Invest in a dash cam

His name says it all.

 

Submit that to be posted here.

 

Yes you can. In Dallas there will only be a police report if there is an injury. I was rear ended but no injury, still got a diminished value check.

 

Heck yea, I've read mixed reviews. Mostly good though, i really like the fact i can tap in and see whats going on any time. But the rear camera is a bummer, i might get a cheaper cam and use it as a rear incase of accidents.

 

Ha! My friend told me that if you live in LA long enough, eventually you will have an Andy Dick story. That conversation wound up with everyone in the room talking about their Andy Dick encounter. I believe that theory a little more now, thanks.

 

you have usually prove your case with that. with usaa anyway.. how are you going about that?

 

Slap one of these pups on, some tailgaters back off after seeing you have one.

$129 Tyger Auto TG-HS8U81238 Hitch Armor Compatible with Vehicles with 2" Hitch Receiver | Textured Black | Hitch Step | Rear Bumper Guard Protector | with Pin Lock and Stabilizer

https://www.amazon.com/Tyger-Auto-TG-HS8U81238-Protector-Stabilizer/dp/B0786SGH33

 

I bought a different brand with an identical form factor for the rear camera. Unfortunately, with the rear windows of pickup trucks being vertical, the camera isn't able to be pointed straight out of the back, it wants to point at a downward angle. I disassembled the rear camera to try and modify it, but the ribbon cable was too short.

Hope that makes sense. You may need to invent a custom mounting adapter to get it to point straight back rather than pointing down.

 

After a few extremely close calls in my Jeep I decided that when I got my new truck I was going to get a dash cam. I decided on a Top Guard dual cam since I didn't want to run cabling through the headliner and it was inexpensive at the time. So far it works pretty good its simple and the setup didn't take long. It records a video for each camera which is nice. The only real change I've made to it was changing the suction cup mount to a more stable GoPro mount (there is a thread in TW in regards to that).

I live in the Southwest so I remove my camera and stow it out of the sun. Having the GoPro mount helps a great deal with attaching and detaching the camera. Also people love to steal anything visible in vehicles in this city so it just makes sense to remove it except when I park it for the night in my garage. If it was a smaller less visible cam I might leave it up. Attaching and detaching the camera is just part of my routine now.

 

That transfers the impact directly to the frame, which is what you want to avoid. You'd be better off with a Bumper Shield (http://superbumper.com/superbumper-store/bumper-shield-magnum-black/)


@ Others:
As for dashcams, I have a Thinkware F800 Pro 2 channel with no extra battery. This unit has battery protection based on voltage coming to the camera and will shut off automatically if voltage dips below your setting. The only downside to this dashcam is that it takes 8-10 seconds to start recording from engine startup even though it has a wake on bump detection feature. My cam is hardwired and always mounted, but I have tint installed to reduce UV/heat.

I've luckily never had an accident, but having the dual channel is a CYI feature that could save your ass if needed. I also used the dashcam footage to confirm whether or not my dealership's service department actually worked on my truck for Toyota Care appointments and didn't joyride in it.

 

I keep my hitch receiver installed at all times on my Pro as a deterrent.

Big believer in dash cams as well. I use the Vantrue X4 4K dash cam and am very pleased with it. Just make sure the dash cam your considering uses a super capacitor to help handle extreme temperatures.

Vantrue X4 UHD 4K 3840x2160P 30fps Dash Cam, 3" LCD 160° Wide Angle Car Camera with 24 Hrs Parking Mode, Motion Detection, Night Vision, Capacitor, Optional GPS, Support 256GB Max, Loop Recording

https://www.amazon.com/Vantrue-3840x2160P-Capacitor-Parking-Detection/dp/B07NVNSJS6/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3D3UTVLWGES0X&keywords=vantrue+x4+uhd+4k&qid=1568296479&s=gateway&sprefix=Vantrue+x4%2Caps%2C197&sr=8-2

 

Thatll just bend your frame if they do end uop rear ending you

 

I run 2 dash cams simultaneously.

Owl dash cam and the thinkware F200.

I live in a horrible city.

 

I run a DR750S 2CH powered by a Cellink Neo, well worth the money.
Planning on getting an extended battery or make my own.
Also for interior recording, planning on getting the new Xiaomi

$90 70mai True 2.7K 1944P Ultra Full HD with Optional Rear Dash Cam A500S, Sony IMX335, Built-in WiFi GPS Smart Dash Camera for Cars, ADAS, 2'' IPS LCD Screen, 140° FOV, WDR, Night Vision

70mai Lite or 70mai Mini Smart

 

OP, I recently had the same type of accident. Other driver hit me from behind, minor damage to the corner bumper. Their insurance accepted fault and will cover repair. But, I'd like to request diminished value. How did you go about that? Is it as simple and just asking over the phone with them, or was the process more formalized and/or painful?

 

I'm running the Garmin Dashcam 45 with the parking mode kit and I've been very happy with it. Definitely worth the piece of mind.

 

You need to file a claim for diminished value immediately after the car is repaired. The insurance companies are going to request the final invoice from the body shop. You go through the other parties insurance not yours. Factors that come into play are:
The higher amount of repairs along with a new car with low miles are going to decide your outcome. You can file on your own or use a specialized service. If I’m not happy with their offer, I’ll try to renegotiate a better number. If I fail I’ll use this company to further handle, they are a nationwide service

 

You need police report

 

Thanks for the info! I'll give it a try once my repairs are done.