360° Camera System

[Scotty Hutto]

Let me start by giving credit where it is due. I got this idea from @pwhittle and post by @StellaTariche .  Here is a link to his thread:

Next, many thanks to @pwhittle for all of the help, including fabricating mounts for my side cameras. And many thanks to @vanwill52 for the help getting things installed. 

Here is a pic of the display showing me getting fuel after I finished the calibration process:

I used the szDalos 360° camera system with the smaller “new metal cameras”, purchased from AliExpress. Ordered Aug 28 Delivered Sept 13. Total cost, including shipping, was $509.27. (I already had the 10“ monitor)  

US $419.00 | Bird View camera System for RV  / motorhome  / Camper   HD 3D 360 Surround View System  1080P DVR G-Sensor
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mKelD0E

Like @StellaTariche, I ran my camera cables along the roof, using the existing access hole on the roof to run cables down through the A-pillar to the dash. I used the supplies he recommended in his post. (If you are going to do this, I STRONGLY recommend reading his thread.)

To echo John’s advice… unless you are doing the calibration in an aircraft hangar or enclosed garage with smooth concrete floors, don’t bother trying to use the tape provided with the kit for calibration. Use the measuring wheel and chalk he recommends. 

Additionally, there are not a lot of directions in the manual for setting up the calibration layout. Measure well, and understand that laying out the grid EXACTLY to the dimensions shown for your length vehicle will give a good result. The more accurate you are, the better the “stitching” process will work. 

I thought I had pics of my camera locations, but will post those later  

Here are some pics of my cable runs and calibration process  

 

[Scotty Hutto]

Camera placements:

Front:

Rear:

Curb (passenger) side:

Road (driver) side:

 

[Bill C]

I installed the 360 degree Bird View Camera by SZDalos (as suggested by several members) and noticed a delay in the time a car passes me and the time I actually see it on the monitor.

I also noticed that a vehicle sitting next to me at a stop light is physically located at a little different location than is being displayed on the monitor (I think it was farther ahead of me than was displayed on the monitor, but the location might have been behind be more than the monitor displayed, I've only driven the RV on one short trip to the shop so far).

Has anyone else experienced something similar?

Thanks,

Bill

[Scotty Hutto]

13 hours ago, Corkman said:

I installed the 360 degree Bird View Camera by SZDalos (as suggested by several members) and noticed a delay in the time a car passes me and the time I actually see it on the monitor.

I also noticed that a vehicle sitting next to me at a stop light is physically located at a little different location than is being displayed on the monitor (I think it was farther ahead of me than was displayed on the monitor, but the location might have been behind be more than the monitor displayed, I've only driven the RV on one short trip to the shop so far).

Has anyone else experienced something similar?

Thanks,

Bill

Yes, I’ve noticed the lag - maybe 1xsecond or so? Enough to cause a problem if someone zips up into your blind spot in that interval, so I’ve learned not to rely only on the 360° - it’s just one more tool.  I suspect the lag is due to the processing of the raw images being merged to the 360° view. I haven’t figured out a fix… unless SzDalos decided to upgrade the memory and processor…

As far as the position of vehicles relative to the coach, I believe that can be corrected by calibration. When I first installed the system, I did notice some offset. When, through my own fault (deleted all settings 🤦🏻‍♂️), I had to recalibrate, the offset seemed to be less noticeable. If you haven’t yet… buy an extra SD card and save all of your calibration settings… the aggravation you save will likely be your own. 🤪

[Scotty Hutto]

Here is the camera aiming grid, for reference: