Dash cams. What are you using?

The larger softer silicone suction cups seem to work the best for me. The smoother the mounting surface, the better. I clean mine with window cleaner about once a.week. Even though I have an assigned truck, sometimes I have to use another one. Thats why i use the suction cup mounts. Plexiglass has to be spotless, also.

 

Dude. Meet the "wall O' Ram"

This is about 20% of the mounting stuff I have.

I can mount anything with the right Ram parts, lol.

Just clarify your picture. Do you want a camera to hang from that flat spot on a suction cup? Because I have sticky disks that can make any area able to hold a suction mount. Or are you wanting to stick it there with non-suction style?

 

Ideally, this is what I envision:
I would like to physically mount a plate that would be fastened with screws to this plastic header panel. (or nuts/bolts for secure)
Then, have the dvr mount to that. No suction cup. I would need to be able to remove it w/o tools so I can
take it out of the rig or at least out of sight. I would then wire it up inside that header panel because
I have 12v switched and unswitched up there for the CB. KW provides 2 reds and 1 black for a CB up there.
When the DVR was out of the mount, I would let the cord just hang nearby.

I do that with my GPS now, so I dont need to fiddle with the cig lighter.

I hope this makes sense? - I can take better photos or measurements if we are on to something here.
I'd consider velcro but I really like something solid. I have learned the better stuff is fastened in this rig
the better it is for the equipment and me!

 

Done. ($19.99 in Ram parts.) Double-ball and socket mount, lifetime warranty. Use your screws or bolts to screw it to anything flat, curved, or angled above your head to hang a camera (or anything else) rather than windshield suction-cupped.

 

For wiring, you need to check the VOLTAGE and AMPERAGE of whatever it is first. In the case of the camera in my picture above, the cigarette plug reduces from 12 volts to 5.5 volts and has a 2-amp fuse in it. So if you are going to direct-wire, then you either need to regulate the power down with your own power supply, or leave the manufacturer's on there and use a cigarette lighter plug socket "pigtail" that you can direct wire to those wires up there for your CB.

 

This looks exactly like I was seeking. From a hang-down perspective is it comparable to the length that this would be if it was using the suction cup?

Hows does the physical camera attache to the Ram Part device and how does it come apart?
Can I see the ram mount by itself? - I wonder what might be left hanging when I remove the DVR.

I think we have a winner here..

I will typically splice into a cig plug and hard wire the 12v right INSIDE of it, like I did with the TND.
Others may prefer to buy a cig socket and just plug the plug into that and then wire the socket to the cab wiring.
I try to keep it simpler....although it requires soldering in my case.

 

Is there a dash camera that records forward plus views of each mirror so as to record what is happening beside and behind the vehicle?

Thanks,
Rob

 

See this pic.

The Ram version is virtually identical in length that is will be down from the ceiling (about 4.5")

The only part left when you pull the camera and socket arm off the ball is the upper ball. Both the suction mount and the Ram mount thread onto the top of the camera just like any bolt. You can see the lower ball threads in this pic now that I separated the mounts from the camera.

As far as the wiring, you can do what you want, but don't send 12 volts directly to the camera. The factory plug drops it to 5 volts.

 

What you are talking about is not technically a "dash camera." It is a multi-camera DVR system with waterproof outside cams in addition to one in the windshield. It also has a 7" or 5" monitor inside the cab. You can also use some models of truck GPS as the monitor part instead of a separate one (Rand 720, Garmin Dezl, Magellin, WorldNav, others.) That can be seen at this link: http://www.dieselboss.com/camera/camera_rear_view_truck.htm It can record up to 4 cameras. It uses a hard drive or SD card. Hard drives hold MUCH more video than cards do and even a 32 gb card would run out within a few hours if you were recording 3 or 4 cameras.

The cameras outside can be mounted wherever works best for you (on fenders, mirrors, top roof looking backward, etc.)

Here is a show truck that we helped sponsor at last weekend's Kentucky show. If you look closely you will see a camera on the fender recording backwards. He wanted the left and right cams on the fenders looking into the blind spots but some put them on the mirrors. It depends on the truck and the driver.

 

I'm curious about this.

After a solid day of driving and now a windshield covered in bug guts. What's the focal point of the camera? The road ahead or the dead bug on the windshield?