Side view camera's

Howdy all, new here and have a few questions in hopes I can get some knowledge from you more experianced (read masters!) owners ;)

For those that have side view cameras and installed them yourselves, where did you get the camera?

On a 00 XL II we are installing a three camera system and hope to add two more to the trailer but don't know where to get the chrome housings. We are also looking for where everyone put theirs so we can figure out where the best place is. Anyone have any pictures?

Our current setup is a single system but we are putting a multiview system so that we can see the rear camera on one side of the monitor and the side view on the other.

Thanks in advance!

Paul

Hi Paul. I've seen them built into the side view mirror arms and also as a small side attachment to the Coach itself close to the drivers and passenger windows.

I would be much more likely to try to use the ones mounted to or in the mirrors rather than take a Sawzall to the side of my coach and hack a hole in it for the camera mount. I have seen both as Gary mentioned, but I have to think installing the one on the mirror would be the least invasive. Unless you own a Country Coach, then you are ok to hack away.

Thanks to you both on the insight.

The mirror installed ones vibrate too much from what I have read / heard from owners - apparently that is why no one makes them in quantity anymore anyway.

I hope to hear from others that have done this, or their experiences with ones that are installed.

Paul

I have these on my coach.
http://www.ramco-eng.com/InVue/InVue.htm

They are OK, not great. I am on my third monitor in 3 years. The 1st one only lasted about a month and was replaced under warranty. The picture from the camera's is pretty good, except when the sun is shinning directly into the lens. It does help at night with seeing the headlights of little cars sneaking up on you.

These mirrors with cameras and monitor where not cheap. I am not sure I would do it again.

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Originally Posted by Jerry Winchester

I would be much more likely to try to use the ones mounted to or in the mirrors rather than take a Sawzall to the side of my coach and hack a hole in it for the camera mount. I have seen both as Gary mentioned, but I have to think installing the one on the mirror would be the least invasive. Unless you own a Country Coach, then you are ok to hack away.

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Quite contrary. No hacking necessary on Country Coaches. Back as far as the early 90's Country Coach installed accessary plug locations at all four corners of the Bus. Pre wired and ready to go for this type of future option. Oh the foresight ! If only some of the other Convertors had been so progressive.

And all this time I thought those wires hanging out on the CC's were emergency plastic shield restraints.....

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Originally Posted by Jerry Winchester

And all this time I thought those wires hanging out on the CC's were emergency plastic shield restraints.....

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Oops! Shots fired!

This is MY kinda group!

Almost feels like home ;)

Jdub,

Those wires were attached to the digital dash computer thingy!:p

I'm thinking about getting into this, but maybe I'll use some common sense and stay out of it!

Paul, have you looked into what this company has to offer.

http://www.ramco-eng.com/products/Mirrors.htm

Ramco mirrors, with cameras built into the mirror, or I think they have them mounted on the arms below the mirrors too?

Something else to look at?

Gary S.

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Originally Posted by Roadrunner

I'm thinking about getting into this, but maybe I'll use some common sense and stay out of it!

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I'm thinking also. About just how low do I want to go.

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Originally Posted by Roadrunner

I'm thinking about getting into this, but maybe I'll use some common sense and stay out of it!

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That is funny, Dale and my thoughts exactly. Sometimes you gotta just say no.

I may be showing my bias here against the ever increasing and complex technology that is being heaped on our coaches. Is there anyone besides me that considers the side view cameras nothing more than a mirror, but with the display in a TV monitor? What will the TV show that a set of properly adjusted mirrors with the small convex mirrors not show?

I can see it now. There will be a mad rush for everyone to get side view cameras on their buses to the point where in 10 years buses will no longer have or need mirrors.

Then when the monitor goes black people will freak out, and some wizard will come up with the brilliant idea of installing mirrors

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Originally Posted by Jon Wehrenberg

I may be showing my bias here against the ever increasing and complex technology that is being heaped on our coaches. Is there anyone besides me that considers the side view cameras nothing more than a mirror, but with the display in a TV monitor? What will the TV show that a set of properly adjusted mirrors with the small convex mirrors not show?

I can see it now. There will be a mad rush for everyone to get side view cameras on their buses to the point where in 10 years buses will no longer have or need mirrors.

Then when the monitor goes black people will freak out, and some wizard will come up with the brilliant idea of installing mirrors

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Well YEAH, that's why I'm keeping those phones that are wired into the bus, they just might become useful some day:rolleyes:

JIM;)

Difference is keeping what you already have and which on your coach is not longer working because the technology no longer works (thus making my point) and adding more stuff that will not be supported by the manufacturer in a few years.

My mirrors are still technologically current.

I have enough to do to keep all the things on my 10 year old bus working. I don't need more to keep up. OH! my mirrors still work the problem if any, is my eyeballs.

