We have written an “improvements” post each spring since we started this blog in 2022. Here is another, a little more on the technical side.

A concern that many people who do not own an RV ask is, how difficult is it to drive? Class B Vans such as our Ontour 2.2 was only 21′ 10″ long and our current Plateau XLTS Class C is 22′ 9″. While longer than most cars, both vehicles are the same length and width as standard Ford and Mercedes work vans. However, what is very different, especially compared to cars, is that the driver has almost no way to see what is directly behind the vehicle. Joe’s been startled a number of times by cars that approach directly from behind and only become visible when they attempt to pass on the left. This is especially common on highways in the West where we can drive for more than an hour without seeing another car.

A big part of highway driving is situational awareness. We are constantly keeping track of where vehicles are located both in front of us and in the lanes to our right, left, and behind us. Unlike most passenger vehicles, our Plateau does not have any blind spot detectors because it’s built on a “cut-a-way chassis”. There are no sides or bumpers to house the blind spot sensors.

The rear view mirror provides the driver with a great view of the inside of the motorhome with absolutely no visibility behind the motorhome.

We do have a backup camera mounted at the top rear of the RV that provides a view on the MBUX screen on the dash. However, we can only see that view when in reverse or driving forward at speeds below 10 mph. Once we go faster, the camera no longer transmits the view. Mercedes Benz has programmed the vehicle so that it is impossible to see what is behind the vehicle while driving at customary speeds.

We had two choices to remedy this issue. We could try hardware hacks to over-ride the backup camera control, or install a new backup camera. We decided to do the latter.

We next had to decide if we should install a wired or wireless back-up camera. We chose wireless for two reasons: (1) We travel with a bike rack that obscures our license plate (Last year when we crossed into Canada, the border agent had to ask us for our license plate number.), and (2) We don’t always travel with our bikes so we wanted a back up camera that could be moved easily between the back of the van to the back of the bike rack.

We choose an Auto-Vox Solar3A Plus 1080P Rechargeable Wireless Backup Camera which attaches to our license plate holder. As the name implies, the rearview camera is powered by an onboard 5000 mA battery and has a small solar cell for charging. When fully charged, the battery is supposed to last 100+ days. The backup camera can be recharged using a USB cable, if needed.

The display is powered from a 12 volt connection in the dash. The display is activated by pressing the rectangular button on the 12 volt plug. It can be turned on even while we are in motion.

The five inch screen resolution is 1080P which is bright and clear.

Here is a comparison of the views from the RV backup camera and the Auto-Vox back up camera mounted on the license plate.

In the image above the Prius is about 5 feet behind the motorhome. As you can see, the Auto-Vox provides a 140 degree field of view with adjustable grid lines.

We think that this rear view camera will be a tremendous help this year. Not being able to see behind the Motorhome was a significant concern with both our Ontour and Plateau RVs. We will update this post once we receive the Thule License Plate Holder for Bike Racks and have an opportunity to drive with the new backup camera.

Sue is really looking forward to seeing if this camera improves Joe’s ability to back into campsites!

We recently traveled by train (a non-RV trip) to Washington, DC. We experienced a few days of pleasant, most welcome, spring-like temperatures and enjoyed the sites, including the new pandas at the National Zoo 🐼.

Looking forward to being on the road in less than a month!