When you go out to shop for the best truck backup camera to buy, you will get several features and specs. I am sure you will feel good to know that you are safe in your truck as you drive around or when you leave it parked somewhere. To start your journey towards a smarter and safer truck, you will need to choose a camera that will meet your needs and that is why I have sampled 7 of what I think might be the best to choose from.
Comparision Of Products
Product | Image | |
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1.Rear View Safety Backup Camera System With 7 Inch Display |
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2. Wireless Magnetic Camera by iBall Digital |
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3. Wireless Backup Camera and Monitor Kit |
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4. Backup Camera System 50002 Smart Hitch by Hopkins |
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5. LeeKooLuu Backup Camera and Monitor Kit for Truck |
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6. Wirelss Magnetic Truck Backup Camera By Rear View Safety |
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7. Digital Wireless Backup Camera System Kit by ZEROXCLUB |
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Product Reviews
1.Rear View Safety Backup Camera System With 7 Inch Display
Rear View Safety Backup Camera System With 7 Inch Display is designed specifically to work on large vehicles like a business fleet or commercial trucks and it comes equipped with 66 feet of cable. Being a wired system, it doesn’t have any interference problems and it has ports of up to four cameras.
All its videos feed the display on the 7inch unit monitor with buttons that are labeled to switch back and forth between the various cameras. Even though it has the capacity to work with several cameras, it comes with only one camera. If you want extra cameras, you can purchase them separately. It can withstand some extreme variations in temperature and water.
2. Wireless Magnetic Camera by iBall Digital
Wireless Magnetic Camera by iBall Digital is a backup camera with a simple set up and a specific purpose of your truck. You will have to attach the camera at the back of your vehicle in order to help you with viewing what is happening at the back. Unfortunately, at times it offers poor results. It comes with a USB charging cable, a monitor, and a camera.
The camera has a rechargeable battery that takes about eight hours to charge and can last for three hours of continuous use. You will use a magnet to attach it to the back of your vehicle. Its LCD screen is 3.5 inches and you will have to attach it to the portable arm that you plug in the 12V cigarette lighter outlet. The pairing of the system is done via a Bluetooth and thus, you will be able to get the immediate video feed. It doesn’t come with an on-screen distance scale – which could have made it more helpful.
3. Wireless Backup Camera and Monitor Kit
Wireless Backup Camera and Monitor Kit are a great blend of simplicity, affordability, and usefulness. It is easy to use and install and it lets you see a 110-degree display of your real blind spot. It comes with a camera attached to a small plate with adhesive on either side that fits between the license plate and your car. You are free to adjust the angle of your camera down or up in order to suit your vehicle. It comes with an infrared LEDs that illuminate the area behind you when it is dark. It reconnects to your reverse lights for power and it turns it on whenever the truck is in reverse gear. When installing, there might be a need for you drill some holes where th wires will pass through.
The display is 4.3 inches and uses 2.4G digital wireless signal, which is better than analog signals due to fewer problems when it comes to interferences and thus, you can use it in vehicles which have a built-in Bluetooth. I would suggest that, due to the wireless connection, the camera would work well with everyday vehicles but not RVs or larger trailers. The monitor features an LCD display. You can adjust color, turn the parking guidelines on and off, contrast and brightness as well as mirror the display image. For power, you can plug into your vehicle DC connector or wire it. Whenever your car is in reverse, it turns on the wireless and you will be able to receive the signals.
4. Backup Camera System 50002 Smart Hitch by Hopkins
I found Backup Camera System 50002 Smart Hitch by Hopkins to have some great features that warrant me to include it in my list of top 7 truck backup cameras. It makes your towing experience more rewarding and simpler through innovation and value. It ensures that there will be no hitching up your trailer by yourself with a camera mode that is patent pending and which is an easy aligns trailer to the ball every time by placing an extra set of eyes where you need them.
