Furrion Prewired Backup Camera - Power?

[captkirk60]

OK I will ask the factory this time, Love my Prowler 261P Vin#5SFPB3023JE362059 Had the Furrion camera Bracket factory installed. When out and bought the Camera on amazon for it. I was told it was a plug and play thing. Have checked it in the cab with the aux power cord and it works. Hooked it up on the trailer and hooked the truck and turned on the driving lights. No blue light on the camera, have been told to look for a fuse holder by the batteries or the mass of wires by the power supply. No luck, do not want to start taking things apart and splicing wired.

Thanks

Kirk

 

[Oregon_Camper]

Re: Furrion pre mounted Bracket

Others have had a hard time finding the fuse too...it is a red fuse container.

I didn't have mine "pre-wired" so I simply tapped into the marker light at the top and it was really a 5 min install. Using the marker light the camera comes on when i turn on the lights inside the truck. Perfect solution for me...

 

[captkirk60]

Re: Furrion pre mounted Bracket

Still no luck, not in the mood to tear a new trailer apart

Others have had a hard time finding the fuse too...it is a red fuse container.

I didn't have mine "pre-wired" so I simply tapped into the marker light at the top and it was really a 5 min install. Using the marker light the camera comes on when i turn on the lights inside the truck. Perfect solution for me...

 

[Oregon_Camper]

Re: Furrion pre mounted Bracket

Still no luck, not in the mood to tear a new trailer apart

I get that, however the tail light pops right out...no tools needed. Quick connect the power and ground and put it back in. Simple.

 

[CoveredWagon]

Re: Furrion pre mounted Bracket

Mine does not appear to have a separate fuse for the camera either. Mine was hot 100 % of the time, so I installed a relay to turn it off and on. I found fuses up front, but don't know what they are for. One a 15 and the other a 20 amp fuse. A wee bit large for the camera.

 

[captkirk60]

Re: Furrion pre mounted Bracket

Thanks, got it fixed in time for our big adventure

I get that, however the tail light pops right out...no tools needed. Quick connect the power and ground and put it back in. Simple.

View attachment 54469

 

[Oregon_Camper]

Re: Furrion pre mounted Bracket

Thanks, got it fixed in time for our big adventure

Did you find the fuse or just tap into taillight (like shown in my picture above)??

 

[captkirk60]

Re: Furrion pre mounted Bracket

It was wired to the center clearance light but it was backwards. just switched the wires and it worked

Kirk

Did you find the fuse or just tap into taillight (like shown in my picture above)??

 

[HeliCowboy]

Re: Furrion pre mounted Bracket

It was wired to the center clearance light but it was backwards. just switched the wires and it worked

Kirk

Has anyone ordered a Antenna booster or another antenna for there Furrion FOS48TA-BL RV Digital Wireless Observation System ?

My goes black screen around 60mph, was told from Furrion its because there are no mountains or buildings within 300 feet of my rig. ( And that's 100 yards in case ya'll did not know what 300 feet is. That's from Furrion )

Just Informing all of you Heartland and Grand Design are NOT wiring the Furrion preparation right. The camera should ONLY be on with running lights. Not the way Heartland and Grand Design are wiring them now which is stand alone hot. So if you have a mid 2017 to 2018 and your Observation Camera does not work if you are going down the highway at speed "it's might be because of voltage drop because of the size of your trailer and ALL the running lights on". Sorry, one can not make this SH*t up.

 

[dave10a]

I believe the problem of loss of signal strength at highway speeds is because of decrease in ground plane that is noticeable with a weak transmission signal. The FCC limits the antenna input power of these devices to be no greater than a as certain dbm level at the maximum voltage. That power output of the camera transmitter is set for a max voltage that is most likely 14.5 volts. That being the case any voltage drop prior to the transmitter would significantly decrease transmitter power level. That means if the voltage is approx. 13.5vdc at the TV connector there could be a much lower voltage at the camera transmitter. The size of wire and any other things requiring power on that wire before the transmitter could cause a significant lower voltage at the camera. I wired my camera to the marker light wiring. With the TV running and producing power the voltage measured 11.1 vdc that reduces the power output significantly(approx. 30%). To increase the power requires running heavier gauge wiring or running a stand alone wire. Adding LED tail and marker lights would help. So ground plane and power are the main issue for transmitter efficiency. The camera dose have a built in ground plane, but I don't know how effective it is.

 

[CoveredWagon]

Wired mine into the full time hot lead. Installed a relay so I can turn it off. Works AOK at any speed for any amount of hours.

 

[HeliCowboy]

I believe the problem of loss of signal strength at highway speeds is because of decrease in ground plane that is noticeable with a weak transmission signal. The FCC limits the antenna input power of these devices to be no greater than a as certain dbm level at the maximum voltage. That power output of the camera transmitter is set for a max voltage that is most likely 14.5 volts. That being the case any voltage drop prior to the transmitter would significantly decrease transmitter power level. That means if the voltage is approx. 13.5vdc at the TV connector there could be a much lower voltage at the camera transmitter. The size of wire and any other things requiring power on that wire before the transmitter could cause a significant lower voltage at the camera. I wired my camera to the marker light wiring. With the TV running and producing power the voltage measured 11.1 vdc that reduces the power output significantly(approx. 30%). To increase the power requires running heavier gauge wiring or running a stand alone wire. Adding LED tail and marker lights would help. So ground plane and power are the main issue for transmitter efficiency.

