One of the things I wanted to fix on our 2026 Tiffin Allegro Open Road 29NA was the rear camera.

The OEM camera was unreliable. Both the dealership and the Tiffin service center tried to fix it, but neither was able to make it reliable. Even when it worked, I wasn’t particularly happy with the image quality or the position of the camera.

There was another problem that was just as important to me. The OEM camera shared a display with the navigation system, entertainment system, and the other cameras on the coach. When we’re flat towing our Jeep, I want to be able to look up at any time and see the Jeep and the traffic behind it. I wanted the equivalent of a rearview mirror, not another selectable camera on a shared display.

My solution was to install a Furrion Vision S as a completely independent observation camera system with its own dedicated monitor.

Challenge

I initially spent time trying to get the OEM camera working correctly and also investigated whether I could reuse its wiring for the Furrion.

In retrospect, I wouldn’t do either again.

The OEM wiring was potentially part of the original problem, and it didn’t provide the simple, direct power source I needed for the Furrion. Rather than continuing to troubleshoot a system I already didn’t trust, I decided to bypass it.

I did, however, reuse the existing hole from the OEM camera. That gave me a good location for the Furrion without drilling another camera hole into the rear of the coach.

Directly above the camera is the center upper marker light.

That turned out to be the key to the installation.

Solution

Getting Power to the Camera

I removed the center marker light and determined that I could use its running-light circuit to power the Furrion.

To get the new power wire from the marker-light opening down to the camera opening, I used a stiff piece of non-electrical wire and fashioned a hook on the end. I used that to snag and pull the new wire between the two openings.

It was simple and saved me from having to open anything else up.

I made the electrical connections using heat-shrink crimp connectors to help protect them from moisture.

There is one consequence of powering the camera this way: the coach’s running lights have to be on for the Furrion camera to operate.

I’m perfectly happy with that. When I’m driving and want the observation camera, I simply have the running lights on. But it’s important to know if you’re considering doing the same thing.

At this point, I thought I was basically finished.

I wasn’t.

The 11.4-Volt Problem

The camera worked perfectly while the coach was sitting with the engine off.

Then I started the engine.

The camera shut itself off.

That was an interesting problem because nothing had changed with the camera itself. It worked with the engine off and stopped working with the engine running.

So I got out the multimeter.

I measured the voltage on the circuit with the engine off and then measured it again with the engine running. With the engine running, the voltage at the camera dropped to approximately 11.4 volts.

That was low enough that the Furrion would shut itself down.

That testing was important because it isolated the problem. I wasn’t dealing with another bad camera, a wireless connection problem, or something mysterious in the Furrion system. The camera simply wasn’t getting sufficient voltage under the conditions in which I actually needed to use it.

Now I needed a way to provide the camera with a stable 12-volt supply.

Adding the DROK Regulator

My first thought was to find something small enough to fit inside the camera housing. That would have made for the cleanest installation.

I couldn’t find a suitable solution that was small enough.

Instead, I found a DROK weatherproof DC voltage regulator that accepts a 9–36V input and provides a regulated 12V output.

Because it is a small weatherproof black box, I could mount it externally. I installed it immediately below the Furrion camera.

The power arrangement was now straightforward: power comes from the center marker/running-light circuit, passes through the DROK regulator, and then supplies the Furrion camera with regulated 12V power.

I tested the system again under the condition that had caused the original failure: with the engine running.

This time the camera stayed on.

That solved the problem.

Mounting the Monitor

I wanted the monitor in a position that felt natural while driving. I didn’t want it sitting on the dashboard or attached to the windshield.

Our 29NA has the cabinet above and between the pilot and copilot where Tiffin offers an optional front television. I had removed that TV, which gave me a convenient way to route the wiring for the Furrion monitor.

For the mount itself, I reused the tabletop/dash mount that came with the Furrion monitor.

I drilled mounting holes in the Furrion stand, flipped it upside down, and bolted it directly to the underside of the empty TV cabinet. I used stainless-steel bolts, washers, and locknuts.

The result puts the monitor almost exactly where a rearview mirror would naturally be in a car.

For the power cable, I drilled a 1/2-inch hole through the underside of the cabinet.

I happened to have a bag of assorted rubber grommets in my garage, and one fit the hole perfectly. I installed the grommet so the power cable passes through rubber instead of rubbing against the raw edge of the drilled hole.

The cable runs through the cabinet to a plug in the upper-left cabinet.

