Rear view cameras

hi broodie
dont listen to that you will find your are still required to have your extended rear veiw mirrors when towing
some of these stupid ideas/opinions are invented at sundowner gathering and can be very misleading to the gullible
-afaik-
extd rear mirrors are still legally required whether you have the greatest rev camera in the world
cheers

Hi Brody,

Electronic devices, such reverse cameras, can suffer from bad connections or damage caused by rock abrasion to wiring harnesses etc not to mention vibration damage to connections. This can cause occassional intermittant faults.

I run both extended morrors and reverse cameras as each have their own strengths and weaknesses.

The main reason for reverse cameras, in my case, are so that I can see the coupling when hooking the van on and so I can see directly behind the van when reversing just in case someone small has walked behind the van and I did not see them do it.
I only occassionaly use the van camera as a rear view camera relying mainly on the towing mirrors.

Just as a further note and a good idea,

Most monitors which have 2 video inputs default to say Video 1 input.
In the absence of a signal on video 1 the monitor then defaults to video 2 input.

I used this feature so that there is automatic switching between the car camera and the van camera. Meaning that if I hook the van up and plug in the camera cable between van and car the monitor picks up the signal on Video 1 input and defaults to that signal first.

When the van is not plugged in then the monitor defaults to Video 2 input as there is not signal on Video 1.

This removes the need for a switching circuit on the camera video circuits as the switching is within the monitor and automatic.

Hope this gives someone some help in setting theirs up.

Cheers, Bruce.

In the same way that 'electric turn signals' had to be accompanied by a hand (or mechanical hand) signal when they first hit the scene because they MAY develop an electric fault / bad connection etc, then cameras will totally remove the need for 'extended towing mirrors' before long.

I have a camera on the car and van rear but still fit extended mirrors because the law at present says I must.

I never (well, rarely) look in those mirrors though as they vibrate too much when travelling.

I can see a vehicle right behind my van in the monitor and when it pulls out to overtake I can see it clearly in the standard wing mirrors before it gets anywhere near the back of the van.

Cheers Neil

Hi Broodie,

Not sure of the exact wording but from memory something along the lines that you had to be able to see the rear most corners of your van/trailer while seated in the normal driving position. Whether that has to accomplished by mirrors or not, maybe consult the relevant regulations.

Cheers
Pop

Cut & pasted from the Road Traffic Rules:


"35—Rear vision mirrors
?(1) (2)
A rear vision mirror or mirrors must be fitted to a motor vehicle as required by this rule so that a driver of the vehicle can clearly see by reflection the road behind the vehicle and any following or overtaking vehicle."

There is much more but the above covers it.
Note it says "by reflection". There is no allowance for cameras.

Thank you for all your sound advice I thought I was being led up the garden path, and as an ex police officer, some forty years ago I thought the road rules had changed and I had not kept abreast of things and changes to the traffic act. Once again thank you all.
Broodie H3