Rear camera foggy imaged due to moisture inside camera lens

[taylor.coyote]

Anyone have experience with the rear camera having moisture inside the camera lens?   Solutions how to fix the foggy lens would be appreciated 

[ScubaRx]

I'm assuming the camera is out of warranty. If so it's a relatively easy fix.

The camera will be easier to deal with if it is unmounted. Remove the liner from the inside top of the rear overhead cabinet. Find the wire coming through the hull that powers the camera. There will be a quick connect that will need to be disconnected. From the outside you will have to unscrew the six hex head screws holding the camera to the bracket. I think they are 5/32". It will be easier to remove the bracket from the hull but you will have to dig the sealant/caulk from around the wire and remove the camera and the short pigtail.

The two halves of the camera shell are put together with several hex head screws. These will have to be removed (probably 5/32").

Inspect the gasket between the two halves. Dry the inside of the lens and leave it open to the air to dry completely.

The moisture is most likely entering the camera around the antenna mount. Try unscrewing the antenna and putting a tiny amount of sealant on the threads and remount.

I have several extra cameras that I will look at tomorrow. If you need further help feel free to contact me. You can get my number from the factory. Text me and I will call you back.

 

[John E Davies]

If you live in a humid climate, carefully use a hair dryer or heat lamp for a while to force out any moist air immediately before you reassemble. It is really hard to completely dry out stuff if the air has 80 or 100% humidity.

If there is room inside, insert one or two small silica gel desiccant packs.

Post some pics please, I have never seen inside one of these. I have a Garmin BC30 and it is permanently sealed, I think. The video quality is garbage, but it hasn’t fogged.

John Davies

Spokane WA

[LongStride]

I'm no optics expert.  Just thinking out loud...

I would do everything  @ScubaRx recommends right up to the point of reassembly.  At that point, I think that I would attempt to fill the unit with inert gas to ensure no moisture was trapped inside.

Place the two halves of the shell in a ziplock bag.  Snip off one corner of the bag and insert a plastic straw, sealing it with tape.   Evacuate all of the air by pressing gently on the bag forcing the air out of the straw.  Insert the nozzle of a canned argon canister into the straw.  Snip off the opposing corner of the bag (for air to escape) and fill it with argon until it displaces all of the air in the bag.  Let enough argon out of the bag to manipulate the two shell halves to mate up.  Hold them together tightly with one hand.  Tear the bag off with the other hand (or recruit help).  Insert screws and tighten.  

Provided you can get a good seal on the shell, once filled with inert gas it will stay moisture free.   You can get a can of argon on Amazon.  People use it to evacuate the oxygen out of open wine bottles they want to re-cork.  I think they cost around $15.

 

[Galway Girl]

Ours did that, an we asked for the camera manufacturer for an exchange assembly.  They sent us a new camera, we sent back the old.

(Ours was inside warranty).
CS

 

[taylor.coyote]

As always good tips. I was hoping it would be less involved for a quick fix. Headed for a trip Wednesday. most likely will do the project when I return. I will follow up at this time

[taylor.coyote]

decided to work on the camera. pulled the 6 screws mounting the camera to the bracket (3mm). instead of taking the camera off the roof and pulling the wiring, i turned the camera around and mounted it backwards in the bracket. this gave me good access to the screw to open the camera body... from here dry it with a hair dyer and replace the desiccant . the gasket is in need of replacement. Applied some silicon sealer with the hope this will help seal the gasket until i get a new one.   ended up being very easy. still need a new gasket

[John E Davies]

So, that desiccant pack was already in there? If so, that is interesting and unexpected….. it looks as if there is plenty of extra space for a couple of more. 

Thanks for the pics.

John Davies

Spokane WA

[taylor.coyote]

yes, desiccant in the camera from the factory..was able to bake it in the oven to recharge / dry out the desiccant. the crystals turn pink when they are dry 

[LongStride]

Good for you!  I'm glad that you got it fixed.  I never would have imagined that there would be room enough in there for a desiccant pack.  

Way less effort than my "inert gas in a bag" idea 🤪, and in the long run probably more effective.

Don't mind me.  I like to tinker.  I once replaced a broken battery terminal on my daughters watch with a piece of heating element from an old toaster.  It was Minnie Mouse watch from Disneyland.  Irreplaceable in her eyes, and she told my wife "Daddy will fix it".  What was I to do?  The pressure was immense.  I had to think outside the box.

[DonnaDuane]

I'm interested in replacing my original backup camera with a new Furrion Vision S. I'm hoping the better day and night vision it's supposed to provide will want me to use it.  The original was nearly worthless at night, and now it has a cut cable and damaged antenna due to vandals. Anyone here retrofit their Ollie with a Vision S system or is using one that came with a newer Ollie?  I'm interested in what it takes to retrofit and if it actually works as well as Furrion claims.  Thank you, Duane

[topgun2]

12 hours ago, DonnaDuane said:

and now it has a cut cable and damaged antenna due to vandals.

Duane - 

So sorry to hear this.😟

Bill

[DonnaDuane]

Thank you Bill. As I said, I never used it because the picture was so bad. I got inspired by others to take it off and apart to see if I can breath new life into it. I found an amazing quantity inside. Even the desiccant bag was soaked through.  Do you know anyone who is using the new Furrion Vision S system? It sounds a whole lot better, but at $600+ I wanna know it's significantly better.

[topgun2]

Now that I think about it I should have been a bit clearer.  First, I'm sorry about the vandals.  Assuming that your camera was mounted in the "normal" position near the top of the roof, those vandals must of wanted to hurt that camera something bad.

Second, I'm sorry about the water inside the camera and that it didn't perform very well in the first place.

I really don't know anything about these cameras given that I installed a couple of much cheaper cameras on Twist.  Perhaps a call and/or email to Furrion would/could get you some answers and/or help.

Good luck!

Bill

[DonnaDuane]

Getting to the camera is easy. Just stand on the bumper. The vandal probably thought it was on as they crawled under the fence to steal a cargo box from the top of another person's van. Thanks for the thoughts though.