Matt's 150 GXL

[matt150 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close matt150]

I found out how easy it would be to remove the shadow on the lower part of verge reverse camera screen. I gave it a go and it is a easy job. You just remove the rear wheel cover, cut the little plastic shroud down and clean it up abit with a file. I found the shadow is gone and its better using the rear camera.

My next mod is to set up the rear camera on a switch to use when driving on the highway with my camper. Damo and I are onto this job and it will happen soon.

Modified shroud



New view on screen

[Brains Find all posts View Profile Close Brains]

I found out how easy it would be to remove the shadow on the lower part of verge reverse camera screen. I gave it a go and it is a easy job. You just remove the rear wheel cover, cut the little plastic shroud down and clean it up abit with a file. I found the shadow is gone and its better using the rear camera.

My next mod is to set up the rear camera on a switch to use when driving on the highway with my camper. Damo and I are onto this job and it will happen soon.

Modified shroud



New view on screen

Such a small screen!

[matt150 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close matt150]

some of us stuck with the bog standard screens ! LOL

[Brains Find all posts View Profile Close Brains]

some of us stuck with the bog standard screens ! LOL

You forget how small the factory screen is.

[brock05 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close brock05]

Matt, is that your towbar you can just see now. I find the standard setup doesn't give you any reference point i.e. bumper or towbar. When hitching the jayco up I find I always have to jump back in and come back a bit more as the sensors are going nuts but still a fair bit off the ball.

[matt150 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close matt150]

Matt, is that your towbar you can just see now. I find the standard setup doesn't give you any reference point i.e. bumper or towbar. When hitching the jayco up I find I always have to jump back in and come back a bit more as the sensors are going nuts but still a fair bit off the ball.

Yep that's my offroad hitch..

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

Hi mat, I know othershave mentioned elsewhere about modifying the reverse camera shroud to improve the field of view, specifically in an attem,pt to get a diect view of the tow ball, but from you image you posted, I am impressed with the view, and I will definately be doing this modification, as I am forever reversing to a camper trailer or a boat, often by myself (or worse, with guidance and help from my dear, well intentioned wife..."further, keep coming back, further, further, stop!!...not that much further".... know what I mean.)

Just a question Matt. When you cut the shroud back, did you have to remove the whole camera unit, or remove the shroud itself, of did you just modify it by cutting it and filing it whilst it was 'insitu'.. I'll have a go this weekend, and thanks for your post and images.

[matt150 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close matt150]

Hi mat, I know othershave mentioned elsewhere about modifying the reverse camera shroud to improve the field of view, specifically in an attem,pt to get a diect view of the tow ball, but from you image you posted, I am impressed with the view, and I will definately be doing this modification, as I am forever reversing to a camper trailer or a boat, often by myself (or worse, with guidance and help from my dear, well intentioned wife..."further, keep coming back, further, further, stop!!...not that much further".... know what I mean.)

Just a question Matt. When you cut the shroud back, did you have to remove the whole camera unit, or remove the shroud itself, of did you just modify it by cutting it and filing it whilst it was 'insitu'.. I'll have a go this weekend, and thanks for your post and images.

Gday.

I just removed the rear wheel cover, the used the 10mm spanner in the Toyota toolkit to remove the camera. Then I hacksawed the shroud to suit, filed it up an reverse refitted it.

About a 15min job.

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

Matt can you post up the Hazan and JSEA? That would add another 76 minutes to the job so we can all save that now

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

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.

[matt150 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close matt150]

Matt can you post up the Hazan and JSEA? That would add another 76 minutes to the job so we can all save that now

Exactly.. I did a take 5 and still used my Chinese steel capped thongs ( as usual )

Ok, I must have been the 12mm spanner. I left the modified shroud on in case one of those tiny screens decide to fall out over corigations. Then I might still have a camera .

Great write up.

[matt150 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close matt150]

I noticed this yesterday. With the reverse camera working, ya can change the contrast and brightness..

[Hutch Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hutch]

Good pickup Matty, just adjusted mine.

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

Awesome build thread Matt and one very neat 150, I think it might be time to tweak my reverse camera too, good work! Are you happy with your Lightforce Genesis, can't decide if I need the Hid or not.

Cheers

Josh

[matt150 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close matt150]

Hi Josh,

The HID Genesis throw a nice clean light and I have never had to adjust them after 25,000km. They are pricey and I wonder if Lightforce demand a premium price, because they can ? Don't be scared to really do some homework on HID lights before you buy. There are a lot of good deals about, but yes I am happy with Genesis.

Cheers on your comments on the build. Slow, steady and solid is my motto...