You should be able to run it right off of the backup lights in the rear. The only problem is that the front would remain on all the time unless you found the reverse wire up front like AndyC said. Another issue with doing it that way is that the screen takes a second or two to turn on, get set up, and adjust the brightness. It also isn't that great for using just as a backing up camera due to its wide angle. You can see a lot to the sides, but the depth perception is piss poor in this thing. I know that sounds kind of contradictory, but it is pretty hard to use for say backing up into a trailer or parking spot, etc.