Echomaster Hitchscan Wireless Sensor System for Tow Hitch Parking - No Drilling Required, 7ft Range for Trucks, SUVs, Vans & Trailers (00-03000) | Perfect for Safe Reversing & Tight Parking Spaces

I researched this for about a month, wondering what I might do for my 2007 Nissan Frontier 4x4. I've had too many close calls lately with inconsiderate people (adults even) walking & driving behind my moving vehicle.I connected it to my 2" receiver, plugged it into the 7-wire socket, and placed the receiver in the 12v jack inside my center console, where I can still hear it well with the console lid closed. I was concerned that the final detection alert begins at 3 feet and might still be too far for tight spots. It turns out that 3 feet is perfect, considering driver response time & also the distance from the HitchScan to the edge of the truck. It correctly covers that distance to the edge of my truck by being a 3' radius.Note that the instructions say this is for a receiver hitch 15" or higher from the road. It doesn't say if that's 15" from the top or bottom of the hitch, but my truck just barely makes that requirement either way, and I have no problems.The unit only turns on when your vehicle is in reverse AND the key is on, because it uses your backup-light power for the sensing unit. For the reviewer that say it beeps all night in the garage, you have it installed verrry incorrectly!If you don't have the 7 wire connector, it also comes with a wiring harness & all the vampire taps you need to connect it to your backup light. I think I may use this harness to connect it to my trailer hitch wiring so I don't need to keep something plugged into the socket.It's a bit unclear from the photos & EchoMaster web site, but the HitchScan does come with a red reflector strip & does NOT have "HitchScan" plastered across the unit. The 2" adapter is solid and covers the length of the 1.25" receiver connector. I was worried that it might be a wobbly adapter, but it's not. The unit as a step seems pointless, both because I have it on a truck with a tailgate, and because this really isn't that deep from front to back to be a useful step.The details are pretty well thought out. It comes with two neoprene foam spacers/stabilizers to help keep it from vibrating on the receiver, has two spacers for the lock to keep it from rattling, and a mechanical volume slider that variably covers the RF receiver speaker or LEDs. The sensing unit has two depth options for the hitch lock, so you can extend it by about an inch if necessary.No complaints yet, and it's great to have something alerting me to careless folks or to assist my poor ability to parallel park.*** Updates nine months later--I finally used the wiring kit to wire it more directly and thereby keep the seal on my 7-wire socket protected. Other than that, the system still works great, alerts me to the morons that walk behind my vehicle as I'm backing up, and lets me park closer & more comfortably to things beyond my vision. Still very much a supporter of the product.I've got one place that consistently causes the receiver to beep once it starts, even when I switch out of reverse. That small parking lot is saturated with wireless network signals from several unrelated companies surrounding the lot. I suspect that since they operate in the same frequency range, my receiver gets a little overwhelmed. This has never happened anywhere but that one parking lot. Not concerned--it still correctly reacted to obstacles behind me. It just wouldn't shut up afterwards! Unplug from the 12V socket, plug it back in, problem solved.Highly recommend if you have at least 15" clearance from your receiver hitch. Changing my review from 4 to 5 stars.Was easy to install and solved a major problem with my new truck (no backup sensors). Two problems - does get dusty when driving on dirt roads AND when backing out of the garage it keeps beeping even when completely cleared of the garage, only shuts off when taken out of reverse.I like to back my truck into parking spaces. This is because I feel pulling straight out of a parking space is less scary than trying to back 18 feet of steel out of that same parking space with no visibility until the last 7 feet clears the cars in the adjacent spaces. I purchased this item when I got fed up with my truck's nose sticking out into the lot because I had no idea how close I was to the person behind me. For a 52,000 dollar vehicle new, loaded with everything (including the only two options GMC had left), you would think they would slap some sensors onto it to try and make parking this behemoth a little easier. ANYWAY, I installed this item as soon as it came to my door (kudos to Prime and UPS for getting it here in LITERALLY 14 hours). It fit well, just a LITTLE bit of play (in every direction), even with the added spacers. For now, it is connected to the 7-pin trailer socket. My plans this weekend are to use the included kit to tap the unit straight into the harness so I don't have to keep my socket open. It seems like it would be just fine with the plug, I just think it looks cleaner with the socket cover closed and the extra wiring (there's a few inches) tucked away into the inside of the bumper. My truck comes equipped with a 12 volt receptacle right in the cargo area, so, refusing to give up any of the three I have in the cockpit, I placed the unit in the trunk, angling it so the LEDs reflected off of the roof, so I still have visual indications. It is quite audible, even ten or so feet away in the very back of my vehicle it is easy to hear as long as you're not blasting music. I wouldn't use it as a step, partially because of the small movement, and partially because it's way too thin to even use as a step; My bumper is such that using it as a step would put half your foot on the truck itself anyway, since it already has a built in step. Overall very satisfied, easiest upgrade to backup assist in existence for those (like me) who don't want to or cannot drill into their bumpers!My new 2015 Dodge Ram 1500 Express had most options but not a back up sensor or camera. Researched most everything available but decided that the HitchScan would work for me per prior reviews. Did the quick and easy plug and play and it works as advertised. Not as accurate and as sophisticated as a factory unit but it works for me. It took me a day of testing it backing up into all kinds of obstacles to trust it. I now trust it even though my truck is hard to judge backing up. After the green light and slow beeps and then the yellow light and faster beeps, A solid red light and a solid beep gives me 3 feet between the obstacle. I still need to use the supplied kit to wire directly into the back up light wire and ground. I don'twant to tie up the round socket connector on my truck and expose it to the weather etc. No problem for me as I have done this all my life. All in all a great product except for the fact that if someone runs into the sending unit, I may have to buy another. Another problem with the receiver unit for me was my Dodge Ram. The only 12V cigar lighter outlet near the dash was so near my knee that I was afraid of inadvertently breaking it off or damaging it. I had to use the 12V outlet inside the center storage compartment which meant raising the lid to watch the LED lamps while listening to the beeps. OK, now after using the unit for a while I just listen to the beeps and don't bother with the LED lamps.