Reversing Camera

[TimLOTSW]

Has anyone found a solution to the reversing camera getting covered in muck and rain which effectively renders it useless in bad weather especially if one drives on muddy roads? What, drive a 4x4 on muddy roads, surely not. Mercedes and VW have solved this by hiding the camera behind a flap that also wipes the lens when you go into reverse. Result is a perfect view. The issue also applies to a lesser extent with the front and side cameras on the underside of the mirrors. I have tried using a water repelling spray which helps, but reversing in the dark on a wet night.....

[Bper]

Hi Tim, I guess it's a problem many have as manufacturers haven't all adopted the Mercedes and VW way. You could try hydrophobic coatings available specifically designed for camera lenses. These coatings create a thin layer that repels water, helping to keep the lens clear even in rainy conditions. You can find these coatings at camera supply stores or online but how effective they are on muddy conditions etc not sure. A microfiber cloth can work but who wants to get out the car at night or when it's raining. The chances are you would get more mud on the carpets etc getting out to wipe them then what was on the camara lens.

Hope this helps a bit.

[ernieb]

I tend to wipe the lens before I get into the car. However, you can get a lot of water coming  off the boot if you’ve coated the bodywork. I’ve recently used Maguiar’s Hybrid Ceramic and it’s like looking through a waterfall.

[TimLOTSW]

Thanks for your help. As I said, have tried a water repellent but with limited success, always worth asking if anyone has found a sensible solution. It seems to me that Toyota have ( quite rightly) concentrated on the major items e.g. drive train. The car drives so well, it just has a number of ergonomic type niggles which other manufacturers have found much better implementations, so why not copy them?? Very good car, very poor documentation, as for the software.....

[Nick72]

Hi Tim,

Problem for me too. I'm up in the remote parts of the Lakes and just driving on the normal little mountain roads for 10 or 20 miles and the camera is covered in grime and water droplets rendering it useless by the time I get somewhere and now need to reverse into a tight parking spot.

This was a shock for me as my Merc camera lived in a little flap under an edge of the boot lid. Always self cleaned. Only had to use cleaning mode once in 3 years where you make it pop out so you can clean it. And then even when clean the quality on the R4P 2021 was like a VHS tape on long play. 😂 Whereas the Merc which was made 6 years before the RAV was high definition crystal clear and had superb night vision. 

Looking forward to swapping the car with the 2024 GR Sport R4P which gets a much better camera and display in September. Company car gets swapped every 3 years. Also looking forward to the surround cameras for navigating the rocky mountain outcrops on the narrow roads especially when there's a bus also trying to squeeze through the tight gaps with you on the opposite side! But I suspect they may just get too dirty to be as useful as I'd like.

[Rambler56]

On 4/27/2024 at 5:19 PM, Bper said:

Hi Tim, I guess it's a problem many have as manufacturers haven't all adopted the Mercedes and VW way. You could try hydrophobic coatings available specifically designed for camera lenses. These coatings create a thin layer that repels water, helping to keep the lens clear even in rainy conditions. You can find these coatings at camera supply stores or online but how effective they are on muddy conditions etc not sure. A microfiber cloth can work but who wants to get out the car at night or when it's raining. The chances are you would get more mud on the carpets etc getting out to wipe them then what was on the camara lens.

Hope this helps a bit.

I've got a bottle of RainX I've had for years (but never actually used!). I'll give that a try on the camera lens and see if that helps.

[Nick72]

3 minutes ago, Rambler56 said:

I've got a bottle of RainX I've had for years (but never actually used!). I'll give that a try on the camera lens and see if that helps.

Going to try that too.

[ernieb]

I've tried Rain X and other products, never worked for me after the initial few days. OK if it's just water but the muddy crap conditions of country roads will cover the lens to some extent after a while. Well, that's my experience, it helps but needs a regular wipe over at the start of the day or when you stop. I'm becoming a big fan of the Maquier's hybrid wax, easy to apply and seems pretty effective. Currently trying this on the side windows instead of Rain X.

[Nick72]

Just bought some RainX. Going to try it on the camera and windows this weekend.