Powering a Furrion Camera

TCedmon · 09-12-2018, 03:12 PM

Have a 24 Foot 2017 Wildwood 201BHXL X-Lite; last week we took a 1550 mile trip from Galveston, TX to Big Bend National Park with several other stops to and back.
My Furrion FOS48TAPK-BL Wireless High Observation System would not stay connected more than 10-15 seconds or so than quit. This was our fifth trip trying to get it to work but still not joy. I have tried a longer 14 inch antenna on the monitor and also a sixteen foot cabled antenna; I hung on the back window of our 2017 Ford F150 Super Crew still no joy.
Contacted Furrion yesterday. They suggested I try a Trailer Connector Adapter w/ Lamp-Out Sensor Bypass from etrailer.com

https://www.etrailer.com/Wiring/Tow-Ready/20142.html

The Gal at Furrion said I may not be getting enough power to the camera; it is connected to the center maker light on the rear top of the RV like most have suggested. It has gotten to the point that I would rather throw the thing away than throw anymore time or money at it.

Has anyone used the Lamp-Out Sensor, seems this would bypass the Ford trailer checking system? Anyone have ideas how to get more voltage to camera?

Thanks
Ed

aeblank · 09-12-2018, 04:08 PM

Have someone follow you (or does it do it standing still) and watch the blue light. If the connection is shittie, it may be cutting out. If the blue light is turning on/off, that'd tell you....

47driver · 09-12-2018, 04:22 PM

I have the same issue on my dealer installed model. Looking forward to seeing if you find the fix.

TCedmon · 09-12-2018, 04:22 PM

Thanks for your response,

Seems find when sitting still, blue light on monitor blinks, not sure of the light on camera. I'll have to have some one follow me to check that light.

When we started our trip it work for the first 2-3 miles going about 45 mph than on and off for the rest of our 10 day trip. It did work going though what I call freeway canyons where the freeways are cut through a hill. That's why I tried different antennas thinking it was a signal issue.

I was thinking of pulling the camera and mounting bracket than pulling out the wiring to make sure I have a good solid connection?

MillMitch · 09-12-2018, 04:50 PM

Before spending too much money, you might see if the ferrite chokes help. My installation manual actually showed a choke in the diagram but didn't explain what they are. I have a shorter TT, and have 1 choke on the rear camera power line and 3 on the receiver power line in the cab. My camera cuts out when the large power lines cross the road, but most of the time it works fine. The chokes were cheap, about $5 for 4 of them.
Good Luck. i can't help with the increasing power to the camera question.

TCedmon · 09-12-2018, 05:02 PM

I did put one ferrite choke on the cameras power wire, but none on the monitor; I’ll get a few and try that.
Thanks

aeblank · 09-12-2018, 07:06 PM

If it works not moving, but cuts in and out while moving, that screams connection issue to me. Heck, could be the 7 way plug.

"More power" to it makes no sense. If there is 12v there, there's plenty of power.

Could be an internal defect too. Cracked solder joint inside it. Buy one from Walmart and prove it is/isn't the unit. Easy returns.

The power cord runs the screen and camera. If you have both in the cab and it works fine, that proves it's your power source or a connection (between units) issue. I think you've proven out the connection (between units) isn't it though.

Just a matter of running through some troubleshooting. Time consuming as it might be.

TCedmon · 09-12-2018, 07:18 PM

Worked OK on our first trip, but on our second trip not at all. When I got home open the monitor’s cigarette adapter and found the loose wire, striped, cleaned than re-soldered it also shrink wrapped the connection. Is the blue light on the monitor suppose to blink?

Wish I could get Furrion to exchange or at least check it, they just keep pointing the finger at other things.

SailorSam20500 · 09-12-2018, 07:26 PM

I haven't had any issues with mine, and I'm longer than you are. I did read a post that recommended having the antennas on both the camera and monitor oriented the same way. According to that post, the signal coming off the antenna can be pictured as a common donut. Strongest 90 degrees to the antenna. You get best reception also from a donut shape. So if both "donuts are oriented as close as possible the same way, you get best reception. Good luck.

