360 camera systems

[Mi Bill]

We have a 2009 Monaco Dynasty Regal IV. I am considering a 360-camera system for the coach. I am looking for one that will work while going down the road and act as a surveillance system in the campground. I would like one in “English,” and the calibration does not take a rocket scientist to figure out. I have looked online and found systems from $250-$1,000, which all have many stars. Does anyone have successful experience with a particular system and would like to share?  Thank you all. Bill

[DavidL]

4 minutes ago, Mi Bill said:

We have a 2009 Monaco Dynasty Regal IV. I am considering a 360-camera system for the coach. I am looking for one that will work while going down the road and act as a surveillance system in the campground. I would like one in “English,” and the calibration does not take a rocket scientist to figure out. I have looked online and found systems from $250-$1,000, which all have many stars. Does anyone have successful experience with a particular system and would like to share?  Thank you all. Bill

 

I don't know of any 360 systems that are that inexpensive.  And, no matter which, they all will be made in Asia.  Especially at low price points.  How do you plan to install this?  How will you run the camera cables (needs 4 cameras)?  Post a link to cameras that you have found.

[Mi Bill]

I Googled and checked Amazon for the different systems.  The Weivision system is one and Zhanhongxiang is another $250-350 four camera systems. These are wired. I have not decided on any and there a lot out there, that's why I am asking if any has any success with a system.

[On_the_road]

I bought this system https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0994GJSSS?ref_=pe_623860_70668520_dpLink

I ran all 4 wired cameras in my Monaco Signature 45'.   It was a lot of work mounting the cameras and running the wires, but I got it all done.  I needed an extension cable for the rear camera.   I contacted them, and they sold me one at a reasonable price.  The quality of the cameras is good and the amount of work for the installation is about what I expected.

The software is not so good.   They provided 4 large checkerboard cloths for the calibration.   There is a button to do an automatic calibration.   The result was less than satisfactory.   One of the very important things with such systems is to have no blind spots.   The cameras can see from front to rear and side to side, that is not the problem.   The cameras have a fish-eye lens and depend on the software to remove the extreme fish-eye distortion.   This is necessary to be able to see at the corners of the vehicle.   The automatic calibration leaves the corners completely blind.

They provide a method for manually making the adjustments.   Using this I got it better, but the corners are still not seen.    If someone walks around the vehicle, they disappear at the corners.   I think that with enough fiddling you could make the system adequate, but the user interface is so inconvenient that I gave up.

For the money, it is probably worth it.   It is fun to drive around and see everyone around you, but I am blind at the corners.

There are American made systems that cost about $2000 and up.   If you have driven a car with a 360 system, they can be very good.   This Weivision system has the ability to update the software, which I hope that they will do.

 

 

 

[Yoaks5]

Check out this post. He installed a 360 degree camera and I pretty much installed the same thing on my coach with the same system. I really like it. My coach came with side cameras on the turn signals and I never look at them or my original backup camera anymore. I have a much better view and better quality picture on the 360 set up. Plus I like having the monitor mounted on the dash. I can see it with just a glance and it doesn't block my view of the road at all. I originally had mine set up so when the turn signal is on it would give me a better view of the side. But have since changed the settings so it always stays on the rear camera. After the install I went to a empty parking lot to do the calibration. It took me and my 15 year old about 1 1/2 hours to do that part. 

[Mi Bill]

Thank you for the great information. That was one of the systems I was looking at.  Yes the American made systems seem to be very expensive. I have not driven a car with the 360 system. Thanks. Bill

[bill4029]

Hi Bill from another Bill !   I have my second install of the Brigade electronics Backeye 360 system .  i had on my Monterey and now on my 08 Marquis and the system is amazing. Both of mine were installed by Brigade team members and have performed very well.. Calibration is complex to ensure there is great corner view and the "Fish eye" is eliminated. It has complete 360 coverage from touching the coach to over 20 feet all around and is fully functional stopped or of course in motion. the views are customizable if wanted by the default 360 is always present if wanted and each side, front or rear as well in second view. Corp offices are in Indiana and in the UK, so checks off one of your boxes.  It is as most have indicated not cheap, but a great system and customer support is worth it to me. Look them up on the internet and give them a call and see what they might offer. They started I believe in the commercial market installing on fire trucks, city buses and city trucks. That experience is obvious when they added the RV/coach market and they really have been nice to work with.  

[On_the_road]

If I had seen the SZDALOS system install thread, I would probably have bought that.   It seems to me that the Weivision does the automatic calibration wrong.   They have you put the calibration patterns directly under the cameras, at the center of each side.   This does not give the software the ability to stitch the video together at the corners.   The software has no idea where the corners are.   I am thinking about trying the manual calibration again but with the patterns at the corners and trying to make the cameras match up the images.   I am sure that this would be easy for a 12 year old with years of video game experience.

The connectors that the Weivision uses thread together and are about 5/8" in diameter.   The SZDALOS connectors are much smaller, which is a big plus for installation.  

[Scotty Hutto]

I have the Szdalos system. Calibration is not necessarily complex, but it takes a couple of hours.  The result is a very good 360° view of the coach.  It does serve all of the functions you mention. 

There is a write-up on my installation of this system, that also references another write-up. 

 

[Mi Bill]

Thank you all for the GREAT information.  I will have to digest the information and make a decision. 

Thanks again!

Mich Bill