I have a camera on the back of my motorhome. I don't know what kind it is. It
is helpful. It took some "getting use to", but it is better than nothing when I
am hooking up my trailer.

The screen of mine is small and part of the rearview mirror. I would assume
that a bigger screen would be better. But then again, it may be in how you use
it. :)

Hank

OH! That kind of hitching!

TV monitors are useful for MH's because they have a large blind spot in the
back. The resolution will help you avoid large objects while backing or
monitoring a toad whole driving.
Putting a tv camera on a pickup seems like an expensive solution to a minor
problem. Patience and practice and a little skill is all you really need.
1) Know your tow vehicle. you should be able to back into a parking space or
garage with your side mirrors without turning your head to look out the back
or side window.
2) Find landmarks on your TT that you can find with your side and rear view
mirrors to line yourself up so that the ball will line up with the hitch.
3) The last few feet are critical. Stop, get out judge the distance between
ball and hitch, look for landmarks by the side of the truck to mimmick the
distance you need to go, back almost that distance, get out and check again.
Practice, practice, practice, you'll be surprised how quickly you will
become a pro.

My wife hooks up our rig by herself on a curved driveway to a full sized
van. She nails the hitch (A Hensley) dead center every time without hardley
a pause.
The van is a lot tougher then a PU since the rear window and rear view
mirror is practicly useless.

Aneta,
Here is a copy of my post to referenced newsgroup.
Should answer your questions.
Carl

With tips from jrnutpaul, I assembled the following items and they seem to
work.
I am posting this in response to a PM request from another forum member.
This is long, with a lot of detail and narrative, so it will prolly interest
not everybody.

Model 570M-3 5.7-inch TFT LCD Monitor from www.xenarcdirect.com/
This has a reversing switch to show a mirror image, if desired.
If you turn it upside down, it automatically reverses the image, top to
bottom.
Model CLA-12V 12V DC Ccigarette Lighter Adaptor for Xenarc Monitor - same
source

XX17A WideEye InstantOn X10 Camera from www.automatedoutlet.com
This camera has a 120-degree angle of view and works on 12VDC.
VR36A Video Only Receiver uses 9VDC- same source

Automated Outlet had slightly better prices and did not include items I had
no use for.
All items came with AC adapters and I first tested them using the AC
adapters. Worked OK.

#265-566 Cigarette Lighter Plug Dual Socket Adaptor from
www.partsexpress.com
# 2731863 9Volt Cigarette Lighter Power Adapter for VR36A from Radio Shack
This came with a connector to fit the VR36A. I took the VR36A with me to
Radio Shack and they selected the correct connector from a group of about 12
types.
#2701509 Plug for cigarette lighter socket from Radio Shack

My tow vehicle has a single power outlet (cigarette-Lighter socket) on the
dash and another near the rear door.
I plugged in the dual socket adaptor. Plugged the monitor into one side of
the dual adaptor. Plugged the 9V adapter into the other side and plugged the
VR36A receiver into the 9-Volt adaptor.

Then, I tested the Camera in my trailer attached to my towcar, using an AC
extension cord and the 12V adaptor provided with the camera. I got the
signal through the back window of my car but lost it. The beam width at 2.4
gigahertz is very narrow, so pointing the camera antenna at the receiver
antenna is critical and difficult.

I intended also to use a camera at the back of my towcar to assist in hitch
alignment, so I decided to do that first and worry about the trailer
rear-view later. Having once gotten a signal from the trailer, I figured I
could do it again and maybe better if I took more time with it.

I devised a mount for the camera at the rear of my vehicle, looking down at
the hitch ball. Then, I had the problem of wiring the camera to 12Volts. I
sent an e-mail to X10 tech support asking for the wire color code in that
power cord and got no reply.
I checked the X10 tech support FAQs at www.x10.com/support/faq_camera.htm
and found an item that provided a clue. It said that InstantOn cameras have
two positive power wires in the power cord and one negative. I deduced that
when the camera is used in a residence on 110-volt power, the camera is on
all the time and the associated transmitter is switched on by commands thru
the 110-volt wiring to the 110V power adapter that came with the camera.

So, I cut the power cord and found a red wire, a white wire, and braided,
stranded wire surrounding the red and white conductors -- similar to the
shield in coax cables. Since the shield is normally grounded, I assumed it
was the negative wire. For my application, I did not want to key the
transmitter on and off, I wanted both camera and transmitter to be on as
long as power was applied.

So, I twisted the red and white wires together. They are tiny. I doubled
them and applied solder to make them large enough to be captured and held in
the Radio Shack cig lighter plug. I also twisted and soldered the stranded
shield wires, for the same reason. Then I plugged the camera/transmitter
into the 12V socket at the back of my vehicle, turned everything on, and it
worked.

At noon, I drove to the storage place where I keep my trailer to check the
usefulness of the rear view. The sun was shining thru the front window onto
the face of the monitor and I had to shade it to see anything. I will make a
sunshade to stop that.

I conclude that the setup will be useful in connecting to my trailer because
I travel solo. Next, I will see if I can squirt 2.4 gig from the trailer
thru the back window of my car to the same receiver and monitor already
described.

I think there are two booby-traps here. One is the camera power cable, which
I may have solved thru good luck. The other is pointing the two antennas at
each other. If misaligned, the monitor screen is dark and it looks like the
system is not working. If I get the trailer camera antenna talking to the
reciever in my car again, I plan to lock the antenna positions with a dab of
silicone sealant.

Carl,

Thanks for the link.  Is your camera a kit or something you did yourself?
Is it permanently installed?

Aneta

Aneta,
There is a long thread on this topic at
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/board/index.php?showtopic=4429&hl=camera
It concerns using an X-10 wireless camera as a rear-view aid.
I have one that looks down at my hitch ball and makes it
very easy to hookup the trailer.
Carl

"ANETA NEWTON" <a.newton@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
news:KbTXc.14408$il.3047@newssvr22.news.prodigy.com...
Hi folks,

I need help hitching as I'm a solo.

Any experience with Hind-Sight or SureShot camera systems?  Does anybody
know where I might find a wireless system?

I'm open for any suggestions.

Aneta