I've never towed a 5th wheel before - so I was a bit dismayed to discover, the first time I hitched up, that I couldn't see the hitch plate from the drivers seat. Usually, when I pick the unit up from the storage yard, I'm by myself. I guess the normal procedure is to back up a bit, get out and look, back up a bit, get out and look, rinse repeat. That's what I did with my TT.
But I was looking for a better solution.
I thought about several ideas.
There are commercial, wireless backup cameras that you can install in the truck bed - but that was more money than I wanted to spend.
I thought that someone should make a Fresnel lens sheet that, instead of magnifying would simply bend the image down. If I mounted it (temporarily by static or water) in the back window I could see the hitch. Couldn't find anyone who made such a thing (somebody should!)
So I did a deep google for "bluetooth camera" and "WiFi camera". WOW - turns out quite a few chinese companies make "spy cameras." Frankly, these things are scary. Tiny little things that can see through a pin hole, work off battery and transmit the video over WiFi. I hate to think how these could be misused - but - take a look at what I did with one.
I found this:
Ebay
for $14.00.
It comes in a box with several different clips and mounting options. I used one that was made to screw to a wall but I turned it around backwards.
In this next photo, I've temporarily removed the headrest from the center seat on the F150. There is a small "slot" for a better word, where the release strap comes up. Turns out the bracket from the camera slides down in this slot just perfectly:
I was prepared to use a velcro patch to stick it to the back window or the back of the headrest but this worked out perfectly - on your truck you may have to work out something different.
I should point out that I keep the camera in the glove box and only stick it in the back window when I'm hitching alone. It recharges with a standard USB cable - but I've used it for weeks now and haven't had to recharge it.
There is an app you download for either iPhone or Android. You connect the phone to the camera by WiFi (point to point - no router required) and start the app. The image appears on your phone.
I can see my hitch and watch the pin approach perfectly.
This is a CHEAP Chinese camera but it does work and the image quality is good enough. The documentation is hilarious - obviously translated from the Chinese by someone with the equivalent of an high school "english 101" education. Many people on eBay reviews complain that the camera doesn't work - but for $14 how can you loose. Also I think they never figure out how to use it. Here's the trick:
1) Turn on the camera and wait a minute or two.
2) Open phone's settings/WiFi, find the camera in the list and connect.
3) The WiFi password is '12345678' - that is in the documentation but it's REALLY obscure - and several things printed on stickers on the camera will make you think something else is the password. Once you've done this once - the phone will remember.
4) Once it's connected, wait a minute THEN start the camera app.
5) Out of a dozen times I've used it so far, only once was the video freezing up. I suspect it was a WiFi frequency conflict. I shut off the camera and started the steps again - it worked great.
It's an incredibly cheap and easy solution to a hitch camera.
I've not tried it to do a TT hitch. The documentation says the WiFi will work to 20 meters. In my back window it's about 6 ft line of sight to my phone on the dash. If it's mounted on your back bumper it might not work as well but for $14 what have you got to loose!