Trucks these days offer tremendous power and capability that surpasses anything we’ve seen before, and they’ve recently been getting luxurious interiors and innovative technology that can outclass most SUVs. It’s a great time to be a truck fan, and one of my favorite pieces of tech on pickups these days is the multitude of cameras that make maneuvering even easier. Being in a large vehicle—raised above the road—can provide some advantages with visibility, but also some drawbacks… but cameras can make up for some of those downsides.
Whether you’re simply curious about which trucks have the most cameras, or you’re looking at a new Chevy Silverado for sale and want to see how it stacks up to other trucks, you’re in the right place. Let’s take a look at some of today’s most popular trucks to get a sense of how many different camera views they offer. Pretty much every major full-size truck has some kind of “Panoramic View” or “Surround Vision” that gives you a virtual look around your pickup, but the number of views available beyond that can vary quite a lot…
The Chevy Silverado 1500
If you’re as interested in camera views and truck technology as I am, then you recognize the Chevy Silverado 1500 as one of the kings. Consider the 2023 Silverado 1500, which has a total of eight available cameras—more than I’ve seen in just about any truck out there. This could be considered overkill, but Chevy’s engineers have utilized these cameras in smart ways to provide some serious functionality. You’ll find similar camera options with other trucks, but far fewer.
For example, the Silverado 1500 has four different hitch views available, including a standard hitch view, an HD Surround View (which gives you a bird’s eye view of your truck’s surroundings), and a rear top-down view—all of which make it easier to safely connect to a trailer. There are also numerous views designed to make driving easier and safer, such as a Transparent Trailer option (that lets a driver effectively see through what they’re towing), a rear trailer view (that uses simulated guidelines to make maneuvering backward while towing easier), and even an inside trailer view (to broadcast a camera feed should you install one in your trailer).
There are also numerous parking camera views, such as a rear camera view (that offers a clear look behind your Silverado), a rear side view (that provides improved visibility down the side of the truck from the front), and a front top-down view (for easy parking and navigating tight spots). Altogether, the eight different cameras offer a total of 14 unique views that support and improve visibility for the driver; this is an impressive level of technology that makes it clear why Chevy is one of the leaders in the industry in employing cameras for diverse functions.
The GMC Hummer EV Pickup
The Chevy Silverado 1500, with its 14 unique camera views, had long been the leader in the industry for boosting visibility, but that’s no longer the case. Not surprisingly, it’s another GM brand and model that has usurped the throne with an incredible range of camera options, boosting visibility beyond anything I’ve seen before.
The GMC Hummer EV Pickup has a lot going for it: not only does it offer impressive power and range with instant torque, but it can also drive diagonally and features an incredibly comfortable air suspension—and it takes things even further with its UltraVision system…
With UltraVision, the GMC Hummer EV Pickup has a total of 18 camera views available, topping the Chevy Silverado 1500 by quite a few. This system creates more options to improve visibility and ensure the driver can safely handle anything they encounter.
Many of these improvements see the Hummer EV Pickup become one of the most capable off-road trucks on the market thanks to its waterproof underbody forward-and-rear-facing cameras, which can provide the driver with a real-time view under the truck. Between these and other camera views available, any driver can have a virtual spotter to help with navigating challenging trails and getting through the most demanding situations.
The Ford F-150
I’d like to say that the kinds of camera views and options we’ve seen so far with the 2023 Chevy Silverado 1500 and the GMC Hummer EV Pickup are standard, but that’s not the case. The Ford F-150 is the perfect illustration of this.
For more than forty years, the F-150 has been the bestselling truck in America. There are plenty of good reasons for that, from the kinds of powerful engines it has had throughout the years to the impressive interiors you’ll find in it these days. That being the case, the current F-150 falls behind the previous two trucks we looked at in terms of camera options.
The F-150 does have multiple camera views like a bed camera, an available trailer auxiliary camera (to view behind your trailer), and an available 360-degree Camera Package (that offers a bird’s-eye view around the truck), but nowhere near the 14 views of the Silverado 1500.
The Ram 1500
What we just saw with the Ford F-150 is closer to the industry standard than what Chevy and GMC offer. Looking at the Ram 1500—which vies back and forth with the Silverado for second place in popularity behind the F-150—we find a similar selection of multiple cameras… but nowhere near what GM offers on their trucks.
With the Ram 1500, we once again find several camera angles, including an available 360-degree Trailer Surround View camera that provides a virtual look around the truck from overhead. Again, however, none of their vehicles approach more than a dozen different views like you can find with the Silverado 1500 or the Hummer EV Pickup, further illustrating just how remarkable those two trucks are.
The Toyota Tundra
While the Toyota Tundra might not be as popular as the aforementioned, it’s still a quality full-size pickup that does a lot right. Toyota is well known for providing impressive safety features and technology on their vehicles—and the Tundra is no exception.
That being said, even though the Tundra just launched an all-new generation for the 2022 model year with plenty of updates, its camera options still fall behind what GM delivers. There’s a Panoramic View Monitor (that provides a virtual look around the truck) and a Multi-Terrain Monitor (to help you keep an eye on your surroundings and typical camera views like side views, truck bed, and the trailer hitch). Once again, we don’t see the remarkable numbers that Chevy and GMC offer, but that’s to be expected at this point.
General Motors Helms a League of Its Own
At the end of the day, I doubt anyone will choose one truck over another solely due to the number of camera views it offers. Powerful engines, towing capability, and sophisticated interior features will likely remain the most important, but enhanced visibility is worth considering.
The one thing that’s clear from looking at these five trucks is that General Motors—with the Chevy Silverado and GMC Hummer EV Pickup under their umbrella—is on another level with the kinds of camera tech they’re bringing to the road. I’m sure their competitors will catch up, especially if focus groups and research show drivers are interested in having an increased understanding of their surroundings. Until that happens, however, GM trucks dominate in visibility.
