Installing Back up camera

[Oceantrav]

Got one of those $30 license plate back up cameras off amazon.

Trying to decide where to mount it on my Savana since the license plate is not centered.

Where have people mounted it? Thinking on the bumper?

Also, does anyone know off the top of their head which color wire I tap into for power (the reverse wire)?

thanks-

 

[North]

On my Express the reverse lamp wire is olive green

 

[Bikersmurf]

Some vans have custom third tail lights with cameras built in

 

[Choff]

Got one of those $30 license plate back up cameras off amazon.

Trying to decide where to mount it on my Savana since the license plate is not centered.

Where have people mounted it? Thinking on the bumper?

Also, does anyone know off the top of their head which color wire I tap into for power (the reverse wire)?

thanks-

Mine is mounted on our Savana 2005 license plate and I have no problem with it, without snow on it. ?? I did want a 3rd light instead, ya but this works!!
So far backing up to a trailer works great !!
Just did it today picking up some wood with trailer.

Yes the olive Green wire for backup lights!! I just wired new backup lights

 

[Oceantrav]

How did you run the wire? Through the van or under?

Ya, I tow a trailer once a week and it's hard living without a back camera after having one before.
Up camera

 

[Choff]

I did not do the install of the backup camera, but I did put extra backup lights in just recently and ran wire from Van back up lights to small LED Lights for backing up, ran wire up the inside of hinge cover when you open door, just tap into the light green wire off of the light plug on van. Run separate ground wire.
But thinking I am running wire the wrong way for a backup cam. ??
You should be able to run wire to the top of the 3 back up light up top, take off the covers above the lights in back they have to come off anyway to tap into the backup lights.

 

[occasionaldirt]

You need to wire the camera to the monitor up front anyway, so, I found it easier to tap into the reverse wire in the harness behind the side panel directly below the hood release handle. This allowed me to also wire power thru a relay to a dash switch that allows turning the camera on without the van being in reverse - 'and/or' relay wiring to the switch. If you tap into the reverse wire/lights at the rear, and wanted to add a switch to turn it on while driving/parked, you would flip on the reverse lights along with the camera - not desired that often... I remember the wire harness just having some sort of tape wrap I removed for an inch to expose, tap, and re-wrap the harness.

I ran the wires thru the van along the driver side, under the door step trim, behind the side panel at the hood release, up behind the A-pillar, and across under the ceiling trim at the windshield to my monitor mounted above rearview mirror. Obviously, if you are using a stereo-based monitor the wires would feed behind the steering/gauge under the dash to the stereo.

 

[occasionaldirt]

Maybe the camera would mount to the top/rear of the stock 3rd brake light? Then wires could run into the van along with the power wires for the light - which is how mine is ran into the van.

 

[Oceantrav]

Well I got it all hooked up.

Tapped into a existing ground in the back. Then for power there was a back up alarm down there I was planning on disconnecting so I used that for the power. Got it connected and nothing on my head unit.....

So either connection came un plugged on the head unit, wiring wrong, or back up camera messed up....

 

[pugslyyy]

Well I got it all hooked up.

Tapped into a existing ground in the back. Then for power there was a back up alarm down there I was planning on disconnecting so I used that for the power. Got it connected and nothing on my head unit.....

So either connection came un plugged on the head unit, wiring wrong, or back up camera messed up....

Yeah always a good practice to hook it up with temporary wires just to make sure it works the way you want it before you go to the trouble to do it the right way. I would say hook up the camera directly to the head unit and make sure it works and then go from there. I've had a bad camera before, what a PITA when you finally figure out that's the problem if you didn't check it beforehand.

 

[Oceantrav]

I thought about that too, I almost hooked it up before I ran the wire.

The head unit was such a pain to get in there, not looking forward to taking the dash apart again...

Where is the cheapest place to get one of these 3rd brake light back up cameras?

 

[kudzu]

Don't know the cheapest place to get one but I was gifted with this camera, that works quite well for me: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B011CC9IKC/

We gave it a good workout on a 4 week long trip out West. Love it! It came with the wiring harness & is designed to be controlled by the reverse lights. However at my request, my BF wired it to be controlled by a switch on the dashboard. This way we can turn it on & off regardless of what gear I'm in. It took him a several web searches, youtube videos & trying a couple different wires before he got the right combo. For our situation, the video feed is displayed in the rearview mirror, purchased separately, but it can connect to a head unit should I ever want to shell out the bucks for a new one.

Edit: FYI, this is installed in a 2009 Express AWD