My only dashcam experience was what comes with all Teslas. I'm sure that system is the only reason that the other driver was assigned 100% in an accident. So lesson learned. What's a good quality installation look like in an LC? Just drop the wire to the right of the mirror? What views do I want other than forward? Why do people want a cabin view?
Suggest a Dashcam?
- Thread starter Don
- Start date
I like the Viofo cameras.. very well priced and decent quality. I also like how the wedge shape can sit tight to the glass and not interfere with sightliines. I have a A119 Mini 2 waiting to be installed.
I went with the Toyota Integrated Camera, if for no other reason it was quite easy to install. In my wife's Bolt EUV and my old Honda, we use BlackVue.
My short answer would be to get couple Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2's (for front and back).
Longer answer: the electronics for almost all dash cams are made by the same manufacturer, so only the sensor and optics vary, and none of them are great. I've always had good luck with Garmin and their app is reasonable. Viofo gets good reviews for optics/video quality but pretty bad reviews for the app. Blackvue cameras look great, but they have some real privacy problems, the app gets terrible reviews, and the optics/video quality is not great. Lots of generic/no-name versions on Amazon as well if you just want cheap.
If someone decides to make a dash cam with video quality anywhere near a GoPro, I'd love to buy that. (GoPros themselves overheat too quickly for this application though.)
Longer answer: the electronics for almost all dash cams are made by the same manufacturer, so only the sensor and optics vary, and none of them are great. I've always had good luck with Garmin and their app is reasonable. Viofo gets good reviews for optics/video quality but pretty bad reviews for the app. Blackvue cameras look great, but they have some real privacy problems, the app gets terrible reviews, and the optics/video quality is not great. Lots of generic/no-name versions on Amazon as well if you just want cheap.
If someone decides to make a dash cam with video quality anywhere near a GoPro, I'd love to buy that. (GoPros themselves overheat too quickly for this application though.)
Someone shared this video before, it's helpful:
For now I’m using their OBD connector with the wire tucked into the headliner above the windshield then down the A pillar. It’s the Power magic EZ. I have the actual hardwire kit as well with the controller that also shuts it off at a preset battery level to protect against excessive battery drain. I just didn’t have time to install that yet and wanted more of a proof of concept for now.
Same.
Someone on this forum has stated that in Japan, Toyota used the front and rear camera’s for their ‘dashrams’, which I guess means that there is some sort of small DVR somewhere inside the Japanese LC’s.
I wish we could do that!
I wish we could do that!
I went Viofo front and rear powered by switched OBDII adapter. It was my first time going with a rear camera and in the back of my mind I was worried that it would be a waste. After my first aggressive tailgater caught on cam, I'm 100% glad I did. I think cabin cams only really make sense for Uber/rideshare drivers but to each their own.
Is there a plug in the back that it plugs into? Also, did you get the front parking mode wiring as well?
That's a clean looking install!
This is what Toyota's dash cam should have been like, if they aren;t going to use the built in cameras.
Didn't get any front parking mode wiring. This just runs when the car is on. Have always been paranoid about wiring stuff directly into the fuse boxes for that kind of stuff.
The rear camera uses a very long cable that plugs into the front housing. Breakaways at both ends. Ran the wiring at the edges of the headliner under the black rubber. Then under the headliner as needed. Was pretty easy.
Seems to work pretty well. Camera quality is fine. Nothing amazing but I guess it doesn't really need to be.
I purchased the FITCAMX because it looks great but the top plastic piece never fully secures like the original. I wish FITCAMX gave both top and bottom pieces instead of only the bottom part.
