Transparent Trailer

TACman · March 7, 2021

Hey cNate. Did you ever get that camera you were gonna buy working with transparent trailer view? Just curious with your 34’11” trailer. I’m in the same boat and would like to know if it works before I buy one. Thanks

Shawn T · March 12, 2021

On 3/9/2020 at 8:48 PM, david5311 said:

Just bought a 2020 GMC 3500 Denalli and pull a 40' fifth wheel. Do I understand it right that the camera will work on the back of the trailer and show the behind the trailer view but not in the transparent view? Is there enough wire to run from the back of a 40' trailer to the plug in on the truck?

Thanks

David

"Invisible" trailer is not available on 5th wheel or gooseneck profile because the cab camera is too close, and not correctly relative to the tailgate camera. I have created a bumper pull profile for my 5th wheel and you get a real funky fish eye version of invisible trailer. The tailgate camera and cab camera cannot sync but it serves the purpose of seeing behind the trailer and down the sides using the mirror cams. My 5th wheel is 33-1/2" feet, just under the maximum allowable profile length. I had just enough cable to mount the camera, tailgate high, on the rear of the trailer. I routed the cable from the camera over to the side and down underneath. I ran it under the winter skirting and popped it out the hole where the opening for the pin box is (this is very important, you do not want to pop it out beneath the front of the trailer and plug it in, you will not have enough slack to make turns). I have just enough slack to plug it into the bumper plug and be able to back it up making 90+ degree turns.

GMC4Zee · March 12, 2021

Well that was not in the literature I read. That sucks that it won't work on a 5th wheel. I guess I can still use the camera for backing and changing lanes. Camera needs to be mounted tailgate high?

MTU Alum · March 12, 2021

7 minutes ago, GMC4Zee said:

Well that was not in the literature I read. That sucks that it won't work on a 5th wheel. I guess I can still use the camera for backing and changing lanes. Camera needs to be mounted tailgate high?

It only needs to be mounted tailgate high for transparent. The higher you mount it the more fish eye the picture will be.

#iworkforGM

PMark800 · March 14, 2021

Have a '21 Silverado 1500 Crew Longbed LTZ w/all the base cameras and 2,500 miles. Considering the rear of trailer camera purchase. I am not keen on the idea of mounting on the rear of the trailer as my trailer is a 30 ft., in-line snowmobile trailer, w/rear ramp door. In some unloading conditions, there is not much clearance between door and ground - snow - etc. High possibility of camera contacting ground and being damaged, when door is opened. Can the camera be mounted on the left doorpost ( viewed from the rear ) and the input figures be fudged to make it work ? ?

Shawn T · March 22, 2021

On 3/14/2021 at 9:09 AM, PMark800 said:

Have a '21 Silverado 1500 Crew Longbed LTZ w/all the base cameras and 2,500 miles. Considering the rear of trailer camera purchase. I am not keen on the idea of mounting on the rear of the trailer as my trailer is a 30 ft., in-line snowmobile trailer, w/rear ramp door. In some unloading conditions, there is not much clearance between door and ground - snow - etc. High possibility of camera contacting ground and being damaged, when door is opened. Can the camera be mounted on the left doorpost ( viewed from the rear ) and the input figures be fudged to make it work ? ?

No there is not horizontal calibration, you will have a lopsided view. I guess you can always mount it tailgate high, in the center of the door and fabricate a make-shift, removable bracket so you can remove the camera and hang it off to the side while unloading? I don't know, I was really unimpressed with the actual functionality compared to watching the commercial on TV. A remote system with very small camera would be ideal. My 5th wheel has a large storage compartment under the rear bunk that has a large on hatch on the rear (almost like a toy hauler). I had to run the cable around the opening and down the door from above it's center. It looks very gawdy with the black cable against the white exterior. And no, it does not clearly state that the cameras do not function with the "invisible" trailer when you have a 5th wheel, I just learned the hard way after the purchase.

nards444 · March 22, 2021

Watching this thread and I was on the fence on ordering this. Seems like a great first step. But until this is wireless it just seems like a huge headache. The other solution seems for trailer manufactures to integrate this into their build process then you can just hook up to the truck.

