I am looking for an inexpensive wireless, easy to use back-up camera to hook up a gooseneck trailer. My truck is old enough that it does not have a back-up camera for the gooseneck only for a tag-along. Bluetooth to Android or stream to separate screen on dash. I am old so probably need a slightly larger screen, maybe 7" if a separate screen. I would prefer one that can stay in place on the truck all the time. I don’t want to have to put it on the truck just when I want to hook up. I don’t want to have to remove it and reinstall it. Nothing through Temu.
You have eliminated a bunch of cameras with the need for a fixed mount rather than magnetic. Almost by default then, your camera will have to be hard wired into the truck electrical system since I doubt you want to climb up into the truck bed to change camera batteries. The 7+ inch monitor is another hurdle.
If you would post the brand, model and year of your truck it would really aid in the search. etrailer has a package with a camera that mounts behind a truck’s third brake light and has a 7 inch monitor for about $250, but it is a specific mount only for certain trucks.
I have never done it, but I’ve seen some people use baby monitors. Obviously this wouldn’t meet the requirement of having to have it permanently mounted, but if you truly want wireless, you are still going to have to somehow tap into the power of your truck in order to keep it charged somehow.
I’ve also seen people just set their cell phone (on video or camera) on the back window, pointing down, and that’s enough for them to see the ball. Obviously nothing fancy required there!
I have a nearly brand new pickup (2022) and the truck bed camera is worthless. Can’t see anything with the BLACK trailer hitch on a BLACK greased ball in the BLACK lined truck bed. And my display has a huge screen. Disappointed it doesn’t work at all to see the detail you need to see.
New question: What is your struggle with hooking up the trailer? If you are familiar with your pickup, it should get pretty easy to hook up just about anything once you are used to your pickup.
I’ve got 2 different horse trailers, and we also have a gooseneck flatbed that I use for hauling hay. Most of the time, I hook things up on the first try. Wasn’t always that way for sure, but practice and lots of years sure help.
Yeah, I can generally hook things up pretty quickly, if not on the first try. Once you do it a bit, you can kind of establish some visual “landmarks” and spatial memory.
Line up two or three 2x4s in a line about 2 feet from the trailer wheels going forward to and along side the the truck. Practice. Costs $30. Or a line of bailing twine which is $0.
You will get good at finding a leaf, a rock, a flower that will replicate the line of 2x4s, or keep carrying twine. My 80 year old mother still uses the twine.
Hitching up is a basic life skill for horse owners, just like trailer loading is for horses. You may have to hitch up a friends trailer in an emergency. Better to learn now in your own time and your own speed.
This is brilliant! I have major neck problems and cannot turn my head well at all anymore. I’m also smaller and it’s hard to see over the back seat headrest in my truck. Thank you!
I have this installed on my GN’s tail end, it’s for me to watch traffic behind me and aid in backing up.
It wasn’t hard to wire into the trailer, whatever you have done to your truck you’ll likely want them to tie it into your headlights, so you can turn off the power to it when you turn your headlights off.
The screen sits on the dash and plugs into the cigarette lighter.
I got this little solar WiFi backup camera that attaches to your license plate and I have it pointed down to where the tow ball is. The monitor plugs into the 12v cigarette lighter in the center console. It was easy to install and has lasted a year so far.
Generally I can get it first or second try. But my trailer is picky. If I am not within 1/2 inch left to right it won’t drop on the ball. Yesterday took me about 4-5 tries. Super frustrating.
Since we’re offering alternatives here’s mine. Before I unhitch the trailer, I put a marker on the ground next to my door so I can see it when I lower the window and look down, lined up with the front edge of my outside door handle. When it’s time to hitch up again, I use the marker as my reference and hardly look back at the trailer at all. It gets me really close if not spot on.
The marker depends on where I am. Sometimes its a rock, sometimes a heel mark, and often whatever is handy. I started doing this years before there were such things as bed or backup cameras.
I’ve used an “L” shaped bracket that I place at my driver’s side rear tire. When I go to hook up I back my tire up to the L and it puts me exactly where I was when I unhooked.
I haul a lot and I use something very similar to this. Only takes one misjudge that clinks the tailgate (I have my trailer inside my barn, and need to be at an angle to hook up to it - about 4" between the down tailgate and the jack wall of the trailer). Plus by the time I’m hitching I just want to get on the road, I don’t want to do multiple tries.
