With my past SUVs, I would lower the back seat and open the rear hatch to get a view of both my hitch ball and the pod's coupler.  Aligning the ball and coupler was very simple.  Now, with a full-size pickup, I have lost that line of sight when trying to alight everything for hitching up.  I have read many reports on wireless back up cameras and monitors, but most are either too expensive or perform poorly.  Does anyone have any positive experience with an affordable wireless system?  It must be wireless.

I might add that through the years I have had relatively good success with the "tennis ball" alignment devices that affix magnetically to the top of the ball and the top of the coupler.  Now I want to go a little more high tech. 

Bob

Charlie, thanks for the detailed response.  My last Class A motor home had a full-time night vision rear view camera that worked great, but it was designed to show areas farther behind than the rear bumper of the motor home.  My tow vehicles have had back-up cameras integrated with the navigation systems, but they, also, can not give me a view of my hitch ball. 

I have been studying the iBall wireless trailer hitch camera, which can be magnetically mounted on the back of the TV for hitching up, and later on the back of the trailer for manuvering into a campsite or backing up in general.  Some reports indicate that as you mentioned, it is sometimes prone to interference from Blue Tooth devices and other sources.  Our cell phones, On Star, navigation system, etc. may all be possible sources of interference.  For this reason, I am hoping that one or more members are using a system that is not compromised by such interference.  Maybe such an animal does not exist.

My magnetic shafts with the tennis balls works reasonably well, and I can line up ball and coupler with surprising accuracy, but I was hoping there might be a higher tech, but relatively inexpensive, alternative to the tennis balls.

Thanks again, Charlie.

Bob

You are absolutely right.  When it comes to my photographic and computer equipment, the costs are unbelievably high.  For a back-up camera, I would not be so extravagant.  Maybe "less extravagant" is a better term than "relatively inexpensive."

The iBall is the unit that caught my eye until I read several of the reviews.  The only problem noted was interference caused by Blue Tooth devices, as Charlie warned.  My Avalanche has 3 Blue Tooth devices and we carry 2 smartphones that are also Blue Tooth.  After much thought, I am still tempted to try an iBall.  They retail for $149.95, with refurbished ones available for $134.95.  I purchase most of my electronic equipment and cameras that are refurbished and have had excellent success with them.  iBall has a promo code for $15.00 off, so a refurbished unit would only be $120 w/free shipping.  Unless I hear worse reports, I plan to purchase one, only for the task of hitching up my pod and for backing it into camping sites.  Another good feature is that it is completely portable.

Thanks, dsmiths.

Bob

dsmiths, I notice that the new model is switchable between normal and mirror image.