Edited March 23, 2021 by nards444

PMark800 · March 23, 2021

Wireless would be a dream come true. Mount the wireless transmitter in the top front of the trailer, hardwired into the invisible trailer truck plug, along with the electrical/brake wiring. Then having the camera being a wireless receiver, with a quick mount, on the exterior of the door/trailer back wall. Not complicated at all, I just don't know enough on how to carry it all out.

On most trailers, this would be pretty much unobstructed, except for the thickness of the rear door, pure "line of sight". "Piece of cake".......

Sure would be nice if GM and a Trailer Manufacturer or major trailer parts supplier could get together and come up with something.

AAhhh, to be young again and dream...

nards444 · March 23, 2021

11 hours ago, PMark800 said:

Wireless would be a dream come true. Mount the wireless transmitter in the top front of the trailer, hardwired into the invisible trailer truck plug, along with the electrical/brake wiring. Then having the camera being a wireless receiver, with a quick mount, on the exterior of the door/trailer back wall. Not complicated at all, I just don't know enough on how to carry it all out.

On most trailers, this would be pretty much unobstructed, except for the thickness of the rear door, pure "line of sight". "Piece of cake".......

Sure would be nice if GM and a Trailer Manufacturer or major trailer parts supplier could get together and come up with something.

AAhhh, to be young again and dream...

The dealer explained this option to me and saw some of these threads and was like no thanks, thats to much hassle. Been towing things for 20 years without a camera and so has everybody else, not like this accomplishes much tbh. Ill wait, I like tech too but rarely do I jump on version 1 of things.

carpenike · April 27, 2021

Hey folks,

Any chance the invisible trailer option will work with the display on the rear-view mirror on the Denalis? Would like to keep the maps on the infotainment screen.

sdelam · April 28, 2021

On 4/27/2021 at 9:01 AM, carpenike said:

Hey folks,

Any chance the invisible trailer option will work with the display on the rear-view mirror on the Denalis? Would like to keep the maps on the infotainment screen.

Pretty sure the rearview camera is hard wired directly to the mirror. It does not go through the radio/trailer comm system. I agree it would be nice, but does not currently work that way.

carpenike · April 28, 2021

6 hours ago, sdelam said:

Pretty sure the rearview camera is hard wired directly to the mirror. It does not go through the radio/trailer comm system. I agree it would be nice, but does not currently work that way.

Thanks!

acm2020Denali · May 18, 2021

There have been a lot of problems with the rear trailer cameras, whether using the transparent trailer view or just the trailer camera view. Mine has always had the problem of freezing, then going black after a short time (about 10 to 20 minutes). I have to turn the truck off and wait a few minutes to get it started again, but same the thing happens every time.

On a previous forum conversation string (that I can't find now) several owners have experienced the same thing. One discovered there were seven iterations of the camera. I purchased the vendor supplied camera in February 2020, so I probably have one of the first iterations. I think GM released this technology before it was ready and is BETA testing on us.

The only time the camera worked for a longer period of time was when I started it and immediately got stuck in a three hour backup on the freeway. It worked the whole time going no more than 10MPH. As soon as I got past the roadwork and sped up it quit again so I think speed is a factor.

I had my dealership replace the camera module behind the back seat last month. They also found a water leak in the rear window and had that replaced by an automotive window vendor. The leak was right above the camera module so I was hopeful it would work now. No luck. I experienced the same symptoms of camera freezing, then going black. I did notice the initial calibration of the transparent trailer view worked much better, though.

P.S. My travel trailer is 35 feet so I had to lie to the truck when inputting the length. It makes the transparent view a little distorted on the left and right edges, but that would be fine with me if it just didn't quit working every time.

GMC4Zee · May 19, 2021

Ryno12, a couple things about the system and your truck. The camera plugs into the connections on the bumper not in the bed where you most likely plug in the 5th wheel. I have a '21 AT4 3500 and will need to swap the connection so I can plug in with the line feeding down the pin. Also you will have to spoof the system as it was not designed for 5th wheels. Most have got it to work. I am in the process but have not run the camera wire yet. My 5th is 32.5 feet long. Plenty of threads on forum about it. Pissed that GM did set it up for 5th wheels.

TheeSpaniard3500hd · May 20, 2021

Has anyone tried to mount the camera with adhesive tape instead of putting holes in the back of your trailer? Curious if it will hold with the rough ride of a travel trailer? I’m going to install my camera this weekend.