The backup camera is useless when the tailgate is down. Is there a solution?

[Kenv24]

Well I remember those days when We don't need no backup camera

But come on ….really?? yeah….but that was “those days”. Those days are gone and it is now THESE DAYS!! I love my dam camera backing up to my trailers.

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[Alfetta159]

Heck, Clark Kent didn't even need the glasses! But then he never drove anywhere, he flew! hahaha.

Everybody buckle-up, up and away...

(BTW a copy of Action Comics 1 just sold for 15 million!)

 

[First Sergeant]

Everybody buckle-up, up and away...

(BTW a copy of Action Comics 1 just sold for 15 million!)

Wow! 1938. Good job! Used to like the old TV show I watched in the 60's. The bad guys just kept shooting him in the chest, bullets bouncing off. Then, they threw the revolver at him (like that was gonna kick his butt!) Haha. They never learned, same stuff in the next episode! Edit: I just looked up the story on that comic book, very interesting. Here is a link.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rare-superman-comic-sells-at-auction-for-record-15-million-dollars/

 

[Dad]

YES Ken absolutely.
There are wireless magnetic"trailer cams" listed on Amazon.

No wiring is the way to go. I have similar on my 30ft motorhome and have had no connection issues. Only wiring needed would be for power.

 

[FordDiehard]

Again, if only I had known before I bought my 2025 Maverick Lariat.

Is there a Ford OEM or aftermarket auxiliary backup camera for use when the tailgate is down? Every time I go to the transfer station!

Would that really have been a deal killer for you? Aren't you able to back up closer to where you need to unload and then drop the tailgate? Before I bought my Maverick, I would haul trash to the dump in my 2017 Focus, but never tried to back up with the trunk open, otherwise, I would be looking at the sky.

 

[kidshelleen]

If you're going to the dump with a load that needs to have the tailgate down when you're driving, then you should go more often. Drop the tailgate when you're ready to unload and use one of these...

https://www.harborfreight.com/2000-lb-capacity-truck-bed-cargo-unloader-60800.html

...although I have no idea why that guy is dumping a little pile of gravel on the ground, but it is a pretty cool product...

 

[dochawk]

Nah, make the lens 'float' inside of a bubble - no dust is getting into anything.

I toyed with that idea, actually. But the fluid to float it is going to wreck havoc on the optics. Which you can take into account during design, but . . .

(BTW a copy of Action Comics 1 just sold for 15 million!)

wow.

It is surprising that my Uncle lived to adulthood.

Among others, one day he went up and down the street giving away comic books. His older brother's comic books.

Among those that my father had been saving was Action Comics #1 . . .

 

[pigsareus]

I toyed with that idea, actually. But the fluid to float it is going to wreck havoc on the optics. Which you can take into account during design, but . . .




wow.

It is surprising that my Uncle lived to adulthood.

Among others, one day he went up and down the street giving away comic books. His older brother's comic books.

Among those that my father had been saving was Action Comics #1 . . .

I was envisioning the camera inside of a glass bubble without any fluid within that bubble - then the glass bubble with some weight attached to it on the bottom (that results in rotating the bubble when the tailgate changes position) is surrounded with fluid thereby eliminating the camera itself being immersed in any liquid. There would be encapsulated wiring from the camera thru the bubble.

 

[kidshelleen]

I was envisioning the camera inside of a glass bubble without any fluid within that bubble - then the glass bubble with some weight attached to it on the bottom (that results in rotating the bubble when the tailgate changes position) is surrounded with fluid thereby eliminating the camera itself being immersed in any liquid. There would be encapsulated wiring from the camera thru the bubble.

This is sort of the way that astigmatism-correcting contact lenses work, with somewhat clunky "return-to-orientation", but it would be a non-starter for the "camera-in-lens-bubble-with-wires" that you're thinking about . The physical scale, lens construction, mass, and drag from the wiring to reorient with buoyancy are an impossible problem.

 

[sprubs]

That is genius!

HRG

I'm curious what it looks like from the perspective of the driver.

Tailgate Mirror

I guess you'd have to take this on/off because it seems like when the tailgate is up it would have you looking at the sky instead of behind you but I like the low-tech nature of it.

 

[pigsareus]

This is sort of the way that astigmatism-correcting contact lenses work, with somewhat clunky "return-to-orientation", but it would be a non-starter for the "camera-in-lens-bubble-with-wires" that you're thinking about . The physical scale, lens construction, mass, and drag from the wiring to reorient with buoyancy are an impossible problem.

ah,maybe difficult but impossible? We land rockets on the moon :} Maybe go some route when magnetics are used along with wireless signals instead of wiring.

 

[Glen Baker LLC]

I tested the tailgate down back up theory with my F250 and it does let me switch the view to the third brake light camera with the tailgate down and also a trailer pano view with the tailgate down.

Same as my 350

I was envisioning the camera inside of a glass bubble without any fluid within that bubble - then the glass bubble with some weight attached to it on the bottom (that results in rotating the bubble when the tailgate changes position) is surrounded with fluid thereby eliminating the camera itself being immersed in any liquid. There would be encapsulated wiring from the camera thru the bubble.

Sounds like $$$$$ in R&D. It's not going happen at Maverick's price point.

 

[pigsareus]

Same as my 350

Sounds like $$$$$ in R&D. It's not going happen on a Maverick.
[/QUOTE
Oh, someone can take a swing at it, it really does not appear to be rocket science, the concept is simple, there's not a whole lot going on with the idea, it doesn't have to be unique to the Maverick, it's just an idea that could be used in many applications. There's probably something out there that already does and could be modified for this use.

 

[MetalsGeek]

I share your frustration. For another $2, Ford could have easily made the camera mount (blue oval badge) pivot out manually to address this, but they didn't. One other issue with having the tailgate open is that you cannot access the drive screw that lowers the spare tire. Nobody in Engineering thought this was a problem with the design??!

 

[KenR]

We drove trucks & cars for 100 years plus without a backup camera. Best option is turn head around an look behind you as needed, we do have a neck....!

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