Mercedes Sprinter - Rear View Camera Install 

This may be a dumb question, but any chance you could add a link to the switch you purchased into the video description, along with the other links to parts? Thanks. Your videos are terrific. I am studying them to help design my conversion of a Nissan NV 2500.

Where did you ground the monitor? I tried a negative cable above the headliner but it didn't work. Thank you!

Great video as always . I am getting interference in my monitor installed in the van. It was not there when I tested the system on the workbench. It is a oscillating wave interference from something. I am running the power from the internal light both positive and ground and have not connected the reverse positive switch yet? Any help would be appreciated ??

I’ve connected to my blue and white and now the camera looks like it’s about to connect when I put it into reverse but still no signal :( where do you connect the black wire from the display screen as you don’t seem to mention it in this video? Please get back to me if you can before I pull all my hair out

@@MrPc924 i only needed to connect the black wire in the camera side to the vans ground and this then worked through to the lcd screen . That said i am getting interference in the vid feed

Thank you for your kind words. What ideas are you looking at?

Hello Jay, I'm in a similar boat. I'm a mechanical design engineer, messed about with kit cars and motorbikes most if my life but only started doing any wood work less than a year ago. It's a very steep learning curve but I'm really enjoying the whole process. Thank you for great feedback.

Itamar Beeri, thank you, I try to make things simple to understand for everyone and am here to answer questions

Thanks Stephen Mitchell, that's really nice of you to say so. Cheers

Thanks very much, Tracey, please do read my pinned comment with an update to this install. Let me know if you need any further advice. Best wishes

Thank you Nell, did you fit an on off switch

Hello keith, I've rewired the camera today to make it switchable from the cab so I can use it while driving. Thank you

Thanks Peter 👍🏼

You had a result there Alan, think I paid £129 for my kit. 👍🏼

Danny Richardson thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. It’s nice to know the video has been useful to you 😀

@@GregVirgoe it was the green one I was thinking where am I going with this one. Then was your video. I have just put mine with the live as I wanted it on all the time. Ye definitely a good video helped me alot

I see everyone seems to be connecting the camera to the permanent 12v wire. Surely this will drain the battery when the van is not in use or have I missed something..? I'm so confused. Also amazing video Greg. You have a video for absolutely everything, you are a hero mate 👍🏻

Thank you very much

Thank you Humble Road 😊

I posted an edit comment that mentioned the white and blue cable. I also added a power supply via a switch in the cab so I can turn the camera on at anytime I want to. Even when the van is switched off and parked up.

should have read all the posts, thanks again

That's very nice of you, thanks for your support.

I'm going to make it selectable via a discrete switch in the headliner.

Nomadd UK I wondered if anyone would pick up on my joke. Well spotted. 😂👍🏼

To make this work as a rear brake light I would have needed to source a rear brake light module. The camera kit just replaces the lens. I would have also had to cut a much bigger slot in the van. This suits my needs, thank you.

Hi Mark, the manual was a huge help. Thank you. I’m tempted to make it just switchable and remove it from the reversing light. Then I have complete control of when I want it on or not. I won’t have to worry about vampire drain on the auto battery either. Thanks again for your support.

Hi Greg. Hmmm. Not sure I know what you mean by 'Vampire drain'. Not heard that phrase before, but I assume you mean some kind of minute drain by either the camera or monitor. If wired correctly, there shouldn't be any drain at all by camera or monitor. I personally would run the separate power wire that supplies the monitor to the camera as well. In other words, camera or monitor are not even connected UNTIL they're connected by the ignition switch 'ON'. A separate, independently switched supply could also be connected, but be sure to use say, 1N4002 diodes - one in each supply line to prevent unwanted 'backflow' to any other part of the van wiring. I've checked your videos to date and can't find any on insulation, and I also assume form the scenes in THIS video that you haven't done that yet. Just didn't want to have missed it somehow. Is it yet to be done or have you now done it but just not uploaded it yet? Regards Mark

Hi Mark, the camera has built in LEDs and the monitor is effectively in standby mode waiting for a switched signal so I’m assuming there must be a small current draw at all times which could drain my van battery. So like you say it’s better to run separate power to both screen and camera via a switch that I can kill everything. That way no issues plus I can decide when to have it on. Insulation is on my to do list for this weekend. Had to wrap up some design changes first and finalise all electrics. Thanks for being patient. Cheers

No problem Greg, and thanks for taking the time to reply. It's not as if you're not busy enough eh? I hope all goes well with the insulation. Regards Mark

That's a great idea, Having a manual switch so you can use it at ant time will be very useful. I'm going to do that, thanks.

