My Purchase Chronology starting 09/09/2020

[davidmurphy02]

That thing Alan is holding is a woodgrain panel for my freezer door. I ripped off a note that was put on with scotch tape and tore a chunk of the oak veneer off a while back. Linda graciously arranged to get a replacement panel from the shop and sent it along with Alan's trailer.....ETI is the best!

[Centex]

Originally Posted by davidmurphy02

.... Linda graciously arranged to get a replacement panel from the shop and sent it along with Alan's trailer.....ETI is the best!

"Gratis" for that freezer door panel we might add, yes ETI and Linda are the best, and so are you, David!

[Centex]

We are now taxed, titled, and tagged (easy peasy)

[Effie]

Congrats on the new 5.0, been following you for some time, now its time to have some fun

[oldwave]

Originally Posted by Centex

Thank You, Lorraine!

Noting your trailer year if that was circa 2018, things may have changed even in Decatur. In any case, I'm all set, the authorized County Investigator is doing VTR68 inspections the day after I return home

Aside - having fun today, just finished test of two tiny EBay cube-cams and passive video switchbox .... one cam under a bed rail, the other in my rear window, I can toggle between a side and front view of my Andersen ball displayed on my aftermarket in-dash head unit. Works in forward or reverse travel, should help make solo hitching alignment a bit easier

Also got a 3rd cube-cam and a 5.8GHz video transmitter/receiver that we're gonna try out as a rear-view cam on the trailer through the same switchbox.

It's amazing how inexpensive (and probably 'cheap', lol) these video bits are, I'm into it for ~$80 for everything

Be nice to see details on that video gear ?

[Centex]

Originally Posted by oldwave

Be nice to see details on that video gear ?

Have you seen this later post? Need more info?

Note this is using an aftermarket head unit - doing this with an OE unit would be a very different matter I suspect.

Here's pics of the display of front and side views (apology for angle and quality - hard to eliminate glare and I'm no pro photographer)

[oldwave]

Originally Posted by Centex

Have you seen this later post? Need more info?

Note this is using an aftermarket head unit - doing this with an OE unit would be a very different matter I suspect.

Here's pics of the display of front and side views (apology for angle and quality - hard to eliminate glare and I'm no pro photographer)

I didn’t see that one thanks !

[oldwave]

Originally Posted by Centex

Have you seen this later post? Need more info?

Note this is using an aftermarket head unit - doing this with an OE unit would be a very different matter I suspect.

Here's pics of the display of front and side views (apology for angle and quality - hard to eliminate glare and I'm no pro photographer)

So are you using the reverse camera input or an aux input ?

[oldwave]

Originally Posted by oldwave

So are you using the reverse camera input or an aux input ?

Never mind I saw the schematic
This might work for me with a switcher and the video transmitter. Please let us know how well that works. Right now I’m using a battery powered WiFi access point and a rtsp camera but the latency is really bad for real time updates for the trailer cam

[Centex]

Originally Posted by oldwave

Never mind I saw the schematic
This might work for me with a switcher and the video transmitter. Please let us know how well that works. Right now I’m using a battery powered WiFi access point and a rtsp camera but the latency is really bad for real time updates for the trailer cam

Yeah, I'm using the "backup cam" input because the push of a single button on the switchbox (which sends 12 volt a 'faux reverse trigger') then causes the image to display no matter what else might be 'happening' on the head unit ("backup cam" overrides all else); there's too many steps required on the HU to get the "AUX" video to display and I didn't want to have to do that. It does take a brief moment for the selected image to appear but that doesn't bother me in the process of hitching; once the image appears and I start 'rolling' again there does not seem to be any latency, when I stop moving and go look the coupler is indeed exactly where seen on the display relative to the ball.

BTW, this has proven great for me already - I was alone at the pickup site by the time I was ready to 'hitch up' and it saved me doubtless many 'stop, get-out, and look' iterations. I cannot see the top of my Andersen ball at all no matter how I 'crane and look' from my driver's seat due to the small toolbox across the front of my truck bed.

'Will do' on posting info about the trailer rear-cam via wireless part of this, but that's a very (Very) low-priority project for me (don't expect that anytime soon at all). Honestly I'd not considered image latency, but now that you mention it I'll not be surprised to find that's a phenomenon I'll observe through the transmitter>receiver.

BTW, the same 'jumper' will be required on the switchbox for that cam (receiver) in order to trigger image display, the attached revision reflects that. For the cam and transmitter in the trailer I'll just have to use a switch in the trailer for their power, so that'll have to be turned on and those components remain 'live' whenever underway (a load of fractions of an amp).

[oldwave]

Originally Posted by Centex

Yeah, I'm using the "backup cam" input because the push of a single button on the switchbox (which sends 12 volt a 'faux reverse trigger') then causes the image to display no matter what else might be 'happening' on the head unit ("backup cam" overrides all else); there's too many steps required on the HU to get the "AUX" video to display and I didn't want to have to do that. It does take a brief moment for the selected image to appear but that doesn't bother me in the process of hitching; once the image appears and I start 'rolling' again there does not seem to be any latency, when I stop moving and go look the coupler is indeed exactly where seen on the display relative to the ball.

BTW, this has proven great for me already - I was alone at the pickup site by the time I was ready to 'hitch up' and it saved me doubtless many 'stop, get-out, and look' iterations. I cannot see the top of my Andersen ball at all no matter how I 'crane and look' from my driver's seat due to the small toolbox across the front of my truck bed.

