Update on Dash camera?

[JimLuk]

With all the nut cases out there.... I am beginning to look fr a nice non intrusive dash cam that could record any traffic infraction or harassment video that could document what actually happened if needed for insurance or police assistance? We have just ordered da new Tiffin 40IP and expect delivery one time in Jan+... Any advice or suggestion would be great... what I've seen on the web is rather dated...
Thanks,
Jim

[Rockwood27]

I have one made by 70mai. They make several different types: some use your phone for aiming, others have a built-in screen. Others have a built-in GPS to record speed and location. Mine is the cheap $40 version, but records a new video every minute and saves it to a micro SD card. It operates on voice commands and will also take still photos. It has a built-in accelerometer and will automatically create a protected video in the event of a collision. I made a velcro mount so that I can move it from RV to toad.

[Larry F.]

We have a Garmin Dash Cam 56 that works well. We turn it on when we start the coach and it takes care of itself. It has many features. You can find it in many places online.

[RonLC]

Don't buy an ApeMan Dash Cam unless you can read really small print in Chinenglish. I think it works just fine but I can't figure out what to do with what is has. The manual is useless.

[Lt Dan]

I have three of the Black Box dash cams. Hi resolution and fairly inexpensive at around $60.

[Newmar2856]

I have a Rexing V1 that my wife bought me for Christmas a few years ago. It’s pretty basic, but does what I want which is easily record what’s going on in front of us when we’re on the move. It records to a SD card and rolls over in 10 minute increments until the card is full and then starts to overwrite the old recordings. It doesn’t have GPS, which I didn’t want anyway , and we turned off the microphone as no one needs to hear our conversations as we travel. We have had a few instances where we have been cut off by idiot drivers, but we were able to avoid an accident. It was nice to know we had the recording in the event it went bad.

Here is the one we have. We use that 12v adapter and plug it in before we roll out and it starts to automatically record.

Rexing V1 Basic Dash Cam 1080P FHD DVR Car Driving Recorder, 2.4" LCD Screen 170°Wide Angle, G-Sensor, WDR, Parking Monitor, Loop Recording https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RLTXMWS..._mfOIFb198BA46

[nvs4602]

We just recently bought the updated version of the Rexing. It know has 4k recording.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00X528FNE..._OHOIFbRA0GQQR

It came with 2 mounts so I bought the hardwire kit and can now use it in the motorhome and in our toad. Has worked great so far.

[BobGed]

You might want to take a look at DashCamTalk to compare models.

I have had a dash cam for 8 or 9 years, and am currently using the VIOFO A119 V3 which I am very happy with. I have it mounted top center of my windshield and activated whenever the ignition is on.

[J_E_S_T_E_R]

Congratulations on the 40IP. *We just took possession of a Tiffin 2020 36LA.* Head unit installed by Tiffin is Kenwood*DNX775RVS touch screen,*Garmin integrated GPS with road and bridge height warnings for your specific model of RV.**Kenwood DRV-N520 Dash Cam directly integrates with the head unit to manage all the features through the touch screen.* Unlike a third party dash cam, I am not untethering*myself from the driver's seat to pop up to reaching across the vast expanse of Tiffin dash to hit the record or mic on/off button on the back of the cam.* The cam has three height*options, had to go with the highest 3m option with placement right under the wiper blades.* One of the features is collision*warning which is dependent upon the camera knowing the height it is mounted on the vehicle.* I also picked up a*Kenwood CMOS-320 Multi-Angle Back-up Camera to*provide a low mounted reverse camera with corner*view which*directly integrates with the Kenwood head unit.*

[TiffinUser]

Originally Posted by J_E_S_T_E_R

*We just took possession of a Tiffin 2020 36LA.* Head unit installed by Tiffin is Kenwood*DNX775RVS touch screen,*Garmin integrated GPS with road and bridge height warnings for your specific model of RV.**Kenwood DRV-N520 Dash Cam directly integrates with the head unit to manage all the features through the touch screen.* The cam has three height*options, had to go with the highest 3m option with placement right under the wiper blades.* One of the features is collision*warning which is dependent upon the camera knowing the height it is mounted on the vehicle.* I also picked up a*Kenwood CMOS-320 Multi-Angle Back-up Camera to*provide a low mounted reverse camera with corner*view which*directly integrates with the Kenwood head unit.*

Thanks for posting these details, I'm gonna check out these units.
Does the dashcam suffer from reflection off the windshield? How did you route the wiring? On the 320, exactly where did you mount it and how is that wiring routed?

