Relocate Reversing Camera

[Bassett Member Find all posts View Profile Close Bassett]

Has anyone relocated the reversing camera on the 150 from the centre of the spare tyre to the bumper just above the towbar tongue?
If not, does anyone think that it is possible?
Thanks
Bassett

[Ian Reid Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Reid]

Our work wagons have Kaymar rear bars with dual wheel carriers.

The camera has been relocated to just above the "bumper" on a small bracket so it is definitely possible. It is great for connecting trailers etc as you can see the tow ball.

It is more exposed to sunlight so often has " overexposed" picture when sun is behind the car which makes it hard to see, but some sort of top cover might help
Cheers
Ian


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[Bassett Member Find all posts View Profile Close Bassett]

Thanks Ian. I have been thinking about having this done to make hitching up the caravan just that bit easier.
Regards
Bassett

[SuperDavid Member Find all posts View Profile Close SuperDavid]

Thanks Ian. I have been thinking about having this done to make hitching up the caravan just that bit easier.
Regards
Bassett

there is a thread around somewhere about removing the shroud around the camera, which allows you to see the towball from its original position.
I think I've read some people have also cut the bottom half of the shroud off to increase the viewing angle.
I might have copy and pasted the camera modification into a note, I'll see if I can find it

[SuperDavid Member Find all posts View Profile Close SuperDavid]

If your just after being able to see your towball, then this is probably the way to go.

"Hey Matty, maybe my reverse camera setup is a bit different to yours, but I did my modification in 10 minutes, and didn't use a 10mm spanner, (I used the 12mm spanner and a very small phillips screw driver) but... didn't have to cut anything!
I guess one could say that there is need to "circumcise" the camera shroud, when you can discard the whole shroud completely.

Here goes, step by step, photos to come if anyone wants photos (but really, its pretty simple...it has to be if I can do it in under 10 minutes).

1. Remove spare wheel cover. (Unclip the little access hatch to remove the 12mm bolt, unclip the cover retaining latch and then "persuade" the cover to come off.
2. Remove the spare wheel from the wheel carrier.

(Just an aside; I actually got a phone call from the Toyota dealer once, asking how to remove the spare wheel so they could rotate the wheels..arghh!! What hope do we have when even the dealers can't read the manual and remove the spare wheel.)

3. Use the 12mm spanner again to unbolt the two bolts that retain the camera assembly to the spare wheel carrier.
3. Unclip the camera's electrical connection.
4. Take the camera assembly to a bench and remove the remaining 12mm bolt that connects the camera bracket to the camera assembly.

Now you have access to four (4) small phillips head camera and camera shroud retaining screws.

4. Unscrew the four (4) camera and camera shroud retaining screws using a very small phillips head screw driver.
5. Remove the tiny camera head itself and the camera shroud from the metal assembly, and..... discard the shroud.

I have placed my camera shroud in the glove box until I am sure I really don't need it. I'm not convinced that it is actually needed, so why bother even cutting it down and modifying it... I recon just get rid of the camera shroud altogether. But I'm open to comments and advice on this.

6. Re-install the tiny camera head itself, minus its shroud, this time using only the two (2) small philips head screws that retain the camera head itself to the camera bracket.
7. Replace the 12mm bolt that connects the camera bracket to the camera assembly
8. Re-attach the camera electrical connection.
9. Replace the two (2) 12mm bolts that retain the camera assembly to the spare wheel carrier.
10. Replace the spare wheel
11. Replace the spare wheel cover.
12. Admire the wider field of view from the reverse camera

Less than 10 minutes, no cutting, and you certainly get a bigger field of view on the reversing camera screen. I can now just see the top of my tow ball in the reverse camera...happy days

Why didn't I do this a couple of years ago?

If anyone is interested I can post photos of each step, but honestly, I've used lots of words and steps above that are really not needed, just have a look and start unbolting and unscrewing bits like I did...and if for some reason I have it wrong, I can easily reverse the process and re-install the camera shroud, but so far it seems fine, and the camera is still retained by two phillips screws. I might put a dab of silicone under the camera itself if I feel it is not retained as securely as it was previously when it also had the two camera shroud screws insitu.

Any comments/advice always welcome."

[rwo Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close rwo]

Yep, if you wish to just see the towball, cut the shroud away below the Camera, I did this last week and it works perfectly. As Superdavid said, you can just pull it off and throw it away for the same effect, but I cut mine down and put it back in place as a bit of extra support for the camera, it is only held in place by two tiny screws.

After cutting mine, I worked out that Toyota probably make the shroud like that to mask the curved effect from the camera on the bottom of the screen.

Camera Modifications



Increased Field of View and Towball



If you still want to relocate the camera, Kaymar sell their plug and play harness that is used with the rear bar as an individual item.

[peter_mcc Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close peter_mcc]

I removed the shroud but I still can't quite see the towball because the cover is in the way (2014 GXL)

I tried spacing the whole camera bracket further off the car but that doesn't work (as I worked out too late) - it moves the spare wheel cover out too!

I need to have another go at it and move the camera "out" without moving the bracket the wheel cover sits on.

[hulbyw Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close hulbyw]

Modifying or removing the camera shroud still doesn't help to see the ball if you have a Hayman Reese towbar, as the HR bar seems to tuck under the Prado more so than the Toyota one.

[rwo Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close rwo]

Just to confirm, I have a Toyota tow bar and the wheel cover is removed. YMMV.

[kenny5000 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close kenny5000]

I wouldn't mind re-locating mine so I can still use it when I have my rubbish bag on just got to work out a bracket. For those with rear wheel carriers, after moving are the guide lines on the screen out??

[Bugalugs Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Bugalugs]

On my 2012GXL with the standard Toyota 2500kg tow bar.

I have removed the shroud, bent the bracket, rebent the bracket with no tow ball to be seen.

After driving without the shroud, the camera seems to get dirty very quick and you can see bugger all so the shroud has now been refitted.

I have contemplated putting a camera under the number plate even though it's not in direct line with the tow ball.

Has anyone else placed the camera on the number plate?

[Bassett Member Find all posts View Profile Close Bassett]

The reason I am looking at relocating the camera to the bumper just above the towbar is because my caravan has a Hitchmaster DO35 coupling which requires quite precise positioning of the hitch. With the camera in the spare tyre, it provides a view that is off centre and does not give accurate enough view on most occasions. With the camera on the bumper, it would be easier to line everything up.

[AussieAndy Find all posts View Profile Close AussieAndy]

With the camera on the wheel carrier with the kaymar fitted it does get dirtier quicker and the lines aren't exactly the same but still very usable. Once I fitted the camera down on the carrier the missus and I went to the local woollies and got an idea of where the lines sit now. With adjustment of the camera bracket we got it worked out. We set it so the line above the red line is as far as you can back to something so the door can still open and the red line gives us about 6 inches short of hitting the bare wheel, depending on how much is in the bin bag is if it just hits or not.

A relocation loom wouldn't be that hard to make either if you are happy to sacrifice one of the factory little connector looms for the ends. Just need a bit of 4 core wire. 5 core trailer wiring could be used, just ignore one wire

[dreamon Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dreamon]

Very interested in this thread to see the solution of how to hitch my van up as I have a hayman reece also and can't see the towball

[Bassett Member Find all posts View Profile Close Bassett]

I have decided not to relocate the reversing camera. It seems that the camera would have to sit proud of the rear bumper (about 30mm) as there is no room to recess it because of the Hayman Reece towbar taking up the available space and would therefore be susceptible to being bumped by your knee when accessing the boot. Ah well, seemed like a good idea at the time.