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Doc Hoy

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Doc Hoy

Doc Hoy

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Evening folks, and thank in advance for allowing me into your midst.

Retired naval officer, retired university professor and present restaurant owner. I started my business last year (Nov 9, 2015) with a 2011 TC using it for catering and delivery. Business got bigger and now have a brick and mortar restaurant in Chesapeake, VA. Still use the TC to service catering and deliveries. I like the truck so much that I bought a second one (2012). I hope to learn a lot from y'all.

I have done a little work to the truck to make it more user friendly. Three cameras plus a bunch of cabinetry.

 

Store Front and Van.jpg

Van.jpg

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Doc Hoy

Doc Hoy

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To U1;

The "rear view mirror" camera is mounted on the license place bracket. I use it exactly like a rear view mirror. (Which is why I call it a rear view mirror camera.)

I put camera 2 outside the van on the left door mirror and camera 3 on the right door mirror. I positioned them so that I can just see a little of the side of the van in the display. That van has two terrible blind spots in the OEM mirrors. I trained these cameras to view into those blind spots. I have employees driving this van and I want them to bee as safe a possible. So the displays are mounted as close as  possible to the area one would look at to see the OEM rear view mirror.

To Fifty;

The installation is restricted to cabinets which are insulated to keep hot stuff hot and cold stuff cold. I'll shoot some photos of it and post them. For events where I have to serve hot stuff over an extended period I have a short bus which I converted to a food truck. We are taking it to the races this week end. It is a GMC, so I won't bore you with discussion of that truck. 

The graphics on the TC were done by a group here in Chesapeake, VA known as "DeSigns". I can't say enough good about them. Total wrap was 2400.00. That included graphic designer service. When I picked it up I drove it from the shop directly to a NAPA store. I sold 18.00 worth of meals to the guys in the store, based solely upon the looks of the truck. The truck paid for itself in a year.

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Doc Hoy

Doc Hoy

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A little more about the cameras:

I bought these cameras from a vendor on eBay for twenty bucks each with free shipping. Delivery was fast even though they came from China. There were no instructions but installation is like falling off a log. ( bought four of the cameras figuring I would need two for the 20111 and knowing I would buy another TC which could be assumed to also have the blind spots.) You have to be careful what you buy because the listings are structured in a way that makes it difficult to tell exactly what you are getting. Many of the listings are for the display only but if you don't look close, you think you are getting the camera too. I bought the cheapest ones I could find figuring that if I wasn't happy I could just lose the 20 bucks.

They have been on the van for about a month and do not seem to leak in the rain. The connectors are very small (about 1/4 inch in diameter) so I only made small holes in the inner door panel as a pass-through for the connector. The coax passes through the existing mounting base for the OEM mirror. That mounting base is plastic.     

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mrtn

mrtn

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4 hours ago, Doc Hoy said:

...on the TC were done by a group here in Chesapeake, VA known as "DeSigns". I can't say enough good about them. Total wrap was 2400.00. That included graphic designer service.

I can appreciate that. I'm in sign supply business so a nice wrap is always fun to look at.

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Doc Hoy

Doc Hoy

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Just brought the 2012 home. Almost no difference between the two years. In fact, my 2011 key will start the 2012. Opens all of the doors. Opens the gas cap cover.

The hood latch is a little stiff. I have a pressure alert on the tires but all tires are okay. The door ajar alert is sounding. The vendor will fix the door alert and the hood latch. I think I am on my own on the tire pressure problem. (Minor annoyance)

Edited by Doc Hoy
Thought of something to add.
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Beta Don

Beta Don

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I agree  -  I love the wrap and I'll bet it's worth every penny in 'free' advertising.   I say 'free' because where I live local ordinances may prevent you putting up a sign out on the road near your restaurant, but they can't say a thing about you parking your wrapped van by the road near your establishment

The tire pressure problem is likely a bad battery in one of the sensors mounted inside the wheels.  Buy a new set and change them out next time you need tires.  The batteries typically last 4 or 5 years, depending on how you use the vehicle  -  They are only in use when the vehicle is moving, so delivery vans used in slower stop and go driving will wear out the batteries in fewer miles than those driven mostly on the freeways

The big change happened for the 2014 model year  -  2.5L engine standard and 6 speed select shift automatic helps it to get significantly better gas mileage than the earlier ones.  I got 29 mpg with mine on our last trip

Don

Edited by Beta Don
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Doc Hoy

Doc Hoy

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good info, Don.

Two questions:

1. When I replace the sensors will the alert system automatically start working, or do I need to reset something?

2. These things can be bought for about 60 bucks for a set of four. OEM are as much as eighty dollars each.  Do you know if the cheap ones work as well as the OEM sensors?

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Doc Hoy

Doc Hoy

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Here are some photos of the camera installation.

First is the location of the right door mirror camera display. Note that it is right where one might look to see the OEM rear view mirror

Second is the location of the display for the left rear view and center line rear view camera.

Third photo is of the location of the door mirror mounted camera on the right side.

You can see the Coax passing through the plastic mounting base.

I will post some photos of the displays turned on.

I am thinking of remounting the right and left display such that they are in a place that is in shadow. the display is hard to make out with the daylight backlighting the display.

 

 

 

 

TC camera 1.jpg

TC camera 2.jpg

TC camera 3.jpg

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Doc Hoy

Doc Hoy

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I also included a photo of the cabinets in the back of the van which I use for food truck, catering, mobile canteen etc. The two door cabinets on top and the big drawer at lower right are insulated.

 

TC cabinet 1.jpg

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Fifty150

Fifty150

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Mounting the cameras on the bottom side of the mirror, and using a little silicone to fill the holes that you drilled, would save you the headache of worrying about leaks.  You could also use a grommet for the hole, then fill the gap with silicone.  

 

It looks like you've got the same blind spot mirror as found on my van.  For me, the little corner mirror works great.

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Fifty150

Fifty150

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18 hours ago, Doc Hoy said:

I bought these cameras from a vendor on eBay for twenty bucks each with free shipping.

 

Try Amazon.com.  Easy returns if it doesn't work out.  Prices are very competitive, and low.  Almost all the cameras and monitors are Made In China.  The sellers in China send their products to an Amazon warehouse, and Amazon will handle Prime shipping for you to have the item in 2 days.  

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
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Fifty150

Fifty150

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This look like what you have installed.

61HUk6za0HL._SL1200_.jpg
  • Chetoo Backup Camera Waterproof 170 Degree Wide Viewing Angle High Definition Car Reversing Rear View Camera
Roll over image to zoom in
 

Chetoo Backup Camera Waterproof 170 Degree Wide Viewing Angle High Definition Car Reversing Rear View Camera

 
 
 
Price: $19.99
Sale: $10.99  | FREE One-Day 
Delivered tomorrow for FREE with qualifying orders over $35.  Details
You Save: $9.00 (45%)
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Fifty150

Fifty150

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While it's all perspective, try adjusting the mirror.  I was always taught to aim the mirror just off of your car's body.  If you can see your car that's just less of the road.  The idea is to reflect as much of the road as possible.  

You will notice that in my mirror, the only visible part of my autobody is the door handle.  The front bumper of that UPS truck is at my rear axle and he is just a few feet from the vehicle next to me.  And the blind spot mirror shows the entire truck, which means that I can actually see a vehicle from 1 lane over, if I needed the perspective to change lanes.  If you'll also notice that I can clearly see behind me alongside my vehicle, and the gap between my vehicle and the lane of oncoming traffic, which would allow me to see any oncoming bicyclist, pedestrian, or a motorcycle sharing lanes.  So when you look over your shoulder and only see the inside panels of your van, all that is not visible should be in the mirror.

