Safety Survey — we need your input on rear view video cameras

Those of us with Class A’s where the manufacturer may have cheated on total length of their rig, were also sold (with no choice in the matter) an accessory rear view video camera. We purchased our 2003 Jayco Firenza used, with only six months to go on a company advertised “bumper-to-bumper-warranty.” On the NADA guide the seller used to support his price, this “accessory” was calculated to have a depreciated value of $1,025. Our actual use of 10,000 intermittent miles before total failure of the system therefore calculates out to 10¢ per mile.

On our first visit to an authorized Jayco warranty repair facility — Wells Cargo, of Reno, Nevada— we submitted a warranty item fix list that had our “rear vision monitor” listed under “Critical Items!” 

The repairman charged Jayco a half-hour at $1.21 per minute to reattach the monitors loose mount, and told us (our first warning about how deadly the warranty game was for those of us without legal aid insurance) that he had to write it up as the mount was loose (which it was) as we had no coverage under our ADTH ROS 700 limited warranty which was only 12 months from date of purchase by the original purchaser. The “shorting out” problem, perhaps caused by not being mounted properly, was not fixed.

Having a crank-a-dank mind, and having argued with this same repairman that signing off on my list with an unexplainable “NPF” under, “Gas Detector didn’t work for me when testing as per instructions,” may have put Wells Cargo in a liability situation. I had been specifically instructed by my Jayco warranty representative not to fix anything myself (no matter how simple) as that would waive all warranty rights. As it happened, after realizing the Jayco warranty was not as advertised, I took it upon myself to open the LP gas detector and found that “NPF,” really meant — “Spade connector on ground wire not connected!”

 So, back to the malfunctioning Atlanta DTH rear observation system, I have all sorts of questions to ask —which I did through Atlanta DTH’s invitation to do so on their website— as:

1) Define who is the original purchaser in your one-year limited warranty —as Jayco may have had a whole warehouse of these units that might have been out of warranty when installed? Know that some of our readers have run into the practice of “predating” before actual purchase.

2) Why only one year warranty? Is it because the unit is “electronic?” Perhaps you need to have an Apple Computer consultant give you advice how this best be done, as we are able to access E-mail on our Apple laptop while bouncing about in a motorhome. Apple is an Information Age company that understands the Internet stands for win-win-win, and has an excellent record of standing behind a meaningful warranty.

3) Speaking of Apple laptops since even their low cost, low end modules would be able to hook-up to a rear end camera, plus access GPS navigation software, and keep track of e-mail and the budget at the same time, how is it that you charge so-o-o-o-o-o much?

4) My Jayco Operators Manual cautions against operating the rear vision monitor in the ON position for extended periods of time, and suggests the greatest benefit is in knowing what is behind for backing. Your ADTH Operating Manual cautions that your system is, “to be used with front, rear, and side mirrors.”  My question here is why not advise that truthfully the absolutely safest procedure for motorhome travelers is for the co-pilot/navigator direct backing in to a undersized RV parking space by the use of another electronic device, as inexpensive walkie-talkies, to allow the driver to answer your built-in speaker.

5) As a long-time professional photographer, used to deciphering BxW negatives, I found your camera unit —perhaps a Matthew Brady Civil War surplus unit— when intermittently working before it blew out for good, wasn’t that easy to read. It did not allow, as advertising suggested, to “See and hear clearly what’s behind you... so motorhome travelers could ... drive with the greatest confidence.” About the only information my unit was accurately able to give me —at the risk of diverting my attention from tried and tested split rearview mirrors, adjusted correctly— was if my towed dingy was tracking safely.  Part of our procedure with a previous motorhome that had a rear window was for my copilot to do a visual check of our tow hitch, for safety sake, ever hour.

6) Motorhome travelers needing to have electronic “wonder” devices fixed (as carefree awnings, leveling systems, automatic stair steps) are stuck traveling down the road spending all their retirement time looking for (out of warranty) repairmen who will even try to attempt to fix one of your malfunctioning devices, I need to know if it is true, as suggested by just such an independent repair facility, that Atlanta DTH Inc. has had so much trouble with the “ ROS 700” that it is no longer being offered in a self-contained, plug and play (even if only limited to a one year warranty) replacement unit.

7) Which leads me to this. If, as suggested, the best way out of an expensive (unprotected) failure, is to go with replacing what I have with a state-of-the-art DTH system that offers color and side cameras — how do I know I can trust that a $2,000 investment, to replace a faulty $1,000 investment, will do the job?  We plan on doing Baja this winter to publish a video style BajaTravelMagazine.com. All advice from those who have traveled the narrow highway leading down to a motorhome travelers paradise —inexpensive camping on pristine beaches where local vendors knock on your door to sell you fresh vegetables and seafood— caution on knowing exactly where the edge of the road happens to be on mountainous sections with no guard rails?

I really shouldn’t just pick on the manufacturers of rear observation systems. As 18-wheelers demonstrate, for safety sake you really don’t need a rear window in your motorhome. Or, do you? I, have read all the lawyers warnings in my Jayco Owners manual about “using the rear hitch,” but nothing negative about the practice of many of us have in towing a dinghy.

Here is my “consumer” spin of this — If Jayco has extended, for an advertised “greater safety,” my actual functional sized 32 foot motorhome, to what they felt a more marketable 33 feet, taking away a rear view window by adding a non-useable space between a bedroom wall and one-piece fiberglass rear end cap, which in turn they felt required the installation of a rear observation system that only has a one year warranty valid only to the original purchaser (Jayco —who is not honoring their advertised “bumper-to-bumper” warranty, as there are no bumpers on our unit ) — if our safety in actually towing a dingy has been compromised— here is what we demand.  That is a total recall of all such said faulty units.  Oh, I am sorry I didn’t make it clear as to which units.  Isn’t the warranty game all about full employment for lawyers to solve all problems arising over not marketing anything to do with motorhome, fairly?

So, motorhome traveler/consumers who can communicate briefly, honestly, and intelligently. Your responsibility — if you feel your safety has been compromised— we need to have your feedback on all manufactured units that may have deceived you by substituting a rear window that would allow you to check on a towed dingy, for an unexplainable hollow (go take a real look at your rig) space to gain an extra advertised foot, protected by a questionable rear observation system. 

Note that I have not written off the implied warranty issues of the consumer trust violation, which is why these comments are listed as questions — not complaints protected by Toolbox Rules.  It should be known that manufacturers listed here by name, were sent a copy of this article for comment over a month ago. They disdained from replying.