Trailer camera issues

[MTU Alum]

Wrong forum does not matter to me, just wanted to make sure I was giving proper instructions.  

[Walla Walla Joe]

Thanks. This is one of the few active threads about it, was reaching for sure. Thanks again.

[jaybauman]

I have a 31' camper and I tow with a ProPride (Jim Hensley design) hitch, which adds a few extra feet between my truck and trailer.  I was worried that my rig might not be suitable for the transparent trailer view.  With fingers crossed, I permanently mounted the camera and hid the cable on the interior of the trailer.  I measured the 7 dimensions required in the setup menu and then started driving while it calibrated.  It kept calibrating...and calibrating...and calibrating....  I eventually gave up and drove home.  About 20 minutes (maybe 15 miles?) of city and freeway driving, I got the "calibration successful" message.  The transparent trailer view works!  When we get back from Spring Break, I'll make a proper post about my installation, setup and practical experience.  

 

 

Edited March 10, 2020 by jaybauman

[MTU Alum]

The camera only calibrates while driving in straight line under 30 mph.  If you watch the transparent view during the calibration process, there will be a status bar at the bottom that turns yellow as it calibrates.

 

#iworkforGM 

[Walla Walla Joe]

10 hours ago, jaybauman said:

I have a 31' camper and I tow with a ProPride (Jim Hensley design) hitch, which adds a few extra feet between my truck and trailer.  I was worried that my rig might not be suitable for the transparent trailer view.  With fingers crossed, I permanently mounted the camera and hid the cable on the interior of the trailer.  I measured the 7 dimensions required in the setup menu and then started driving while it calibrated.  It kept calibrating...and calibrating...and calibrating....  I eventually gave up and drove home.  About 20 minutes (maybe 15 miles?) of city and freeway driving, I got the "calibration successful" message.  The transparent trailer view works!  When we get back from Spring Break, I'll make a proper post about my installation, setup and practical experience.  

 

 

Thank you for the images, this is the first time I've seen the screens I am supposed to be seeing. Now I know what to look for.

[ShotgunZ71]

Mine is still a little glitchy. It will be working fine, then freeze and go black, then start working again. Bad part is when it decides to freeze when I need it. Any ideas, @MTU Alum?

[migrabill]

Everytime I go pick up my trailer from the storage lot, I need to recalibrate it. For some reason its not memorizing the calibration. It recalibrates every time and its not terrible to do - its just a pain to do it EVERY time.

[ShotgunZ71]

Mine seems to be a power issue on the rear trailer camera port. Possibly bad connection that comes and goes? It will work, then freeze then come back. It knows there is a camera there as it lets me select it, just shows a black screen. I unplugged it from the rear camera port and plugged it into the interior trailer camera port and get a picture. Is the power for the cameras on the 7-pin connector or do I need to check the camera ports for power issues?

[jaybauman]

4 hours ago, ShotgunZ71 said:

Mine seems to be a power issue on the rear trailer camera port. Possibly bad connection that comes and goes? It will work, then freeze then come back. It knows there is a camera there as it lets me select it, just shows a black screen. I unplugged it from the rear camera port and plugged it into the interior trailer camera port and get a picture. Is the power for the cameras on the 7-pin connector or do I need to check the camera ports for power issues?

After the first 750 miles, my camera stopped working reliably, with intermittent glitches and blackouts.  Then it stopped working altogether.  Or not....let me explain.  I only get a black image when it’s plugged in, but the truck gives me all the views that are only available when the trailer camera is plugged in.  The truck “thinks” the camera is there, even if I’m only seeing a black image.

 

Thinking I had a problem with my camera (or, even worse, the installation on my trailer!), I plugged the camera into the “inside view” port on the bumper.  The camera works perfectly well in this mode.  (If you’ve not tried this,  you’ll see a fisheye view; the camera is the same part number for inside trailer or outside rear-view).  Trying to convince my local GMC shop that this is their problem is proving to be quite the challenge.  Two different dealers claim the problem is on my end—but they have not bothered to diagnose anything or test anything.  They won’t even let me “borrow” (i.e. take a new truck to my RV storage place and plug it in—don’t want to tow with their truck) another HD truck to see if I can replicate the problem on a different truck.

 

Shotgun, can you do me a favor and plug your camera into the other port on your bumper and see what happens?  Thanks.

[ShotgunZ71]

4 hours ago, ShotgunZ71 said:

Mine seems to be a power issue on the rear trailer camera port. Possibly bad connection that comes and goes? It will work, then freeze then come back. It knows there is a camera there as it lets me select it, just shows a black screen. I unplugged it from the rear camera port and plugged it into the interior trailer camera port and get a picture. Is the power for the cameras on the 7-pin connector or do I need to check the camera ports for power issues?

 

22 minutes ago, jaybauman said:

After the first 750 miles, my camera stopped working reliably, with intermittent glitches and blackouts.  Then it stopped working altogether.  Or not....let me explain.  I only get a black image when it’s plugged in, but the truck gives me all the views that are only available when the trailer camera is plugged in.  The truck “thinks” the camera is there, even if I’m only seeing a black image.

