Tow Mode camera 2022 vs 2023

[Brutal_HO]

If your towing, there's a mirror on your doors. One needs to check them once in a while. Like one should do one's dash every couple of minutes. I no longer have front and rear parking sensors on my Big Horn, and honestly don't miss them. I do appreciate the back up camera though. I probably should keep my opinions to myself really. I just don't need all of the new electronic nanny stuff. Just my opinion.

Backup camera on the RV is convenient.

Also for those of us that double tow, it's essential to keep on eye on things. Not everyone has the same needs, that's why we have choices. Being critical of other's choices when you don't know all the facts is pretty narrow minded and part of what's wrong with society these days.

 

[Ramasaurus]

Thats very odd, if you have the DRVM and the jack is there, the wiring would be too. Did you buy it used? Did they relocate it to the bed? Got a pic of the back side of the port? If no FAKRA goes there and its been exposed to the elements, you will need to replace the jack as well as it would have corroded and they are extremely sensitive.

I bought it new (8 miles on it)…and it’s supposedly “loaded”…. a “Limited”. There is no relocation “to the bed” ..the Fakra “dock” is on the rear bumper left of the license-plate… it’s a standard 2500 pickup with Ramboxes.

 

[Ramasaurus]

If your towing, there's a mirror on your doors. One needs to check them once in a while. Like one should do one's dash every couple of minutes. I no longer have front and rear parking sensors on my Big Horn, and honestly don't miss them. I do appreciate the back up camera though. I probably should keep my opinions to myself really. I just don't need all of the new electronic nanny stuff. Just my opinion.

There are drivers who follow you so-closely they are hidden by some trailers, even with proper towing-mirrors….and are sometimes the same guys who are accelerating to pass you on the left Despite you signaling you are turning Left! A trailer Rear-View-Camera is a Safety-Enhancement….with which you are evidently unappreciative…. Perhaps you might be anosognosiac? (that is a joke)

 

[Davidbt]

There are drivers who follow you so-closely they are hidden by some trailers, even with proper towing-mirrors….and are sometimes the same guys who are accelerating to pass you on the left Despite you signaling you are turning Left! A trailer Rear-View-Camera is a Safety-Enhancement….with which you are evidently unappreciative…. Perhaps you might be anosognosiac? (that is a joke)

Dang, I had to look that one up. I'll neither admit to or deny those accusations!!

 

[Ramasaurus]

One has to be a Mental-Case oneself to know words like that….

 

[Davidbt]

Backup camera on the RV is convenient.

Also for those of us that double tow, it's essential to keep on eye on things. Not everyone has the same needs, that's why we have choices. Being critical of other's choices when you don't know all the facts is pretty narrow minded and part of what's wrong with society these days.

I apologize. I used to pull a 53' refer around the Pacific Northwest as a part time truck driver for 15 years in the 80's and 90's. I guess I'm showing my age, as the older I get the more I lean to the less is more mantra. And you're right, were all different, thank goodness

 

[Ramasaurus]

I just returned home from a 3K mile trip towing our Airstream. Last nite was spent in Ruidoso which required backing into a tight-spot on a cliff-side in the dark. It took multiple “get- out and go look…get in and re-position”….. All while sweeping-headlights were disturbing the neighboring campers late at night. A rear-view camera would have made that a simple, single-effort matter.

Any way… I really need the answer to my truck wiring -harness issue.

 

[Damonb]

I just returned home from a 3K mile trip towing our Airstream. Last nite was spent in Ruidoso which required backing into a tight-spot on a cliff-side in the dark. It took multiple “get- out and go look…get in and re-position”….. All while sweeping-headlights were disturbing the neighboring campers late at night. A rear-view camera would have made that a simple, single-effort matter.

Any way… I really need the answer to my truck wiring -harness issue.

If you are asking what the part number is for your Fakra, you shouldnt need it, you should bring to your dealer as they have left out a part that is included in your build. The FAKRA is part of the chassis harness. Get under the truck and look at the back bottom of the can on the drivers side for the wire coming out of the back wall through a D shaped small grommet. That is the body side cable pass through and should connect to the chassis side FAKRA with a white connector.

If you want to DIY instead of having it warranty fixed, here is a FAKRA sealed female to female Fakra: https://a.co/d/9sXWcM8

You may need the male on one end so you can add this small jumper in that case: https://a.co/d/9aYsuLa however, keep in mind that these cables are RG174, not RG58 like factory and may add some resistance which could cause performance issues. Also, if that plug was hanging out in the environment, it is likely corroded and will probably not work well either and you may want to attempt to re-terminate withe one of these https://a.co/d/dsqFgQI if you are capable. Again, factory is RG58 and this guy may be too small for use on that wire.

Btw, your situation backing up difficulty would not be helped with this particular camera as it is purely a horizontal viewing rear view style, not a typical backup camera viewing angle that points down so you can see your bumper and any obstacles to get around or back up to. What you will see out the mirror view will be about 20ft behind your trailer which is great for rearview mirrors driving forward but not for backing up. It does compress the full height of the camera view so you see a bit more down when you put it in reverse, but still useless for backing.