 

It looks like our mirrors are similar.

TC camera 3.jpg

KIMG0596.JPG

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Doc Hoy

Doc Hoy

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Yep....Pretty much the same. Not sure why I have so much difficulty seeing into the area in the next lane and just even with the truck. Could be that I am 66 years old. But in the short time  I have owned the first TC, I have, on three occasions, accidentally attempted to merge into either left of right lane only to find I was encroaching upon some completely innocent driver. I look very carefully but there are things I just cant see in the OEM mirrors.

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mrtn

mrtn

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6 minutes ago, Doc Hoy said:

But in the short time  I have owned the first TC, I have, on three occasions, accidentally attempted to merge into either left of right lane only to find I was encroaching upon some completely innocent driver. I look very carefully but there are things I just cant see in the OEM mirrors.

Perhaps you could benefit from the Euro van mirrors, with convex lens in the bottom:

180-1.JPG

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Fifty150

Fifty150

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5 hours ago, Doc Hoy said:

Not sure why I have so much difficulty seeing into the area in the next lane and just even with the truck.

Strange.  I went out and looked at my mirrors again.  Then double checked as I was driving around town.  I think I can see everything that I need to see; 1 & 2 lanes to the left & right of me.

In the first photo, I can even see three lanes over to the Town Car, and the car in front of it which is 2 lanes over.

 

In the 3,4,&5 photos, as I'm passing The City's Transit Connect, the 4th photo even shows the rear quarter panel and axle of the vehicle as I pull away.  But if the problem is perspective, I can imagine how as you're looking in the mirror, you don't actually see the car that is right next you because you're focused on trying to see that little mirror in the corner.

KIMG0599.JPG

KIMG0612.JPG

KIMG0615.JPG

KIMG0616.JPG

KIMG0617.JPG

KIMG0618.JPG

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Fifty150

Fifty150

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the second photo shows a Transit Connect that I'm pulling up alongside of, the little subcompact car behind him which is in the traditional blindspot area that I would look over my right shoulder to check, and the Transit Connect which is following him.  

 

Looks to me like I can see just fine out of those same mirrors.  

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Doc Hoy

Doc Hoy

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I would say that I need to pay more attention to what I am doing....But in my defense I am a pretty careful (although quite ....... "enthusiastic") driver. That is especially true when I am driving the TCs since I seem to have convinced myself that there are two blind spots. I have in fifty years of driving had exactly one at-fault accident about 12 years ago. It happened just this morning that a driver passed me on the left hand side and my reaction was that he came out of nowhere. (I was driving the newer TC without the cameras). I have my mirrors set pretty much the same as yours and I simply did not see this guy. It was a simple move with no danger of collision. He was just overtaking and I was remaining in my lane but if I had been trying the change into his lane I would have needed to be specifically observant to see him.

As regards the Euro mirrors, they appear to be pretty nice. Didn't know they exist.  

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mrtn

mrtn

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The reason you didn't get the "Euro" mirrors in the US is that all US cargo vans were actually passenger vans imported and converted to cargo vans to avoid chicken tax. European passenger vans have the same, small mirrors. Cargo vans have the large mirrors from the factory.

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Fifty150

Fifty150

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I think you're better off using the cameras.  They seem to be working for you.  No mirror will give you the view that your camera is giving you.........because you're now used to, and like the cameras.  

Instead of having two monitors on the left, try one of these for your actual rearview backup camera:

61FkKnlqGOL._SL1001_.jpg

 

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G B L

G B L

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The big mirrors are an option here as well but most dealers will not option them into a spec vehicle. 

The biggest problem I have with the spot mirror is where it is located.  If it were on the inside corner of the main mirror it could give a better field of view.  The other advantage for me is it would not disrupt your eye when you scan the full mirror for vehicles.

As mrtn's  great picture shows the mirror's are much more reliable than the camera.16835935_10212259885794846_7083206825481

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