Surround view camera usefullness? (How do you use yours?)

[50Front]

I use it all the time I just wish it was a larger image. 12" screen and the image is only about 3 by 2

 

[JV77]

I use it all the time I just wish it was a larger image. 12" screen and the image is only about 3 by 2

I use it all the time as well. It is certainly a luxury and not entirely necessary, but I would not want a truck without it after having it. I do agree that it would be nice if it could fill more of the screen. I think the ideal scenario for me would be having the overhead view in one half and either the forward or rear facing cameras full screen on the other half.
Edit: Full screen overhead view would be cool too, in certain instances.

 

[dn325ci]

I’ll go ahead and say that 48 hours after owning this truck, I think the surround camera is a game changer. At first it kind of confused me, but after parking this truck probably a dozen times now, it’s a necessity in my book. Very helpful in my garage and in parking lots.

 

[klail]

I’ll go ahead and say that 48 hours after owning this truck, I think the surround camera is a game changer. At first it kind of confused me, but after parking this truck probably a dozen times now, it’s a necessity in my book. Very helpful in my garage and in parking lots.

I agree. I have a fairly shallow garage and have about 3 inches clearance over the length of truck. With the front camera I can go right up to the wall and leave about 1 inch. I know I could just use the good ol tennis ball method but I am REALLY glad that I can see the wall instead. Also, the parking garage at work has some tight corners so it is nice to see the clearance all around.

 

[Ddelallata]

I use it almost daily when leaving the parking lot at work.

 

[Ram92131]

I use mine when parking forward in a spot especially when near a curb. I have the shortcut on my menu so I must select the app when starting to park. The overhead view is very useful.

How are you able to use it when parking forward? Mine doesn't come up when I park forward, only when I put the truck in reverse. Is there a setting somewhere?

 

[19llhpb]

How are you able to use it when parking forward? Mine doesn't come up when I park forward, only when I put the truck in reverse. Is there a setting somewhere?

Yes, tap the surround view I-con in the apps section on the screen and there will be 5 camera options appear to choose from

 

[SpeedyV]

Yes, tap the surround view I-con in the apps section on the screen and there will be 5 camera options appear to choose from

Better yet, replace the default rear camera icon at the bottom of your screen with that surround view version...much better to have that one saved!

 

[zx3junglist]

My wife's mid-level nissan rogue has had this for years, it's strikingly useful to the point where I absolutely had to have this on my ram. I was coming from a dramatically smaller vehicle into the 1500, so I am not yet overly confident where this behemoth (relatively) ends within my viewpoint. Having the surround view really helps with parking / maneuvering in the Northeast where they didn't build the roads and parking lots with 20 foot trucks in mind.

 

[Turin]

I have a fairly shallow garage and have about 3 inches clearance over the length of truck. With the front camera I can go right up to the wall and leave about 1 inch. I know I could just use the good ol tennis ball method but I am REALLY glad that I can see the wall instead.

Same situation in my garage; the truck fits but there's not much margin for error. The front parking sensors turn red when I'm still a foot away from the back wall and my rear bumper hasn't yet cleared the garage door. The front camera helps a lot but I went one better: I tacked a pool noodle to my garage wall at bumper height. My original plan was to stick a flag in it (one tall enough to see over the hood) so that when the bumper nudged the noodle the flag would wiggle. I found that I didn't need the flag. The geometry of the camera angle works out perfectly such that my bumper kisses the noodle when the front camera view shows the edge of the noodle at the bottom of the screen. Go a bit farther and you can see the noodle start to compress. Perfect parking every time!

To the OP: As the other commenters have said, the utility of the 360 camera is all about parking. In the garage, in parking lots, on the street, maneuvering past a car in the driveway... The camera isn't strictly necessary but it is a massive improvement to your situational awareness. It can give you a lot more confidence in tight spaces. Let the old timers who have been driving full-sized trucks for decades look down on me if they want, but I'd hate to be without it!

 

[19llhpb]

Better yet, replace the default rear camera icon at the bottom of your screen with that surround view version...much better to have that one saved!

Yep, exactly where it has been since I’ve had the truck

 

[zx3junglist]

Better yet, replace the default rear camera icon at the bottom of your screen with that surround view version...much better to have that one saved!

I did that as well. Replaced the rear camera icon with the surround view. Even when you press surround view, if you want the rear view you just press that button once you're in surround view mode. Mucho bettero.

 

[yamahar6riding]

During my recent venture truck shopping, I held Ford, GMC, and RAM to having a 360 degree camera. This feature makes parking anywhere, backing in, pulling forward, and parallel parking a breeze. This feature made finding the F150 I wanted very difficult because it comes in the technology package which dealers were adding to their 2019 Lariet Sport with Special Appearance Packages. Honestly though, since buying My RAM last week, I've used the 360 camera over and over. Especially as I get used to how different this truck maneuvers behind my work vehicle in my driveway. To say it is useful is an understatement. I was only willing to forgo it for the Rebel. I have even used the cameras while driving to maneuver around a stopped vehicle in a tight spot on the road.

 

[Edwards]

I absolutely love the 360 camera but was wondering if anyone had any good tips on how to best see the corners of the truck with the cameras? I feel like that's the weak spot on the 360 camera system.

