for certain, but I remember when I was considering the OEM nav switch, one of the ebay auctions said something about needing a different dash piece.

Have you played with a Pioneer Avic-d3? I think it fits in the dash opening.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNtsjMYyIZA&feature=related

 

[davesexplorer]

I use an Alpine W200/Blackbird combo in mine. It fits like a glove, the GPS is great, the back up camera comes up as soon as I turn it on and the sound is excellent. Mine is the older model, I'm pretty sure Alpine is at least two models newer now, I would reccommend one.

 

[MadTxn]

I installed this camera and this monitor in the rear view mirror. The mirror is discontinued, but you can probably get something similar.