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Old 05-17-2019, 07:23 PM   #1
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Installing Furrion Camera Without Sharkfin Mount / Adzel Wall

I am exploring the possibility of installing a Furrion Rear view camera on my Coachmen Freedom Ultra Lite 192RBS with Adzel. I have a couple questions:

Mounting Issues - My trailer does not have the Sharkfin Mount. I called Coachmen to get suggestions and they suggested I could drill into the adzel then fish out a 12 V source from the wires going to the center marker light. That seems reasonable. Would there be room to push any extra wire back in behind the Adzel. I am also a bit concerned about whether I would drill screw holes into the Adzel and have a reasonable hope that those would be secure. I did also ask the Coachmen tech about just removing the center marker light to gain access to power. They were not supportive but it also felt like it was out of liability concerns for altering the configuration.

Need for Bracket - Do I need this bracket or would this be included in the kit?
https://www.amazon.com/Furrion-FRCBR...ustomerReviews
Size Suggestion - I am leaning toward the 5" monitor but open to feedback on whether I should go for the 7"
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Old 05-19-2019, 02:36 PM   #2
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Not sure if this will help because I am not familiar with Azdel. But I installed a Furrion backup camera in our Wildcat and it was as Coachmen suggested you do. I did not need a bracket, it came with everything needed. Fortunately, our rig was prepped for bu camera, so the large one inch hole was already there. I just removed the plug, pulled down the center running light wire and tapped into it. So, if you can do it that way, you would need to drill an access hole. It think it was about an inch wide if I remember correctly and the screws were self tapping.

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Old 05-19-2019, 02:44 PM   #3
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As far as the screen, I don't recall any size options when I got ours and just got the one that came with it a 4" I think. But it works fine for my uses. I didn't care for the windshield mount as I could never find a good spot for it because of the antenna hitting the glass. So, I got a cell phone dash mount off ebay and it works great. Just had to notch a groove in it with my Dremel for the antenna to clear...
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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Old 05-19-2019, 02:57 PM   #4
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I have a 192RBS as well, and don’t believe the rear wall is Adzel. Either way, when we bought it the dealer installed the Furrion camera for us. It is mounted right near a marker light so I imagine the fished the wire from it to the camera.

The Furrion camera is not perfect, (not ultra high definition) but it works well enough and has helped quite a bit. Get the observation camera. I keep it on all the time and can see if anyone is tailgating trying to get by.
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Old 05-19-2019, 08:32 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SeventyGTX View Post
As far as the screen, I don't recall any size options when I got ours and just got the one that came with it a 4" I think. But it works fine for my uses. I didn't care for the windshield mount as I could never find a good spot for it because of the antenna hitting the glass. So, I got a cell phone dash mount off ebay and it works great. Just had to notch a groove in it with my Dremel for the antenna to clear...
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1


Thanks for your comments. I did confirm that Furrion is now making the monitors in three sizes. I called their tech support and they indicated that if I ever would want to add additional cameras that that would only be possible with the 5" and 7" monitors. Perhaps those are new now. I also have been looking at options by Tadi Brothers. They seem to have good reviews and a bit less expensive.


Nice solution to holding your display. I already have my TPMS monitor hanging from my front window so not anxious to load it up with too much that will block my vision.
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Old 05-19-2019, 08:35 PM   #6
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Originally Posted by Jfkmk View Post
I have a 192RBS as well, and don’t believe the rear wall is Adzel. Either way, when we bought it the dealer installed the Furrion camera for us. It is mounted right near a marker light so I imagine the fished the wire from it to the camera.

The Furrion camera is not perfect, (not ultra high definition) but it works well enough and has helped quite a bit. Get the observation camera. I keep it on all the time and can see if anyone is tailgating trying to get by.

Thanks for your reply. I just made an assumption that the back wall would be Adzell but it makes perfect sense that it would not be. The climbing ladder certainly needs something very solid to mount too. That would certainly simplify the mounting a lot. I will check that out. I am not too concerned about finding power. If all else fails I can use the center marker light for a 12 Volt source. I think I could also drill an opening below the marker light and probably fish out the wires there as well.
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Old 05-20-2019, 12:10 PM   #7
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I'm getting ready to install a Furrion Observation Camera to my 5th wheel, my concern so far is that the rear ladder is mounted in the center of the rear wall due to windows on each side. My concern is, will the ladder interfere with the camera's view?
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Old 05-20-2019, 12:48 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by JP Camper View Post
I'm getting ready to install a Furrion Observation Camera to my 5th wheel, my concern so far is that the rear ladder is mounted in the center of the rear wall due to windows on each side. My concern is, will the ladder interfere with the camera's view?
It most likely will, however the lens it adustable up and down which may help some. I imagine it all depends on where the camera is in relation to the ladder steps. If you can mount the camera just below or even with one of the steps, I think it still should give a good view, especially with the observation lens which is more panoramic.

