Better vehicle external cameras? What is good these days in the aftermarket?

[Sid Post]

First, yes I can back by mirrors, back trailers, etc. and realize cameras are no substitute for poor driving skills. Now with that out of the way ...

I am in a 2013 Tacoma with a long travel lift on 35" tires currently. From the rearview mirror I see a small spec of sky between a tire and fuel cans since this rig sits so high. I have a huge blind spot right in front of the hood as well that isn't generally a problem driving in urban areas but, solo offroad can be an issue at times.

I want a front mounted camera to clear obstacles and to know how far away I am from something close to me like a fire hydrant, boulder, another car, etc. Out the rear, I want to see what I am backing into or, if my trailer is still attached to my Tacoma, or perhaps if is throwing sparks or, it is spewing personal belongings along the road.

I think I want to replace the factory radio with one that will support two camera feeds to avoid adding more clutter to my dash.

What is good today and what should I avoid? Any lessons learned?

TIA,
Sid

 

[NatersXJ6]

I don’t know that I can speak to your specific ask, but a while ago I went through a similar quest for my Jeep. One of the things I realized is that the technology has gotten so low-cost that buying multiple different camera and display sets and mixing/matching to get your final goal isn’t too bad. I think I ended up with 3 different kits from the same manufacturer on Amazon for less than $260. It has been life changing.

I want a front mounted camera to clear obstacles and to know how far away I am from something close to me like a fire hydrant, boulder, another car, etc. Out the rear, I want to see what I am backing into or, if my trailer is still attached to my Tacoma, or perhaps if is throwing sparks or, it is spewing personal belongings along the road.

 

[Sid Post]

Anyone else with relevant comments or experiences with modern vehicle camera installs?

 

[mep1811]

You can use this front and back paired with the right Garmin GPS

Garmin BC™ 50 | Wireless Backup Camera

BC 50 Wireless Backup Camera helps minimize the risk of “blind zone” accidents while in reverse. BC 50 features include voice commands and easy installation.

www.garmin.com

 

[llamalander]

Cameras front and back are great, and many head-units support an AUX in for the front, even if they don't call it that. To access it while driving, you often need to rewire the parking-brake signal-wire.
I think the higher up you can mount the camera, the better view it provides--sticking a fisheye on your license plate is less than ideal.
For high res, it seems the regular definitions (1080p etc.) don't really deliver, I read that an AHD screen is required to get the most out of high-def cameras. I'm not there yet, but still looking-

 

[Sid Post]

Any specific radios I should look at?

 

[drabina]

Look for a radio that has two inputs for the cameras. One is usually for reversing and triggered via the gear shifter or backup light. The other (front) one can be wired and launched when needed via radio's touch screen. If you have an existing radio that only has 1 input, then Ebay has splitter cables that will allow you to connect more than one camera to 1 input. Again, one is the default one for reversing and the other one can be wired with a switch on a dashboard.