# Drilling through outer skin and sealing it.



## 108717 (Dec 12, 2007)

Hi all,
I'm fitting a new reversing camera and I'm fine with all the electronics/cabling/setup etc. The bit that scares me most is drilling through the shell of my 1988 Hmer B544. There are lots of posts about where, how etc but not many detailing how to seal up a hole you've drilled. 

Anyone got a step by step guide on how to achieve a leak-free reseal?


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## chapter (May 1, 2005)

drill the hole at a angle so that the cable points down from the inside to the outside and use a good sealant to the rear of the camera see here
i hope this helps 
chapter


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## 94055 (May 1, 2005)

I second the advise above, put sealant into hole as well.

Steve


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## 108717 (Dec 12, 2007)

Thanks guys. Would you also recommend cutting wires and resoldering once van-side? I'm competent with that and want the hole as small as possible. I'm going to hard wire (with inline fuse) almost directly behind mount so power no problem.

Incidentally, why don't they make these cameras with the option to do that without cutting!?


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## pippin (Nov 15, 2007)

Imagine how I am feeling about doing the same to my BRAND-NEW HYMER!!!!

Yes, it would be better if the hole could be just the wire diameter rather than the considerably larger connector.
I think will probably cut and resolder.

What camera/monitor are you using?


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## 94055 (May 1, 2005)

Hi
Does the wire not have a rubber grommet? If it does cut hole to correct size and seal. Thousands are done that way. Just my opinion

Steve


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## Bubblehead (Mar 5, 2007)

Hi

I fitted 2 cameras to the rear of my new van last year. I angled the hole down but made it big enough to get the connectors through (two cables through the same hole). I filled the hole with silicon and used the camera bracket to hold the rubber gasket over the external part of the hole. Also ensure that any screw / bolt holes have been filled with silicon.

Bubblehead


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## patman (Jan 1, 2007)

We use Sikaflex on all jobs below the waterline on the boat. It sticks like sh*t to a blanket.


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## 108717 (Dec 12, 2007)

Well I'm sort of working my way forward in the van keeping costs to a minimum. The camera is a cheap one from E-bay (bear in mind I'm on an '88 here and not likely to get a return) . If it's still around you'll find it here http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Car-Rear-View...hZ006QQcategoryZ75330QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem 
For display I'm going to start with an in-dash Ripspeed DVD I got from Halfords (I'll pause for a minute while you try to stop laughing). Ok?..... Good. I wouldn't dream of putting this in my car but for £99.00 I got a radio/CD/DVD/MP3 player with removeable front which will take a further camera input and has a remote. Oh and free fitting which I doubt I'll take them up on. For the time I spend in the van I'm sure it'll be fine. And it feeds the DVD playback to the TV with audio out of the speakers so quite a nice setup I hope.

If the screen is too small I have flat screen monitors left over from other projects but I don't want dash temptations unless I have to.


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## chapter (May 1, 2005)

take a look here
chapter


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## stevebill (Jan 5, 2008)

*drilling through outer skin and sealing it.*

Hi, 
Id suggest you visit a boat bits store, or yacht chandler. When drilling through the skin of a boat you have to be bloody sure it won't leak!! Skin fittings that allow wires in but not water are commonly used, and if using an additional sealant then marine grade putty/sealant are longer lasting and pretty much essential rather than using home improvement stuff. cheers Stevebill, New Zealand.


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## 108717 (Dec 12, 2007)

Wise words from all and the comparison with the marine world sits well with me. Seems you share my concers about leaks. They're bu*gers to trace and sometimes the flow gets going via a pinhead hole and you've got a soggy cupboard in a day.

I'll also keep you informed on the quality of the setup. I fear the camera may not last forever (30day warranty? 8O ) but the wiring will be present and I will have proved the concept so adding a better camera will be simple enough. And whether or not you can use the head-unit to safely reverse is something I will also share with you. These head-units with a built in screen are becoming much more common and affordable so worth sharing methings. 

Cheers to all.


