How is the rear view camera wiring routed?

rad_jr · 12-04-2018, 11:58 PM

We were all packed up and ready to pull out for our last trip. I put it in reverse to back out of the driveway...factory camera monitor comes on...blue screen that says "No Signal". Rather than delay the trip (already delayed by a freak snowstorm!), I decided to deal with it when we got home. So here we are....

I know while the motorhome was in storage, some mice made themselves comfortable...in the a/c ducts up in the ceiling, of all places. I don't know how they got up there, but I'm guessing they chewed the wire that connects the camera and the monitor (which I assume is routed through the ceiling).

I'll have to open up the ceiling to find the damage and fix or replace the wire, but if I knew how the wire is routed, I could just open up where I need to, rather than having to go hunting!

Does anyone here know how that wire is routed? And while we're at it...how the heck do I remove those ceiling panels without causing damage??

Sunseeker in question is a 2015 3100SS....

Thanks!

ActionJackson · 12-05-2018, 07:55 AM

Someone posted up that they had to remove the entire back cap to see how the wire was run. They made it seem as though the wire went down the back and then to the front at floor level.

avid108 · 12-05-2018, 08:40 AM

On our 2014 Forester, we did not have to remove the rear cap. We were able to remove the trim piece on the inside between the rear wall and ceiling. We disconnected the camera from there and snaked the new wire in from the outside using baling wire. I don’t know if itwould be exactly the same for your Sunseeker.

rad_jr · 12-05-2018, 12:45 PM

Thank you...that's helpful. Unfortunately for me, mine has 4 bunk beds in the back and a wardrobe on the back wall between them. To remove the trim in your picture, I'll have to take the wardrobe out first. Looks like this is going to be a project!

Were you able to tell which way the old wire was run toward the front (passenger or driver side, etc.)?

Steve_Elliott · 12-05-2018, 02:47 PM

I'd get an ohmmeter reading on that wire before I started disassembling anything. If the little baskirds chewed through just the insulation, you might be able to use the old wires to pull in new. There are LOTS of things other than chewed wires that can make the camera not work.

avid108 · 12-05-2018, 02:49 PM

It was on the passenger side. We started by removing the ceiling paneling in the pass-thru and found the wire routed up through the bedroom floor there. I didn’t take any pictures of that.

PenJoe · 12-05-2018, 05:57 PM

The rear view camera was working for us on our Sunseeker until we were ready to transfer it to a new owner. The system was working fine, then all of a sudden came up no signal. On the "rear view mirror" camera image are buttons on the right hand side. I started pushing those one-by-one. I believe the third one down activated that camera again. Might give that a try before tearing the camper apart.

Bezzola · 12-05-2018, 06:15 PM

I have a 2011 forester class c and have had to replace the screen twice mine is in what looks like a rear view mirror

rad_jr · 12-05-2018, 08:39 PM

I'm going to try to mess around with it this weekend. I've gone through all of the settings on the monitor, and it does everything it's supposed to, so I'm confident that the monitor is working properly...the distance markers even come up on the blue screen when I go into reverse. I'll try ohm'ing it out and see what I come up with, but everything I'm looking at points to a break in the wire somewhere.

Avid...interesting that yours went through the floor...I was assuming it would be in the ceiling. I'm going to start from the front...easier to take apart the trim in the cab than the ceiling. Maybe I'll get lucky and the wiring will be accessible underneath!

Thank you all for your feedback!

Steve-W · 12-05-2018, 10:11 PM

From what I have seen on the roof prints, the camera cable must run down the rear wall then forward below the floor level. There is no callout for the camera cable in the roof structure. Of course it just might not be on the print.

RangeMaggotBob · 12-05-2018, 11:30 PM

Before you did anything- did you make sure the lights were in the "on" position? Not running lights or daytime auto lights- on mine the lights have to be on. Now that is for a rear observation camera- not a back-up camera. Good luck to you!

PenJoe · 12-06-2018, 08:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RangeMaggotBob

Before you did anything- did you make sure the lights were in the "on" position? Not running lights or daytime auto lights- on mine the lights have to be on. Now that is for a rear observation camera- not a back-up camera. Good luck to you!

For the MH application, the "lights on" is not relevant. The system works off of the ignition switch. It is different to pull behinds.

Galavanting Lollygagger · 12-06-2018, 01:43 PM

We have a 2012 Sunseeker 3170 DS. I have replaced the back camera 3 times. Mainly from rain in the Great Northwest. I get that dreaded blue screen of death periodically. I have noticed that if I turn the monitor off before turning off the engine. After refueling, the camera will work. If I don't turn off the monitor first, I get the blue screen after restarting. Anyone else have that situation? Good luck in finding your open wire. Perhaps you can tone it back and see where the open is.

janice parker · 12-16-2018, 01:38 PM

Just after we picked up our Sunseeker motorhome, the backup camera was working but not the side ones -after confirming that the unit itself was okay, they had to put the motorhome up on the hoist and do the wiring from underneath! Working now.

PenJoe · 03-03-2019, 08:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Galavanting Lollygagger

We have a 2012 Sunseeker 3170 DS. I have replaced the back camera 3 times. Mainly from rain in the Great Northwest. I get that dreaded blue screen of death periodically. I have noticed that if I turn the monitor off before turning off the engine. After refueling, the camera will work. If I don't turn off the monitor first, I get the blue screen after restarting. Anyone else have that situation? Good luck in finding your open wire. Perhaps you can tone it back and see where the open is.

Maybe a suggestion. We have used the RVS cameras with two different applications. They withstood rain and shine. Both systems use divided between Florida and Wisconsin. The cameras originally came in a black housing. We painted the sun shield white and never had a problem with either in several years use. It is possible that heat has a bearing on the failures.

Also note that, originally the way the camera was mounted, the Sunseeker rear slide interfered with the down view. We made a spacer from a truck tool box bed mounting kit mount to the camera .75" farther out. That spacer allowed us to see withing 6 feet of the bumper. Perfect for seeing the toad and the road behind. The last picture is difficult to interpret, but it shows how close to the rear bumper the view got

jabba7 · 02-21-2021, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by avid108

On our 2014 Forester, we did not have to remove the rear cap. We were able to remove the trim piece on the inside between the rear wall and ceiling. We disconnected the camera from there and snaked the new wire in from the outside using baling wire. I don’t know if itwould be exactly the same for your Sunseeker.

What did you have to do to remove this trim piece? I have the exact same setup in mine, and I assume my camera cable is behind there too.

brucemc · 02-22-2021, 02:18 PM

We have a 2250, and our cable is behind the upper trim on the back wall. It is routed down the shower/bedroom wall to the floor. From the floor, it is routed in the bundle to the cab, but I don't know the exact details.

I accidentally disconnected mine when replacing the shower faucet:

You might also check the inputs on the monitor - there are several to select from. It's possible the input got changed to a non-existent selection.

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