19 - Back Up Camera on the Cheap

Ebay to the rescue again. I found a very cheap back up camera on Ebay. Then I found a nice little folding screen for it. I cut a small rectangle of wood and painted it black to mount the camera on. Then I screwed the mounted camera into the rear of the RV, using butyl tape as a bedding compound of course. We routed the video and power wire back to the batteries and to our screen up in front beside the driver. Not too difficult. Now we have a back up camera. I looked at the wireless ones, but since our RV is not that long, I figured a hard wired camera may have fewer issues as far as connectivity to the screen. Besides, the wireless ones were much more expensive. Even with the mirrors properly adjusted, it's very difficult to see behind you while driving. The camera makes it a lot safer. Camera and screen were about $30 to $40.

Here's the camera on its black wooden mount at the back of the RV above the window. The camera was sold as an outdoor camera. We also sort of smeared the camera with a thin layer of silicone (not on the lens though) to give it a bit more water resistance just in case. 

And here's our little folding screen. It folds down pretty flat when not in use, hopefully making less desirable to would-be thieves. It runs on a 12v plug.