Tire Covers With Center Camera Hole Openings: Keep Your Camera Clear and Your Design Intact

Tire covers with center camera hole openings protect your spare tire while keeping your backup camera fully functional — no removal required, no blind spots. When the hole is planned into your custom artwork from the start, you never have to choose between a clean look and a clear view.

Why Your Spare Tire Cover Needs a Camera Hole

A standard spare tire cover installed over a rear-mounted backup camera blocks the lens entirely — turning a safety feature into a blind spot. The NHTSA mandated rearview backup cameras on all new US passenger vehicles from May 2018, which means millions of SUVs, trucks, and 4x4s on the road today carry cameras that a poorly chosen cover can obstruct.

For Jeep Wrangler JL owners, G Wagon drivers, Ford Bronco enthusiasts, and RV travelers, the spare tire sits at the back of the vehicle — and so does the camera. A cover without a cutout means unplugging or removing it every time you need to reverse safely. A camera-compatible spare tire cover solves this permanently, and a well-designed one does it without sacrificing the look of your custom artwork.

Center vs. Off-Center: Where Should the Camera Hole Go?

The center of the wheel is the default and most common camera position for spare-tire-mounted backup cameras, which is why Wheel Shell places the camera hole at the center of the cover by default. The vast majority of requests come in for this center placement, and it fits most vehicles without any adjustment.

That said, not every camera sits dead-center. On most Jeep Wrangler JL models (2018–2025), the backup camera is typically mounted at or near the center of the spare tire carrier — confirm your specific trim’s camera position before ordering, since some configurations differ. For vehicles where the camera is offset, Wheel Shell offers custom off-center camera hole placement for both PVC and PU leather covers. Before ordering a custom position, locate your camera lens on the spare tire carrier and measure its distance from the center of the wheel — that single measurement is all the design team needs to place the hole precisely.

How Wheel Shell Integrates the Camera Hole Into Your Design

The camera hole is planned into the artwork from the very beginning — not punched through after printing. With generic camera-hole covers, a post-production cutout may intersect printed artwork — a risk that design-first approaches aim to avoid. A logo, a landscape, a family photo: any of these can be bisected by a hole added as an afterthought.

Wheel Shell’s design team works the camera hole into the layout as a deliberate element, treating it the way a graphic designer treats negative space. The result is a cover where the opening looks intentional — because it is. This is part of the free custom design service included with every order. You describe your idea or upload an image, specify the camera hole position (center by default, or custom off-center with your measurements), and the team builds the artwork around it. Browse free custom design spare tire covers to see the range of styles available.

Materials: PU Leather vs. PVC — Which Is Right for You?

For most daily drivers, PU leather delivers a premium look and superior UV resistance; PVC is the practical choice for extreme-sun climates or tighter budgets. Both materials fully support camera hole cutouts, including custom off-center placement.

PU leather is a vinyl-family material with a non-porous, wipe-clean surface and a UV-blocking coating. It is distinct from marine-grade vinyl, though it shares the same practical advantages: resists moisture, wipes clean easily, and holds printed color well under UV exposure. Marine-grade vinyl and PU leather are related in character but are not the same material — PU leather has a softer, more textile-like hand feel, while marine-grade vinyl is typically stiffer and heavier. PVC is firmer and more rigid, making it a durable option in high-UV environments, though color retention over many years of intense sun exposure may be slightly less consistent than PU leather’s UV-blocking coating provides.

Note: PU leather shares practical advantages with marine-grade vinyl — wipe-clean non-porous surface, UV-blocking coating — but is a distinct material with a softer hand feel. Marine-grade vinyl is typically stiffer and heavier.

Vehicle Compatibility: Which Vehicles Use Spare-Tire-Mounted Backup Cameras?

Rear-mounted spare tires are common on off-road-oriented vehicles and larger recreational vehicles. Here are the primary candidates for a camera-compatible spare tire cover:

• Jeep Wrangler JL (2018–2025) — the most common request; common tire sizes include 245/75R17, 255/75R17, and 255/70R18, though verify your vehicle’s exact tire size before ordering.
• Mercedes-Benz G-Class (G Wagon) — rear-mounted spare with camera integration on modern trims.
• Ford Bronco — rear-mounted spare on most configurations.
• Toyota 4Runner — swing-out or fixed rear spare depending on trim.
• Land Rover Defender — rear-mounted spare standard across generations.
• RVs and campers — many Class C motorhomes and travel trailers carry a spare on the rear door or bumper mount, often alongside a backup camera.
• Other 4×4 vehicles — any SUV or truck with a rear-mounted spare and a camera on the spare tire carrier.

How to Measure Your Spare Tire for a Camera-Hole Cover

Sizing is straightforward: check the tire size code stamped on your spare’s sidewall — for example, 255/75R17. The first number is the tire width in millimeters, the middle number is the aspect ratio, and the final number is the wheel diameter in inches. If you prefer a direct measurement, wrap a flexible tape measure around the outer circumference of the mounted spare and divide by pi (3.14) to get the outer diameter in inches — that is the primary sizing input Wheel Shell needs. Common Jeep Wrangler JL sizes that typically require camera-hole covers include 245/75R17, 255/75R17, and 255/70R18 — verify your vehicle’s exact tire size before ordering, as trim and lift kit variations affect this. Wheel Shell’s team can confirm compatibility during the design process.

When You Don’t Need a Camera Hole

Not every vehicle with a backup camera needs a camera-hole tire cover. If your backup camera is integrated into the tailgate handle, the bumper, or a license plate bracket — rather than mounted on the spare tire itself — a standard cover without any cutout will give you a cleaner, uninterrupted design surface. A camera hole on a cover that doesn’t align with any camera is simply an unnecessary opening that weakens the cover’s weather seal. When in doubt, check where your camera lens actually sits before specifying a cutout.

How to Order a Custom Tire Cover With a Camera Hole From Wheel Shell

Wheel Shell, a brand operated by Divergence Enterprise LLC and headquartered in Sheridan, Wyoming, handles the design work for you at no extra charge. Here is how the process works:

1. Choose or upload your design — describe your idea, upload an image, or pick from existing themes across adventure, animals, sports, military, and holiday categories.
2. Specify camera hole position — center (default for most vehicles) or a custom off-center position with your measurements from the wheel center to the lens.
3. Confirm your tire size — reference your sidewall code (e.g., 255/75R17 or 255/70R18) or measure the spare’s outer diameter directly.
4. Receive your free custom design — the team builds the artwork with the camera hole integrated from the start, not added afterward.
5. Gratis frakt over hele verden — no hidden fees; processing and handling takes 2–5 business days, with orders fulfilled Monday through Saturday.

Explore the full range of tilpassede reservehjulstrekk or reach out at info@wheelshell.com with any questions about camera hole placement before you order.

Den backup camera is now a federally mandated safety feature on every new US passenger vehicle sold since May 2018 — your spare tire cover should accommodate it by design, not as a workaround.