Peak brand back up camera

mosseater wrote:
While in Tractor Supply yesterday, I noticed the Peak brand back up camera was on clearance for $80, normally $105. Thought I'd give it a try. It's wireless and pretty easy to install.

Anybody have any experience with this unit? If it's that poor of a product, I'm not sure I want to mess with it at all.

I used a Peak wireless camera system for several years when towing our previous Spree travel trailer and although I set it up for a variety of views I decided it was essentially useless for anything but hitching up. The angle of view is almost fisheye so when used as a rearview camera it really gives the wrong impression of what's behind the trailer, especially on the highway where cars I thought were at a considerable distance were suddenly right on top of me and zoomimg by. :E When used for backing into a campsite or my driveway it couldn't handle the contrast ratio between light and dark areas of the picture well at all so the view was either blown out or so dark I couldn't see anything. Same for mounting it on the side of the trailer - essentially useless. Transmission as you've noted wasn't particularly good, 'though by mounting the camera inside our Spree, facing the camera out the rear window, and mounting the separate transmitter box further forward in the trailer I did manage reliable transmission to the monitor in the truck. However, for hitching up a wireless rear view camera is IMO essential and I wouldn't be without one so when my Peak camera suddenly died last year I replaced it with a Swift Hitch SH02. Both the camera and the monitor are self powered and don't require any wiring to the vehicle at all and although the monitor is somewhat small it does have an additional output that can be plugged into a larger monitor, in my case the Peak monitor I already owned. For sure, the Swift Hitch system isn't inexpensive but it's definitely a much better quality system.