Twin reversing camera and dash cam recommendations?

[MaidinDevon]

I have done a search, but just got more confused.
I don't have any of these, and I can't wire anything in, not mechanically minded.
I usually rely on the wing mirrors or get out and look.
But I travel solo, and its a PITA especially at night or when raining.
So... .. what would be good?
My garage suggested twin rear cameras which seems sensible.
I have a Garmin camper sat nav which is attached to my side window, because I can't see it on the screen lol.
I do have a rear view mirror, which is handy for mysterious crashes, after I set off, having failed to secure everything. But useless for it's intended purpose.
Preferably not too expensive, as I will have to pay fitting as well.

TIA

Karen

 

[fishplug]

There are lots and lots and lots of options...

Advising on the best ones is going to be partly down to the million dollar question.

What do you want the camera(s) to help you with?

Twin rear cameras can be an excellent idea (I'm just about to fit exactly this) as one can point downwards so you can see how far your bumper is from whatever it is you want to get close to but not hit when reversing, and the other can point down the road and act as a rear view mirror would in a car to show you the road behind you.

Dashcams can be an excellent idea if you want to keep your insurance company happy and have some evidence in the event of an incident on the road.

You can, of course, have a dashcam that also operates like a reversing camera as well - or you could go for two completely different systems (which is what I'm doing)

A lot of these will have a screen which you can clip onto your existing rear view mirror.

Some of them will be wireless - which actually only means that there doesn't need to be a wire connecting the cameras directly to the screen. You still need wires to power the screen and the camera(s). While this might seem tempting as it will make the installation a lot faster and easier (and therefore less costly), my own experience with these has not been good, with poor image quality, poor reliability and sometimes even picking up the signal from somebody else's camera.

It's been a long time since I had a wireless system so they may have improved but do ask some questions before going down that route.

If you can let us know a little more about what you're looking for in a system, I'm sure we can point you towards the right sorts of products for you.

 

[Freo]

I have a single reversing camera system and a separate dashcam.
I would much prefer a dual camera system but haven’t got around it as yet. However, I have had a look at them here.

Reversing cameras | rear view monitors - Reversing Cameras UK

High quality reversing cameras and rear view monitors from a UK specialist. We offer advice and lifetime support for our products. 2 year guarantee on premium kits.

www.reversingcamerasuk.com

These guys can supply complete systems including all required wiring and, if required, suitable adaptors.
If your Hymer is pre-wired for a reversing camera, then that could save a lot of fitting time, which should result in reduced fitting costs. I’m sure someone on here who knows your model of Hymer could advise further.

The dashcam I settled on was a Viofo A119 mini model. The current (newer) model can be seen here.

A119 Mini 2 2K Dashcam – 1 Channel – Front | Viofo UK

A VOICE CONTROL 2K 60FPS 5GHZ WIFI DASH CAMERA WITH SONY STARVIS 2 IMAGE SENSOR HDR SUPER NIGHT SENSIBILITY Quad HD 2560x1440P 60fps/30fps Sony STARVIS 2 Sensor 5MP IMX675 Multiple Exposure HDR Intelligent Voice Control F1.6 Aperture 7 Elements Glass Lens 1.5-inch HD LCD Display 140° Wide...

viofouk.co.uk

This can be hard wired into the vehicle wiring, or simply plugged into a USB C type socket. (A 12v to USB socket converter is supplied.) The dashcam back plate is permanently stuck on to a plastic screen sticker. The screen sticker simply presses on to the windscreen. While it is removable in the event of changing vehicles, it’s not recommended to remove it often because it will lose its adherent properties over time. However, the main body of the dashcam fairly easily slides on and off from the back plate if this is required. (I leave mine fitted all year round. No issues so far.)
In any case, the main point of all this rambling is that you can easily fit this dashcam yourself, provided you do not want it permanently wired into the vehicle.

At least the above websites will give you some idea of equipment costs. (Remember to budget for a suitable micro SD card for the dashcam.)
There may well be cheaper options out there, but these do seem like good quality units from reputable companies who provide 1 year warranties and support services. (No cheap, fast rusting, camera brackets here.) This is perhaps important taking into consideration that you won’t be doing a self install. As always, you pays yer money and you takes yer chances.

As regards fitting, perhaps someone more knowledgeable could suggest a reputable fitter?

I hope that this is helpful. Good luck with it all.

 

[fishplug]

Just as a note on reversingcamerasuk.com - I've used them a few times and have had good advice and good service from them.

I'd also echo Freo's comments about buying cheap. My experience of cheap cameras hasn't been good.

 

[fred_jb]

I use a Wolfbox combined rear view mirror and front and rear dashcam. The rear view from that can be adjusted vertically to view closer or further from the rear of the vehicle, though this will also depend on how the camera mounting is aligned. I leave mine on the further view which is best for the dashcam and rear view mirror function as I have another camera on my Pioneer head unit which is set up for reversing purposes.

As well as the front and rear dashcam function, I find having an electronic rear view mirror extremely useful even though it is not so good at night or in wet conditions. The Wolfbox units will clip over a standard mirror if you have one. Mine has a USB connector for power plus two jack plugs, one for the rear camera and one for the GPS receiver, so there is a fair bit of wiring to do. I routed the power and GPS cables to behind the dashboard via the headlining and the windscreen pillar cover. The rear camera wiring was more of a challenge!

Amazon.co.uk

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[fishplug]

I have a Wolfbox in the car.

Works very well, have been happy with it. I also like that the screen can be used as a normal mirror when not being used as a screen.