The King and I discussed mirrors versus cameras and monitors at lunch today. One thing we noted was both our monitors wash out in daylight and sun making it hard to see them. Our older eyeballs are a contributing factor, but not the sole reason it is sometimes hard to see things i our monitors.

Well I am new to POG but here is what I do On the back of the coach ( at the hitch ) where your bike would ride we have a chair with a top just in case it rains my wife rides here with a walkie talkie she lets me know when those drivers are trying to cut you off! sometimes it is hard to hear for the wind. If my wife catches me posting this I am dead meat! Oh what the heck a little BS makes us smile once in a while.

Jon,

Makes me think of the gal who received a watch as a gift and asked why it wasn't running. The giver said you had to "wind" it. She said, "You mean it doens't need batteries? What will they think of next..."

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Originally Posted by Jerry Winchester

Jon,

Makes me think of the gal who received a watch as a gift and asked why it wasn't running. The giver said you had to "wind" it. She said, "You mean it doens't need batteries? What will they think of next..."

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When she gets a Sun Dial she will really be amazed and probably think it is a result of the "Green Movement". :cool: JIM :rolleyes::D

I appreciate everyone's thoughts and comments - really I do ;)

We are putting the mirrors on to get rid of any blind spot. With the dual mirror setup on the bus, a Miata (for example) can be next to the coach and you not notice it on a glance. A monitor is one more way to look around the bus and notice things that shouldn't be there.

Received the mirrors over the weekend and will try to document the process just in case anyone else would like to do this in the future. I have to go to San Francisco this week so it may be about a week before I start tho.

I have two things I try to do without fail. The first is always monitor the mirrors for traffic on both sides of the bus. My head is on a swivel. I am constantly seeing who is there and when they disappear I try to understand where they are. Did they get off? Did they move over a lane beyond my view? Did they get behind me so I cannot see them in the mirrors? (There are certain light conditions such as sun shining just right on the lens or in rain when the rear view monitor is useless).

Then when I change lanes I should have a mental picture of who is where, but I still crane my neck and move up and down and side to side to insure nobody has managed to hide. FWIW the way my RH mirrors are set I can see anything in the next lane, from about even with the steer tires on back. Anything forward of that I can see their roof out the entry door window. The ones that are going to get you or you get them are the ones two lanes to the right that move left as you move right after confirming the lane is clear. As a result I try to keep monitoring the mirrors until I own the lane.

I think that most converters use total vision as their camera supplier,I put a camera in the rear of a stacker trailer last year,when I ordered the camera the owner of total vision sent me a side mount camera housing for me to look at.Since I had to add a new controller that could work 2 cameras(bus,trailer)the controller will actually control 4 cameras,after talking to others about side cameras most felt like it was just too much going on for the driver to comprehend,so I did not buy any side mount cameras,but he has a very nice side mount housing.

Before I started looking at a bus, I looked at the higher end plastic coaches.

Most of them come with a side view, rear view camera, and the monitor inside to show all views.

What I liked about the side view camera, is the monitor came on when you turned on that turn signal, and showed you the entire lane of traffic before you started to change lanes or turn the corner.

IMO, it just added a little bit of extra visibility.

But I don't have it on my bus, and probably won't get it either. PEG won't let me ! :mad:

Gary S.

That sure as hell will not work in TN. Either cars and trucks do not come with turn signals or the dummies haven't learned how to use them.

On those rare occasions when you actually see a turn signal functioning, some person is talking on the cell phone and driving in the fast lane with the left blinker on for miles and miles. Of course they are going 5 MPH less than the posted speed limit which is 20 MPH less than the actual speed of traffic.

If all of a sudden a rear view monitor turned on with the turn signal they would try to change channels to the Springer Show.

The King sells cars to these people.

Turning on a turn signal on your bus just gives drivers the opportunity to speed up and block you before you can turn. This is considered a sport.

In NJ where I was born and raised a turn signal was used to indicate a car was turning or changing lanes, and it didn't matter if there was another vehicle in the way. Apparently the car with the turn signal on had the right of way.

All other states a turn signal appears to be consent to block the vehicle intending to change lanes. In a weak moment I moved a guy into the grassy median because he actually speeded up to block me from getting into the left lane so I could make a turn. In that case a big bus trumps a small car.

I just thought I would update this thread, been a while.

We put side view cameras on and LOVE them. Mounted two at the front of the bus, about hip level, one on each door. Then we put a new screen on the A pillar for side view cameras, small one but decent enough to show what was needed. We installed a video system that would merge the left and right views onto one screen and therefore the monitor will display both sides at all times.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-G...0/DSC01785.JPG

Then the nav system can show the rear camera at all times and the A pillar monitor can show the sideview cameras. We also put in a switch on the dash to select which camera to display if we want to only see one large camera view at a time.

Very basic, very useful, very practical!