Possible to add OEM cargo cam?

[Deleted member 995608]

I want to add the cargo cam to help hook up my goosenecks. I have a chest tool box that completely blocks my view. I've tried the mirror mounted to the GN coupler and it pretty much sucks.

I like the OEM parts if possible and I'm assuming the dealer can program the radio to work with it.

 

[surfbeetle]

https://www.infotainment.com/collections/all/products/ram-chmsl-third-brake-light-cargo-camera-kit

That may do the trick depending on what radio you have.

 

[Pawpaw]

It's really not necessary to go through that much expense. All you need is one of those telescoping magnetic pickup tools. You want one with the largest diameter magnet you can find. Of course, it also has to be long enough that you can see it over the toolbox.

I showed this to my father & a couple of others several years ago:

1. Back up toward your trailer, looking in your inside rear view mirror to get centered. Stop a few feet short.

2. Extend the pickup tool and stick it to the bed, in front of the goose neck ball and touching it.

3. Looking in your rear view mirror, line up the tool with your gooseneck and back up slowly.

4. When the tool falls over (toward the cab) stop. The hitch is right over the ball.


It's super simple, only costs a couple of bucks, and is easily transportable to any other tow vehicle.

The one I used and gave to my father looked like this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/MAGNETIC-PICK-UP-TOOL-10-LB-TELESCOPIC-HIGH-VISIBLE-EXTENDING-MAGNET-CLIP-ORANGE/292237894809?epid=2221195626&hash=item440abc6499:g:zooAAOSwAFBZq0~c

The large magnet made it more stable while backing and the orange handle helped with visibility in the mirror.

 

[Deleted member 995608]

Hey Pawpaw, I've used all those tricks too. I've got a convex mirror mounted on the hitch of my stock trailer. It works most of the time. My in bed tool box is suspended so that I have use of my 8' bed, but it blocks my view of the ball. I just might have to lower the box back to the bed floor. Hitching up my trailer is pretty spot on 99% of the time, but when I grab someone else's, I end up saying a few cuss words. Maybe its time for a flatbed.....

Adding the cargo cams seems easy, but it's not easy on the pocket book after looking.

 

[BarryG]

For what it is worth and it probably isn't worth much when I was looking for my new truck and trying to decide which one to get I asked about adding cameras (cargo and tailgate). What I was told was that you could add the tailgate camera after the fact but not the cargo. While I didn't understand what the problem would be nor could he give me a good answer they were certainly willing to add the tailgate camera to one of the trucks I was looking at but not the cargo camera. There are aftermarket options out there though. I have not pursued it as I only use a goose neck occasionally like a couple times a year and I can see the fifth well enough just by turning my head.

 

[JTMATTEL05]

As I read the title of the initial post i notice the OP is wondering if an OEM light can be installed. All The replies are about an aftermarket install. As we all know aftermarket is not the same quality as the OEM.

Hope someone out there can answer the original question as I also would like to know if one is able to be installed on a 2014.

 

[trust]

I've seen a YouTube video on doing exactly this, i don't recall the specifics as it wouldn't work on my 06. I'll look again and post the link when/if I find it

Good luck

 

[Esbern]

I have the factory cargo cam in the high mount brake light on my 2014 crew cab long box. I also have an L -shaped tidy tank/slip tank with a toolbox on top of it in the box of the truck. The toolbox/slip tank combo block the view so that I still cannot see my fifth wheel even with the cargo camera at the top of the cab.

 

[wyosteve]

I had the cargo cam on my 2015 and have it on this truck. I've not found it to be ideal for hooking up either a gooseneck or 5th wheel and still resort to the old fashioned 'jump in and out' method most often.

 

[Deleted member 995608]

I pretty much gave up the idea of adding the cam. Like others have said, I'm not sure it would be all that useful.

 

[hbowers]

I am thinking of doing the same thing. I have a 2016 3500 dually Laramie w/just the tail gate camera. the dealer here wants $1000 to add the cargo camera. has anyone had that done? thankyou

 

[Doc12]

When looking for a new 3500 I was told that you could not install the bed camera, it must come from the factory.
I have no problem using it to hook up my 5er.
It should be part of the 5er prep package!

 

[Cummins12V98]

IMHO it's not worth having. I just look in rear view mirror to hitch 5er. I removed the center hear rest.

 

[Deleted member 995608]

I'm going flatbed over the next few months so I ain't even gonna mess with the cargo cam. I'll be ditching my chest box so hooking up should open up my field of view. Too much money for very little result.