If you have already purchased it, you can always duct tape it to the trailer in different positions to find where is best before drilling any holes. This assuming you don't have backup prep already.
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Old 05-20-2019, 02:16 PM   #9
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I'm thinking of doing the same thing, however I don't like the idea of tying into the clearance light circuit. The camera will only work when your lights are on.


There may be other wires back there that are always hot. In my case, I have a rear bath ant the exhaust fan is center/rear. With the garnish removed, I have access to the 12v (+) & (-) wires going to the fan switch. The back wall is accessible, too, between the roof and the ceiling.
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Old 05-20-2019, 02:50 PM   #10
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Apparently the Furrion Tech wasn't as knowledgeable on his products as he should have been. You can get a observation camera with marklight/camera combo. So no additional holes to drill.

https://furrion.com/collections/came...ation-system-2

https://www.amazon.com/Furrion-Visio.../dp/B07D9294CD
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Old 05-20-2019, 03:02 PM   #11
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Originally Posted by bedubya View Post
I'm thinking of doing the same thing, however I don't like the idea of tying into the clearance light circuit. The camera will only work when your lights are on.


There may be other wires back there that are always hot. In my case, I have a rear bath ant the exhaust fan is center/rear. With the garnish removed, I have access to the 12v (+) & (-) wires going to the fan switch. The back wall is accessible, too, between the roof and the ceiling.
I did that because it is by far the easiest to just tap into the clearance light. Ours is a rear kitchen with cabinets on the other side of the wall with a big window in the middle. All you need on are your park lights anyway, not the headlights. Plus I really don't use the bu camera when driving, just parking it. No big deal hitting the park lights switch on.
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Old 05-20-2019, 06:25 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jtatum65 View Post
Apparently the Furrion Tech wasn't as knowledgeable on his products as he should have been. You can get a observation camera with marklight/camera combo. So no additional holes to drill.

https://furrion.com/collections/came...ation-system-2

https://www.amazon.com/Furrion-Visio.../dp/B07D9294CD

That is an interesting find. The furrion support tech did not mention this option.
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Old 05-20-2019, 06:29 PM   #13
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Originally Posted by Jfkmk View Post
I have a 192RBS as well, and don’t believe the rear wall is Adzel. Either way, when we bought it the dealer installed the Furrion camera for us. It is mounted right near a marker light so I imagine the fished the wire from it to the camera.
.

I called Coachmen today to learn more and you are 100% correct. The Coachmen Freedom Express Ultra Lite uses what he indicated that the back wall is made from two layers of luann flooring bonded together and then covered with the surface we see which I presume is a fiberglass like covering. I think this solves one of my questions and my sense is that this would hold a screw sufficient to secure the camera.
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Old 05-20-2019, 06:54 PM   #14
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I did that because it is by far the easiest to just tap into the clearance light. Ours is a rear kitchen with cabinets on the other side of the wall with a big window in the middle. All you need on are your park lights anyway, not the headlights. Plus I really don't use the bu camera when driving, just parking it. No big deal hitting the park lights switch on.

I think I would be ok in tapping into the rear clearance light. Given that I think I have most of my questions sorted out. One remaining thought is about considering the Tadi Brothers (or some other yet to be discovered option). At least when the Tadi is on sale, it seems to offer more value for the money than Furrion.
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Old 05-20-2019, 06:55 PM   #15
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Thanks for your comments. I did confirm that Furrion is now making the monitors in three sizes. I called their tech support and they indicated that if I ever would want to add additional cameras that that would only be possible with the 5" and 7" monitors. Perhaps those are new now. I also have been looking at options by Tadi Brothers. They seem to have good reviews and a bit less expensive.


