What would I use it for? Backing up to my trailer?
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No Rear Window / Rear View Camera
- Thread starter Johnny Kim
- Start date
2.ooohhh
Elio Addict
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- Apr 8, 2014
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The elio DOES NOT need a backup camera. If you want one that's fine, but I can think of dozens of cars I've driven that have much worse rear visibility.
And before anyone assumes I'm jumping to exotics like my friends' ferraris and such, I'm not, in those it's to be expected. The rear view is terrible in almost all SUVs and even really common cars such as the new camero, nissan 300/350/370z cars and the late model mustangs. On a 370z test drive I nearly completely missed a pedestrian b/c she was completely hidden behind the side view mirror!
And before anyone assumes I'm jumping to exotics like my friends' ferraris and such, I'm not, in those it's to be expected. The rear view is terrible in almost all SUVs and even really common cars such as the new camero, nissan 300/350/370z cars and the late model mustangs. On a 370z test drive I nearly completely missed a pedestrian b/c she was completely hidden behind the side view mirror!
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The elio DOES NOT need a backup camera. If you want one that's fine, but I can think of dozens of cars I've driven that have much worse rear visibility.
And before anyone assumes I'm jumping to exotics like my friends ferraris and such, I'm not, in those it's to be expected. The rear view is terrible in almost all SUVs and even really common cars such as the new camero, nissan 300/350/370z cars and the late model mustangs. On a 370z test drive I nearly completely missed a pedestrian b/c she was completely hidden behind the side view mirror!
I also don't believe the Elio needs a backup camera but if it makes people more comfortable they are more than welcome to use one. I am probably unusual in that I am used to riding a motorcycle which only has side mirrors and I regularly drive vans and trucks pulling trailers which serve to render the rear view mirror useless so I am already very comfortable using only the side mirrors.
The terrible rear vision in many vehicles is why the government is requiring cars and light trucks to have rear view cameras starting with the 2018 model year. Check out this demonstration of what can be missed on that rear view mirror.
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Lil4X
Elio Addict
At my age I've found it more difficult to swivel my head around to look straight back. Add to this the headrests, grippy seat bottoms, and restrictive backrests, and it's not as easy to look out the back window anymore. The backup camera is a partial solution, although my experience with an aftermarket model or two has been less than optimal. The screen's small, so anything smaller than a child or a pet behind you probably won't be visible. Smaller toys are probably going to be toast. At night, your backup lights are insufficient to illuminate the area more than a couple feet behind your rear bumper - especially on blacktop. Kick the monitor into its highest-gain mode and you get to pick through the video noise to see if there is really anything there. Aftermarket and many OEM cameras are too cheap and their screens often are to small to provide reliable visibility after dark.
While the Lexus (and other cars) provide an outstanding camera back on the liftgate, it's still pretty grainy at night, although the view is still rather dark, even with a 7" monitor it's difficult to see much. A friend changed his backup lamps to higher powered incandescents, but then the excessive heat burned up his taillight lenses - not a good idea on a car with expensive parts. I'll bet a switch to LEDs would be the solution - if you could get ones to fit that are bright enough to be helpful. I'm not aware of any limits on the wattage of backup lights - as you find on other exterior lamps - but there must be some reason automakers don't furnish much in the way of illumination back there. A bottle of fireflies would work as well as most.
There is an alternative that I found to work very well, aftermarket manufacturers take note. Several automakers offer tilting mirrors that do a great job of showing what's behind you - if not at close range directly behind your rear bumper. It took me a few weeks to figure them out on my RX, but with the power mirror selector set to the center position, when you shift into reverse your sideview mirrors don't move. However, if you've selected either side mirror with the switch, when you shift to reverse, both mirrors tilt down a few degrees - enabling you to see what's on the ground near your rear wheels - out to about 30-40 feet behind you. Shift out of reverse and the mirrors go back to your preset position. I came to rely more on my tilting mirrors than my camera when backing, especially at night.
While the Lexus (and other cars) provide an outstanding camera back on the liftgate, it's still pretty grainy at night, although the view is still rather dark, even with a 7" monitor it's difficult to see much. A friend changed his backup lamps to higher powered incandescents, but then the excessive heat burned up his taillight lenses - not a good idea on a car with expensive parts. I'll bet a switch to LEDs would be the solution - if you could get ones to fit that are bright enough to be helpful. I'm not aware of any limits on the wattage of backup lights - as you find on other exterior lamps - but there must be some reason automakers don't furnish much in the way of illumination back there. A bottle of fireflies would work as well as most.
There is an alternative that I found to work very well, aftermarket manufacturers take note. Several automakers offer tilting mirrors that do a great job of showing what's behind you - if not at close range directly behind your rear bumper. It took me a few weeks to figure them out on my RX, but with the power mirror selector set to the center position, when you shift into reverse your sideview mirrors don't move. However, if you've selected either side mirror with the switch, when you shift to reverse, both mirrors tilt down a few degrees - enabling you to see what's on the ground near your rear wheels - out to about 30-40 feet behind you. Shift out of reverse and the mirrors go back to your preset position. I came to rely more on my tilting mirrors than my camera when backing, especially at night.
Lil4X
Elio Addict
I owned Suburbans and a Travelall for years, and I can vouch for the truth of that picture. You are totally blind near your rear bumper, and some kind of camera rig is a must for safety. However, the picture is rather misleading because your blind spot is a triangle with it's apex about 20 feet behind you - rather than square. Your side mirrors extend outward far enough to produce a shallow angle with the rear of your vehicle that eventually covers some of that area.
To help with the visibility issue, I stuck a couple of those convex mirrors to the big sideviews and that allowed me to monitor my flanks while still being able to see the adventurous types who seemed to want to cruise in my blind spots to either side.
2.ooohhh
Elio Addict
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I love my tilt-down mirrors they are a great feature using already available tech. The only thing I don't like about the mandated backup cameras is that they only work in reverse. Which does NOTHING to improve rear vision during lane changes and the like.
You don't need to see directly behind you for lane changes anyway, you're supposed to set your side mirrors so that when you lean your head against your shoulder you can barely see the side of your vehicle, thus covering your blind spots. Side mirrors are not supposed to behave as rear view mirrors as so many people improperly use them and the Elio mandates
I do to. It's a military thing.
Don't forget you are driving a triangle with the tail squared off. The blind spot on the Elio is about 18 inches wide and extends out maybe 12 in.
