Insane Backup Camera on Side by Side: TadiBrothers Camera Review

Anti-explosion, night vision, designed for the military and the list goes on. The TadiBrothers tactical camera really is insane!!! Oh yeah, and our sample unit records in 1080p! So let’s toss a camera on the back AND front of a side-by-side and rip up some trails just for fun! What happens next is equal parts amazing and chaotic. Keep reading.

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What Does a $1,300 Camera System Look Like?

When you’re spending this kind of money on a visibility system, you expect more than just a lens and a screen. The TadiBrothers tactical kit is a professional-grade setup. Inside the box, you’ll find:

• The 7-inch Tactical Monitor: A heavy-duty, sun-readable screen with a built-in DVR for recording.
• The “Indestructible” Camera: A 1080P, anti-explosion, night-vision-equipped beast that feels like a solid brick in your hand.
• High-Grade Cabling: Weather-sealed, screw-on connectors (not those flimsy plastic ones that rattle loose).
• Versatile Mounting Hardware: Everything you need to secure the unit to a roll cage, dash, or bumper.

If you want to see exactly how beefy the TadiBrothers hardware is in person, check out our unboxing video here:

Why Put a Backup Camera on a Side-By-Side?

It’s genius mixed with a bit of insanity, but it all works in the end. TadiBrothers found our little outdoors blog and asked if we could collab. Unfortunately, all our BushLife cars already have cameras, which is what TadiBrothers really specializes in, if I’m being honest. But the idea just emerged to toss it on our 2018 Yamaha Wolverine X4 Side-by-Side – after all, it can take the beating. It’s meant to be installed on SWAT vehicles and Humvees, so what’s the worst that can happen?

Backing Up Safely – When You Shouldn’t Be Backing Up!

There is a VERY practical application for a backup camera on an SxS. Most off-roading trails are ATV trails, so it can get a little tight with a Side-by-Side. If you’ve ever travelled these trails, you’ll know it can be hard to get a good turnaround spot, if any. Often occurring on longer stretches when traversing dense woods. This can be really challenging when an obstacle blocks your immediate path – or you simply need to head back and don’t want to drive miles to find a good spot to turn around. In other words, I’m really sick and tired of backing up within inches of 2 trees, up hills, or near the edge of cliffs. Especially with a machine that doesn’t really offer a lot of view out the back!

Forward Facing, Low Mount Camera

Since these TadiBrothers cameras take a beating, we’ll mount the front camera as low as possible. This can help “scan” the road. If that doesn’t make sense to you, think again. Rock climbing and rock drops can introduce some visibility issues. My favourite application is underwater, and while I know my one local water crossing has a huge metal pipe on the bottom of it, it’s actually really nice to see what you are driving through and avoid hazards on the unknown crossings.

We’ve crossed several rivers where our passengers are told to lift their feet, so you get the point of how deep a water crossing can be.

Capture the Memories – Or Evidence!

If you have ever hit the trails or “god’s country” as some say, I bet you wish you had a good camera. Personally, I’m tired of finding creative ways to mount a GoPro to these machines and then worrying about the battery running out without me knowing.

With built-in recording capabilities, the unit we are reviewing is the first of its kind for TadiBrothers! If you are reading this, you either want to learn about backup cameras, Side-by-Sides or both. Either way, recording is a game-changer in this space. With our two cameras, we can record front and back images at the same time! The TadiBrothers monitor lets you turn off individual cameras for recording or view multiple camera views – up to four camera split-screen view. 

From an automotive standpoint, it has a million applications outside of capturing memories, like recording traffic, accidents, crime and so on.

Night Vision

The woods at night are not for everyone. Wolves and coyotes start howling all around you, and on a no-moon night, it’s black. I mean, Dracula black where you can’t see your hands a foot from your face. It’s comforting that my machine has lights and an aftermarket light bar, which makes it daylight in front of me. Add this heavy-duty camera, and it’s yet another item to help you get out of there if multiple things break down.

You’re not going tactical with a SxS; it’s too damn loud. But driving through the woods without lights removes half of what gives you away. From a hunting perspective, you would need to be legal for night hunting, but night vision is an obvious plus. Maybe you just park somewhere and scout with the cameras. Either way, having night vision is a cool feature.

Installing the TadiBrothers Camera System on My SxS

Seeing as the TadiBrothers system is built tough for extreme conditions, we figured it was time to test its capabilities on the roughest terrain we could access. But before we do, we need to install it! Installation of the front camera was tricky. You want it low, but not too low where the camera is gumming up with mud or being knocked by rock and debris. I decided the best spot would be to mount the TadiBrothers camera onto the front bumper of the SxS and use the back camera as a high-mount. The camera’s mounting brackets are solid and heavy!

