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Nicholsfamily05's avatar
Nicholsfamily05
Explorer
Mar 16, 2016

Bought our first DIESEL!!

We bought our first diesel a few days ago.

We traded in our 2012 Ram 2500 Mega Cab with 26,500 miles on it and walked away with our

2016 Ram 3500 Big Horn Crew Cab Turbo Cummings. We aren't to sure about the crew cab but we are impressed with the Cummings. So far only 175 miles on it but 17mpg around the city and close to 19 on the highway is amazing. The power it has is amazing and the rumble is great.

We aren't impressed with the backup camera. That's the only thing we can find we don't like. It's horrible.

We are just waiting for the new hitch to come in so we can install it and hook up to our 40' fifth wheel and see how she does. The Mega did great but had many upgrades and could barely push 11-12 mpg out of her with the trailer.

Once I learn how to post pics I'll get a few up.
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  • Nicholsfamily05's avatar
    Nicholsfamily05
    Explorer
    Mar 16, 2016
    The back up lights are ok but yes I haven't added any back up lights yet.
    Can never have enough light when backing up.

    The sensors are great too. But I have to turn them off when going into my garage as they just beep constantly cause it's so close.

    I like the vbox and camera set up. I have the good Sam GPS on our dash for when we use the camper and I have a spare camer in the bed for hitching the 5er one shot and done.
  • Nicholsfamily05's avatar
    Nicholsfamily05
    Explorer
    Mar 16, 2016
    rhagfo wrote:
    Wow, so many complaints about back up cameras!
    The only thing I use them for when available is seeing how close I am to the car behind me. This is a TV, maybe you should learn to use the two outside mirrors!
    Not saying that they are not a great feature to see below the TG, and for items behind, and how close to the car or wall behind, but to me that is about the only use. The outside mirrors work great for the rest.

    Did I mention welcome to the Diesel world. What 40' 5er were you pulling with the Hemi?

    Here is a link to your pictures
    3500 RAM



    I use the camera when backing up to our other trailers.
    I have a 33' trailer for our ATV's so hitching is easy and trying to squeeze the truck into my garage as I don't have a very long garage it's helpful but with the lense I've actually been a lot closer to objects than what it appears.
    I use my mirrors for everything, I only back into parking spots when we are out in our truck and for turning around in our driveway to get my truck into the garage camera makes it nice to see how close I am to our stone wall.

    But thank you for the welcome.

    We were towing a Crossroads Cruiser Bunk House.
  • DutchmenSport's avatar
    DutchmenSport
    Explorer
    Mar 16, 2016
    In time, you'll get more comfortable with that back-up camera. Like firing a riffle, you'll learn how the distortion and reality is and you'll make the mental adjustments. You'll figure this out pretty quick, and then your back-up camera will be a comfortable "old hat!".... When firing a riffle, you know the bullet will hit about 3 inches to the left of your target, so you use "Kentucky windage" to aim 3 inches to the right and hit the bulls eye every time! You'll learn to do this also with your back up camera and grow to appreciate it more and more. A year from know, you'll wonder how you ever survived without out it!
  • transamz9's avatar
    transamz9
    Explorer
    Mar 16, 2016
    rhagfo wrote:
    Instead of complaining about the backup Camera, what about the Backup Lights!!
    I have yest to see a decent set of backup lights on a TV!!! Most are just ok, when it is dry out, but get it wet and most are useless.


    I black all mine out anyway so here's my solution to the back-up light problem. They light up the ground and behind great even in pouring down rain. The lens on them is no bigger than the back-up sensors you see in the back bumper so they conceal and blend in really nice. I hate the looks of a big driving light some people mount under their back bumpers for back-up lights.

  • mtofell1's avatar
    mtofell1
    Explorer
    Mar 16, 2016
    I love the backup camera on my Ram (8.4" Screen). The backup sensors are also super nice. My last truck had neither so I suppose I have nothing to compare to. The nicest use I've found for the camera is when backing into a spot that opposes another one I can use the cameral to but my bumper right on the line. Same thing when parallel parking. I can get my truck right in the lines instead of having to get out and check.
  • Me_Again's avatar
    Me_Again
    Explorer III
    Mar 16, 2016
    Nicholsfamily05 wrote:
    They changed the back up camera from a normal lense, where you could see everything nicely and tell the distances between objects. Say your bumper and my stone wall that lines my driveway.

    The new camera is a bubble lense and makes everything rounded. We can barely see the edges of our bumpers. Granted I don't use it for normal backing up as the mirrors are more than adequate but it Was helpful getting it into our garage.

    We have the 8.4 nav system in the truck.


    Are you saying that there is a change between the BU camera in my 2015 and the 2016's. I Even put a OEM camera in the back of my V-Box! I could not get it tipped down quite as far was the tail gate one. However both work very well, and I have learned to trust them. I like to back into parking spot, as I can see the rear bumper at the line on the pavement. Much easier that guessing at where the front bumper is at.

    You can see the replacement camera cable and black dot in the center of the V-Box. Chris

  • rhagfo's avatar
    rhagfo
    Explorer III
    Mar 16, 2016
    Instead of complaining about the backup Camera, what about the Backup Lights!!
    I have yest to see a decent set of backup lights on a TV!!! Most are just ok, when it is dry out, but get it wet and most are useless.
  • rhagfo's avatar
    rhagfo
    Explorer III
    Mar 16, 2016
    Wow, so many complaints about back up cameras!
    The only thing I use them for when available is seeing how close I am to the car behind me. This is a TV, maybe you should learn to use the two outside mirrors!
    Not saying that they are not a great feature to see below the TG, and for items behind, and how close to the car or wall behind, but to me that is about the only use. The outside mirrors work great for the rest.

    Did I mention welcome to the Diesel world. What 40' 5er were you pulling with the Hemi?

    Here is a link to your pictures
    3500 RAM
  • Nicholsfamily05's avatar
    Nicholsfamily05
    Explorer
    Mar 16, 2016
    We checked with the dealership and they said that it can't be changed because it also has that horrible active park system.
    The one where the lines move as you turn the wheel(which is annoying as well) And they don't have a way of changing the software back to the old one.

    I think the angle that it points down at is pretty good. Our back up can in the wife's avalanche is annoying because it does point straight out.
  • IDoMyOwnStunts's avatar
    IDoMyOwnStunts
    Explorer
    Mar 16, 2016
    Nicholsfamily05 wrote:
    They changed the back up camera from a normal lense, where you could see everything nicely and tell the distances between objects. Say your bumper and my stone wall that lines my driveway.

    The new camera is a bubble lense and makes everything rounded. We can barely see the edges of our bumpers. Granted I don't use it for normal backing up as the mirrors are more than adequate but it Was helpful getting it into our garage.

    We have the 8.4 nav system in the truck.


    Ah, I see! I can totally see that point of view. Yes, mine is the same. I had no reference except the one on my car, which is excellent. But it doesn't point so far down.

    I wonder if you could get an older version of the lens and swap it out. Might be something to look into.

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