 

Thinking I had a problem with my camera (or, even worse, the installation on my trailer!), I plugged the camera into the “inside view” port on the bumper.  The camera works perfectly well in this mode.  (If you’ve not tried this,  you’ll see a fisheye view; the camera is the same part number for inside trailer or outside rear-view).  Trying to convince my local GMC shop that this is their problem is proving to be quite the challenge.  Two different dealers claim the problem is on my end—but they have not bothered to diagnose anything or test anything.  They won’t even let me “borrow” (i.e. take a new truck to my RV storage place and plug it in—don’t want to tow with their truck) another HD truck to see if I can replicate the problem on a different truck.

 

Shotgun, can you do me a favor and plug your camera into the other port on your bumper and see what happens?  Thanks.

Here's your answer. Guess we're both in the same boat. Hope that @MTU Alum can chime in with some advice. He's very helpful up here on the forums.

[jaybauman]

5 minutes ago, ShotgunZ71 said:

 

Here's your answer. Guess we're both in the same boat. Hope that @MTU Alum can chime in with some advice. He's very helpful up here on the forums.

Guess I should have paid more attention in Reading Comprehension class in Middle School!

 

Have you tried to plug your camera/trailer in to a different truck to help narrow down where the problem is occurring?

 

 

 

 

[ShotgunZ71]

8 minutes ago, jaybauman said:

Guess I should have paid more attention in Reading Comprehension class in Middle School!

 

Have you tried to plug your camera/trailer in to a different truck to help narrow down where the problem is occurring?

 

 

 

 

I have not tried a different truck yet. It really does seem like a power issue with the way it "knows" a camera is there, but shows no picture. Then, when unplugging and then plugging into the other port, it is great. I had issues from the start with the hookup process, powering down, etc, but this issue has remained. It will work great, then go out, then work again. The biggest problem is when it decides NOT to work when I need it the most, like backing it a tight spot or checking spacing. I may just try it on the interior camera port next trip and see how it does.

[jaybauman]

2 hours ago, ShotgunZ71 said:

I have not tried a different truck yet. It really does seem like a power issue with the way it "knows" a camera is there, but shows no picture. Then, when unplugging and then plugging into the other port, it is great. I had issues from the start with the hookup process, powering down, etc, but this issue has remained. It will work great, then go out, then work again. The biggest problem is when it decides NOT to work when I need it the most, like backing it a tight spot or checking spacing. I may just try it on the interior camera port next trip and see how it does.

 

Occasionally I have issues with my truck radio where the display is unable to present the XM channel/artist detail.  Sometimes I can listen to music, other times it is completely silent while it‘S “looking for satellite”.  Once or twice, I lost all radio and GPS detail (center stack, DIC, and HU Display).  These problems present about once a week under normal use.  However, I get this same radio problem nearly every time I have a trailer connected to my truck.  I subscribe to XM for those long drives with my RV, but those are exactly the times when it doesn’t reliably work.

 

When I look at the preponderance of all the data (Intermittent radio problems exacerbated by connecting a trailer, camera not registering in one port but works when plugged in to the other port, center stack display freezing/pixelation when camera is connected), it would seem that the problem is with my truck (Plug?  Center Stack Computer Module? Grounding Problem? Other?) and not my camera/trailer combination.

 

For the last week my truck is, once again, back to the service department for these issues.  The occasional updates I get from my service advisor do not instill confidence that they have any clue what they’re doing.  Without my video evidence of these issues, I’m not even sure the service department would be taking me seriously.

 

I’m anxious to hook up to a different 2020 HD and make an apples-to-apples comparison between my truck and another.

 

 

[MTU Alum]

I don't have alot of info to add.  It sounds like either a connection issue or some type of software bug.  I have had to setup about 50 trailers for demos but once I learned some of the setup issues, I haven't worked through any type of issues like you have mentioned.  Wish I had more to add.  

 

#iworkforGM 

[Mo Fenner]

On 11/6/2019 at 9:14 AM, In2racn said:

Shotgun,

 

I agree, the key with these cameras is the awesome ability to see behind your trailer. It is really a cool option to have that functionality integrated in. The transparent thing is really no big deal for me, but like a kid with a new toy, you just wanna play with the cool factor.

 

In a different thread, MTU Alum, who works for GM, explained to me that in order for the 4 cameras to stitch the transparent view, the trailer camera needs in a position slightly above the tailgate camera. That parameter practically rules out the transparent view on a tall enclosed trailer or certainly on your 5th wheel camper. 

 

On my wishlist for GM is the ability to put the rear trailer cam view ON the rear-view mirror screen. We are trained to look at the rear view mirror to see behind us, if we have a trailer camera, we should have the option to cast that onto the rear view mirror screen. That would free u the main screen for other functions.

Has anyone looked at the TadiBrothers Cameras that have the monitor attached to the rear view mirror? I need a 5th Wheel camera of some kind for 44 ft RV