I agree Preston, having IR cameras on outside in a city environment does sound like a good way to go. I was looking at systems where you get a live feed to your smart phone via internet even when you are away from the van. The van obviously needs a SIM card in the head unit and its own wifi which my new head unit has. So imagine you park up and wander of to a restaurant and you can check to see if your van is OK live. 👍🏼

There’s nowt stranger than folk lol especially on the internet. I would rather be left some constructive criticism than a thumbs down with no explanation.

Yes true. It's a hit and run culture.

That’s a great analogy.

That's easy, those who seek to do similar material but know they cant make the grade, thus potentially ruining their shabby attempt at looking cool :)

Tom Wharton my system has two AV inputs on the video screen you would have to run two ac cables of course and simply flip between the two views on screen with the remote.

Steve Mendelle we are busy preparing that exact video for you. The total build cost was £14,6k that’s literally every last screw. 😊

@@GregVirgoe wow Greg I honestly thought it would have cost more as you went all out and the finish is exemplary and there are so many items especially with the electrics. I look forward to the costing video. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole build. You should do tours of the workshop. It's like Santa's grotto. Is there anything you don't have 😄

Hi Jesse, I’m thinking of wiring a small switch into the live so it’s selectable.

I would recommend it. I live 45 minutes outside Manhattan in lower Fairfield county, Connecticut and I-95 runs straight up the line through all the coastal cities. Use to be the traffic from the New York line would get extremely heavy during the commute to and from work but now it's heavy pretty much all the time. Lots of accelerations and then quick stops. It's the commuter nightmare and cost of living in this area. The reason I have the backup camera on all the time is to keep an eye on cars that are starting, stopping and approaching rapidly behind me as well as motorcycles that split the lanes. I forgot to mention that up to a couple of weeks ago, I had no slide door glass. That's in now. Rear door glass wouldn't help me anyway as I have a partition back behind the rear wheel wells so the camera is really all I have.

You are so right Jesse. It would be really useful to have on all the time I’m driving. I’m going to do that. Where did you pick up your live supply from? Was it permanent or switched from ignition?

Got the power from the overhead light, the center one up from the driver next to the windshield and it's wired permanent so that if I'm camping and hear noises I can see out the back. I have a 7" dual channel monitor to mate with the camera. It's a Sportmobile model so the wiring is behind the cabinet panels.

The cam in my lorry is broken and the screen comes on by itself all the time. You'll definitely want a switch so you can shut it off or you'll find it's way to bright at night. I don't normally have mine on until the satnav screen senses enough light to switch back to day mode or i find that the camera screen destroys my night vision. it's not that useful at night anyway to be honest, it gets overwhelmed by headlights and its not bright enough to use to see by in tight spots unless the reverse lights are on anyway.

Thank you Tristan 👍🏼

Gaurie Kidd the camera still works perfectly. In fact only recently I found out you can move it to change the angle of the picture. Bonus 😊

Merci beaucoup, j'aime la langue française, c'est romantique. 😊

You're welcome :D

Hello Andrew, would you know how to size and select a suitable diode? Cheers

Most rectifier type diodes should work. I'd look for a diode rated for 50+ volts and 1 amp. Something like 1N4001 or similar. Just make sure it's a rectifier type diode. Put it inline with the green wire and orient it to conduct towards the display (input). Don't forget to fuse the ON/OFF toggle switch circuit (1A fuse, as close to the power source as possible). Any device connected to the battery should be fused accordingly, as close to the battery as physically possible. Obviously, there will be very little current in the camera activation circuit.

hi, i've fitted this same system with the camera facing down to my step/bumber, i wanted to add a second camera which faces higher , are you saying i could plug the 2nd camera into the other yellow rca plug (which is marked dvd in the instructions) at the monitor? and it will show up on av2 or av1 ?, i was hoping so .thanks for your time

@@rockgsxr I want to try it, if you have a second camera give it a go. Because the system has two video inputs and the other yellow RCA must be an input too. I don't have a second one to try out.