 

[Brutal_HO]

If you are asking what the part number is for your Fakra, you shouldnt need it, you should bring to your dealer as they have left out a part that is included in your build. The FAKRA is part of the chassis harness. Get under the truck and look at the back bottom of the can on the drivers side for the wire coming out of the back wall through a D shaped small grommet. That is the body side cable pass through and should connect to the chassis side FAKRA with a white connector.

If you want to DIY instead of having it warranty fixed, here is a FAKRA sealed female to female Fakra: https://a.co/d/9sXWcM8

You may need the male on one end so you can add this small jumper in that case: https://a.co/d/9aYsuLa however, keep in mind that these cables are RG174, not RG58 like factory and may add some resistance which could cause performance issues. Also, if that plug was hanging out in the environment, it is likely corroded and will probably not work well either and you may want to attempt to re-terminate withe one of these https://a.co/d/dsqFgQI if you are capable. Again, factory is RG58 and this guy may be too small for use on that wire.

Btw, your situation backing up difficulty would not be helped with this particular camera as it is purely a horizontal viewing rear view style, not a typical backup camera viewing angle that points down so you can see your bumper and any obstacles to get around or back up to. What you will see out the mirror view will be about 20ft behind your trailer which is great for rearview mirrors driving forward but not for backing up. It does compress the full height of the camera view so you see a bit more down when you put it in reverse, but still useless for backing.

The digital tow mode DRVM has a normal/tilt view.

 

[Brutal_HO]

I just returned home from a 3K mile trip towing our Airstream. Last nite was spent in Ruidoso which required backing into a tight-spot on a cliff-side in the dark. It took multiple “get- out and go look…get in and re-position”….. All while sweeping-headlights were disturbing the neighboring campers late at night. A rear-view camera would have made that a simple, single-effort matter.

Any way… I really need the answer to my truck wiring -harness issue.

Does the truck have the Digital Tow Mode Camera option on the build sheet?

It's not standard.

 

[Damonb]

The digital tow mode DRVM has a normal/tilt view.

Not sure what you mean by normal/tilt view other than the fact that it squishes the entire camera view into the mirror instead of cropping it (like normal driving image) when you put it in Reverse? That is not a true backup view like you would have if you mounted a camera high up with a steep angle as this camera is to be mounted horizontal rather than 45° down like a backup camera would be and the focal length and perspective is all wrong for that usage. I have tried aiming mine as down as possible to get SOME backup aid, but its still totally useless for that if you mount it at the proper 5ft to 6ft ish height to be used as a rearview mirror cam. I have analyzed how close the view can get to the bumper of the trailer when mounted one notch down from horizontal and its at least a full car length which unfortunately doesnt help determine where your tail end is relative to objects.

 

[Damonb]

Does the truck have the Digital Tow Mode Camera option on the build sheet?

It's not standard.

I asked that to, he did post a pic of his truck and it appears to be a night edition which requires limited level 1 which includes DRVM. He also stated he has the plug on bumper which would only be there if feature was there so it is certainly a quality defect, likely wires are just unplugged and hidden above the frame.

 

[Brutal_HO]

I asked that to, he did post a pic of his truck and it appears to be a night edition which requires limited level 1 which includes DRVM. He also stated he has the plug on bumper which would only be there if feature was there so it is certainly a quality defect, likely wires are just unplugged and hidden above the frame.

Limited level one does not include the digital tow mode camera. It only adds the DRVM (2.0).

Adding the Tow Tech Plus group (steering) adds the DRVM 3.0 with tow mode camera* AND the side mirrors cams in the DRVM display.

Adding the Tow-mode package adds the wired tow mode camera to the DRVM 2.0.

It's one or the other - and the tow tech kills off the AUX switch option.

* I believe some have not received their camera kits...

 

[Ramasaurus]

Thanks for the replies. I have a DVRM..but what “level” I do not know as I’m unfamiliar with 2.0 vs 3.0 .
I do not have the trailer “reverse steering” feature…(a steering knob on the dash)…. although the truck Does Have the “trailer reverse steering assistance” which is a display on the U-connect using the side-mirror cameras.
The selling dealer is in KY …I had to purchase this truck due to an out-of-town accident that destroyed my previous Ram…. so it is not especially convenient to re-visit the selling dealer for warranty-work… Although the selling dealer is being very responsive and has authorized my local dealer to assist under warranty at the selling dealers expense, if necessary. (I suppose they’re being reasonable…after all, I did pay “sticker price” for this thing as I was under pressure to obtain an immediate replacement due to the out-of-town accident.)

