Dash cam recommendations

With the recent viral video of that traffic accident scam going around, I really want to invest in a dash cam (front and rear) as soon as possible. Any recommendations for a first gen Tacoma? Preferably one where I could conceal wires, if possible. Thanks for any advice.

 

I've bought Vantrue and 2 generations of VIOFO (sp?) on Amazon for $150-300. They all seem to only last 3-5 years, so I went with Garmin (a name brand) this time.

Only other ones I might consider specifically for the Taco given it's lack of tech are those mirror-mounted ones that give you panoramic + camera inlay.

I summary, I'd just try to stay away from those no-name Chinese brands.

 

I was recently in the market for one as well and can offer you the following suggestions.

-Pick a unit that has night vision capability
-Claimed highest resolution possible
-Motion and g-sensors for recording while parked (hardwire for the same reason)

I think the Blackvue brand is a leader in dash cams and has a range of budget and high-end models. Thinkware is also worth considering.

Keep in mind that the majority of dash cams struggle with clearly capturing vehicle license plates.

I went with the Alpine DVR-C31OR (made by Thinkware for Alpine) due to an installer’s availability, but would not recommend it.

 

I 2x the night vision license plate visibility. This is all the really sets two apart other than longevity reputation. Advertised resolution is pretty much like advertised lumens - completely irrelevant to actual performance. I recommend picking a few and finding compare videos on YouTube.

 

I have a Garmin in one truck and a Vantrue in the other truck. The Vantrue is much better in my opinion. I have never been able to get the Garmin to work with the app on my phone to download from the SD. I have to take the SD card to the computer. The Vantrue app works wonderfully and does a great job detecting incidents. I have front and rear mounted cameras all recording to one SD card. It has already paid for itself by providing proof to my insurance company when I was hit that I was not at fault.

 

Cheap, compact, reliable -

$60 70mai Smart Dash Cam, 1080P FHD Dash Camera for Cars, Car Camera with Starvis 2 IMX662, HDR, WiFi, G-Sensor, Voice Control, APP, Loop Recording, Parking Monitor, Time-Lapse

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07F245PS1

If I had to choose today, I'd go with this - https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805979521592.html

 

Thats interesting, I had only ever heard good things about the VIOFO. Got one for my gf about a year ago, will have to see how long it lasts.
Do you think its the AZ sun thats killing them that quick?

 

Possibly on the supercap (but a quality one would be rated 90*C or higher) which seem to die within 6 months. But on my last one, after about a year the date would just randomly reset to Jan 1 so all my footage would be impossible to sort through because the dates would all be in the same month typically. Eventually the data was flat out corrupted on each new file. They just seem to be very poorly engineered for the application - just last long enough to get those 5 star reviews.

Also all of them are terrible at g-sensor filtering. None of them can determine a hard stop or going over a curb from a crash, let alone a ding in a parking lot.

 

I have a

$150 Rexing V1P 4K Car Dash Cam 2.4" LCD 2160p Front + 1080p Rear Wi-Fi 170° Wide Angle Dual Channel with Rear Cam, G-Sensor, WDR, Loop Recording Mobile App Supercapacitor

Rexing V1P on my truck and my mom's car. Been happy with them.

 

Which Vantrue do you use? I'm looking at the N4pro and would like to have the parking mode available - wondering if this dashcam is compatable with Dongar adapter?

 

I have a couple Garmin Mini's and they are great. Very small, can't even see it behind the rear view mirror. Really good video. It doesn't have a display and that is just what I wanted. They have voice control so you can tell it to save pics or videos. Highly recommended.

 

I use the wolfbox mirror and it works great.

you can catch sales and get 25$ off but if you need it, regular price is still good.

$120 WOLFBOX G840S 12" 4K Mirror Dash Cam Backup Camera, 2160P Full HD Smart Rearview Mirror for Cars & Trucks, Front and Rear View Dual Cameras, Night Vision, Parking Assistance, Included 32GB Card & GPS

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0811Q28N6

 

mine:

$110 Pelsee P10 Plus 4K WiFi Mirror Dash Cam, 10" Rear View Mirror Camera with 64GB Card, Dash Cam Front and Rear Backup Camera for Cars, Smart Driving System ADAS, Voice Control, GPS, WDR Night Vision

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D7SQ5SGB?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title
love it so far. the 12" is too wide for the sun visors not to hit.