It has a smartzone sensor that is able to detect objects up to 5.5 feet away, thereby providing an audible alert when there is an object present. There are 3 detection zones on the camera that will be able to alert you to the direction and distance of objects when towing and hitching a trailer.
It might be a great camera for everyday use as it will allow you to hitch by yourself. You will mount it behind the license plate with the installation requiring no splicing. All you need to do is to plug it behind the tow package connector. The color monitor is 3.5 inches wide with the static free image.
5. LeeKooLuu Backup Camera and Monitor Kit for Truck
LeeKooLuu Backup Camera and Monitor Kit for Truck could be the backup camera you might like if you are looking for a wireless with over 7 inches TFT screen. It is wireless and comes with a 7 inches TFT, suitable for large and heavy vehicles like trucks, trailers, and vans. It is in HD with an IP68 license plate and 150 degrees wide viewing angles for smooth parking and reversing. It has 18 LED night vision that will enable you to capture videos clearly at night to avoid collisions while on the highway. You can charge the monitor from any charging input like a cigarette lighter, radio, or fuse box or even the reverse lights. It is a lightweight and waterproof camera. The image output of the monitor is high and its color contrast is also high.
6. Wirelss Magnetic Truck Backup Camera By Rear View Safety
Rear View Safety Wireless Magnetic Hitch Camera for Easy Hitching Trailers RVS-83112 though small, it can easily connect via WiFi to your mobile device, enabling you to see the view of the camera on the screen of your device. It works with both Apple and Android devices as long as you download a free app known as RoadVue. It can be connected to multiple users at the same time via the app. Its strong wifi signal provides a connection that is uninterrupted for distances of up to 50 ft. The camera is powered by a rechargeable battery that is very powerful and still has a powerful magnetic base that enables it to attach to the back of your vehicle for easy hitching. There is a one year warrant included during the purchase.
7. Digital Wireless Backup Camera System Kit by ZEROXCLUB
Digital Wireless Backup Camera System Kit by ZEROXCLUB could be a great backup camera for large trailers like RVs and trucks. I have known it to cause no interferences. I am happy to say that, I have one on my RV and its ability to operate without any interferences allows it to provide clear and smooth wireless signals.
If you have a truck that has up to 75-mile speed, then you should expect the same results. It is a camera that is equipped with 18 infrared LED lights as well as CMOS sensor which come in handy, especially when you are reversing or parking at night.
I am also happy with this system’s ability to deliver great night time vision capabilities and this could be attributed to its digital and high definition image processor. It is made in such a way that, it is able to withstand harsh elements too due to the IP69 waterproof feature.
It is a camera that will let you park or reverse in a confident and safe manner. The installation process is easy and fast. The monitor turns on automatically.
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Why Do You Need?
As a safety feature, it is important to have a backup camera as it has proven to save lives. It is also an important way to ensure that you don’t hit cars while parking in a public place. When you have a backup camera, it automatically activates when you turn your truck into reverse gear, enabling you to see the area directly behind your truck on a display. It is handy especially when you are operating the vehicle in reverse mode, making it a valuable safety feature.
Due to the fact that you can typically see the bumper of your truck on the display, it will give you the confidence to park in a tight spot without damage. If you want to line up a trailer to your hitch, having a backup camera can help you do it very fast. It will also be easy for you to back out of a tight driveway or parking space without much stress once you are sure that, there is nothing behind your truck.
Apart from convenience, a backup camera is an added advantage to pedestrians and automotive safety as they help prevent tragic back-over accidents whereby you as a driver, is unable to see a person and in most cases, a child behind your car. And even though backup cameras come in handy, you should still utilize your mirrors and also look around to ensure that there are no pets or people behind your car before you back up.
Things that Make Up a Quality Backup Camera System
When you are looking for a backup camera, here are some of the things which I think are important to consider:
1. Cost
Backup cameras on the market vary greatly when it comes to prices. I believe that you will get what you pay for. Truck backup cameras going for more than $150 are likely to provide a better quality equipment as compared to one that is around $60. But I have seen many satisfied customers who have purchased low priced backup cameras. At the moment, the average price for a quality camera could be $100. So you will have the option of deciding on your budget and searching at price level or going and picking a camera kit that you like and then getting the best price that you could be offered for it.