[oldmattb]

Get one and know how to use it. Our dash cam's plug wiggled loose on a rough road, so it was not recording when a semi forced us off the road a month ago.

Rv and towd totaled, and no way to ID the driver that caused it.

[J_E_S_T_E_R]

Originally Posted by TiffinUser

Thanks for posting these details, I'm gonna check out these units.
Does the dashcam suffer from reflection off the windshield? How did you route the wiring? On the 320, exactly where did you mount it and how is that wiring routed?

Honestly, only had the RV a tad over three weeks. Installed the dash cam two weeks ago. Picture clarity is great, no reflection issues so far. Night driving in the rain, at a stand still water beads up on the windshield obscuring the image. While moving it is not an issue. Collision alert while the wipers are on... yea. I mounted the camera centerline, I need to move it more driver side to get it out of the wiper arm arch. Do the dash wiring for the 320 and the dash cam at the same time. The 320 has pigtailed Y butt connectors for the 12v+ and ground, only had to tap those once. Always on 12v+ is needed for the date to not default to Jan 1, 2017 and to record impact events like someone backing into the front of the RV. All the other configuration settings appear to be retained by the head unit.

Wiring the dash cam... My original plan was to run a fish under the dash padding to the center of the windshield. Gave up on that route with the vision of putting a crack in the glass if I got too aggressive with the fish. I pulled off the driver side switch panel and remove the two screws to the plastic A pillar cover. Worked the wire behind the gauge cluster and out the seam between the hard plastic dash and the padded dash over the engine bay. Tucked the wire under the A pillar cover and right across the front seam between the glass and padded dash. I let it fall into the void verse tucking it under the padding. Only visible wiring is where I looped up over the driver side of window mount into the back of the dash cam and a small run of black from the A pillar cover to the hard dash in the padded seam under the driver side side window. I could tuck that small bit of wire under the padding, did not have my plastic trim tools with me at the time.

Wiring the 320... I have it wired into the radio, tested it works but am still formulating how to get the wiring to the outside of the vehicle. I have put front a rear cameras in cars and trucks and have always gone through the firewall. Problem with the Tiffin is the excessive amount of spray foam used to cover up all the accessory wiring routed through the firewall. My first upgrade on a new vehicle is swap in Sylvania SilverStar Ultra bulbs. I had to remove excess spray foam from the backs of the headlights. One action item is to start my excavation through the layers of foam tomorrow. Plan is to route the wiring down the driver side underbelly. That plan may change, this Tiffin has a driver's side electric window that was binding in the track when the temperature dropped. Going to see if I can get behind the hard plastic next the the driver's chair where the motor is mounted to figure out what is causing the binding. If I am truly blessed by the Gods then there might be a hole for wiring going to the first basement box where the electrical fuse panel is mounted. In that case, I'll drill a hole in that basement box to run the wiring down the drive shaft tunnel and up into the rear fiberglass cap. I have a couple cans of Great Stuff Pestblock in reserve to tackle two jobs at once while crawling under the RV. If I didn't have a desire to see the underside of the RV, I think I would go through the existing wire loom that runs through the basement boxes but that's going to require repacking those holes with black RTV.

[TiffinUser]

I like the idea of integration into the Kenwood Nav unit but the reviews I’ve read leave a bit to be desired. First was the 32gb SSD, kinda small for storage if continuously recording while driving. You mentioned moving camera to left because of wipers. What I read somewhere else is the advanced features, like lane keeping will not work properly if not centered.

As for the 320, big job you have planned. My Tiffin has 3 inputs for cameras, they are used by mirrors and rear camera. So If you have same setup how are you going to input the 320? I’m interested in something like 320 to see the lower *front* of my coach - it’s something like 15ft from wheels to nose. I want to miss those low walls & rocks. I don’t think the N520 will see that far down and still give a view ahead. The spec I found was a 63° vert angle.

To run your 320 feed, look under your cabinets. In my ‘19 37BA there is nearly a clear path from behind pax seat all the way to bedroom closet. But then have to consider the slide and how it effects the wiring.

Thanks for the detailed info.

[Rocky Larson]

I have a Garmin 65W. Updates are easy. Wifi connected app to see videos. Verbal commands for snapshots, video save (past 30 seconds with next 30 seconds), event recording if crash, gps, speed, and time date recorded on all. Has red light/speed camera location warnings as an annual subscription. Wide lens sees almost mirror to mirror. Parking mode power cord option is motion activated and records events while parked when engine is off. Moves easy from MH to toad.