I put a switch on the power supply so all the time it’s not in use it’s turned off. You could easily pick up an ignition supply instead.

Hello, now I can see out the back that should alleviate the need for sensors, I have found on cars they are not that effective anyway.

Hello Jeff, Try this product that I believe you can get at Lowes www.rockwool.com/products/cavityrock/ It performs slightly better than my Earthwool.

Thank you 🙏🏼

Larn Davies, can you explain how this accessory would be part of an MOT test? Thanks

Greg Virgoe just going by NewZealand and Australian rules which require reversing cameras to only operate when in reverse. Just assumed UK laws might be similar.

+Larn Davies that's something I will have to check up on. Thanks for the heads up

Hello, Yes I put a call out on FB asking for wiring diagrams and one of my viewers Mark Crow kindly sent me this link to the workshop manuals www.manuals.co/workshop/mercedes/sprinter Hope that helps you.

Try looking at home CCTV systems that you can adapt to fit in your van?

I realize that I'm 7 months late with this comment but I've always thought that you could use door peephole cameras. You can get them wired or wireless, 12v, wide angle, colour and black and white, and even motion activated. If you shopped around you could have a complete CCTV system, including interior camera(s), with a rear view/reversing camera and a dash cam, with everything being recorded onto an SD card. Food for thought.

I've been In the Security business for over 25 years,a lot of camera recorders (DVR's) normally run on 12v dc,Example model is Vitek VT-TTAR410 which is a 4 channel recorder that is capable of 1080p cameras.Furthermore, a monitor wouldn't be required,install a cheap wireless router to plug DVR into,download app for your phone and connect to router,set ip in DVR and app and your good to go.

Chico time!!!

Ken Mackenzie there was a mount bonded to the window and I found a second hand Merc rear view mirror on eBay.

Helllo Shak, the camera I have has a fixed lens, although it does have a wide angle of view so it is possible to see things close behind you. 👍🏼

thanks for replying back Greg, yes the one i ordered of e bay can be adjusted by loosening 2 screws cant wait till it arrives through the post without the camera i have damaged my rear sprinter steps many times!.

Oh dear poor van 😉 I did make one further mod and put a switch in the headliner of the cab so I can turn the camera on at any time Great addition to the van. Best wishes with your install

Oh really !! so you can have the camera on all the time and have it working just by putting it into reverse... The switch which wires do you connect ?

Yes, this can be done, I have done it with mine, I found a permanent live above the headliner (live that goes to interior lights) via a switch fitted in the headliner put 12v onto the green wire so you can switch it on at any time even when driving or when parked up. Although due to the angle it's not the same as a rear view camera it points down to the ground of course.

Greg Virgoe Thank you young man for Replying to me. Best wishes of lots more wonderful travels. 😊😊👍🌟🍷🍷☕️☕️🍰🍰🚐🌍☀️☀️☀️☀️

Try it whilst not running the engine. Does it do it? Or not. Sometimes the live your tapping into isnt "clean".

@@johndavies4644 Hi , Does it weather the engines running or not. The live is a fuse jumper from the fuse box

@@ScoobieDee fit a reverse camera rectifier there 5 quid on Ebay.. have you extended any cables? I had this issue on a long wheel base renault. Canbus can also cause this problem and that can be resolved using a relay.. by taking power directly from the battery and using the reverse signal to click the relay on and provide you with a non canbus feed. I personally think its canbus causing interference. But try the rectifier first cus there easy to wire up. Have you had any water leak in your camera?

Yes use a piggy back fuse holder off the fuses in the dash to get a positive supply to the screen. Use a rocker switch in the headliner to give you a switch supply to the reversing connection. You can then just run the wire up the A pillar to the headliner. You can pick up a positive from the interior light for the rear camera.

Something like these amzn.to/3L2vpzY

You need to connect the wire that feeds the existing brake light to the red and black on the camera light. The new camera fitting has a brake light in it that must be connected. Please watch my video again and refer to my diagram.

I paid £129 inc the colour screen. I thought that was good value. Do you think that is expensive?

There are cheaper versions that have a smaller screen.