2. Image Quality
It is not good to judge the quality of a camera by what the manufacturers advertise. Regardless of what resolutions have been advertised, a backup camera needs to produce a clear image with contrast, enough details, and accuracy of the color so that you can be able to distinguish objects in a wide variety of lighting conditions. While in the market, you will find claims of HD advertisements on models that don’t even have anything near a high-density image. It is possible to get an inexpensive camera with low resolution, but which offer a better color contrast, accuracy, and with viewing angles which display better based on their specs.
According to their design, backup cameras are meant to operate in low light with no wide dynamic range which means that, when in spots that are extra bright or extra dark, the backup camera will tend to lose its details. For example on a sunny day, when in low dynamic range, the image of a dark object will come out as a blob on a washed out concrete pad. At night, it can make it impossible for you to see the images of people or well-lit cars.
Get a backup camera that will be able to show black as black and white as white. Details of dynamic range and contrasts should be at the top of mind especially at night.
3. Wired vs Wireless Cameras
Most conventional cameras are wired. They have a video cable which runs through the car to connect to the display. When you want to install a wired backup camera, it means a lot of work: shoving, threading, and hiding power wires and cables under the carpet of the trunk, behind the dashboard, inside plastic doorjambs, something which might be tedious at the end of the day. The good thing is that you will only need to do it once and that is all.
When it comes to wireless, the transmission is done via radio waves. This means that installing a wireless model is faster and easier than a wired model. They will need to draw power via a wired connection in the car, mostly to the reverse light. You will need to ensure that, the receiver and transmitter of the display and camera are compatible. When shifting into gears, wireless cameras are known to have some delays as well as from nearby interferences and crucially, lags in the transmission that could cause you to miss a pet or a child behind your car while you are packing up.
Most people seem to prefer a wired system despite the many hassles involved when installing as they are more responsive and reliable.
4. The Camera Field Of View
I think the field of view between 160 and 170 degrees could be great. The wider the field of view, the farther you will be able to see right and left directly behind the bumper. But when it is over 170 degrees, the images become distorted into a fisheye shape, making it harder to re-organize objects at a glance.
Backup Camera Mounts
There are three methods which you could use to mount a backup camera on your truck namely:
Backup Camera Display Mounts
For a good display on the dash, you will need to have an adjustable mount that you can tilt down, up, right or left to fit you as you drive and also the lighting conditions. It is not obvious as it sounds as you will find some displays which are fixed which might leave you in harsh glare or bad angle. In most cases, you will affix displays on the dash or windshields with a suction cup or double-sided mounting tape. Due to the fact that the displays are normally light, you don’t have to use anything more in affixing them.
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Night Vision of a Backup Camera
For a backup camera to be considered quality, it needs to operate in low light up to 0.5 Lux. Some cameras come with tiny infrared lights which emit light that is invisible to your naked eyes but will enable the camera to see in total darkness. The IR lights are very important, especially for cameras which are always on like the ones on trucks and RV when towing a car or trailer because they will be able to help you in making out details behind you when you are stuck on a dark road.
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Conclusion
No matter the type of vehicle you want to install a backup camera on, you will definitely get one for it. On the market, there is virtually a suitable priced aftermarket camera kit for backup available for any vehicle, whether a truck, a car, a van, an SUV, a Motorhome or an RV. It is important for all vehicles to have a reversing camera system.
Just like an airbag to a seat belt, the truck backup camera is not replacing your vehicle mirrors but instead, it is complimenting it. It is a powerful tool for safe driving and parallel parking. And even if you consider yourself a pro and that you can do the parking without it, remember that there is always a bad day for everyone and having a backup camera might just cut down costs for you.
