Experience of parking cameras?

I have had reversing sensors on both my towcars - in both cases factory fitted, with no issues when the towbar was later fitted.

I also have a reversing camera on my current towcar (a landcruiser). Its wonderful for hitching up alone as I set the camera to include the towball in its image.

I didn't use a separate display so can't help you on that front (the car has a full screen satnav, so I wired the camera in to that).

Biggles explained on 30/12/2011 :

A camera's display gives not many clues as to distance from an object, so really your bumper needs to be in the frame. If you can arrange the camera so as to look down, they are great. Another problem is that the screen can be difficult to see in bright conditions.

My OEM reversing sensors are supposed to compensate for the towball sticking out and I have no reason to dispute that. It might be the can-bus towing electrics unit, which sorts out the extra compensation?

Anyway, back to the point... They beep once to confirm they are working as it goes into reverse, then beep more frequently the nearer you get to an object, with a continuous tone at 2" or so before the towball makes contact.

My radio/TV/satnav etc. unit is all set up to accept a reversing camera and I have a camera ready to work with it, but I have not found a need to actually instal it - the sensors work so well.

Why not just learn to judge the distance like we did in the old days instead of paying out for useless gadgetry that doesn't work properly?

McK.

I think this is one case where the French have it right: park by touch, and have cars designed for it!

Because the limited rear vision available with many modern cars gives you little or no reference points from which to judge distance. Agreed it was easier when cars had visible boots, bonnets and wings.

I can't see the bonnet of the car behind (unless it's several feet away) or of the car I'm in from the driver's seat of my car - and I'm tall.

Biggles

Add to that the fact that parking spaces get smaller, cars get bigger, and all the plastic parts mean trivial repairs are expensive, and it's easy to see (pun unintended) why reversing sensors might be useful.

Chris

That's true, and the RR mascot atop the bonnet gave a good indication of the exact position of the front. ;-)

How many reasons do you want? Because not everyone can accurately judge distance to the scale required to park - eyes that aren't quite aligned correctly make it difficult to judge distance without other cues. Fine when driving, not so great when parking. Because cars are bigger now than in the past, and car parking spaces haven't got any bigger, making it a tighter fit. Because cars are much more expensive to repair after a slight graze or known now that everything's made out of plastic, so a tiny bump can cost many hundreds of pounds to repair. Because car shapes have changed, giving the driver fewer external cues. My car for example - you can't see any of the boot out the rear window, and the rear end bens in slightly making it impossible to see in any of the mirrors, or by turning your head, exactly where the rear of the car is. You can only judge an approximate pint on the car and allow some extra distance for the rest of the car and bumper that is invisible from the drivers seat.

Because refusing to use technology is just stupid. Or should we all go back to cars without power steering, ABS, ESP, air bags, seat belts, turbo diesel engines, or any of the other advances that have been made over the last decades?

That do, or do you need more answers?

Ford Capris are like this and it didnt stop me from learning where the front and rear are.

Why? It has to be paid for and it can break down....then what?

Or should we all go back

Not at all - but these inventions didn't reduce the skill that the driver needs in driving.

Yes please.

McK

The UK versions had well defined boots and bonnets. I used to deliver them in the 70's and had no problems parking them in a packed workshop. Bloody nice cars Capris, pity they rusted away. It's about time Ford produced a retro model like VW have done with the Beetle.

Anyhow, the question I asked was has anyone have any experience with parking cameras, not does anyone want to hark back to the good old days :-)

Biggles

What about moving the lard bum and stepping out of the car for a few second and memorize the current position? Is that too hard work?

My current and last car had cameras fitted at the factory - the Prius had it just above the rear plate, the Golf has it hidden behind the VW badge.

The Prius also had self-park... which was fun, and frightening at the same time :)

Having had a camera, I'd say they're a worthwhile option on any car.

(I can still parallel park a car without camera in a very tight space - but a camera just makes life a little easier)

And I'm sure wankers have decried seat belts & windscreen washers & disk brakes and lights & mirrors & ABS & ESP and just about every invention that has made driving safer since the invention of the motor car.

Tim

...and watch someone else drive forwards into your parking space instead?

No; totally unnecessary if you are open-minded enough to let technology do the hard work for you however.

Chris