Side view camera's

[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..."

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

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..."

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

[perpendicular]

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.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

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.

[jack14r]

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.

[Gary & Peggy Stevens]

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 !

Gary S.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

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.

[garyde]

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.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

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.

[perpendicular]

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.



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!