 

[Wiredawg]

Friends,

I have a new 5500 that has the backup camera mounted above the license plate of my tow body. Because of liability issues, Ram restricts the option for grid lines on the camera because there is no standard location for the camera. So, I ordered an OEM camera extension cable to move that camera to the headache rack of the tow body and going to mount an extra wireless camera I have where the OEM one was. I can turn the grid lines on and off on the wireless camera and use it to check the landing gear on the 5th wheel. That way, I can toggle between the observation camera on the back of the 5th wheel trailer and the backup camera at the license plate anytime and use the high mounted (OEM) one for hooking up the 5th wheel. There's a bit of a story of wanting to see the front landing gear. I've had both front legs and cylinders of the Lippert Level-Up system and had my Mobile Suites in the shop numerous times with legs collapsing while unhitched and extending while running down the road. Just two weeks ago, the front jacks completely collapsed inside my shop. I raised them back up and they've held no problems. I worked with Lippert and we could not find the problem. There are now internal or external leaks. So, in this camera config, I can periodically toggle the camera at the license plat to monitor the legs are up. Sad, but this unit has spent 7 months total on 4 occasions working on the leveling system. Sorry about the rant.

While researching the camera built into the CHMSL, I found it for $400, and you have to drop the rear headliner, route the wiring down the back, under the plastic molding, take the center console apart, remove the 8.4 or the other one, everything is plug and play, then use a programmer they provide to turn it on. Having the built in headache rack does give me an advantage for mounting the camera. I used a wired camera on my '09 4500 that had a sun visor monitor that worked great for hooking up the 5th wheel. I have aux fuel tank/toolbox that impedes looking through the rear window or using the rear view mirror.

Take Care,

Ron

 

[Wiredawg]

Friends,

I have a new 5500 that has the backup camera mounted above the license plate of my tow body. Because of liability issues, Ram restricts the option for grid lines on the camera because there is no standard location for the camera. So, I ordered an OEM camera extension cable to move that camera to the headache rack of the tow body and going to mount an extra wireless camera I have where the OEM one was. I can turn the grid lines on and off on the wireless camera and use it to check the landing gear on the 5th wheel. That way, I can toggle between the observation camera on the back of the 5th wheel trailer and the backup camera at the license plate anytime and use the high mounted (OEM) one for hooking up the 5th wheel. There's a bit of a story of wanting to see the front landing gear. I've had both front legs and cylinders of the Lippert Level-Up system and had my Mobile Suites in the shop numerous times with legs collapsing while unhitched and extending while running down the road. Just two weeks ago, the front jacks completely collapsed inside my shop. I raised them back up and they've held no problems. I worked with Lippert and we could not find the problem. There are now internal or external leaks. So, in this camera config, I can periodically toggle the camera at the license plat to monitor the legs are up. Sad, but this unit has spent 7 months total on 4 occasions working on the leveling system. Sorry about the rant.

While researching the camera built into the CHMSL, I found it for $400, and you have to drop the rear headliner, route the wiring down the back, under the plastic molding, take the center console apart, remove the 8.4 or the other one, everything is plug and play, then use a programmer they provide to turn it on. Having the built in headache rack does give me an advantage for mounting the camera. I used a wired camera on my '09 4500 that had a sun visor monitor that worked great for hooking up the 5th wheel. I have aux fuel tank/toolbox that impedes looking through the rear window or using the rear view mirror.

Take Care,

Ron

 

[Wiredawg]

Friends,

I have a new 5500 that has the backup camera mounted above the license plate of my tow body. Because of liability issues, Ram restricts the option for grid lines on the camera because there is no standard location for the camera. So, I ordered an OEM camera extension cable to move that camera to the headache rack of the tow body and going to mount an extra wireless camera I have where the OEM one was. I can turn the grid lines on and off on the wireless camera and use it to check the landing gear on the 5th wheel. That way, I can toggle between the observation camera on the back of the 5th wheel trailer and the backup camera at the license plate anytime and use the high mounted (OEM) one for hooking up the 5th wheel. There's a bit of a story of wanting to see the front landing gear. I've had both front legs and cylinders of the Lippert Level-Up system and had my Mobile Suites in the shop numerous times with legs collapsing while unhitched and extending while running down the road. Just two weeks ago, the front jacks completely collapsed inside my shop. I raised them back up and they've held no problems. I worked with Lippert and we could not find the problem. There are now internal or external leaks. So, in this camera config, I can periodically toggle the camera at the license plat to monitor the legs are up. Sad, but this unit has spent 7 months total on 4 occasions working on the leveling system. Sorry about the rant.

While researching the camera built into the CHMSL, I found it for $400, and you have to drop the rear headliner, route the wiring down the back, under the plastic molding, take the center console apart, remove the 8.4 or the other one, everything is plug and play, then use a programmer they provide to turn it on. Having the built in headache rack does give me an advantage for mounting the camera. I used a wired camera on my '09 4500 that had a sun visor monitor that worked great for hooking up the 5th wheel. I have aux fuel tank/toolbox that impedes looking through the rear window or using the rear view mirror.

Take Care,

Ron

 

[SnoKing]

I have a 4.3" display sitting on the center console with two cameras hooked to it. One is in the RAM emblem in the grill and looks down on the front bumper. The other is in the back of the front box and is aimed at my 5th wheel hitch. I can watch the king pin slide into the hitch and handle swing closed on the B&W hitch. Like both. I two switches, one powers up the display and cameras the other selects which camera is displayed. Display and one camera is about 65 bucks. SnoKing