An advantage of doing it this way is that I can simply unplug the monitor if I ever want to remove it.

Outcome

The result has been better than I expected.

The image is extremely clear, and the camera gives me exactly the view I wanted. I can see the entire Jeep while we’re towing it, as well as vehicles approaching from behind.

The position of the monitor is also nearly perfect. Looking at it feels natural—very much like glancing at the rearview mirror in a car.

Most importantly, the system has proven itself on the road.

We’ve driven approximately 3,000 miles with this installation, including some particularly rough roads in South Carolina. The wireless connection has been 100% stable. I’ve had no problems with the camera, the monitor mount, or the DROK installation.

There is one characteristic of the Furrion image that took some getting used to: objects are considerably closer than they appear on the monitor.

After driving with it for a while, I’ve adjusted to that. I don’t use the monitor to judge precise following distances anyway. Its primary purpose is situational awareness: I can see the Jeep, see what’s happening around it, and see vehicles approaching from behind.

For that purpose, it works extremely well.

What I’d Do Differently

There are a few things I’d change if I did the project again.

First, I wouldn’t spend time trying to fix the OEM camera. The dealership and Tiffin had already tried, and I ultimately replaced it anyway.

I also wouldn’t spend time investigating whether I could reuse the OEM camera wiring. Building an independent system with its own power source turned out to be the better solution.

Second, I’d be a little more careful during the wiring. I forgot to heat-shrink one of my connections before reinstalling the marker light, which meant I had to take the marker light off a second time to finish the job properly. That was entirely avoidable.

Finally, I used silicone to seal around the camera and marker light. It has worked, but I think there are probably better sealing products for this application. If I were doing the installation again, I’d investigate the alternatives before automatically reaching for silicone.

Other than those things, I wouldn’t change the design.

I wouldn’t change the camera location.

I wouldn’t change the monitor location.

I wouldn’t change the basic approach of powering the camera from the center marker/running-light circuit and using a regulator to provide stable 12V power.

And after 3,000 miles—including some pretty rough roads—I certainly wouldn’t change the Furrion system based on its performance.

The project started because I was tired of an unreliable OEM camera. What I ended up with is considerably better than simply repairing it would have been: a dedicated observation camera that functions much more like the rearview mirror I wanted in the first place.

I’m not sure who might be paying attention to this, but I used to spend lots of time blogging about hiking equipment, camper maintenance, and anything else that I though was interesting. My last post was a book review on January 1, 2022. That means I have been absent for 4.5 years. What can I say? I was super busy running a company. So much has happened. In that time I now have 4 grandchildren (all boys!) and, sadly, my mom died (she is buried at hope mausoleum in New Orleans). This is not the same world it was for me in 2022. 

Now I am about to turn the page on my career and get back to independent technical consulting. You can see my site here if you are interested in what I am going to be doing: https://tony.galluscio.com. I’m also picking up some of my interests back up like hiking, attempting to play the guitar, and trying to learn Spanish. 

As a result, I thought this would also be a great time to pick my blog back up. I am going to start blogging about RV projects and hiking again!!

Stay tuned!

Overview:

This is my first ever book review. You can see my other posts here.   This post kicks things off with a fantastic read, Beneath the Veil of Smoke and Ash: A Novel by Tammy Pasterick.  Normally, I discard books that do not get my interest quickly.  I have many partially read books on my Kindle. I tend to cut my losses and discard any book that does not interest me. That is definitely not the case with Tammy Pasterick’s first novel. This was  an engaging read from the start. 

Category:

I think this book falls into the category of historical fiction. As such, this novel gives the feel of being meticulously researched and really gave me the feel of what it would be like to live in the early 1900s near Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. I felt transported back in time and my attention was kept there through a powerful story and engaging characters. The characters are real people just like people today, but in a different time and place.

Characters:

I love the way the Tammy Pasterik  teaches you about the characters so that you become familiar with them.  That makes this novel easy to read and absorb. The novel is divided into relatively short chapters, where each chapter focuses on one of the main characters and tells the story from their perspective. 

Ending:

I like an ending that resolves major story lines in a realistic. though somewhat unexpected way. This novel does not disappoint. While I would love to read more about the Kovac family, I did not feel betrayed by the ending. I felt like the end made sense, and I can move on to a new book. 

Summary:

I give this book my highest recommendation for this book review.  I look forward to reading future books by Tammy Pasterick. You can purchase this book here.