The Proper Dash Cam Choice, Setup, and Use

417bigK · Apr 6, 2018

Thane said: ↑

I wouldn't drive a rig 20 feet today without at least one dashcam lookin' out the windshield. Too many crazy car drivers holding cell phones in one hand and pretending with the other. And they all speed out there now. It's #### anarchy in some places it's gotten so bad. You need a witness in your corner now at all times, and if you drive solo, the only guaranteed witness is dash cam. Be sure to have at least one looking forward at the craziness. But know a dash cam isn't the only thing you need. Let me lay it out, as I've made the mistakes (once) with these things.

1. Buy a dash cam
Get a camera from Fry's or from Wal Mart. Someplace like those. Do NOT get a dash cam from a truckstop. Their return policies suck. Which cameras should one get? I have a Garmin 35, and it's awesome. The videos are incredible. But I think other cameras are good. Check Consumer Reports.

2. Buy some accessories
You'll need two chips. Make sure they're BIG, as in at least 32 gigs. A big chip will record all day, no problem. Dash cams come with little piddly cards. Forget those. They're not big enough. You want something that will continue recording if you're in a wreck, as you don't want to have to worry about turning it off if the vehicle you hit or hit you is in flames. If you have a small card and you don't turn the camera off, it'll start writing over videos in no time. You don't want that. You'll also need a laptop to save videos on and a card reader if the laptop doesn't have a built-in reader for small camera cards. Both of these can be had at Wal Mart, Kmart, Fry's, whatever. Make sure you have a spare laptop battery if you don't have an inverter on board. You won't be able to show the cops anything if your laptop battery's dead, unless they have an inverter. Always have a charged backup battery ready to go.

3. Mount it right
You'll need to mount the camera right, meaning high up on the windshield and IN A SPOT THAT IS WIPED BY THE WINDSHIELD WIPER. Videos may not be clear if the camera's trying to look throw a pouring rain or snow. My garmin came with two mounting disks. It needed about 4 or even 5, but I've found those 3M mounting squares for heavy wall pictures work well at holding the mount if you've used up your disks from changing trucks. Also...you do want to mount it high to keep it away from hot defroster air and to keep it out of your line of sight.

4. Reformat it at times
Sometimes take the chip out and do a hard format, no "quick" format.

5. Keep it cool
When you're shut down for days in the summer, cover the camera if it's in the direct sun. But know I've had no problems with one not wanting to work after sitting in a hot truck all day. I fired and it worked each time like it was supposed to.

6. Use it even if your company has provided one in a navigator / camera combo
I'd use my own camera no matter what. That would give ME control over saving the videos to my laptop. If the company provides one, it may not have a removable card, so you won't be able to save videos. Putting my video evidence in the hands of somebody else, giving up control over it, won't work for me. I want total control over my evidence. So I make sure I have my own camera with a removable card. I can pull out my card, save videos to my laptop, and I'm done. No calling anybody at the company begging for a video and then waiting on it, being at somebody else's mercy. No thanks. I'll keep that control.

Hope this helps.
Click to expand...

I had a pretty decent inexpensive Cobra one that looped video recording so it never really ran out. It also had a gyro-type sensor so that if you were in a wreck, the force it felt deactivated it & saved the preceding video instead of recording over what you needed.

Thane · Apr 8, 2018

417bigK said: ↑

I had a pretty decent inexpensive Cobra one that looped video recording so it never really ran out. It also had a gyro-type sensor so that if you were in a wreck, the force it felt deactivated it & saved the preceding video instead of recording over what you needed.
Click to expand...

That's the kind you want. One that will record automatically if it feels a jolt. But rough roads will make them record unnecessary video, which takes up space on the disk. The less space on the disk, the earlier it'll start writing over the oldest vids. So if you're in a wreck and get knocked out, hopefully you'll come around in time to shut it off. My Garmin records vid automatically every minute, but it's only temporary.

417bigK · Apr 9, 2018

Thane said: ↑

That's the kind you want. One that will record automatically if it feels a jolt. But rough roads will make them record unnecessary video, which takes up space on the disk. The less space on the disk, the earlier it'll start writing over the oldest vids. So if you're in a wreck and get knocked out, hopefully you'll come around in time to shut it off. My Garmin records vid automatically every minute, but it's only temporary.
Click to expand...

Well mine is always recording. It shuts off when it feels enough force, therefore saving any recording leading up to the incident (in theory). I haven't been able to really test it to see how much force it takes. But I haven't had it do it yet, and I've taken it down some real shady backroads in a car with shoddy suspension here in the Ozarks.

Pedigreed Bulldog · Apr 9, 2018

Every dash cam I've ever owned I've had to shut off the g-force sensor...doesn't matter how big of an SD card I put in it, it'll fill up pretty quick with useless videos of bouncing through potholes and rough sections of road. If I want it to save, I just reach up and push the button.

rank · Apr 12, 2018

tested out my new video cameras yesterday.

valerchekk · Apr 13, 2018

Wanted to add my .02:

1. Buy a dashcam that has capacitor instead of a Lithium-Ion battery. Especially if you drive to Southern California frequently.
2. Dashcam must record at least in 1080p resolution. Preferably in 60 fps.
3. Buy a "High Endurance" sd card for your dashcam. Regular SD cards go bad after a few months of intense usage.

GreenPete359 · Apr 13, 2018

I run a Garmin Dezl Dashcam Gps. I love it, & it has saved my rear a couple times now. Great video quality day and night. Good audio too, but the shock sensor is to happy.

When i went from the Company’s Volvo to buying my truck i had to shut the shock sensor off. But otherwise i love it.

crocky · Apr 14, 2018

Anyone ever tried one of the home security system camera sets in their truck? I was looking at a few and some of them are 12v with power bricks to convert to 110, so you could wire it right to your 12v system in tne truck. A lot of them have hard drive units so you could record 24/7 with multiple camera views so you could have recordings while parked at truck stops or where ever.

rank · Apr 14, 2018

crocky said: ↑

Anyone ever tried one of the home security system camera sets in their truck? I was looking at a few and some of them are 12v with power bricks to convert to 110, so you could wire it right to your 12v system in tne truck. A lot of them have hard drive units so you could record 24/7 with multiple camera views so you could have recordings while parked at truck stops or where ever.
Click to expand...

Hello McFly!

STexan · Apr 14, 2018

Don't overlook the amount of information properly set hood mirrors can provide. This is why finding a position that sort of replicates the driver view angle is worth striving for. Lower and near middle is generally better in this regard.

Log in or Sign up

Forums

Find Trucking Jobs

The Proper Dash Cam Choice, Setup, and Use

417bigK Light Load Member

Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

Wait, employers can't reach you!

Thane Medium Load Member

417bigK Light Load Member

Pedigreed Bulldog Road Train Member

rank Road Train Member

valerchekk Light Load Member

GreenPete359 Road Train Member

crocky Road Train Member

rank Road Train Member

STexan Road Train Member

Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

Wait, employers can't reach you!

Log in or Sign up

Useful Searches

Find Trucking Jobs

The Proper Dash Cam Choice, Setup, and Use

417bigK Light Load Member

Wait, employers can't reach you!

Thane Medium Load Member

417bigK Light Load Member

Pedigreed Bulldog Road Train Member

rank Road Train Member

valerchekk Light Load Member

GreenPete359 Road Train Member

crocky Road Train Member

rank Road Train Member

STexan Road Train Member

Wait, employers can't reach you!