So my step-dad's birthday is coming up and my mom wants to do a backup camera installation on his 2007 Rav4. I have done many stereo installs and such on my own cars, and my truck, that my mom would like me to take care of it for them. No big deal.
I was going to use a standard license plate camera that would tuck behind it nicely, but then I noticed the Rav4s have an offset Plate location.
So aside having to find a switched 12V source for the ignition in the back as well as trying to find a way to route wires, I needed to find a proper solution for this.
For you owners that have installed one, what did you use? Do the plate style cameras work ok and give a full view of either side of the vehicle? Did you opt for a manual mount camera and mount it directly under the bumper in the center of the vehicle? (My current option). Also, what did you use for ignition switched 12V? (The Pioneer deck I am considering has an option where you can turn on the camera to see behind you even when not in reverse, so I know the camera will need ignition 12V so it will stay on while the vehicle is running).
I already found two guides from 2012 and 2013 that show how to do this, and they have already answered a bunch of questions, but I would appreciate your input. Thanks in advance!
I did that myself with a cheap cam I had lying around. Screwing into the existing plate light lens. For power, I tapped the 12v outlet in the rear cargo area.
Wide enough angle to see to both sides of garage door(and the license plate for that matter).
Thanks for the suggestions. One of the other forum posts I found with my Google-Fu talked about something like that and they stated it was not as waterproof. Although it would be better than having to drill any holes in the body or under the car. Any word on if this cam is better than the ones before?
Also, I see that it is a 170 degree angle, so that gives me a bit of a basis on what to look for if I do decide to do a different cam. Finally, is the 12v outlet in the back ignition or always hot?
One other thing I was thinking of was attaching a lip mount camera to the spot directly to the right of the license plate light. There looks to be enough room. (If someone could grab some measurements for me, I'd appreciate it!)
This way, I can drill directly into the plastic piece that the light sits in, and use a grommet and silicone sealer around the incoming wire and mounting screws. I can even have it sit there until I get it wired up and make slight angle adjustments until I get a good image angle, then screw it down.
$80? That looks pretty identical to the one I have that was less than $10 on either amazon or ebay(forget) but then nobody every said crutchfield was good on prices. Got it 2 years ago and still works well.
Not sure what they mean by not as waterproof. The one I linked is pretty much an identical swap for the existing light lens. I would still advise going that route or drilling and screwing into the lens cover like I did. Should something go wrong that's a lot easier to replace.
You do make a good point. Just curious, you said you tapped into the 12v outlet in the back, so the camera is always running when the key is on? Have you had any ill effects on that? This is what I am aiming for, but the instructions on it say to wire to the backup lamp. I suppose it wouldnt matter if it is getting power only in reverse or all the time while the key is on.
Edit: just saw you had it for two years. You have probably just sold me on that one and it will make my install job much easier. Thanks for your input! I'll be sure to share some photos to this thread when I complete the install.
Yeah people say they burn out faster always being powered but no sign of an issue yet. Nor with my dash cam that runs continuously. Figure even if it does burn out it's cheap to replace and super easy to install now that all the wires are in place.
Drove cross-country with it being displayed too. Using it as a rear view mirror when we had the cargo area loaded to the ceiling.
So I have gotten the equipment and will be installing the system on Thursday. I was going over the resources I found to help me with the installation. However, using the guide I found earlier up, I see the guy just grounded out the parking brake wire to bypass it. I'd rather do it properly (not saying it wasn't done right).
I found this thread (http://www.rav4world.com/forums/98-...ke-wire-location.html#/topics/88520?_k=qjgisg) that places the parking brake wire is a black wire on a 14-pin connector at the top of the fuse box. The Pioneer deck I got doesnt specifically state what it needs (12V or Ground), but are most stereos pretty universal or am I hunting down a different wire? Forgive my ignorance on this but this is indeed my first DVD style stereo I am installing in any car.
Well, to close out the thread, the stereo and camera were installed. The job was easier than I expected. The hardest thing was mounting and routing the camera.
I ended up getting a lip-mount camera because the one listed above was either out of stock or discontinued. It went better than expected and it works great!
Thanks to the help all! I appreciate your input and this forum for the how-tos.
The final product.
Thanks again!
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