Here is my “Build Sheet”:

and also my Window-Sticker:

 

[Damonb]

Thanks for the replies. I have a DVRM..but what “level” I do not know as I’m unfamiliar with 2.0 vs 3.0 .
I do not have the trailer “reverse steering” feature…(a steering knob on the dash)…. although the truck Does Have the “trailer reverse steering assistance” which is a display on the U-connect using the side-mirror cameras.
The selling dealer is in KY …I had to purchase this truck due to an out-of-town accident that destroyed my previous Ram…. so it is not especially convenient to re-visit the selling dealer for warranty-work… Although the selling dealer is being very responsive and has authorized my local dealer to assist under warranty at the selling dealers expense, if necessary. (I suppose they’re being reasonable…after all, I did pay “sticker price” for this thing as I was under pressure to obtain an immediate replacement due to the out-of-town accident.)

Here is my “Build Sheet”:

and also my Window-Sticker:

The DRVM on all Ram HDs starting in 23 are DRVM 3.0 meaning the Magna system, The first DRVM was the one that just had the truck cam and no secondary input, used on LD Rams, DRVM 2.0 was the same manufacturer as the first generation but added an input for tow mode camera that went directly to the mirror, it was ONLY used on 2022 Rams and the cameras are not compatible with any other years. DRVM 3.0 ads a video processing module under the driver seat and has an input for the CHMSL mounted DRVM cam, trailer DRVM cam and 2 side mirror DRVM cams. This same module is used regardless of getting the side mirror cams, the factory packaged trailer cam, or no cam at all. You can add the trailer cam to this system after the fact no problem. This latter option is what I did as I have worked with the engineers there for 25 years and made sure I knew how to manipulate the order for the best options. Unfortunately the dumb people in options planning decided to limit aux switches and side cams together for some dumb reason, or I woulda got the aux switches and side cams so I could do all 3 views.

 

[Damonb]

Thanks for the replies. I have a DVRM..but what “level” I do not know as I’m unfamiliar with 2.0 vs 3.0 .
I do not have the trailer “reverse steering” feature…(a steering knob on the dash)…. although the truck Does Have the “trailer reverse steering assistance” which is a display on the U-connect using the side-mirror cameras.
The selling dealer is in KY …I had to purchase this truck due to an out-of-town accident that destroyed my previous Ram…. so it is not especially convenient to re-visit the selling dealer for warranty-work… Although the selling dealer is being very responsive and has authorized my local dealer to assist under warranty at the selling dealers expense, if necessary. (I suppose they’re being reasonable…after all, I did pay “sticker price” for this thing as I was under pressure to obtain an immediate replacement due to the out-of-town accident.)

Here is my “Build Sheet”:

and also my Window-Sticker:

There is no reason to involve the dealer you purchased from, a misguided is a warranty repair and will be paid by Stelantis, not the dealer. If you have the plug on the bumper and they didnt plug the wire in, thats an obviously mis built truck. I would recommend looking at the pic I sent and seeing if that wire is there or not. If it is, try dropping your spare tire and looking around the left side frame rail for the FAKRA that maybe just got left unplugged.

If you want to just PM me, I can probably walk you through what you need to look for on the truck, I bet its there l, just stuffed up somewhere.

 

[wspitz]

I tried to order a new CHMSL camera (68506525AA), but I couldn't find any available anywhere. So my next step was to remove my existing camera from my CHMSL. Removing it was easy. 5 screws and one fakra connector. The difficult part was the sealing against water intrusion. There is a ring on the body of the camera that pushes against a gasket. So I 3D printed a model to fill in for the camera. Since I couldn't rely on a waterproof seal in between layers of the 3d print, I made the model slightly shorter and glued a laser cut acrylic circle to the front. Below is a picture of the 3d print next to the camera. Here it was still a little too thick, so I sanded down the acrylic to get it within a few thousandths. And another picture with the 3d print mounted in the CHMSL.

View attachment 57033View attachment 57037

To verify I had a watertight seal, I filled the camera hole with water and let it set for an hour. No visible signs of moisture were noted past the gasket. So I remounted this assembly back on the truck.

would you be willing to sell me a copy of your 3D printed model?

 

[ChuckvB]

Im not sure my 2022 camera will reach to the truck. Is there an extension for the truck side that can be bought or made?

 

[BWP2026]

Hello all!

I just fell into the trap of not getting the mirrors with cameras for side tow view. Did not need the steer assist and dealer even thought the DRVM package with surround 360 in bighorn level 2 plus included the ability to run side view in DRVM. My question is, has anyone successfully installed the mirrors with cameras and connected them to the control module under the seat? Is it a simple plug and play with the DRVM package that came with he additional rear of trailer camera. If so what wires might I need to go from the mirror wire harness to the control module for each side? Thank you for any help.

 

[Damonb]

Hello all!

I just fell into the trap of not getting the mirrors with cameras for side tow view. Did not need the steer assist and dealer even thought the DRVM package with surround 360 in bighorn level 2 plus included the ability to run side view in DRVM. My question is, has anyone successfully installed the mirrors with cameras and connected them to the control module under the seat? Is it a simple plug and play with the DRVM package that came with he additional rear of trailer camera. If so what wires might I need to go from the mirror wire harness to the control module for each side? Thank you for any help.

Its not simple, I responded to your private message with details.