What to do with the Cargo View Camera when installing a camper shell?

[Mark Halwa]

I have a LEER top and it does not interfere with the cargo cam \ lights other than they are now useless but it fits fine, the top is molded to fit around the light.

Steve, which model Leer is that and what year is your RAM?

 

[John Jensen]

I have a Leer 100XR on my 2020 3500 8' bed.
It is 100% like Steve said, it fits perfect and not a hint of a leak and camera is useless

 

[Steve_Cornell]

Steve, which model Leer is that and what year is your RAM?

It's a Leer 100XQ and my truck is a 2020 3500

 

[EDM]

A bit different than the Leer or ARE, but the RSI smart cap fits, and also has a clear window where the light and camera are, so you can still utilize both.

Hey Easy, do you have a photo of your shell you can share?

 

[easye515]

Hey Easy, do you have a photo of your shell you can share?

Here you go!

The only downside I have found to this topper so far is that the latches get stuck when they are full of snow and its cold out. I am going to drill some holes in them and add some pull strings.

 

[EDM]

Thanks, that's a great looking shell. Caravan Campers are made here in Reno where I'm from so you see a lot of those. They make for a great sportsman rig, but they're a bit too grandpa-ish for my liking. I really like the look of yours.

 

[easye515]

Thanks, that's a great looking shell. Caravan Campers are made here in Reno where I'm from so you see a lot of those. They make for a great sportsman rig, but they're a bit too grandpa-ish for my liking. I really like the look of yours.

I love this thing, and as far as I know, it is the only one that makes use of the camera and light, which would be great for the OP! Kinda nice to be able to check on the dog and other items in the bed when driving down the road.

 

[EDM]

Yes, I really like that feature. Klaus, our family chukar pointer, needs to be monitored. They look to be about half the price of a caravan camper too which is nice. I looked at used caravan campers, but they weren't compatible with the camera. This looks like a good option and I could buy new for the price of a used caravan camper. Thanks!

 

[Will_T]

This is the one I ordered, but I assume any of the competing products would work the same.
https://www.amazon.com/Compatible-2...14087604&rnid=2941120011&s=automotive&sr=1-68

And yes, there are two screws and two plugs to disconnect. The replacement will only have the one plug (no camera connection).

The camera itself can be removed from the stock light if you want. I wrapped mine in a little plastic, reconnected it via the plug and then tucked it into the headliner behind the new replacement. But I assume you could also simply leave it unplugged.

I finally have my truck and also got the same light you did. One question though. What did you use for the gasket on the replacement light? I was surprised at how narrow and thin the material is that comes with the new light. I have not removed the old light yet so don't know how it compares to the original but plan to do that today. I remember seeing a post a while ago where a few people had leaks at the CHMSL from the factory and used something from Home Depot to reseal the light. I sure don't want any leaks around it. Did you re-use the original OEM gasket, the new one that comes with the light, or make your own from something else? And most importantly, have you had any issues with the seal since you did it? Thanks!

 

[LateToTheParty]

I finally have my truck and also got the same light you did. One question though. What did you use for the gasket on the replacement light? I was surprised at how narrow and thin the material is that comes with the new light. I have not removed the old light yet so don't know how it compares to the original but plan to do that today. I remember seeing a post a while ago where a few people had leaks at the CHMSL from the factory and used something from Home Depot to reseal the light. I sure don't want any leaks around it. Did you re-use the original OEM gasket, the new one that comes with the light, or make your own from something else? And most importantly, have you had any issues with the seal since you did it? Thanks!

The OEM gasket is stuck to the OEM light. But I used the one that came with the replacement. I snugged up the bolts then dragged over the garden hose to test for leaks. Since I didn't have any leaks, I left it alone and it has been a non-issue all winter through tons of snow and a bit of rain (and the truck has never seen the inside of a garage).

 

[Will_T]

The OEM gasket is stuck to the OEM light. But I used the one that came with the replacement. I snugged up the bolts then dragged over the garden hose to test for leaks. Since I didn't have any leaks, I left it alone and it has been a non-issue all winter through tons of snow and a bit of rain (and the truck has never seen the inside of a garage).

I installed the replacement light this morning. I was concerned that the gasket that comes with the replacement was about 1/2 the thickness of the gasket on the OEM light. But once installed I wet down the light well and let it sit for a while. Then removed the light to check for any water penetration as you can not tell anything without removing it. It was dry inside so I guess the thinner gasket works fine. I have seen in some thread somewhere that when people have had water stains on their headliner and found the OEM light leaking, they used some gasket sealant material from Home Depot to fix it. But for now at least all seems good. Hopefully it will remain that way.

The replacement light does solve the issue with clearance on the OEM light with cameras for shells that do not have a cutout specifically for the light. The replacement protrudes less than 1/2 the distance from the cab that the OEM light did so the shell can be installed where it should be on the bed rails, lessening the chance of water leaking into the interior of the bed.

I did not yet do as you did and dismantle the OEM light to remove the two cameras and keep them attached to the connectors. I just taped up the connectors and stuffed them above the headliner for now. So far there are no error messages being given about the cameras being disconnected. The cargo bed view camera and the rear view mirror digital mode just display as black. If any errors to eventually show up, then I guess I can remove the cameras from the OEM light and reconnect them before stuffing it all back into the head liner space.

Edit: Ha! A few minutes after typing this, I got nervous about the truck eventually throwing an error with the cameras disconnected. I looked closely at the OEM light and saw I could easily remove both cameras. So I did just that and re-connected them to the wires and then put it all back into the headliner. So now the cameras are connected and hopefully the truck's brains will stay happy.

In another thread, Jimmy indicated how we could extend these cameras to the back of the shell, or even to the back of a trailer and still use them. It looks fairly straight forward to do with the parts he referenced. The only part that would be tough would be getting the wires out of the headliner in a way that does not allow water penetration.

New light's profile.

 

[Pizziola29]

Revisiting this topic. @LateToTheParty @Will_T So I have a 22 RAM Hd with the Digital rear view camera. Now that I have the RSI shell I need to move the camera to the back of the shell. Did anyone find which cable I can buy to extend out the camera?

 

[LateToTheParty]

I don't have the digital rearview, so all of my knowledge is from reading far more threads than I should.

That said, I think there are a couple of options in this thread - https://hdrams.com/forum/index.php?threads/digital-rearview-mirror-with-truck-cap.3187/

 

[Will_T]

Revisiting this topic. @LateToTheParty @Will_T So I have a 22 RAM Hd with the Digital rear view camera. Now that I have the RSI shell I need to move the camera to the back of the shell. Did anyone find which cable I can buy to extend out the camera?

I only replaced the stop light and disconnected the cameras. There is a thread here somewhere though that someone posted with all the specific materials used when they did the extension to the rear of the cap.

edit: Found something to get you started. https://hdrams.com/forum/index.php?threads/rear-view-video-monitor-extension-cable-test.5328/

 

[dm6]

I thought I'd revive this thread. Has anyone recently purchased a third brake light replacement that doesn't stick out as far as the camera? The item from the Amazon link earlier in this thread is no longer available.