Rear Camera Lens Washer

Here we are, driving down the byway in rain/snow/drizzle, only to have the TOAD dissapear from view. Time to pull off at the next exit; crawl up on the drawbar, and up a dirty ladder in order to wipe the camera lens. If this sounds like a "been there, done that" situation to you, then you might like my solution to the problem. Our 2002 Discovery, and more than likely all the rest, have a fiberglass cap on the rear of the coach, where the camera is located. Between this cap and the rear of the actual coach, there is quite a bit of space. After seeing this, I decided to install a Rear Camera Washer, so with the push of a button on the dash, I could clean the crud off the camera lens. I purchased a windshield washer kit from JC Whitney, P/N 17UA9167R with a flexible bag for under $15.00 less postage. I would assume one could find a like item at some auto parts stores for about the same price.

When the kit arrived, I found it included everything one would need for a complete install job for a windshield, however in my application, I needed some additional wire, and plastic tubing. Off to the hardware store and obtained 12 feet of the same size tubing supplied with the kit. While I was at it, I picked up a 50 foot spool of number 14 guage stranded wire.

Now for the install: First I removed the outer cover from the camera, then I snaked a piece of stiff wire in through the camera opening and down the hollow area between the end cap and the rear of the coach. With the stiff wire coming out the bottom curbside area, I attached the plastic hose, and pulled it up and through the camera opening. In the bottom center of the camera cover, I drilled a hole in order to attach the nozzle for the washer. I installed the nozzle, attached the plastic hose, and reinstalled the camera cover. Next I installed the washer reservoir bag. Originally, I attached the hanger bracket to the Hydraulic fluid container below the oil filler, however I soon found out the weight of the fluid in the bag was stretching the mounting holes where the gromets were attached. I relocated the washer fluid bag to the right bulkhead, and attached the hanger with a bolt through the fiberglass. &N After the bag was mounted, it was simply a matter of crawling under the rig, and running the 14 guage wire up the curbside frame rail to the front firewall. I pushed the wire through an existing wire passage on the drivers side of the firewall, and mounted the supplied pushbutton under the dash to the left of the steering wheel. Being the type of fellow who has been known to wear both a belt and a set of suspenders, I sprung for an inline fuseholder, and installed a 5 amp fuse between the switch and the power stud under the dash. I have used this modification up and down the Alaska highway, as well as across the lower states, and it has more than paid for itself. In fact, at Bowling Green, the Fleetwood represenative took some photos of it so that he could show them to their design folks. Looking back in retrospect, If I had to do it all over again, I would probably opt to buy the Vertical Tank, hard plastic reservoir, kit over the flexible one. JC Whitney P/N 17UA9165T ($17.99).

Bill - via the BB