2oo series extra rear camera

[Bussy]

Quite a while back (about 2 years or more) I fitted an additional rear view camera to my 200 series.

As every 200 series owner knows the original camera is off-set somewhat to one side so it takes a little getting used to this for lining up the tow ball. I never had an issue and could do it easily by myself but I thought that maybe one day someone else would need to line my 200 up onto my van or boat if for example, I was ill or in an emergency situation.

I also found that on cold mornings the exhaust would cause some fog which sometimes blocked the entire view from the existing camera and also when doing a hitch line up in the dark there was just not enough light to really see what you need to see.

So to get around these issues I put an additional camera into the rear door and a LED strip light which not only lights up the whole hitching area it is good for seeing into the rear roller drawers and when working on stuff at the rear drop down part of the hatch which I use as a seat or workbench.

If you look at your 200 series rear door you will see a little plastic removable cover (GXL and upward). This can be taken out and drilled out to suit your chosen camera. There is plenty of room for the camera body to be set back into the cavity behind. This puts the camera exactly overhead and in centre of the tow ball looking down. Only PITA is getting the video and power to it via the existing rubber grommets and boots etc., so the wires can route into the 200 body proper. Allow a long day for this tedious exercise (as JR will tell you).

Using the new camera – When I first start to line up the van the rear door is closed and I use the original camera until close enough. This is when I get out and wind the jockey wheel up to required hook-up height and open the rear top half of the 200’s rear door and turn the LED light on if required.
This second camera is routed to the same rear view screen I use for the caravan’s rear camera, but by selecting the appropriate video input can see what is going on as it is exactly over my tow ball position. There is a red mark on my tow hitch so I know which side is the port side. You may have to flip the display setting a couple of times so it actually shows you the right view otherwise you will put left hand down when you should be doing the opposite.

The rear view screen is only mounted in the 200 when towing and I engineered a homemade adapter so it can use all the GoPro accessories and hence the GoPro stick-on mount (no screws) on my dash. The stick-on mount can also double as my dash-cam mount using my GoPro camera which sits to the windscreen side of the screen so both can be there at once. The fly lead for the screen power was just routed up the side of the dash near driver’s door under the rubber seal and held in place with stick on Velcro tape so no damage to the 200 plastics etc. The screen itself can be folded down to horizontal (back towards the seats) if not temporally required and hence does not block any view of the driver (it doesn’t anyway but just in case you are a short Rs). Most times I tow out on the highway with it down and only move it up if some idiot is mucking around behind me.

Hope this helps someone.

Cheers – Allan