RV Side Camera Placement [DIY Guide]

RV Side View Cameras are an essential safety feature that removes blind spots while driving. In addition, it helps in checking the surrounding before changing the lanes. Thus, with a proper RV Side Camera Placement driving an RV becomes much more manageable.

The side RV camera provides a better view of both sides of your RV. However, if you place them wrong or do the installation wrong, it will be a waste of your money and time.

So to save you from the incorrect RV Side Camera Placement, in this article, we have covered everything about the RV side camera and how to place them.

Features Of RV Side Camera

RV Side Camera plays an instrumental role in RV driving. Some of their primary purposes are as follows.

Lane Change

Changing lanes becomes difficult with an RV, especially if there is a vehicle in the right lane. However, the real-time video feed of a side view camera helps the driver to change lanes easily.

Wide Field View

With a proper RV Side Camera Placement with an angle of view of 90 degrees, the driver gets the angle of view of 45 degrees on either side of the camera lying on the vehicle’s center line. Thus, with a larger field view of side cameras, the driver can see a larger area behind the RV.

Night Vision

Traditional side view mirrors came with no anti-reflective coat, which reduced the glare at nighttime and made it difficult to drive at night. However, modern RV side view cameras come with infrared LEDs placed ON inside the side camera. These LEDs help you see everything clearly at night time on a screen.

With a proper RV Side Camera placement, these features let you see clear images of obstacles, roads, or objects on both sides of the RV. Some cameras also allow you to move the camera downwards and check for obstacles on the ground.

Types of RV Side Camera

Many types of RV Side Cameras are available on the market. 

• Wired Cameras
• Wireless Cameras
• Surface-Mounted Cameras
• Flush-Mounted Cameras
• Dashboard Cameras
• Box Cameras

However, wired and wireless cameras are the most popular types. Most of the RVs have either of the two RV side camera placements. Thus, we are going to explore more about them.

Wired RV Side Camera

Wired RV Side Camera provides a more reliable and stable signal. Besides, they also deliver high-quality images and more fantastic night visions.

However, before deciding on a wired RV side camera placement, you first need to determine whether your RV can handle wire installations or not.

Besides, wired cameras are more expensive than wireless ones. Hence, ensure your RV’s capacity to handle a wired camera, or else the wired RV side camera placement will get more challenging and expensive.

Wireless RV Side Camera

Wireless RV Side Camera does not require cables for installation. However, no cable connection between the camera and the monitor results in image interference and occasional signal issues.

Wireless cameras come with an easy and fast installation process because of the absence of wires. All you need to do is plug the cameras into a 12V DC power source and get started.

Where To Place RV Side Camera

RV Side Camera Placement is as important as installing them. With the wrong positioning of the side cameras, it gets difficult to see the sides of the RV.

The correct RV side camera placement is just below the clearance lights. It should not be a problem if your clearance lights are low; however, it will vary from rig to rig.

Another good RV side camera placement option is at the roof line just behind the entry door. This way, you can also use it as an RV entrance door security camera when parked at a campsite.

Tools Required For RV Side Camera Placement

The main tools required for a proper RV Side Camera placement are:

• A set of Screwdriver
• A 3/4 bit drill
• RV Sealant

With these tools, you can tighten the camera screws quickly and also achieve a weatherproof seal.

Steps of Installation

Follow the steps to install the RV side camera efficiently. 

Installing the Monitor

The monitor is placed inside of the RV for both the wired and wireless RV side cameras. Do not mount it in the direct line of sight, as it will make it difficult for you to notice.

The best RV side camera monitor placement is either clipping it to the dashboard or installing it lower to the left.

Drill a hole and connect the monitor’s cable to the power source.

Installing the Side Cameras

Follow these steps to install the side cameras.

Step 1: Camera Mounting

The RV side camera placement on the side of your RV should be at the center and as low as possible. Before screwing the cameras, ensure your spot is the perfect one for RV side camera placement.

Step 2: Camera’s Orientation

You can get a proper camera orientation if you have help. This way, one person can watch the dash monitor inside while the other one can advise the installer on the camera’s direction to get a straight-down view of the side of your RV.

Powering Up The Camera

The final procedure of the RV side camera installation is powering up the device. Both wired and wireless cameras are powered up in different ways. Below is the powering instruction for both of them.

Wired Cameras

The wired RV side camera required a wired connection with the monitor for receiving power and transmitting data. So you need to drill a 34-inch hole, feed the wires into that hole, and run it up to the front.

Since the side cameras are mainly needed while making a turn, there is no point in keeping it powered all the time. So instead, attach the camera cable to your side marker or turn lights. It will turn on the side camera when you are trying to take a turn.

Wireless Cameras

The best thing about wireless cameras is that you do not require to drill a hole and run the cable to the monitor for the video feed. However, you do need to feed power to the side cameras.

Hence, drill a hole and attach your side cameras to a power source through the closet. Additionally, just like wired cameras, connect the wireless camera cables to your turn or side marker lights to activate them only when you are trying to or taking a turn.

Conclusion

An RV side camera adds to the safety of driving an RV. With the proper RV side camera placement, you can keep an eye on your surrounding while moving or repositioning or even while halting at someplace.

So if you do not have one, make a couple of hundred dollar investment and get it installed today.