RV Cameras Have Only 4 Yr Life??

Never ask someone who sells stuff what the lifespan "should be". What are they gonna do --- screw themselves out of a sale or installation?

"That'll be the daaaaaaay...........when I die"
(Buddy Holley)

Mine is over 12 years old and as of last Monday still worked.. I have not driven the RV since Monday.

Backup cameras used to come in two basic tech flavors, CMOS and CCD. CMOS cameras have a much shorter life span in my experience. The last CMOS camera I had lasted about a year. The CCD camera on my trailer is still going strong into its 14th year.

Our camera on our 2006 MH works fine - always has!

The original camera on our 96 Southwind is still working.
Maybe the newer equipment has built in obsolescence?

WNYBob wrote:
Yes, with the way that technology is evolving 3 to 4 years is about right, just look at Apple iPhones.

I wouldn't have an iPhone. My phone is a BlackBerry, but now it's not supported and I can't get all the new (or old) apps. Not compatible!

outdated and still functional are two different things. we just updated to new iPhone 7s. my wife had a 4s and I had a 5. both still did what we needed them to do but it was time for something new.

When we got the Safari
The 15 year old system still worked
I changed the monitor and the camera (6 yrs ago), the original was a neck breaker
The six year old , new system is still working
In used the oem wiring, just needed an adapter fitting at the cameras end

5thwheeleroldman wrote:
The rear view camera on my 5th wheel has died after about 4 years. The guy who installed it said that was a good life, that manufactures didn't expect them to last longer. Is that right?

I expect they will want between $600 - $1000 to put in new camera, and perhaps monitor too. It is a wired system. Is it worth it? My old camera was pretty vague even when new, and didn't help much when trying to back into a tight spot. It was nice to know what was directly behind me going down the highway, though.

the rear camera on our previous MH lasted 15-years...the total amount of time we owned it (2000-2015).

A new camera should not be anywhere near $500 to $1000 installed. If it's a standard video camera and not some proprietary weird video format (and I would tend to guess that a four year old system would use standard stuff, but I could be wrong), you should be able to get a decent replacement camera for $100 or less...or much less for a not so decent camera.

If you do have to replace the entire system, the wiring can usually be reused, perhaps with an adapter of some sort, saving on a good bit of labor and hassle.

Mine still working too, has been on from day one also.