Two examples:
1. When I back out of my garage at home I have to cut the wheel all the way once clear but I can't tell with the cameras and the striped area on the 360 view where my corner is in relation to the edge of the garage door opening. Now I am trying to get far closer than the radar is comfortable with but that's a whole other issue.
2. At work our new garage has angles spaces. Pulling into a straight space with the front camera is the best thing ever but pulling into an angled space against a concrete wall is a crapshoot since you really can't tell how far the corner of your truck is from the wall. I'm getting better but still have to occasionally move it again after shutting it down. I'm basically looking for perfection out of the camera system so I'm ready to be disappointed.

 

[Turin]

I [...] was wondering if anyone had any good tips on how to best see the corners of the truck with the cameras? I feel like that's the weak spot on the 360 camera system.

I've found that the striped regions on the overhead view are remarkably accurate at showing where the front and rear edges of the bumpers are. The corners should be accurate as well, though they're probably a little more conservative as the bumpers have a bit of curve to them while the striped region is squared off. I haven't had to angle park against a wall yet, but if I did I'd pull ahead until the corner of the striped region just barely touched the wall. (Well, the first time I did it I'd stop a bit short so I could get out and check my clearance, but I'd expect "corner brushes wall" to equate to "bumper within 2 inches of wall.")

That said, I agree that the corners are the weak point of the surround view. The software's ability to adjust for camera perspective and synthesize the image definitely struggles there, particularly when near a wall or other vertical surface that blocks part of the view. (And if you fold the mirrors, funhouse!)

 

[Ortiz7983]

This is the only reason why I wanted this feature. Actually, all I wanted was the front camera. When parking and there is no car in front. I want to make sure I didn’t pass the line. C’mon Mopar, how hard is it to add a front camera to the damn truck!

 

[Edwards]

I absolutely love the 360 camera but was wondering if anyone had any good tips on how to best see the corners of the truck with the cameras? I feel like that's the weak spot on the 360 camera system.

Two examples:
1. When I back out of my garage at home I have to cut the wheel all the way once clear but I can't tell with the cameras and the striped area on the 360 view where my corner is in relation to the edge of the garage door opening. Now I am trying to get far closer than the radar is comfortable with but that's a whole other issue.
2. At work our new garage has angles spaces. Pulling into a straight space with the front camera is the best thing ever but pulling into an angled space against a concrete wall is a crapshoot since you really can't tell how far the corner of your truck is from the wall. I'm getting better but still have to occasionally move it again after shutting it down. I'm basically looking for perfection out of the camera system so I'm ready to be disappointed.

Update:
The corners are not weak on the 360 camera, they are non-existent. I put it in R and had my wife stand at the RF corner, not even touching the truck. She was invisible on the 360 camera and the front camera. Switching to the panoramic F cam let me just barely see her hand but if I wasn't looking for it I wouldn't have seen it. I then had her start walking to the R of the truck and she had to get more than a foot away from the truck to be just visible outside of the striped area on the display.

At least this told me that while I love the 360 camera and wouldn't buy a truck without it, I can't rely on it for corner maneuvering. The white/black striped boxes on the display are clearly there to tell you not to rely on the camera for anything in those zones. I am a bit shocked that the "dead zone" in the 360 view is that large though.

I encourage everyone to try something similar so you can see how much dead zone you have between what's really there and what shows up on camera.

 

[SpeedyV]

Update:
The corners are not weak on the 360 camera, they are non-existent. I put it in R and had my wife stand at the RF corner, not even touching the truck. She was invisible on the 360 camera and the front camera. Switching to the panoramic F cam let me just barely see her hand but if I wasn't looking for it I wouldn't have seen it. I then had her start walking to the R of the truck and she had to get more than a foot away from the truck to be just visible outside of the striped area on the display.

At least this told me that while I love the 360 camera and wouldn't buy a truck without it, I can't rely on it for corner maneuvering. The white/black striped boxes on the display are clearly there to tell you not to rely on the camera for anything in those zones. I am a bit shocked that the "dead zone" in the 360 view is that large though.

I encourage everyone to try something similar so you can see how much dead zone you have between what's really there and what shows up on camera.

That’s what your blind spot radar is for!

All kidding aside, you’d need cameras in place of your corner parking sensors to see 100% coverage. As it is, those wide-angle cameras in the mirrors do an amazing job catching as much as they do.

 

[Edwards]

That’s what your blind spot radar is for!

All kidding aside, you’d need cameras in place of your corner parking sensors to see 100% coverage. As it is, those wide-angle cameras in the mirrors do an amazing job catching as much as they do.

I get it, but I wish you could turn down the sensitivity or range of the radar. I daily drive in what it considers the red zone pulling into and out of my garage. I get that it's for safety for the masses but I almost have to turn it off just to garage it and I'm not getting close to hitting anything as far as I'm concerned.

I can also imagine an updated 360 camera on future vehicles where you have 8 cameras - the four we do now and four corner cameras. You'd get some amazing views then.

 

[RiverRacerX]

I wish you had an option to leave it on, as a 1/2 window. I would like to keep an eye on my trailer hitch sometimes.