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1285 Review
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Review on πŸ“· Universal Car Rear-View Backup Camera Kit + Waterproof License Plate Camera & 4.3" LCD Monitor by John Jones

Revainrating 4 out of 5

Great camera at a great price

I ordered this rear view camera and monitor for my 05 Silverado. Routing the camera's power cable from the back of the truck into the cab was a little tricky, but any backup system could run into the same problem. I waited a few months before considering it to make sure it would last. So far everything is working fine. I love how the camera itself can be rotated up or down to suit your personal needs. I pull the boat and it makes it very easy to drive all the way to the trailer. I just tilt the camera down to get a clear view of the hitch and come back to the perfect spot every time. Another interesting feature is that there are 2 video inputs. One is for the rear camera and the other is for the AUX input. You can feed any other video source into the auxiliary input and it will be displayed all the time except when the car is reversing. As soon as you disengage reverse gear, the display automatically switches back to the auxiliary input. You have the option to install a second camera elsewhere on the vehicle to have a view at all times except when reversing. The display only shows the reversing camera when you are reversing or when the reversing lights turn on the camera. . In other words, every time the camera is turned on, the display will say so. So I decided to connect another 12V switching power supply to the camera, which I can switch on at any time from the cockpit. Sometimes it's nice to see what's behind you without having to put it in reverse. The only, and I mean the only negative thing I can say about this device is that the monitor stand is limited in its range of motion. but probably suitable for most installations. The real problem, however, is that the 3M tape used to attach the monitor to the dash (or wherever you like) just doesn't hold up. When I finished installing everything looked great, no cables or wires were showing and the monitor was mounted on the front of the dash under the heater controls. When I got back to the truck to leave about 2 hours later, the monitor was hanging from the cable because the double-sided tape wasn't strong enough to stick. (And yes, I wiped the dashboard thoroughly with rubbing alcohol before applying the tape.) I ended up drilling 2 small holes and screwing it to the underside of the dashboard near the floor. It's still easy to see and has some room to move, but I just hated drilling two tiny holes in the dash, even though they wouldn't be visible if I removed the monitor. At least now I know my monitor isn't hanging from a cable when I get in my truck. The device as a whole works great and gives me an extra sense of security knowing I won't turn down any of the kids bikes, or worse, the kids bikes. Don't be discouraged if someone gives this item a bad rating just because they had trouble installing it. Any system you buy will run into the same problems. For cars that don't have factory rear view cameras I would definitely recommend this system.

Pros
  • Consistent test results
Cons
  • Repair