After market backup camera

[stewart05]

So we bought our TC as basic as it can come. We found we really wanted/needed a backup camera. So we started looking around and here is what we came up with.

All told we spend about $300 or just under.

First we replaced the radio with this one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/7-double-2-din-touch-screen-dvd-car-stereo-Ipod-camera-/310289054054?pt=Car_Audio_In_Dash_Receivers&hash=item483eab3966

We paid about $160 for ours. This is a pretty neat little deck, it play DVDs, CDs, connects to Ipods, and best of all it has full Bluetooth. The radio we got has a broken microphone so we can use the bluetooth execpt to check voicemails, but it works great for that. The seller is sending us a new unit.

Then we bought this camera:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ford-Transit-Rear-View-Camera-Back-Up-Reverse-Vision-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQfitsZMakeQ3aFordQ7cModelQ3aTransitQ20ConnectQQhashZitem230c844817QQitemZ150533851159QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

Then we bought a kit similar to this one, but it was only about $30

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2010-UP-FORD-TRANSIT-RADIO-DASH-KIT-COMBO-99-5824B-/140479647388?pt=Car_Audio_Video&hash=item20b53d4e9c

We put it all in and this is what it looks like:

Edited January 21, 2011 by stewart05

[Hal]

That is the Echomaster backup camera that I got and some other people on here have also. It is nice to see that either Echomaster or someone has put all their stuff on EBay. I couldn't find it for sale on the net when I got mine before Christmas. I had to call Echomaster directly and convince them to sell to me since they usually are wholesale only.

The camera works great and doesn't stand out like a sore thumb like some of them do. I have mine hooked to an Alpine 900 headunit and wired so than anytime I put it in reverse the display automatically switches to the camera.

[rlschow]

How well does this camera work at night?

[Hal]

How well does this camera work at night?

Very well with my Alpine 900Bt head unit, I think our backup lights put a good amout of illumination.

[rlschow]

Very well with my Alpine 900Bt head unit, I think our backup lights put a good amout of illumination.

Thanks for the feedback, Hal. Thanks stewart05 for the eBay link above. I just ordered one to plug into my Pioneer DVD head unit.

[rlschow]

I received my EchoMaster camera today and replaced the stock license plate light with it when I got home from work. I haven't yet run the video wire up to the console or spliced into the back-up light's power for the camera.

My DVD head unit has a purple wire that also connects to the back-up light to automatically switch its input to camera when the vehicle is put in reverse. It seems simplest to just pull a wire from the back-up light in the rear to this purple wire in the head unit at the same time I'm pulling the video wire from the camera. Anybody else done it that way?

Edited March 9, 2011 by rlschow

[stewart05]

I spliced into the backup light at the light as well and then ran the cable to the head unit with the video cable from the camera. It was just easier to find the reverse light cable when you can just look at which wire plugs into the light.