I have since wired the power via a switch in the headliner so I can turn it on anytime I want to and kill power totally to avoid any vampire drain.

Greg Virgoe ahhhh, vampire drain. I have a motorhome full of that nasty stuff. So many wires onto the batteries from all directions!

william ryan strip the insulation off your wires. Twist together and solder. Then apply heat shrink or electrical tape.

Above the rear view mirror the fibreglass head liner is flexible enough to push the cable up behind it and the window rubber into the void above. Use a long flexible rod as a draw wire and pull the cable through to the loom over the side door. Make your connections above the headliner. Hope that makes sense. 👍🏼

GREG!!!! That was sound advice, and was in the van today trying to install it all. I have managed to get the camera part installed, connected to the reverse light wire then video feed all the way to the front. However how did you power the video unit? I connected it to the cigarette lighter to make sure it all worked and it does, however I will need to find another power source for the monitor to function properly. Thanks a lot

Hello Stephanos, there is a solid red wire in the loom above the sliding side door that is a permanent live. I stripped a small piece of insulation and tested it to make sure. It's the same solid red cable that feeds the rear interior light over the double doors. I fitted a small toggle switch in the headliner so I can turn it off when not in use to avoid any unwanted battery drain. Hope that makes sense.

Thanks for that super quick response Greg you superstar! That's the idea I had in the back of my head but wasn't sure about if it would drain my battery. However, if you turn the screen off, when not in use, would it actually drain anything/be negligable?

Hi Stephanos, I'm not sure if it's off or just in a state of standby, the rear camera has infra red LED's so maybe they draw a small amount. I haven't put a meter on it but didn't want to take a chance so the switch was more positive solution.

Spliced into the vans 12v power and soldered it.

If I remember right there is a permanent live on red and a switched live on the green

you only need to switch the positive wire for the circuit to be broken. the negative can be connected all the time.

@@GregVirgoe Thanks Greg! Much Appreciated!

There is a V1 and V2 button on the right side of the monitor. But you will need to change the yellow video leads into the other plug to swap to the other channel.

@@GregVirgoe Thanks for taking the time to reply Greg. Mine has a V1/V2 button but despite message saying no signal on V2, I can’t switch it to V1 to see whether there’s a signal there??🙄🙄

Hello Albert, I did not have a high-level brake light, not all vans have them. That is why I painted this kit black so it no longer looked like a broken light. If you had a rear brake light this kit just replaces the lenses and the light would still work.

Greg Virgoe thanks Greg, but my van has a working high level brake light....so if I replace it with a camera fitting it will mean that this light will no longer work....so is this a problem with getting a pass on the mot or the police ? If I paint it black like you then does this take away the issue?

It sounds like the one camera has become unplugged or it has no power to the camera

Thanks. I'll check it next week when iv more time

You could do if you wanted to I find the side mirrors when driving to be sufficient.

Exactly as my pinned comment other than I have fitted a small switch on the power supply to both devices in the headliner of the cab.

I have wired this so I can switch it on when parked up to see who's outside for security without needing ignition on

Robert Langgaard not this one, I don’t have rear windows so it doesn’t matter for us.

If you have any questions just ask me on here 😃

To get the guide lines the video lead has to be plugged into V2 and you turn the lines on in the menu

Also realised b & w because there was a blue protective seal over lens!

@@karenroberts3628 glad you got it resolved 👍🏼😃

Jacob_AK87 the model I have doesn’t show guide lines it’s not an option. Have you been through your menu settings?

If you care enough about it you can splice into the reverse light wires. I beleive the feed for it is the white wire but don’t quote me on that. Trial and error will do the trick.

Hi Bill, that’s a very good point, I was thinking of wiring in a switch on the dash to make it selectable. I’ll also check the manual now you mention it. I may be able to turn it on with the remote control. Thanks for watching.

You could but then it will be on all the time and be a drain on the battery

No, as you saw in the beginning this van never had one in the first place.

What’s better than a reversing picture where your rear view mirror should be. I learn to drive using one so it’s natural to look there.

Really sorry to hear that +Steve. Security is a big concern of mine too and what to do for the best. Hope you get that sorted out.

These are the joys of free content 😊 you can pay to have them removed 👍🏼