Cameras in and around your RV - anyone do this or interested in doing it?

[jbeletti]

Some of us are video surveillance fanatics. Some of us just want peace of mind when we're away. I have a number of cameras in and around my property at my home in TN as we travel a lot and I like to keep an eye on things.

A year ago, after getting a second dog, we wanted to monitor him in his crate at home while we were out. I bought a Samsung Smart HD camera (this one) and used it for this purpose. I chose this camera for these reasons:

1. Cost Effective (~$170 on Amazon.com)
2. Connectability (WiFi or Ethernet)
3. Image Quality
4. Audio Monitoring (2-way on this model)
5. Cross-Platform Compatibility (Android, iOS and web-browser)
6. External Request Triggers Push-Protocol (no need to worry about double-nat, port-forwarding etc.)
7. Ease of Setup
8. Small Form-Factor

It worked great and we were able to see and hear from our phones, tablets and laptops. Then we hit the road. Now what? I took it with me!

When using it in the RV, I used 3M Command Strips to mount the camera base upside-down under the cabinets over my rear window in the coach. I did have to power to it - but this was all very temporary. Proof-of-Concept of sorts. It worked great! While on the road, when we are out of the RV, we can see and hear what's going on in the coach.

Since then, I've moved on to a more complicated system for reasons I'll explain in another thread at another time.

So - does anyone here currently use any video monitoring in or around their RV? If so, what do you use and how do you use it?

Is anyone interested in this topic?

Would anyone be interested in having cameras on the outside of their RV or on their RV site to monitor (and record perhaps) what's going on outside, for either "interest" or "security" reasons?

 

[JanAndBill]

Had a friend a few years ago who had several cats in his house. He set up several cameras around the house and streamed the video to a webpage called "Kittycam". Got a lot of traffic at first till people realized cats weren't really all that interesting. LOL

 

[Oregon_Camper]

I have 5 cameras at home and use Blue Iris to manage them. They activate on movement (defined area) and post to my Dropbox account. I also use their app on my smartphone

 

[OEFVET]

I have a full surveillance system at home (12 Camera's) and "yes" I will be installing camera's on my rig. Currently I am conducting research to determine the best way to go about it. I would prefer the very small camera's that are 3M taped to the sides and rear up high. I haven't gone any further then research at the present time. But this is a topic of interest to me.

 

[Nabo]

When we ordered our 2007 Sundance, one of the options was an outside security camera with a small monitor mounted in the bedroom. At that time smart phones weren't available to be able to see what was going on while we were gone. It was ok in that we could see who was standing at the door, especially at night. Now since the world has gone more tech-y it would be more intriguing to have a system which could be monitored from anywhere thanks to the smart phone, especially since there are more gadgets inside.

 

[Geodude]

I want to get into this, mostly for a bit of fun, but also to keep an eye on the house when we travel. Doing something inside the trailer might be fun too.

For now at the house I am using one old Samsung Galaxy S2 for a camera, and will soon add another. Also using the camera on a laptop to cover one room. There's a free app called "At Home Camera" that works pretty well for the laptop camera but it doesn't adjust the S2 very well for night vision or sunlight snow during the winter (we have the phone looking out the front window). So for the phone I use IP Webcam to run it, and view both its cameras using a web browser.

A friend of mine who works in the business has a lot of good things to say about Samsung cameras, and that's what I plan to buy at some point, so I'm happy the OP has good things to say about them too.

For the trailer, all I have planned for now is to stick GoPro to inside of the back window using the automotive mount and use it as a rear view camera while driving, with it's 600' WiFi range the signal should reach the phone in the truck pretty easily.

 

[jbeletti]

Cool to hear so many people are like me with vdeo surveillance in and around the sticks and bricks. I'd like to hear from more people who are now or have an interest in cameras in and around their RV.

There is SO MUCH out there in terms of equipment. When I was considering what to do with my truck in terms of video, I did some pretty extensive research. I'll talk about it here a bit as it does relate to what can be done in and around an RV.

I was considering a 4 camera system for my truck (windshield/dash, rear window, driver's side and passenger side - both outside) but ended up doing something else. For the dream system in the truckm I had some criteria I was looking for in a mobile DVR that may apply to a system one may want in their RV as well.

• 12 VDC powerable
• Small form factor
• 4 camera capability
• Adjustable shut-down timer (say, 1 to 120 minutes after ignition shut-off)
• 64 GB SD card capable
• Multiple SD card capability
• 3-axis G-Shock Sensor (where shock is noted in video)
• GPS Receiver (where speed, direction and position are noted in video)
• WiFi built-in (Wi-Fi client for wireless offload)
• LAN port (for network connectivity - i.e. you have a router in the truck with an Ethernet port)
• Cellular capable (not high on my list but a nice-to-have feature to access to DVR remotely)
• NTSC Composite Video Output
• HDMI Video Output
• WiFi accessibility to Video (i.e. the ability to see a single or all 4 cameras from a dash mounted iPad or other tablet or computer - all connected to the same WiFi network)
• 1 Channel and 4-Channel matrix display (switchable)
• Manageable via HTTP
• $400 max retail price

Here again, the above list was for a mobile DVR for my truck. But I think I'd like much of it for a mobile DVR for an RV too. Will I ever do this? Doubtful - but a boy can dream

Back to an RV application - what would my dream system be? Hm...

• One interior camera (with audio) in the rear cap area covering most of the lower level.
• A low profile camera outside, just above the entrance door, pointing down, capturing all activity at the door and a bit beyond
• A camera outside (with audio) on the rear cap that points downward to be used as a backup camera from the truck cab and as a security camera at other times
• A camera outside in front of the RV somewhere. Maybe at the top of the front cap. Maybe on the pinbox
• All cameras would be connected to the mobile DVR that would be mounted in a hidden location in the coach running on DC power
• Camera feeds would be available on the living room TV
• Rear camera feed would be available in the truck cab - perferably on my iPad
• Camera feeds would all be available via secure remote at anytime

 

[Gaffer]

What can you use for remote viewing in the way of wifi when away from home if you have no wired internet? We use smart phones and mifi but the myfi travels with us and I think it times out after awhile of non use. We use this for security http://simplisafe.com/ but there is no camera option as of yet.

 

[porthole]

So - does anyone here currently use any video monitoring in or around their RV? If so, what do you use and how do you use it?

Is anyone interested in this topic?

Would anyone be interested in having cameras on the outside of their RV or on their RV site to monitor (and record perhaps) what's going on outside, for either "interest" or "security" reasons?

Always interested in tech stuff.
Last year at the Dover race we tried the app that uses any IOS device as a camera.
I used my iPad as it has the cell feature.
When motion is detected the video starts and streams to a website for remote viewing.
While it was interesting to see how many times Regis got up to go slobber some water, the several gigabytes of data we used during the race had me delete the app.

So all this video tech, plus a sensible way to use ($$$) it is on the plate.

 

[2psnapod2]

Jim you might also want to add a camera around the front A/C so you could tell if clearance might be an issue. It sure would be nice to be able to just switch to a camera and see if you are low enough.

 

[jbeletti]

Always interested in tech stuff.
Last year at the Dover race we tried the app that uses any IOS device as a camera.
I used my iPad as it has the cell feature.
When motion is detected the video starts and streams to a website for remote viewing.
While it was interesting to see how many times Regis got up to go slobber some water, the several gigabytes of data we used during the race had me delete the app.

So all this video tech, plus a sensible way to use ($$$) it is on the plate.

Duane - back in the earlier days of cellular data, when it was unlimited, I used to run a dash mounted IP camera and stream it all the time. I also ran a full mini-computer in the car. Today, while speeds are faster, mobile data is pretty expensive for the consumer and I've guessing it's a good profit center for the carriers.

 

[porthole]

I had a Verizon 3G MiFI with unlimited data, and it was just about as fast as any 4g spot we have been in - but - no more part time job - no more free MiFi. Didn't bother keeping it because it had no way to add an external antenna.

It was a great addition though for Deb to watch her murder trials on the way to various rallies.

 

[MCTalley]

I'm debating some type of camera system to watch the trailer wheels and tires while underway. Environmental issues might kill that plan, though.

 

[lynndiwagoner]

I like to mess around with cameras also. I'm currently using an inexpensive WiFi camera from China on a garage sale wireless router in the rig. I've got the camera mounted to the back of the rig and use it for backing up, etc. One problem I've encountered is that the frame rate is not fast enough to monitor traffic real time. I'm still working on that one. I set up an old laptop running the free software Contacam for recording. This software is great for monitoring and recording events outside the rig, well worth checking out. I'm also running a true PTZ camera to monitor the dogs at home and in the rig via my AT&T hotspot. This one is more difficult as AT&T uses double NAT and private IP addresses between you and their internet access point. This makes it impossible to access the camera without the hotspot having a static IP. Getting a static IP for the hotspot was another story..... you must have a business account and then it costs $3.00 a month extra...worth it for me. Lots of fun.......

 

[travel_and_wander2892]

I have an awesome camera set up in my Class A and also in my home.
We use dropcam, they are available for purchase at Lowe's or Home Depot and are about $200, if I remember correctly. That's where we got ours, but I'm sure they are sold at other retail establishments as well. The cameras work well for us and have very cool features. They are compatible with live streaming (it does have about a 5 second delay), detect motion and send alerts with a "screen shot" of the object that moved, have incredible night vision and are also capable of maintaining a 2-way conversation with who/what ever is on other end. I personally like to talk to my dogs when checking in on them at the house. They go crazy because they can't find me. It's hilarious.
The only downside is the dropcams back up to a cloud. So if you leave them running, it eats up your data. So we turn them on whenever we want to view them or when we connect to an outside WiFi like an RV park.

We have had the system in our home for a little over a year and would never use anything else. We were doubtful that it would have the same performance in the RV because of connectivity issues but we found an amazing, unthinkable solution for WiFi broadband (better than an AT&T MiFi , cell phone hotspot, or Verizon Jetpack) in our RV as well, and it works beautifully. Best decision we've made yet.

I would definitely look into these cameras (dropcam) and the broadband solution. Hotspots just can't keep up and support the data we use. And it costs a fortune, as we use about 150+GB of data a month between the cameras, tv's and other electronics we have.
Feel free to message me if you need more information about our set up. I tried to keep it simple here.


Happy travels!
-Kristina Thomas

 

[yport]

Jim ... I have been using cams in my Cape home while away in florida for the winter ... 2 overlooking the front of the house ... 2 the back ... and 1 inside. They are wireless Linksys WVC80N ... and they work sweet ... and I have found them for sale at $85 each. They do need power ... so I can plug then in wherever I want as my home is wifi. These things are sweet ... the viewing app is a free download on your phone, tablet or pc. They have a mic so you can listen in ... you can turn on motion activation, have it email or text you if it detects motion, record, take stills, etc. Love sitting at the pool in Florida and viewing all that snow piling up

Would be cool to figure out how to use around the RV too when away ... but need the A/C power is resolved. Love the idea of one viewing my height under bridges too

Hope to see you at our September MA rally

 

[Dennyha]

I am also interested in adding a wifi camera to our camper to keep tabs on our dogs while we're gone. My concern is chewing up data when we're not even looking at the video. We have a dropcam at home, where we have unlimited data, and it is always uploading video. I'd like to find a camera that only transfers video when it is activated by smartphone app.

 

[Geodude]

I find for data consumption it's best to run the FPS setting down really low, not much is needed really. And we just use ours to peak in for a few minutes at a time. Eventually I want to get a number of cameras recording to a DVR locally.

 

[donr827]

I am also interested in adding a wifi camera to our camper to keep tabs on our dogs while we're gone. My concern is chewing up data when we're not even looking at the video. We have a dropcam at home, where we have unlimited data, and it is always uploading video. I'd like to find a camera that only transfers video when it is activated by smartphone app.

Glad you mentioned chewing up data. I was under the impression that if you were hooked to wifi you would not be using your data plan limits.
Don

 

[Geodude]

If you're within your own local area network then you shouldn't be using up any of your data. As soon as you're outside your network you're paying for data uploading from your cameras to the net and you're also paying for cellular download data if you're looking at the cameras on your phone. If you're on someone else's wifi or some other network then their data is covering the download.