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## Westysprinter (Apr 25, 2007)

I drileld our hole through the top of the high level brake light on the rear of our Swift, then behind the brake light thro the van. I kept a good kink in the cable inside the light fitting to prevent water running along it, also the brake light has a drain hole in the bottom. But also I sealed the holes in the van and brake light housing.


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## 108717 (Dec 12, 2007)

Thanks Westysprinter. Good tip but when our Hymer was built dinosaurs still roamed the earth. In fact ordinary brake lights were an innovation! 

It's not that old to be honest but no high-level on this one.


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## johng1974 (Jan 17, 2007)

I have to do my camera soon... what would be nice is if the camera can be remotely rotated in H and V axis's.. then not only a useful reversing camera, but can look down at rack or trailer, or just be tilted up to be a rear view..

Just have no idea where to get a suitable platform for it.. one option was to tie it into a remote spotlight, so where the spotlight points, the camera looks.. ( I once saw this on a Tiffin allegro, a powerful searchlight on roof operated by a joystick in cab)

dreadfully old van so looking for a cheap project not a £400 solve 

A remote spotlight would be useful anyway too ?..

any thoughts?
John


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## lindyloot (May 20, 2007)

We are about to fit a satellite system to our MH and have been advised to use Sikaflex, O'leary's and Charles and Sons sell it at about £6.00 
Lin


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## dethleff (Jun 25, 2005)

jimbo_hippo said:


> Hi all,
> I'm fitting a new reversing camera and I'm fine with all the electronics/cabling/setup etc. The bit that scares me most is drilling through the shell of my 1988 Hmer B544. There are lots of posts about where, how etc but not many detailing how to seal up a hole you've drilled.
> 
> Anyone got a step by step guide on how to achieve a leak-free reseal?


proper job

http://www.seamarknunn.com/catalog/subcat176.htm

Stan


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## 108717 (Dec 12, 2007)

OK all, I promised to report back on the results.

The first cheap camera from Ebay looked the same as many others but proved to be a bit of a dog. Don't buy one. I only wasted a tenner but put it towards something better. Problems in everyday use included poor response to changes in light differences especially bright sky against dark road usually resulting in bleached out images and constant fiddling with the monitor settings. On a recent trip to the Lakes the image started to distort, the lens steamed up and then it gasped it's final breath. It lasted just beyond the ..... erm..... 1 month warranty. I should have seen that one coming really! Avoid like the plague.

If you plan to keep your van for years then I suppose an expensive system, perhaps even professionally fitted, is a good investment. However for those with oldtimers like our 1988 Hymer then you may never see a return on that investment. So here's another possibility. Picked up one of these and did a straight swap in minutes. http://shop.reversingcamerasuk.com/...jectPath=/Shops/es106294_shop/Products/CAM004

Image is immediately better on the monitor with no adjustments. Colour and sharpness the right side of acceptable. Overall a huge jump in build and image quality but still reasonably priced in my opinion.

The guy's website at least gives you an idea of what you're buying with example images. Worth a punt if you don't want to part with a fortune.

In the absence of a full side by side review of a range of cameras it's always going to be hit and miss I suppose. However, i do work with video and consider the replacement camera acceptable for it's purpose. Check the date of this post. If I haven't replied to say it died and it's 2009 then go for it!


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## timbop37 (Jun 28, 2006)

Hey Jimbo

Have you strayed into the wrong post? :lol:


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## timbop37 (Jun 28, 2006)

Sorry, Jimbo, missed the first bit. Thought the origonal post was about drilling through the skin of a van, your latest was about a camera.

Shows one should rerad the whole thread.

Tim


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## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

I bought my two camera and 7inch monitor system from the same place.
One camera is for reversing the other for rear view when travelling. They work fine and give much confidence when backing up.
As the original post says, cabling through the 'van was fiddly but straight forward. The thought of mounting two cams and drilling through for the cable was scary, especially for a 2007 van. As posted elsewhere I opted to use the high level brake light to cover the cable entry hole. For the cameras I added an extra spar on the bike rack and fixed the two cameras to this.
So far no problems at all and both cams proving to be very useful.


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