My Camera is NOT linked to the lights at all.

My point is if you are selling a observation camera that says it's good for 100 feet it should work and be fine for 60, 70,80 feet and at highway speed. And when you call Furrion about it they dance around like a chicken with it's head cut off. Frist telling me it's because it's a long trailer with a lot of lights, I should look into getting LED light's. When I told them I do have LED lights but my camera is hooked up to it's own power supply and does NOT need the lights on to power up. They then said it's Heartlands problem because it should be hook up to the running lights.

Bottom line is I need a better antenna I can't be the only one with this going on.

 

[Oregon_Camper]

..... I can't be the only one with this going on.

Sorry to hear you're having issues. Our camera is plugged into the center marker light and in the last ~3000 miles, I've only had it drop one time for about 2 mins. I purchased the "booster" antennae, but never installed it.

 

[dave10a]

The land of marketing is one thing, but the land of physics is another. Physics really does not care what marketing claims or what humans believe. :-0

 

[JamesL73]

Reviving a somewhat older thread.... My 2018 Elkridge 40FLFS had the Furrion prep, I bought the “back up” camera. I’m not really interested in watching the road behind me while driving. Anyway, I installed it a few days ago to find it is wired into the 12 volt system somewhere and stays powered 24/7. I have looked for a switch, fuse, something where I can disable it until I’m actually ready to use it but I have no idea where they tied it in to. My tow vehicle is not even hooked up yet the blue light remains on. It is supposed to be wired up so it comes on when in Reverse. I spoke with HL 3 days ago but he didn’t know and no reply back yet. Ideas on how I can track the wires and then tie into the reverse in the pigtail?? Honestly, I feel this should fall under warranty and they should send a mechanic to me. But I’m a realist and know better.


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[Oregon_Camper]

James,

Does your RV have marker lights at the top of the back of the RV? Reason I ask, I simply tapped into taillights for 12v power. I always drive with my lights on, so that power will always be there.

As you stated you don't want the camera on while driving, then you could simply plug in the monitor when you're ready to back into a site.

IMHO...I think having the camera on and being able to see behind the RV will grow on you. It is nice to look back and see the traffic behind you...especially if a small car is tailgating and is too close to see with your mirror. It is also nice to see when the lane is clear to pull out and pull back into right lane.

 

[LBR]

Reviving a somewhat older thread.... My 2018 Elkridge 40FLFS had the Furrion prep, I bought the “back up” camera. I’m not really interested in watching the road behind me while driving. Anyway, I installed it a few days ago to find it is wired into the 12 volt system somewhere and stays powered 24/7. I have looked for a switch, fuse, something where I can disable it until I’m actually ready to use it but I have no idea where they tied it in to. My tow vehicle is not even hooked up yet the blue light remains on. It is supposed to be wired up so it comes on when in Reverse. I spoke with HL 3 days ago but he didn’t know and no reply back yet. Ideas on how I can track the wires and then tie into the reverse in the pigtail?? Honestly, I feel this should fall under warranty and they should send a mechanic to me. But I’m a realist and know better.


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It is not "suppose" to be wired up when in reverse.

It can be wired however suits your requirements...hot 24/7 as is now, with parklights or headlights on, when ignition is on, when in reverse...whatever you wish.

It should have a fuse to pull until you decide how you want it wired to save on house batteries. It is a set of larger gauge wires and should be easily seen in the battery area compartment.

 

[JamesL73]

It is not "suppose" to be wired up when in reverse.

It can be wired however suits your requirements...hot 24/7 as is now, with parklights or headlights on, when ignition is on, when in reverse...whatever you wish.

It should have a fuse to pull until you decide how you want it wired to save on house batteries. It is a set of larger gauge wires and should be easily seen in the battery area compartment.

I am thinking more of premature (burn out ??) of the camera by being left on. As for fuses, there are a few up there along with a bunch of wires, mostly for the 6 way leveling system and all 5 slides, but also the inverter, Solar prep wiring, and more.


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[SNOKING]

Our camera was powered from a sconce light next to the rear window. I installed a switch to control the power to the camera. Bigger round switch to right. Chris

 

[LBR]

I am thinking more of premature (burn out ??) of the camera by being left on. As for fuses, there are a few up there along with a bunch of wires, mostly for the 6 way leveling system and all 5 slides, but also the inverter, Solar prep wiring, and more.


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FWIW, we have a 2017 Cyclone...it also was completely wired hot 24/7 from the factory for the camera, but was fuse delete.

When I installed the camera, I too could not stand to have it wired as such, so I rewired it to my tail light circuit at the pinbox connector. In order to do so, I obviously had to figure out which wire was the camera.

Look for a yellow w/ white tracer wire that has a red plactic fuse holder wired into the set of 6 or so main 12 V breakers. It will look like an "afterthought, add on" circuit.

If there is any standardized wiring code used by the factory, maybe yours is the yellow/white wire also.