[Bailey'sMom]

Originally Posted by Bill

Bad ground on the camera? Is there a physical wire from inside the camera body to a known-good TM body ground? Or is the electrical connection to ground made through the swivel on the camera, and then through the painted mounting base of the camera? It wouldn't take much of a layer of corrosion in either place to break the connection. It might be worthwhile to get a can of spray contact cleaner, loosen both contact areas, spray in some cleaner, then wiggle and re-tighten those items. Wipe any stray contact cleaner off the paint.

As you know, the fact that the lights are on doesn't conclusively mean that the camera is getting power. Is the camera connection made inside the light housing, or inside the cavity under the TM skin, with a wire nut, for example? Surely it is not made with a manual strip-and-twist-and tape connection. Can you open the running light where the camera is connected, and confirm that power and ground are both solidly connected to the camera?

The camera has an external antenna. Did it get bashed? Is it still solidly connected?

Bill

Hi Bill

I don't know the answers to most of your questions because I had the dealer install it. No corrosion. Antenna is good.

It's also difficult to test since the length of the wires is such that I can't see the monitor at the same time while plugged in the normal way - monitor in car/camera on back of trailer. (sure would be nice having 2 people.)

However, since this runs on 12V power, I will try to plug camera into the camper 12v plug and unplug from the tail light. It has the nice male/female ends so I can unplug from the taillight power.

I will then plug the monitor into the other 12v cig plug so I should be able to see both at once. At least I think that will work. Both monitor and camera can be attached to a cig lighter plug, that's how I have second camera plugged in.

Will report back once I can try that. Hopefully tonight yet. But not sure if the cord will be long enough to reach to the outlet

Sara