So I finally pulled the plug on yet another stereo upgrade. After more than a year of searching and even driving down to Crutchfield's retail outlets for the best opportunity for hands-on testing I settled on a JVC KW-NT800HDT. Pricy, but man is it packed with features. Primarily I purchased it for the HD radio, Bluetooth and MP3 off DVD and the clean way each of those display and operate. Having the built in navigation is a plus. This head unit has the ability to hook up a rear-view camera and I'm wondering if anyone has any brand/model recommendations or installation gotchas to advise about when wiring one up on a Baja. Ideally I'd like something that doesn't involve modifying factory parts, including no drilling for mounting screws. I'm sure that can be a tough one to comply with, so even if you've got a unit that required such minor mods please let me know. Guessing something that would mount to the license plate bracket may be the best route, as then it might still be used when the tailgate is down and the plate bracket out.
So anyone currently running anything?
Rear view camera recommendations
Moderator: mikenmel08
Re: Rear view camera recommendations
I don't currently have one, but I'm looking.
Originally I was thinking of a stand-alone monitor, mounted (somewhere) on my dash. However my dash is pretty populated as it is, and since this would be used only maybe 1% of my drive-time, I don't want it taking up more space than it deserves. This is why I'm now looking at replacing my rear-view mirror with one with an embedded monitor for this purpose.
I had thought of a flush-mount camera, which I'd embed in the flip-down license plate bracket. I want the camera to be useful whether the tailgate is up or down. However, there's not as much room on either side of the license plate as I'd remembered. So now I'm looking at a plate-mounted camera - one that is centered between either the upper two license plate bolts, or as will likely be my preference, the lower two bolts.
I had though of a wireless camera (no need to run a video cable from the tail to the dashboard) but I hear it's not a refined technology yet, and it can get interference from A) other nearby security cameras or B) diesel engines. So now I think I need to invest more install time and run a cable from the camera, through the tailgate, under/behind the bed liner, through the cabin (possibly above the headliner) to my monitor.
If anyone can share wisdom on types/brands/installation techniques/sources/etc, please post them here. I'll be eager to learn. Thanks, Pow, for starting this thread.
- K
Originally I was thinking of a stand-alone monitor, mounted (somewhere) on my dash. However my dash is pretty populated as it is, and since this would be used only maybe 1% of my drive-time, I don't want it taking up more space than it deserves. This is why I'm now looking at replacing my rear-view mirror with one with an embedded monitor for this purpose.
I had thought of a flush-mount camera, which I'd embed in the flip-down license plate bracket. I want the camera to be useful whether the tailgate is up or down. However, there's not as much room on either side of the license plate as I'd remembered. So now I'm looking at a plate-mounted camera - one that is centered between either the upper two license plate bolts, or as will likely be my preference, the lower two bolts.
I had though of a wireless camera (no need to run a video cable from the tail to the dashboard) but I hear it's not a refined technology yet, and it can get interference from A) other nearby security cameras or B) diesel engines. So now I think I need to invest more install time and run a cable from the camera, through the tailgate, under/behind the bed liner, through the cabin (possibly above the headliner) to my monitor.
If anyone can share wisdom on types/brands/installation techniques/sources/etc, please post them here. I'll be eager to learn. Thanks, Pow, for starting this thread.
- K
Baja '03 Blk, non-turbo, M/T, OzzBros, Bed Extender, JVC, ScanGaugeII, Garmin
"Well, ya see, son, when a dune buggy, a jeep and a sedan really love each other..."
"Well, ya see, son, when a dune buggy, a jeep and a sedan really love each other..."