Nice solution to holding your display. I already have my TPMS monitor hanging from my front window so not anxious to load it up with too much that will block my vision.
If you are considering other manufacturers, I recommend you look at Haloview. I recently installed the Furrion Observation Camera in the factory-installed mount. It works fine but the picture in the 4.3” monitor could be better and the fish eye lens is noticeable. Objects are closer than they appear in the monitor.

If you decide to buy the Furrion, Forest River sells them at a very good price.

https://www.forestriverelectronics.c.../fos43tasf.htm
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Old 05-20-2019, 07:53 PM   #16
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If you are considering other manufacturers, I recommend you look at Haloview. I recently installed the Furrion Observation Camera in the factory-installed mount. It works fine but the picture in the 4.3” monitor could be better and the fish eye lens is noticeable. Objects are closer than they appear in the monitor.

If you decide to buy the Furrion, Forest River sells them at a very good price.

https://www.forestriverelectronics.c.../fos43tasf.htm

That is the second time I have heard the Haloview name. I will check that out. That price on the Furrion is very good! Definitely less than other sites I have looked at.
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Old 05-20-2019, 08:00 PM   #17
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Originally Posted by nutdriver View Post
I think I would be ok in tapping into the rear clearance light. Given that I think I have most of my questions sorted out. One remaining thought is about considering the Tadi Brothers (or some other yet to be discovered option). At least when the Tadi is on sale, it seems to offer more value for the money than Furrion.


If you do tap into the clearance light, you might consider getting a small box of of Posi-taps. They are awesome and require no wire crimping. I found out about them when they came with a set of Amp retractable running boards I put on my truck. They aren't cheap, but well worth it... https://www.amazon.com/Posi-tap-Conn...4Y36CD83SB9THF
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Old 05-20-2019, 11:25 PM   #18
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I also have been looking at options by Tadi Brothers. They seem to have good reviews and a bit less expensive.
Since you asked specifically about Furrion, I was not going to respond to this until I saw the above.

If you are still looking at options check out this thread and take a good, long look at the Haloview. It is a 7" HiDef system that is half the price and has extremely good reviews and the customer support if first rate.

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...em-180290.html
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Old 05-21-2019, 01:13 AM   #19
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Another vote for Haloview MC7108 7'' 720P HD Digital Wireless Rear View Camera System!

https://www.haloview.com/haloview-mc...ra-system.html

I too hesitated to jump in the conversation since you were speaking directly to the Furrion but Now that you've broken the topic open, I'll tell you why I went with the Haloview.

Price was significantly cheaper.
Reviews on YouTube were very positive.
The range is significantly better as quoted by the manufacture AND on YouTube by users and as tested by me personally.
Furrion doesn't have the best name on RV forums in some of their other products (Stereo's, TV's, etc.) so that scares me a little on their camera's also.

Lastly and MOST IMPORTANTLY was the warranty. While they both have a 1 year warranty, if something happens with the Furrion after that time period, your option is to buy a new system at a possible discount.

The Haloview sells all the parts individually (Monitor, Camera or additional camera's, kits, antenna's, wiring, etc.) With the already more expensive price, I didn't want to have to fork it out twice to get a working camera if one goes bad. $90 for a new camera sounds like a better outcome from a tree branch crushing my camera and buying a new complete system. Or if I decide I want to add a second camera for a bumper angle for backing later on, I can cheaply.
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Old 05-21-2019, 06:30 AM   #20
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Originally Posted by nutdriver View Post
I am exploring the possibility of installing a Furrion Rear view camera on my Coachmen Freedom Ultra Lite 192RBS with Adzel. I have a couple questions:

Mounting Issues - My trailer does not have the Sharkfin Mount. I called Coachmen to get suggestions and they suggested I could drill into the adzel then fish out a 12 V source from the wires going to the center marker light. That seems reasonable. Would there be room to push any extra wire back in behind the Adzel. I am also a bit concerned about whether I would drill screw holes into the Adzel and have a reasonable hope that those would be secure. I did also ask the Coachmen tech about just removing the center marker light to gain access to power. They were not supportive but it also felt like it was out of liability concerns for altering the configuration.

Need for Bracket - Do I need this bracket or would this be included in the kit?
https://www.amazon.com/Furrion-FRCBR...ustomerReviews
Size Suggestion - I am leaning toward the 5" monitor but open to feedback on whether I should go for the 7"
If you order thru Forest River Electronics, they send the shark fin, gasket, and everything, for $250 + shipping....
Installed mine a couple of weeks ago.
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