Wiring the System

My Yamaha has a double-wall firewall, which made running the wires tricky. Using an existing winch cable hole, I managed to sneak in the heavy-duty 4-pin camera cable. When wiring up your system, make sure to avoid heat, the radiator and moving parts, like the UTV’s shock tower. Installing the TadiBrothers monitor was pretty straightforward. The monitor dash mount can be screwed or velcroed. I chose to screw mine into the dash, just above the shifter. Be careful where you mount the holder, as the monitor comes with an SD card slot for recording, which can be found on the side of the unit. If you wire the system incorrectly, like connecting the two wires to the battery, it will cause battery drain. Connecting the yellow wire to the ignition power will automatically power your system when the key is used.

Camera Views and Menu Options

My favourite feature of the TadiBrothers system is the night vision and the multi-camera views, including front, rear, and split-screen options. Having multiple views is incredibly helpful in a 3-point turn on a tight trail, giving you front and back views simultaneously. After wiring, we tested the front camera, which showed a wide, slightly fisheye view due to its 170-degree angle. Using the menu system on the full colour LCD screen takes some getting used to. Navigation is done by using rubber coated buttons on the TadiBrothers heavy-duty monitor. We found options to rotate individual cameras, adjust picture settings like brightness and contrast, and playback recorded footage. The only thing I wish TadiBrothers would have added is suppression of unused camera channels to simplify cycling through views.

Wiring a tactical system sounds intimidating, but I break down the entire process, including my ‘ignition wire’ mistake in my TadiBrothers install video below:

What You Need to Know Before You Buy: Signals, Cables & Tech Specs

The part nobody talks about, but everybody asks!

Look, when you’re spending $1,300 on a camera system, you want to know exactly what you’re getting into before the wires come out. Here’s what the spec sheet doesn’t always make clear:

Wired or Wireless?

The TadiBrothers tactical system is fully wired – and that’s intentional. Wireless camera systems introduce signal interference, lag, and dropout. On a trail, in a barn, or on a job site, the last thing you want is your rear view freezing at the wrong moment. The wired connection means the signal is clean, consistent, and instant. No pairing, no dropouts, no dead zones.

Cabling: Is There Enough to Work With?

This was my first question too. The kit comes with:

• 3 x 15ft cables
• 3 x 35ft 4-pin premium cables

On our 2018 Yamaha Wolverine X4, running cables from the front bumper camera through the double-wall firewall to the dash monitor was the trickiest part of the install – but cable length was never the issue. There was plenty to work with from one end of the machine to the other, with room to spare. On a full-size truck, barn, or piece of heavy equipment, the 35ft cables give you serious reach.

The connectors are weather-sealed and screw-on – not the cheap push-and-pray plastic clips you’ll find on budget systems. On rough terrain, that matters more than you think.

How Many Cameras Can it Support?

The system supports up to 4-cameras simultaneously with a split-screen view on the 7″ monitor. The current kit ships with 3 cameras included, which gives you front, rear, and a side view right out of the box. Need a fourth angle? You can add one. The monitor handles it without breaking a sweat.

Power: How Does it Wire In?

The system runs off a 12V power source – standard on any vehicle, UTV, tractor, or piece of heavy equipment. The key wiring tip: connect the yellow wire to your ignition power source, not directly to the battery. This powers the system on and off with your keys, preventing battery drain. I learned this the fun way during my install – full story in the install video above. 😊

Recording & Storage

The 7″ monitor has a built-in DVR that records to a micro SD card – our review unit came with one included. The system supports cards up to 128GB, which gives you serious recording time for a full day on the trails or a long haul job. One thing worth knowing: footage lives on the SD card, not internal memory, so pop a card in before you head out.

Monitor & Display

One size: 7 inches. It’s sun-readable, full colour LCD, and controllable via rubber-coated buttons on the unit. The menu takes a few minutes to get familiar with, but once you’ve navigated the camera rotation, brightness settings, and split-screen options, it becomes second nature.

So, Who is This System Actually Built For?

TadiBrothers designed this for trucks, vans, heavy equipment, and commercial vehicles – the kind of gear that works for a living. We just had a different idea. Mounting a military-grade tactical camera system on a Side-by-Side is not something you’ll find in TadiBrothers’ brochure, but it’s exactly the kind of application this system was built to handle. If it can survive a SWAT vehicle or a construction site, it can survive a day on the Nephton trails.

As our testing proved – sometimes more dramatically than planned – it absolutely can.

The Field Test

Note: Getting this field test done was… an adventure in itself. Here’s exactly what happened.

