Carvision Bluetooth Caravan Reversing Cameras Review

Reversing a caravan is often called the Everest of caravanning, and it can turn a relaxing trip into a stressful ordeal, especially when the whole campground is watching and offering unsolicited advice. A good wireless reversing camera removes the guesswork, the hand signals and the arguments. This guide explains how the Carvision digital wireless range works, breaks down the full specifications of each model, compares Carvision against other popular brands, and helps you choose the right kit for your rig.

Why fit a reversing camera to your caravan?

If you are still deciding whether a reversing camera is worth it, these are the reasons caravanners tell us they fit one. Most owners cite more than one.

• Eliminating blind spots on a long rig. Hooked up, your car and caravan can be more than double the length of the tow vehicle on its own. That creates large blind spots no mirror can cover. A rear camera gives a clear, unobstructed view of exactly what is behind you.
• Protecting children and pets. Caravan parks, driveways and campsites are precisely where small children and pets are hardest to see. A rear view is the safety feature owners value most, and it helps prevent the kind of low-speed incident that happens in seconds.
• Reversing without a spotter. Stop relying on hand signals and shouted directions. You can see where the van is going yourself, which takes the pressure off both driver and passenger.
• Faster hitch alignment. A rear or number-plate camera makes lining up the tow ball quick, cutting out the repeated back-and-forth.
• Confidence in tight or busy sites. Sliding into a powered site with an audience is far less stressful when a clear screen shows where every corner of the van is heading.
• Night and low-light arrivals. Late arrivals at parks are common. Infrared night vision lets you reverse safely after dark, when mirrors are all but useless.
• Avoiding costly damage. Reversing is where a large share of caravan knocks happen. A clear view helps you avoid scrapes to the van, the tow vehicle, bollards and other people's property.
• Peace of mind. Above all, it lowers stress and lets you enjoy the arrival instead of dreading it.

Rear visibility has become so central to road safety that reversing cameras and rear parking sensors are being mandated on new vehicles in Australia. Fitting one to your caravan simply extends that same protection to the longest, hardest-to-see part of your setup.

How Carvision digital wireless works

Carvision offers a range of wireless reversing cameras that make reversing anxiety a thing of the past. The camera mounts at the rear of your caravan and connects to the park or reverse light, so it activates automatically. The monitor suction-mounts to your windscreen, or straps over your rear-view mirror with the supplied U-bracket, and simply plugs into your 12V accessory socket. There is no wiring to run through the tow vehicle and only minimal wiring at the caravan, which keeps fitment quick and affordable.

Digital 2.4GHz, not analogue

This is the most important difference between Carvision and many budget kits, and it is worth understanding. Cheaper wireless cameras often use an analogue 2.4GHz signal, which is prone to interference from other devices on the same band, such as Wi-Fi networks, Bluetooth and even other vehicles' wireless cameras.

That interference shows up as static, snow or a flickering picture, and it is the single most common complaint in reviews of low-cost systems. There are even reports of owners picking up the camera feed from a vehicle in front.

Carvision instead uses an advanced digital 2.4GHz signal that resists this interference and delivers a clean, stable image with hardly any delay. In plain terms: analogue can pick up noise from other devices, while digital largely ignores it. For reversing, where you need the picture to be there instantly and reliably, that difference matters.

Carvision reversing camera features

Full HD cameras with a 120 degree view

The standard CV-SQWRLS camera is a Full HD 1080p unit with a 2.0 megapixel, 1/2.7 inch sensor and a 120 degree viewing angle. That angle is the recognised sweet spot for reversing: wide enough to see obstacles to the sides of the van, without the distortion of ultra-wide lenses that make objects look further away than they really are.

Full HD resolution means kerbs, bollards and tow balls are easy to judge, a clear step up from the 640 x 480 standard-definition sensors still found in many entry-level kits.

Automatic day and night vision

The camera uses 11 infrared LEDs with a Smart IR-Cut filter that switches automatically between 650nm for day and 850nm for night. This gives a clear black-and-white picture after dark for safe reversing into unlit sites. Automatic day and night switching is a genuine quality marker, not something every budget camera includes.

IP69 weatherproofing

A rear caravan camera lives in dust, rain and road spray, so its ingress-protection rating matters. Both Carvision cameras carry an IP69 rating, the top of the scale for dust and high-pressure, high-temperature water jets, and higher than the IP65 rating quoted by several imported rivals. The lens is also coated to resist water, oil and fog, so it stays clear in the wet.

Bright, multi-view monitors

The 5 inch monitor runs at 1000 CD/m2 and the 7 inch at 900 CD/m2, both bright enough to read in direct Australian daylight. The 5 inch supports up to two cameras in single or split-screen; the 7 inch supports up to four cameras in single, split or quad view. That lets you combine a wide reversing view with side, hitch or interior views on one screen.

Built-in DVR

Each digital monitor has a built-in DVR that records your journey or any incident to a microSD (TF) card, from 8GB up to 128GB. It is useful for reviewing a manoeuvre or as evidence after a collision.

Simple, low-cost fitment

Because there is no tow-vehicle wiring and only minimal caravan wiring, powered from any 12V to 24V source such as the reverse or park light, the whole project stays budget-friendly. We also provide on-site fitment by our auto electrician in the Carac workshop.

Carvision models compared

There are three kits in the Carvision range. All use the same digital 2.4GHz technology and the same Full HD CV-SQWRLS camera; the differences are screen size, how many cameras you can run, and transmission distance.

5" Kit, 1 Camera
$449.00

5" Kit, 2 Camera
$529.00

7" Kit
$549.00

Carvision compared with other wireless caravan cameras

Shoppers researching wireless caravan cameras usually weigh up Carvision against imported brands such as Furrion and Haloview, as well as generic 2.4GHz kits. Here is how the key features line up. Competitor figures are the manufacturers' stated specifications and indicative pricing, and wireless range quoted by overseas brands is a line-of-sight figure that will be shorter in real conditions.

The takeaway: Carvision matches the premium imported brands on the things that matter, digital 2.4GHz, Full HD, multiple cameras, split screen and a built-in DVR, while adding two things the imports usually cannot. You get an IP69 camera and automatic day and night vision, plus local Victorian support and professional in-house fitment.

Which Carvision kit is right for you?

Choose the 5 inch, 1 camera kit if you want a straightforward single rear view for reversing and towing, at the best price.

Choose the 5 inch, 2 camera kit if you want a rear reversing view plus a second view, for example a number-plate camera for discreet mounting or a second angle, shown side by side in split screen.

Choose the 7 inch kit if you have a larger rig, want the biggest screen, need the longer 502m transmission distance, or plan to run up to four cameras such as rear, hitch, side and interior or animal-trailer views in quad display.

Frequently asked questions

Available online and in store

Come into the store to see the full Carvision range across both screen sizes and multiple camera setups, or browse and buy online. We are located at 2 Zenith Road, Dandenong South VIC.

Shop the Carvision range