Reverse sensor kit

They're all going to be a pain to fit - the sensors have to be mounted on the rearmost point of the car, which usually means the bumper, so for any chance of them having a reasonable life, flush fitted. Unless you have a car where provision is already there for them. And you can get a kit which uses the same sensors.

Then you have to find a way of getting the wires into the boot in a waterproof sort of way. You'll also need to site the sounder inside the car.

Not trying to put you off - I fitted a set to my old SD1 Rover which was reasonably easy due to the fibreglass matt black bumper.

I realise that, but there is a pain to fit and there is an absolute pain to fit :-) I`m going to have a tow bar on it as of tomorrow, but stopping when I hear crunch isn`t really the best of options :-) Unfortunately there aren`t any fitting points in the car, which is a pain. Without being silly, are there places that fit them for you - I don`t mind paying if it`s done well, as it`d be cheaper and easier than the alternative. :-)

This complicates things in that unless you are careful in siting the sensors the towbar is seen as a collision point and the sounder activates

And of course you would have it going off all of the time that you reverse when towing unless that is there is a disable function when hitched up

Tony

The tow bar may complicate things as the ball becomes the furthest back point on the car, and will interfere with sensors if they're too close.

Simon, They don't all require drilling of bumpers. You can now get ones that clip behind your rear number plate (and front number plate, if you need one!). These are worth investigating. I've have had one of these systems for about a year, with no problem. Phil

It`s going to be very rare that I do actually tow with it - it`s got everything apart from the ball fitted, 2 electric points etc, so may as well have it ready to use incase it`s ever needed. And I realise that we`d have to be careful siting the sensors to avoid it picking up on the towball itself.

Hi Phil, any chance of a name or source for these, they sound a lot easier :-)

There is this type that sticks on behind the bumper and works with tow bars:

Has anyone tried one of these? I`m really tempted by this now :-)

New cars still seem to have visible sensors?

Not all of them. If they son't you won't know they're there:-)

I got the URL from a thread in a forum about the subject and the poster had fitted and was extremely pleased by this one.

Found it, reply number 9:

No direct experience, but this type might not pick up obstacles which are off centre.

You can get microwave ones which are invisible as they fit inside plastic bumpers. Maplin sell a 'normal ' type kit for 40 quid, it would be as good as any, ie it will give you a guide. A better solution includes a camera.

And there is yet another: Summit Easipark Visual Aid £9.99.

Its performance falls short of what is expected (My expectation, that is; maybe mine is unreasonably too high). The bending of light from the rear bumper is not nearly far enough, or at least when used on the sloping tailgate window of a hatchback. What one sees in the rear mirror through this gadget is not the bumper (or rather the gap between the front bumper of the car behind and your rear bumper), but the front end of the top of the bonnet of the car behind. It's better than no view though. With practice the unseen gap can be gauged with a fair degree of accuracy from the position of the bonnet. So, using this device still relies heavily on spatial assessment in 3D. (Women are particularly handicapped at this; have you seen any woman jet fighter pilots?)

It is ludicrously overpriced in my view.

Avoid the Vellerman kit with the two on PCB sensors, if that's what you mean. It's not much use for this task. If anyone wants to experiment I can sell a built and tested one cheaply. ;-)

"Simon Finnigan" wrote

Without being silly,

Any auto electrician will fit them for around £60.

I fitted a four-sensor system myself to a Rover Sterling and it only took me about an hour. The hardest part is summoning up the bravery to take a sodding big drill bit to your bumper, although you can get sensors built into a number-plate surround.

Did the same myself today and apart from psyching myself up to drill my bumper (VW Touran with towbar), not that hard to do. Kit was a cheapie off ebay

it seems to work fine. Tim

I have. Fitted it all very carefully as per the spec - height, width of antenna, as "vertical" as possible, etc. It's very sensitive on its default setting. I've tweaked the sensitivity down to minimum as it was driving me mad beeping as I passed any gate within a metre, or went over a twig and the suspension movement triggered it. Rain falling also seemed to set it off. That apart, utter silence would persist until I got within maybe half a metre of a brick wall (the front of my house being the testing ground).

Now it only beeps when I'm within a few inches of something really big and solid behind me. I probably ought to increase the sensitivity a touch ;-)

On the whole, a little disappointing. Having removed the bumper, I found it probably wouldn't have been all that much trouble to drill a few holes and fit a more commonplace system. On my car at least, the plastic bumper is really quite flimsy (a child could pick it up), and a few small pilot holes and a fretsaw or even a sharp stanley knife would make quick work of hole construction.

The most awkward stage is finding a suitable access point into the boot from outside. I ran the cable through an air ventilation flap that I found under the light cluster.