Dash Cam Recomendations

[Twice]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and input! I'm researching everyone of your recommendations. I want to get one that I can depend on, when I pulled the SD card from the Geko that I had it appears it hasn't recorded anything in 6 months! OK, yes I should have checked it more often but I thought I could depend on it. When I finally make a decision I will post which ones it came down to and ultimately which one I choose.

[DaGrinch]

Originally Posted by DaGrinch

Kind of an answer to the OP.... I just ordered (yesterday) a wireless monitor and camera setup off eBay to do exactly what you are thinking. I already have one camera that shows from my rear bumper to the front of my toad.... Now I want to see past the toad and the surrounding area. The monitor for this new rig has a micro SD slot, to record anything which may happen.
Once I get things mounted, I will report back.

Well, that was a bust. Got the outfit yesterday afternoon, opened the box and found there was no SD slot. It goes back tomorrow. Now to research some more. 😣

[emm-dee]

Originally Posted by DaGrinch

Well, that was a bust. Got the outfit yesterday afternoon, opened the box and found there was no SD slot. It goes back tomorrow. Now to research some more. 😣

One of the reasons I don't even look at eBay. Too many con artists there.

FWIW, I've bought three G1W cameras from SpyTec. Great and fast service and tech support. They told me there are a lot of knock off models on eBay. Buy Dash Cameras | Dashboard Cameras | Dash Cams For Sale

[DaGrinch]

Originally Posted by emm-dee

One of the reasons I don't even look at eBay. Too many con artists there.

FWIW, I've bought three G1W cameras from SpyTec. Great and fast service and tech support. They told me there are a lot of knock off models on eBay. Buy Dash Cameras | Dashboard Cameras | Dash Cams For Sale

Thanks for the suggestion.....Checked with SpyTec - they had a nice unit, but the cord is not long enough to go the length of my Sunseeker. They don't have extensions and the end is proprietary - can't make up my own extension.
The search continues.

[DaveSchwartz]

I put together a great full-HD dashcam with GPS position/speed recording and collision detection.

Its my old cellphone without a SIM-card and was essentially free since I had upgraded. The WiFi still works so I can download and update the free AutoBoy dashcam app. I just point the app at the micro-SD card, set how much storage to use and it keeps about the last 30 minutes of video in 5 minute segments. I know it uses the phone's shock sensors to detect a collision because once the suction cup let go and the camera dropped on the console and it thought that was a collision. If you have a Wifi hotspot (or its a live cellphone with a data plan) it will resolve the GPS coordinates to show the current street address.

Only thing is that its not much good at night since there's no IR illumination or IR capability on the phone's camera.

Only cost me $9.99 for a dash mount to hold it in landscape mode.

Below is a screenshot from playing back the video (and associated .srt subtitle file) on my laptop with VLC Media Player (my phone didn't want to take a screenshot).

[RangeMaggotBob]

Just got my UCam off of Amazon the other day and got it hooked up yesterday. Took about a half an hour. Man, what a great unit! It replaces the Furrion that my trailer was pre-wired for. Came with an adapter bracket and fit right on. Worked perfect the first time I powered it up. Also has a 7" color monitor. I can't say enough good things about this unit. But you do have to buy a mini SD card for it. You can use up to a 32G card, but I got the 8G, and that gives you plenty of recording time. It's on a continuous loop. $289.00 out the door; no taxes, no shipping. I would highly recommend.

[emm-dee]

Originally Posted by DaGrinch

Thanks for the suggestion.....Checked with SpyTec - they had a nice unit, but the cord is not long enough to go the length of my Sunseeker. They don't have extensions and the end is proprietary - can't make up my own extension.
The search continues.

I thought you were looking for a dash cam. Apparently you want a rear observation cam. Forget using a wired unit. Way, way too much trouble to run a wire unless you like drilling holes in the body or having wires hanging and waiting for something to snag on them.

Dash cams are a different thing. Never saw one with an external monitor. Lots of observation cams available but few have recording capabilities. I use a Sharx system which connects to an iPhone or Androids device via a dedicated router AND stores the last ten hours of video on the camera mounted micro SD card.

[RangeMaggotBob]

Originally Posted by tdst51

Just got my UCam off of Amazon the other day and got it hooked up yesterday. Took about a half an hour. Man, what a great unit! It replaces the Furrion that my trailer was pre-wired for. Came with an adapter bracket and fit right on. Worked perfect the first time I powered it up. Also has a 7" color monitor. I can't say enough good things about this unit. But you do have to buy a mini SD card for it. You can use up to a 32G card, but I got the 8G, and that gives you plenty of recording time. It's on a continuous loop. $289.00 out the door; no taxes, no shipping. I would highly recommend.

I totally apologize. I also was thinking rear observation, not dash cam.
I think I already responded about the dash cam.

[Captain America]

I'm also interested in buying a dash cam. I stumbled across this site...https://dashcamtalk.com/
It has great in depth reviews.

[DaGrinch]

Originally Posted by emm-dee

I thought you were looking for a dash cam. Apparently you want a rear observation cam. Forget using a wired unit. Way, way too much trouble to run a wire unless you like drilling holes in the body or having wires hanging and waiting for something to snag on them.

Dash cams are a different thing. Never saw one with an external monitor. Lots of observation cams available but few have recording capabilities. I use a Sharx system which connects to an iPhone or Androids device via a dedicated router AND stores the last ten hours of video on the camera mounted micro SD card.

Yeah, I'd like to have a dash cam, but I thought I stated in my original posting back on page one that I was mainly looking for an observation cam, as was the OP. Ideally, a dash cam with a small monitor and wireless rear camera would be perfect. Personally, I'd just as soon have an SD card in the camera and not have to worry about a router, etc.
I've got the Furrion rear camera on the back of the Sunseeker, but currently it lets me see the tow bar and front of the toad. Think I will adjust the camera so it gives me a larger view of what is going on around and behind the toad.... see what that does. Also need to see if there's a slot for an SD on the monitor.

[Wattsworld]

Dash cams are the only way to go, but a rear facing cam is also a must have. We have been hit 3 times while stopped at stop lights by people who weren't paying attention. Twice their cars had to be towed. One hit us so hard it shoved our car into the car in front of us. The third one that hit us drove off without stopping. That is when I bought my first cams installing them front and rear in my wife's car. I have since added them to my truck and before we take the MH out this year I'll be adding them to it.
The first ones I bought came from Ebay and was going to buy another pair of them, but received the ones for my truck for Christmas and it came from Amazon.
I do suggest after installing them check to make sure they are recording and then check them again from time to time.

[Twice]

I would like to thank everyone for taking the time to give your recommendations and advice about dash cams. I have been researching all of the recommended ones and so many others, Goggle is pretty tired of me.
Drum roll please................I finally decided on the ZERO EDGE Z3 $99.99 from Amazon with a 32 gig card. It was rated number 1 from The Wirecutter also. I liked it because it has good quality video day or night, parking monitor, suction cup mount rather than a permanent mount sticker, a battery incase you need to remove it and take video, a very long charger cord with for a USB or cig lighter and a cig lighter USB 2 port adapter, adjustable G-shock sensor. It does not have a GPS but I didn't think that was very necessary. I will receive it next week and I will get back to let you know if it's a winner or not!