First Impressions on the Trail

With TadiBrothers system freshly installed, I couldn’t wait. We hit a local trail in late November – nothing crazy, just a kilometre or two to shake the system down. Cold, muddy, and exactly the kind of conditions that expose cheap gear fast. Both cameras performed flawlessly right out of the gate. The 170-degree view out back immediately changed how I navigate tight spots, and the low-mount front camera was already proving its worth on the uneven terrain.

So far, so good. Time to push it harder come spring.

The River Crossing That Almost Ended Everything

Spring arrived, and we headed out to a deeper water crossing – the kind where I tell my passengers to lift their feet. The front camera’s low mount was doing exactly what I’d hoped: showing me the riverbed before my wheels got there. Submerged rocks, the bottom composition, obstacles I’d normally be guessing at – all visible on the monitor in real time. The underwater footage we captured tells a better story than I can.

And then the SxS died. Right there in the middle of the crossing – and yes, we have made this crossing many, many times before.

While I hiked out for help, my family flagged down a passing dirt biker and his girlfriend – absolute legends, by the way – who helped tow us to shore. The SxS eventually started again, and we drove home. But here’s what got my attention: through all of it, the TadiBrothers system never flinched. Partially submerged, being towed, sitting dead in a river – both cameras kept working, the monitor stayed clear, and not a single connection rattled loose. For a $1,300 investment, that’s exactly the reassurance you need.

Attempt #2: The SxS Fights Back

We made a second attempt over the summer, determined to get the full footage we’d been planning since day one. We didn’t even make it to the trail. Something blew in the engine on the way there, and that was the end of our beloved Yamaha Wolverine X4.

At this point, I’d like to formally thank the SxS for its service and formally apologize to TadiBrothers for the delay. 😀

The Indestructible Camera Finds a New Home

Here’s the thing about gear that’s built to last – it outlives the machine it’s mounted on. The TadiBrothers camera system came off the SxS and went straight onto our 1998 C3500HD Chevy truck, where it’s currently doing exactly what it was designed to do. We’ll have footage from the truck coming in a future update to this post.

In the meantime, what the past year and a half has taught me is this: this camera system is genuinely indestructible. It survived a river breakdown, a mechanical catastrophe, and a vehicle transplant – and it’s still going. That’s not a review I planned, but it might be the most honest one I’ve ever written.

Now, full disclosure: our “long-term” test was cut short when our Side-by-Side suffered a partial mechanical breakdown mid-water crossing. It wasn’t the camera’s fault (thankfully!), but it gave us a unique perspective. Even during the chaos of winching and towing the machine back to the main trail, the TadiBrothers system stayed rock solid. Neither the monitor, camera, nor wiring rattled loose, and the monitor stayed clear even in direct sunlight.

It’s Not Just for the Trails (The Trailer Advantage)

While we mounted our TadiBrothers Camera System on a Side-by-Side, the real genius of this UTV backup camera system is its versatility. If you’ve ever tried to maneuver a trailer into a crowded trailhead parking lot at 6:00 AM, you know the stress!

Whether you’re hauling snowmobiles, ATVs, or dirt bikes, this system can be mounted to your trailer to turn a blind reverse into a breeze. Navigating between expensive trucks and tight trees at the trailhead is much easier when you have a 170-degree high-definition view of your surroundings. It takes the “guessing game” out of parking and lets you hit the trails that much sooner.

TadiBrothers Tactical Camera FAQs

Our Verdict: Is the TadiBrothers Tactical Camera System Worth $1,300?

Here’s my honest take after a year and a half of – let’s call it eventful testing.

The TadiBrothers tactical camera system is not for everyone. If you’re looking for a cheap reversing camera to slap on the back of a grocery-getter, there are plenty of $80 options on Amazon that’ll do the job. This is not that product, and it was never meant to be.

This system is for the person who needs a camera that will not fail them when it matters. The contractor reversing a dump truck into a tight job site at 6AM. The farmer backing equipment into a barn in the dark. The hunter who needs eyes behind them on the trail that has no business being reversed on. The off-roader who wants to see what’s under the water before the water decides for them.

Our TadiBrothers system survived a water crossing that killed our SxS. It survived being partially submerged while we waited for a tow. It survived a full vehicle transplant onto a 1998 Chevy truck, where it’s running perfectly today. At no point did a connection rattle loose, a camera cut out, or the monitor fail. The machine died. The camera didn’t.

That is your answer.

At $1,299.99, you’re not buying a camera. You’re buying the last camera you’ll ever need to buy. For serious outdoorsmen, tradespeople, farmers, or anyone who operates vehicles in conditions where failure is not an option – this system delivers exactly what it promises.

👉 Have a question about the wiring? I went through the entire TadiBrothers camera installation process in the video above. If you’re stuck on a specific part of your install, drop a comment below, and I’ll try to help you out!
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