Back Up Cam

Anyone ever set up a backup cam to the side of a trailer? Im thinking as a rookie thats soon to be cut loose on my own it might be very helpful. If so which one and how did you mount it? It would have to be a fast easy mount to switch on and off trailers as needed. Maybe magnetic mount rigged somehow. Was thinking to the front right corner of the trailer looking to the rear.

I would think that would be a pain since you would be having to remount every time you swapped trailers. To me getting out and looking as well as using your mirrors will help you learn more than a camera would, especially if the field of view on the camera doesn't show the sides where your mirrors would. But that is just my personal opinion on cameras and it holds especially true on passenger vehicles, most look only at the screen and not at their mirrors and hit a lot of things on the sides.

I would think that would be a pain since you would be having to remount every time you swapped trailers. To me getting out and looking as well as using your mirrors will help you learn more than a camera would, especially if the field of view on the camera doesn't show the sides where your mirrors would. But that is just my personal opinion on cameras and it holds especially true on passenger vehicles, most look only at the screen and not at their mirrors and hit a lot of things on the sides.

My thought was for getting into tight spots until I get comfortable with backing. If it is magnetic mount would only take a second. If the cam would show down the blind side of the trailer it may save me some trouble until I know what Im doing.

I thought of the same thing too when I first started. You'd need a rechargeable magnet mount or some kind of clip on mounted camera. It needs to have a WIFI connection to your viewing device (laptop/tablet).

But alas, you don't need any of that. What works really great is electric mirrors. By adjusting the right hand mirror to show what you need to see, works wonders. You can just about blind side back into tight spots just as easy as your side. You just have to take it slow and keep the mirror adjusted so you can see what you need to see.

The only problem with this, is they usually give the new guys the trucks without all the fancy gadgets that could really help him/her out. Automatic transmission? Nope, those go to the guys that grew up on standards and hate automatics. See where I'm going with this?

... until I get comfortable with backing.

You won't "get comfortable with backing" using a camera. You will get comfortable using the camera.

Save the bucks for your own dash cam or a neat phone headset. Getting Out And Looking makes for a bit of exercise and its the only way you can see and understand how backing the trailer works.

Yeah I don't think it's going to help either. My pickup truck has a backup camera and people laugh because I ignore it. It doesn't really do any good. It might let you know if a dog ran out behind you or something but that's about it. If you already have a camera and you want to play around with it to see if you can gain an advantage then give it a shot. I wouldn't buy a camera for that purpose though. I don't think it will be that useful.

It almost becomes a handicap to be honest. Just like four wheeler back-up cameras. They rely on that, get in a regular car and don't check all their mirrors and stuff. It seems like it would dull your backing skills. Like Errol said, you won't get used to backing but you will get used to the camera.

The cam will show you NOTHING that you cannot see by just getting out and looking

Does FOUR to ZERO for "No Cam" help you decide? I'm, just sayin' ...

Anyone ever set up a backup cam to the side of a trailer? Im thinking as a rookie thats soon to be cut loose on my own it might be very helpful. If so which one and how did you mount it? It would have to be a fast easy mount to switch on and off trailers as needed. Maybe magnetic mount rigged somehow. Was thinking to the front right corner of the trailer looking to the rear.

I was thinking the same thing Ricky, the vets have some good points though. thanks for posting the question it helped me decide to save some money. thanks vets for your imput.