TCedmon · 09-12-2018, 07:32 PM

I talked with furrion’s support several times and was told the best way is the have both antenna’s pointing straight up in the vertical position did that. I changed them every time we stopped on our last trip nothing helped.

aeblank · 09-12-2018, 07:50 PM

I think the blue light on the camera is always on. Like 90% sure of that...

The one on the monitor blinks till connection is made......I think.

Hopefully it's a wire barely in or just came out of the crimped connection under the nearest running light......

TCedmon · 09-12-2018, 07:59 PM

Hope the weather clears by Sunday I'll pull the wiring and re-connect it.
Been raining since Saturday
Thanks Guys

DonD · 09-12-2018, 09:02 PM

check the power output where you are plugging in your monitor. I was using a splitter to power the monitor, GPS and charge iPhone. Monitor was not getting full 12v.

Also, when calling Furrion, ask for Brittany. She took awesome care of me.

don

MilCop4523 · 09-13-2018, 01:17 PM

our camera is wired into the roof clearance lights and for the life of my wife she could not get it to work - until she turned the truck lights on. then there it was.
I am hauling a 38 foot 5th wheel on an F250 so even when the wind bends the antenna down and the receiver is not pointing straight up I have never had an issue.

TCedmon · 09-13-2018, 04:16 PM

I have my lights turned on, the signal from camera to monitor drops in and out but mostly out.

I plan on pulling the camera and mounting bracket back off to check and make sure my wiring is solid, if that's not it I'm hoping Furrion will exchange it or at the least check it for me.

Thanks for you response

aeblank · 09-13-2018, 05:30 PM

When it's "out" check that blue light...

TCedmon · 09-13-2018, 05:59 PM

It goes out when traveling down the road.
When I come to a stop it starts to work.
Then goes out again when I reach 30-40 mph.

This weekend I’m going to pull the camera and plug it in inside the truck cab to see if it is continuous.

Cujo7240 · 09-13-2018, 08:06 PM

I just installed a 4 camera Furrion observation system on my 2017 Wildcat 33' fifth wheel RV and the two side cameras and the single rear camera were all connected where existing marker lights were located. I cut spliced and soldered all the connections and sealed with heat shrink tubing. I then sealed the units with silicone to keep them weather tight.
Did you check to make sure that your wire connection polarity was correct? Grid to grid and hot to hot. I never trust wire colors to be correct, so I checked each with a meter before making my connections. On mine the white wires were the hot (+) and the black were the grid (-).
I hooked up the 4th camera onto the back of my truck to help with hitching up the 5th wheel. This camera and the monitor are powered by my trucks 12v power system. I never lost connection between any of my cameras over a distance of more the 50' and even though the rear camera antenna is straight up it is still well below the roof line, so the signal has to either pass straight through my RV or travel around it.
I would open and check all your connections just to be sure they look good. I hate to say it, but it could be the internal wiring connections of the RV causing you issues. I had to redo all the internal speaker connections in my RV due to bad connections due to poor workmanship.

TCedmon · 09-17-2018, 10:42 AM

This weekend I hooked up the camera to the same power supply as the monitor inside my pickup. Worked great but only five feet of separation between monitor and camera.

This coming weekend I plan on removing the mounting bracket from RV pulling out the wiring and re connecting, how do I check the wire connections to make sure I have polarity was correct?

Thanks

aeblank · 09-17-2018, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TCedmon

This weekend I hooked up the camera to the same power supply as the monitor inside my pickup. Worked great but only five feet of separation between monitor and camera.

This coming weekend I plan on removing the mounting bracket from RV pulling out the wiring and re connecting, how do I check the wire connections to make sure I have polarity was correct?

Thanks

It wouldn't ever work if polarity was wrong.

That said, a multimeter on the plug is the only way. Make it match the one in the truck.

You may also like: