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You see it all the time. It seems everywhere you go; distracted drivers are everywhere. Do me a favor the next time you’re at a traffic light. Take a look around you. Not only are the drivers that are next to you on the phone, the drivers passing in front of you are often on the phone as well. I’ve even seen drivers passing me on the highway watching movies on their phones. Not only is it a tad aggravating, it’s also very dangerous.
How do you protect yourself in the event of an accident with one of these drivers? When the report gets filed, it’s your word against theirs. How do you prove who is at fault? A dashcam in your RV or tow vehicle gives you all the proof you need should the unthinkable happen. Accidents aren’t the only reason you should consider a dashcam. You can also record exciting events that happen on your road trip to watch again later. In this post I am going to give you 5 reasons why you should consider putting a dashcam in your RV, or tow vehicle. Let’s get to it, shall we?
What Is A Dashcam?
A dashcam, or dashboard camera, is simply a camera that mounts to your windshield, dashboard, or rearview mirror that records everything that happens while you are driving. Different models of dashcams can record what happens behind you as well as everything in the passenger area. Some models even have a Parking Mode that can record what happens while you are away from your RV. These recordings are stored on an internal memory or a removable SD card.
Now, let’s get to the reasons why you should consider a dashcam.
Evidence Of An Accident
The most popular reason people install a dashcam in their vehicle is for first-hand evidence of an accident. Scammers are everywhere and they will often cut you off and then slam on their brakes, causing a rear-end accident. Truckers deal with this all the time. Having a dashboard camera gives you absolute proof of who caused the accident.
Some dashcams are equipped with a G-Force indicator that automatically keeps a recording in the event of an accident.
You may have even witnessed this yourself while traveling to your destination. Drivers behind you get agitated because you are going slower than they think you should be, and next thing you know, they pass you only to cut right in front of you as to prove a point.
At the end of the day, it is better to have one and not need it than to need it and not have one.
Capture Your Road Trip Memories
A dashboard camera gives you the ability to not only record your entire road trip, it also gives you the ability to playback exciting parts of your journey. These memories will last forever and you can watch them over and over again with your family. Think of all the beautiful scenery you can capture while driving to your destination.
You can even take this footage and create your own trip video for uploading to YouTube or sharing with your loved ones.
Record Vandalism
Leaving your RV in a large parking lot to go shopping for needed supplies can sometimes lead to vandalism. Have you ever went shopping only to come out and find damage to your vehicle from another car or a vandal? With a dashcam, you can record these events and see exactly what happened. This footage can prove to be very useful in an insurance claim or a police report. Think of it as added insurance for your tow vehicle or RV.
Capture Unexpected Events Using A Dashcam
I’m sure you’ve seen footage of accidents that were recorded on a dashcam from someone sitting at a stop sign or traveling down the highway. I can assure you that none of these incidents were recorded on purpose. In fact, you can search “Dashcam Accidents” on YouTube and watch hours of footage. Again, this reason goes back to evidence. You can provide video evidence to the authorities investigating one of these unexpected events.
You can also capture unexpected events that go “viral”. Remember a few years ago the Russian driver that recorded the meteor on his dashcam? That video had well over a million views. Again, this footage was not captured on purpose.
Monitor Young Drivers
This reason isn’t for an RV per say, it’s more along the reasons of letting a young driver in your family borrow the car, or truck. A dashcam is a great way of keeping an eye on young drivers. I can remember when I was a teenager, a few of my friends had the bumper sticker that said, “How is my driving” with a parent’s phone number on it. Weird, right? I’m sure my parents would have loved to know how I was treating the family car when I took it out.
With teenagers having cell phones, a dashboard camera can help you keep an eye on them to see if they are texting and driving, watching videos and driving, etc.
How To Choose The Right Dashcam For You
Now that we’ve covered the main reasons to have a dashcam, now let’s look into a few things to consider before making a purchase. As I mentioned above, not all dashcams are created equal. Knowing what features best suit your needs is very important when deciding which dashboard camera is for you.
For instance, if you want to record the excitement of your next road trip, you may want to opt for a camera with plenty of memory and a front only camera, while the parent of a new driver may want a dashcam with both front and in cabin recording.
Automatic video lock is another great feature of some dashcams. While the lower end models record on a continuous loop, the best cameras are equipped with video lock that “locks” the recording in the event of an accident via the G-Force sensor. This safeguards that footage and prevents it from being recorded over.
Best Budget Friendly Dashcam For Your RV
The best budget friendly dashcam for your RV is the Chortau 2021. This dashboard camera is equipped with most of the basic features you may need. Not only do you get high resolution recording in daylight or night, but this unit is also equipped with G-Sensor monitoring.
There is a drawback to this dashcam, however. You will need to purchase your own SD memory card as this camera does not come with one.
Best Mid-Grade Dashcam
The Cobra SC 201 is a mid-grade dashcam that records both front-view and the passenger compartment of the vehicle. Like the Chortau, this camera can record high-definition video day or night, but this camera also has a 2” LCD display for easy access to the menu and settings. It is equipped with G-Sensor as well as the Parking Mode and has infrared interior recording capabilities for night recording.
You don’t have to worry about the SD card, a 16 GB card is included. The coolest part of this dashboard camera is the built-in Wi-Fi. What this does is allow you to access, edit, and share your footage from anywhere.
Best Overall Dashcam For Your RV
The Cobra DASH 2216D is a dual camera system that has all the features as the above cameras with a few extras. This unit has all climate protection which means it can withstand the hottest Texas summers, to the coldest Michigan winters.
With the built-in microphone and speaker, you can play back both audio and video. Don’t worry, you can turn off the microphone with the simple on/off switch.
With the Drive HD dash cam player, you can easily edit your videos as well as display GPS coordinates in Google Maps.
This dashboard camera comes with everything you would need for setting up in your RV or tow vehicle, including power cables, windshield mounts, rear camera, and a 16 GB micro-SD memory card.
Conclusion On Dashcams
There are several reasons you should think about installing a dashcam in your RV or tow vehicle. Not only are they great for proof of an accident, they are also great for recording some pretty unforgettable footage of your road trip. In the event you should need one for insurance purposes, it’s always better to have one and never need it than it is to need one and not have it. Kind of like a fire extinguisher or a first aid kit.
You should always check with local and state laws regarding the use of dashcams before buying one.
Do you have any thoughts on dashcams for your RV? If so, please leave us a comment below and let us know.
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