'Will do' on posting info about the trailer rear-cam via wireless part of this, but that's a very (Very) low-priority project for me (don't expect that anytime soon at all). Honestly I'd not considered image latency, but now that you mention it I'll not be surprised to find that's a phenomenon I'll observe through the transmitter>receiver.

BTW, the same 'jumper' will be required on the switchbox for that cam (receiver) in order to trigger image display, the attached revision reflects that. For the cam and transmitter in the trailer I'll just have to use a switch in the trailer for their power, so that'll have to be turned on and those components remain 'live' whenever underway (a load of fractions of an amp).

Kind of ingenious using the audio inputs for power, I’ll add that one to the bag of tricks. Right now I have an aftermarket backup cam on a pansoinic head unit retrofitted to my old (2004) truck. The unit does have an aux in, but like you say the backup camera takes priority. I don’t really want to wire up a backup camera to the trailer, but the wireless link might work out with the switcher. Thanks for some good ideas

[Centex]

Originally Posted by oldwave

Kind of ingenious using the audio inputs for power, I’ll add that one to the bag of tricks.

I bought the switchbox thinking I'd only use the video switching capability, that notion didn't strike me until I had the switchbox in hand and opened it up. Discovering that it is a truly passive electro-mechanical switchbox with wipers and traces on a pcb to establish continuity for each circuit, I realized the super-low current 12VDC involved could be routed on those circuits the same as an analog audio signal and the scheme of 'trickery' to activate the cams and display cascaded from there, one piece at a time and honestly much to my pleasant surprise

Originally Posted by oldwave

Right now I have an aftermarket backup cam on a pansoinic head unit retrofitted to my old (2004) truck. The unit does have an aux in, but like you say the backup camera takes priority. I don’t really want to wire up a backup camera to the trailer, but the wireless link might work out with the switcher. Thanks for some good ideas

Sometimes it's nice to have 'old tech' vehicles that lend to easier aftermarket mods of this sort methinks (my 2019 Ridgeline's OE display 'head unit' is multi-functional, digital logic controlled, and too tightly integrated with other vehicle systems to replace; bespoke modification or 'trickery' of a digital / programmable unit is outside of my wheelhouse , YMMV).

I'm glad you might find something to build-on here, please do drop me a PM sharing what you work out (or a link to your thread about it).

Have Fun!

[oldwave]

Originally Posted by Centex

I bought the switchbox thinking I'd only use the video switching capability, that notion didn't strike me until I had the switchbox in hand and opened it up. Discovering that it is a truly passive electro-mechanical switchbox with wipers and traces on a pcb to establish continuity for each circuit, I realized the super-low current 12VDC involved could be routed on those circuits the same as an analog audio signal and the scheme of 'trickery' to activate the cams and display cascaded from there, one piece at a time and honestly much to my pleasant surprise
Sometimes it's nice to have 'old tech' vehicles that lend to easier aftermarket mods of this sort methinks (my 2019 Ridgeline's OE display 'head unit' is multi-functional, digital logic controlled, and too tightly integrated with other vehicle systems to replace; bespoke modification or 'trickery' of a digital / programmable unit is outside of my wheelhouse , YMMV).

I'm glad you might find something to build-on here, please do drop me a PM sharing what you work out (or a link to your thread about it).

Have Fun!

People like you are the best of the forum just sharing good info. My first backup trailer camera was a cheap Costco magnetic rechargeble . It was a bit unreliable, but I liked the way I could move it around to say the step to observe when I was driving up on levelers. It didn’t last long, maybe two years. Since I’m cheap. I didn’t want to spend 350 for a commercial grade backup camera. At the moment I have a ubiquity usb powered cube that provides WiFi, and a repurposed Wyze security camera mounted on a strong battery and connected to a portable power supply. The camera has custom firmware allowing real time streaming protocol, which I then use VLC to stream to my phone. It all works pretty well except for the latency and the fact that I have to mount the phone etc. A llittle clumsy, but I can move it. It’s just not quick enough refresh to drive up on the levelers as it’s probably 800 milliseconds. I’d like to leverage the camera input from my backup cam, I may try a little custom box with the WiFi link . Thanks again

[Clearwater Chris]

placed my 5.0 deposit today 09/09/2020 .... the online deposit page shows August as the delivery month.

Originally Posted by Centex

It's my intent to maintain a chronology of my purchase experience in this thread, just for those who may be interested in how the process proceeds.

From someone who hope to be going through the same process for the first time about a year from now, I greatly appreciate you doing this,

[Centex]

No worries, Chris, glad you found it entertaining. From your intro thread ....

Originally Posted by Clearwater Chris

Questions: 1. Will a E19 or 21NE be too much trailer for solo traveler?..... Thanks for your opinions!

Just FYI I'm a strictly solo traveler, enjoyed a Casita 17 for ~16 years, I elected to get the 5.0 after looking at the 19, 21, and 5.0, so my opinion should be self-evident (nope, once into pulling a trailer, neither a 19 or 21 is 'too much' for a solo traveler if your tow vehicle can handle it).

Already having a truck very capable of pulling the 5.0 (or 19 or 21) was a big factor for me.

Welcome to the forum, Happy Shopping!