Rear cam & side mirrors = confusion backing up.

[Mark James]

Tricky for sure. Adjusting my brain? Now that’s a challenge.

[Lee.Artman]

Thanks for the information on reverse image. That makes sense. Now I understand why I looked so stupid when I never had significant backing problems with my casita before. I knew I was seeing something wrong but under the pressure of parking I couldn't figure out what the problem was. GREAT INFO,

[sclifrickson]

Originally Posted by padlin

A friend got a set of walkie talkies as him and his wife would end up near killing each other by the time they got their 38' fifth wheel backed in. Might work better then hand signals where you can't see your partner. I suppose these days you'd just use your cell phones.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that the factory camera system on our new 19 has a microphone at the camera for just this thing. Handy.

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by padlin

A friend got a set of walkie talkies as him and his wife would end up near killing each other by the time they got their 38' fifth wheel backed in. Might work better then hand signals where you can't see your partner. I suppose these days you'd just use your cell phones.

Yes, we use a set of Uniden ones whenever we're in a back-up situation. My wife tends to be an enthusiastic hand signaler . Sometimes too much isn't a good thing. Basically she uses 3 words, left, right and stop. Works perfectly for us and doesn't provide any entertainment for the campground.

A secondary use we have for them is when we're off together somewhere but go our separate ways, whether in a mall or other stores. After about 4 other brands over the years the Uniden really does work well even when you're miles apart. Since we only have one cell phone between us, they're very handy.

Ron

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

Yes, we use a set of Uniden ones whenever we're in a back-up situation. My wife tends to be an enthusiastic hand signaler . Sometimes too much isn't a good thing. Basically she uses 3 words, left, right and stop. Works perfectly for us and doesn't provide any entertainment for the campground.

A secondary use we have for them is when we're off together somewhere but go our separate ways, whether in a mall or other stores. After about 4 other brands over the years the Uniden really does work well even when you're miles apart. Since we only have one cell phone between us, they're very handy.

Ron

Yup the kids got us a set of Midlands . Everything you said they are handy for . Son -in-law goes hunting a lot and very useful for that purpose . Also when we are all caravaning to a campground we all can communicate between vehicles I had some leaking radiator hose issues one trip going to Winthrop and had to keep stopping filling up with antifreeze until we could do a fix . Very handy to always have . Pat

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by Patandlinda

Yup the kids got us a set of Midlands . Everything you said they are handy for . Son -in-law goes hunting a lot and very useful for that purpose . Also when we are all caravaning to a campground we all can communicate between vehicles I had some leaking radiator hose issues one trip going to Winthrop and had to keep stopping filling up with antifreeze until we could do a fix . Very handy to always have . Pat

The ones the kids got for us .they charge 120 or batteries. Pat

[Owyheebabs]

My car doesn't have a backup camera but I wondered about installing one so that I can locate the hitch. I travel solo and I am always nervous about unhitching the car (well, actually, nervous about hitching it back up). Does anyone use a backup camera for that purpose? Does it work?

[diannelgraham]

I’m also solo and my truck has a back up camera which I use everytime I hitch my trailer up. I still have to get out a couple times to make sure I’m in the proper position. Before my new truck I used the telescoping alignment poles with the tennis balls on top to back up to the trailer. They actually work great and they are only $20 at Harbor Freight. I am seriously thinking about getting ETI to install their backup camera on my trailer, this year I almost backed into a tree

[Owyheebabs]

Thanks Dianne! I have never seen the thing with the tennis balls but I am going to head out to Harbor Freight and see what I can find. That is spooky about the tree.

[gbaglo]

I have Swift Hitch camera ( attaches magnetically to back of vehicle ) and I have the telescoping poles. You will still have to get out and look as you get close, because neither of these tell you if the ball and hitch are at the right height.

[diannelgraham]

https://www.harborfreight.com/Magnet...Kit-69778.html
Here is a link

[CADreamin]

Before we had our current truck, we used the iBall which is also a wireless backup camera that attaches magnetically to your tow vehicle. https://www.iballhitchcam.com/produc...SABEgLhJPD_BwE

[John in Santa Cruz]

re tennis balls, here's probably the same thing, they make it pretty darn easy. I've seen them called 'marriage savers'

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00R8EWV9O

[John in Santa Cruz]

catch-22 tho, if the slope of the parking area is uneven, they don't work so great, only if its dead flat. for instance, if the tow vehicle is even a bit tilted relative to the trailer... oops.

[steve dunham]

Our trailer came with the factory backup camera . The camera is still in the original packaging , sitting on a shelf in some unknown location , waiting to be used someday in the distant future .

It will probably be outdated technology by the time we get enough ambition to put it to use

[civi]

I think I will get the tennis ball thingy, a lot cheaper then $199.00. It is an aide, it will get me close enough. It is OK if I have to get out once or twice to check it. Carl

[Dave Walter]

Originally Posted by Losangeles

Rear cam backing up tips?

Hi all

Slightly embarrassed to ask this - but I bet I get some good tips below.

So for backing into a campsite with our Casita (no backup cam) I knew to only use the tug’s side mirrors, and to put my hand on the BOTTOM of the steering wheel, and to move my hand in the direction I wanted the back of the Casita to go, as seen in the side view mirrors.

However now that we have the ETI installed rear view camera - on our 21’ escape - - I find my pea brain overloaded, and I get confused when I look at both the side mirrors and also the rear camera.

Now the rear camera offers much more information, and I would prefer to rely mostly on the rear view camera, as my awesome wife has the hand signals perfected,

But I somehow now feel that my habit of “hand on the bottom of the steering wheel and move my hand in the direction I want the back of the trailer to go” no longer works.

My brain gets very confused now when backing into a spot.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

Thanks.

John.

Your camera will never give you a complete picture of what is happening all around your vehicle, and it is important not to rely too much on it. Just back your Escape into your site in the same way you would have done with your Casita. Ignore the backup camera. When you no longer are confident on what to do next while backing up, stop and check your camera, or get out and walk around your trailer to see the situation. Then get back into your car and keep on backing in (again ignoring the camera).

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by CADreamin

Before we had our current truck, we used the iBall which is also a wireless backup camera that attaches magnetically to your tow vehicle. https://www.iballhitchcam.com/produc...SABEgLhJPD_BwE

Yup what we use Can hook up by myself with the I-ball camera .Pat

[h2owmn]

i use my rear camera when I'm on the road. very helpful for what's behind me especially if it's close.

[Vermilye]

Both my RAV4 & Tacoma had the vehicle rear view camera mounted off center. While it got you in the general area, both were useless to accurately position the hitch. The F 150 has a center camera which does better, although it is mounted high enough that it still takes some interpretation of the image to tell if you have the ball under the hitch.

As to the trailer camera, I rarely use it to position the trailer in a site. Maybe to determine how deep I'm into the site, but I much prefer getting out & looking. Too easy to miss important hard objects using just the camera! It is useful when driving to check for people sneaking up on you...