Hitching up a trailer using the reverse camera

MarkH · May 15, 2023

With the rear camera sitting off centre under the spare, how does it affect lining up the towball and coupling when reversing.
My hitch is a pin type arrangement not a towball so not a lot of tolerance when lining it up.
Snapshot below of the screen from a recent YT video. Looks like it could be a real pain being offset like that.

bigleonski · May 15, 2023

Yeah the 200 Series landcruiser guys towing caravans always bitch and moan about the camera being off centre and therefore making it difficult to hitch their vans up. I’ve never had much of a drama though, so I think it has something to do with how your brain works or something?

I’ll complain more about how small the camera view on the screen is I think. I would have thought if you’re reversing your vehicle and using the camera the only thing you want to see is the viewfinder, not everything else, so why not use all the real estate on the screen?

MarkH · May 15, 2023

bigleonski said:
Yeah the 200 Series landcruiser guys towing caravans always bitch and moan about the camera being off centre and therefore making it difficult to hitch their vans up. I’ve never had much of a drama though, so I think it has something to do with how your brain works or something?

I’ll complain more about how small the camera view on the screen is I think. I would have thought if you’re reversing your vehicle and using the camera the only thing you want to see is the viewfinder, not everything else, so why not use all the real estate on the screen?

Bugger, thought as much, the hitch is a D035 so not going to be much fun. They didn't think that one through.

bigleonski · May 15, 2023

MarkH said:
Bugger, thought as much, the hitch is a D035 so not going to be much fun. They didn't think that one through.

Yeah I use an old treg block hitch on my offroad van so you need to get both height and direction sorted. Can make it tricky. Perhaps if it’s an issue someone will come up with a relocation solution.

rovingoz · May 16, 2023

Seems the camera was centred under the spare more for aesthetics, backing up to hitch will be a debacle, even reversing into a car spot will be skewed. #wtfineos

YIPPE · May 16, 2023

rovingoz said:
Seems the camera was centred under the spare more for aesthetics, backing up to hitch will be a debacle, even reversing into a car spot will be skewed. #wtfineos

I mean we could take the time and precaution in moving the camera... Or install an always on reverse camera so you can monitor your trailer. Or adapt. Can't imagine how people use to do it back in the day of no cameras. I get it it's not the best but again I've never had a reverse camera and managed. Any camera is a bonus for me.

DaveB · May 16, 2023

rovingoz said:
Seems the camera was centred under the spare more for aesthetics, backing up to hitch will be a debacle, even reversing into a car spot will be skewed. #wtfineos

I use the side mirrors to back into a car park and the reversing camera for depth

bmore_burnsy · May 16, 2023

The solution is the same as when determining hitch distance/depth with a centered rear camera--do it once and take note of the location of the hitch pin/ball in the camera's field of view, then aim for that location every subsequent time...

Znarfgh · Dec 20, 2023

I had absolutely no problem with the reverse camera on the Jeep Grand Cherokee -it is centered and the image takes up the full 8" screen - the way Ineos should have done it. I see no reason for off centering it and there is plenty of room to move it to directly above the towball. Problem is you would have a great big square hole in the door and would have to cut a new hole. Safe to say they got this totally wrong.

Jeremy996 · Dec 20, 2023

Having used the Grenadier for towing, I haven't found hitching up with the reversing camera much of a challange. That said, I have had 18 years of LR110 CSW, doing it without a camera!

Rok_Dr · Dec 21, 2023

Coming from having no camera on any car and being a generally solo traveler, I'm finding it very helpful so no complaints.

Tazzieman · Dec 21, 2023

Rok_Dr said:
Coming from having no camera on any car and being a generally solo traveler, I'm finding it very helpful so no complaints.

Reckon it will take me longer with a camera than the usual getting close , jumping out , checking and jumping back in, adjust , repeat!
A bit like using coins in a parking meter as opposed to doing the mob phone app thing.
Kids today just look at you like guppy fish at feeding time when you tell 'em!

holdmybeer · Dec 21, 2023

Tazzieman said:
Reckon it will take me longer with a camera than the usual getting close , jumping out , checking and jumping back in, adjust , repeat!
A bit like using coins in a parking meter as opposed to doing the mob phone app thing.
Kids today just look at you like guppy fish at feeding time when you tell 'em!

I'll still jump in and out when hitching up.

But gimme that PayByPhone parking app any day. It's just bloody civilized, compared to carrying sufficient coins for this city's expensive street parking (varies from $2 to $12 per hour) and then either overpaying or else running back out during business or socializing to feed a meter? No thanks. "Kids today" got that one right.

But yeah, I have a backup camera on the Sprinter and it's probably better than the Grenadier's camera but I still prefer to eye the hitch and ball in person.

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Hitching up a trailer using the reverse camera

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