Anyone installed a Mirror Dashcam in their Defender?

[LRNAD90]

I've been thinking for a long time about putting a dashcam in the Defender incase of the unthinkable. But these combined Mirror Dashcams look really interesting. The best ones have 4K front and 2.5K rear cameras, the rearview mirror can work as a standard mirror, or as a monitor of the rear camera (like the new Defenders).

They also display date/time and speed (external GPS included). I wish they would display actual lat/long position and altitude as well, I know the info is there, just not programed to show it for now..

The Rear Camera is waterproof, and I was thinking I could make a mount that puts it behind the spare tire, poking out between the spokes.

The most common mounting option for the mirror is to strap it to the existing mirror with the included silicon straps, but there are kits to make most of them a permanent replacement for stock mirror. They are wide however (most of the better ones seem to be 12"), and I suspect will interfere with the use of the visors..

WolfBox G900 is my current favorite..

Ultimately not something I'm ready to invest in right now, but curious if anyone has, and how it has worked out for them..

 

[dkemm]

have had a similar unit on mine for about a year. I love it. has forward and rear dash cam recording. it works as my rear view as I have a 35"spare. also works great for trailer hookup/backup.

 

[luckyjoe]

@LRNAD90 Did you ever get the G900? I recently stumbled upon an ARB unit, but it appears to be off the market, not yet released, or Oz-market only???

https://www.arb.com.au/uhf-radios-gps-reverse-camera/reversing-cameras/

ARB DVR REVERSE CAMERA​

 

[mitherial]

That is a nice looking unit, but good luck getting ARB-USA to special order Oz-only items for you (was not successful the one time I tried).

Down-under, ARB has *freestanding* stores, and half the Toyotas you see in the outback are covered in ARB gear; fun place to visit.

 

[LRNAD90]

No, I didn't, unfortunately many other 'to-dos' on the list first..

(I think subconsciously I'm waiting to see a 4Krear camera to go with the front)

 

[LRNAD90]

@luckyjoe Another year later, and still no 4K rear Camera. Thought for sure they'd offer it by now. By the time I get myself to pull the trigger, I probably won't be able to get the 10" mirror anymore. Seems like it is only available on the manufacturer's website as a refurbished unit now, but the price is tempting..

WOLFBOX G930 Rear View Mirror Camera-Refurbished

WOLFBOX G930 rear view mirror camera is a cutting-edge 4K dash cam equipped with a reliable mirror design. Note: Refurbished products are in excellent condition with minimal signs of use, ensuring their quality and performance.

wolfbox.com

 

[WreckITFrank]

@luckyjoe Another year later, and still no 4K rear Camera. Thought for sure they'd offer it by now. By the time I get myself to pull the trigger, I probably won't be able to get the 10" mirror anymore. Seems like it is only available on the manufacturer's website as a refurbished unit now, but the price is tempting..

WOLFBOX G930 Rear View Mirror Camera-Refurbished

WOLFBOX G930 rear view mirror camera is a cutting-edge 4K dash cam equipped with a reliable mirror design. Note: Refurbished products are in excellent condition with minimal signs of use, ensuring their quality and performance.

wolfbox.com

I had that in my cart 100 times, but ultimately went with a dashcam instead.

 

[Mirrajumper]

Ferrari chat board listed a $100 option recently that was wireless kit and license plate frame w camera. Seemed pretty slick, but may not be enough bells/whistles for what you need.

 

[LRNAD90]

I had that in my cart 100 times, but ultimately went with a dashcam instead.

So what did you go with, and how do you like it?

 

[WreckITFrank]

well, my need for a rearview cam is now that ever, but I saw one of those mirrors and didnt want it in my truck....my 130 now has a rear canvas cover, so the rearview looks through 2 layers of plastic windows and basically useless.

No dashcams had good rear (external bumper) support let alone a mirror function, aside from going with a motorcycle setup which were costly. so for now I settled for a small forward only cam, but may have to revisit due to rearview issue. blind spot mirrors on the way from Mud.

got this on a lightning deal, so was sub $100 at the time. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5MVB7NX?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

removed it to finish my wiring, but overall seems great for the cost.

 

[andino]

I installed the G930 since it was one of the few 10" mirror cams still available. There's also the 70mai unit that uses a superconductor instead of lion batteries in the unit but the dealbreaker for me was it doesn't have front and rear parking mode recording (only front). I added a 2k camera upgrade (WDR I think it was) to my G930 and have been happy with the performance so far. I've only had it out on a few evening drives and one long drive to the bike trail but the viewing angle all but eliminates the blindspot from my HT only having side windows near the rear of the cargo area.

I ordered the mirror arm off aliexpress as well to avoid having the thing clipped over my stock mirror after messing around with a universal ball mount and it not working to my liking.

 

[LRNAD90]

Okay @andino now you have opened yourself up to a barrage of questions..

• Any interference with the sun visors?
• Is the mirror arm the same as the one Wolfbox sells (https://wolfbox.com/products/wolfbo...0-t10p-mirror-dash-cam?variant=47477836284193)
• does it work with the stock windshield mount/button?
• where did you mount your GPS antenna?
• Assuming since you talk about park mode you are using the hardwire kit?
• Rear camera upgrade this WDR Camera? (https://wolfbox.com/products/wolfbo...rear-view-camera?_pos=2&_psq=wdr&_ss=e&_v=1.0)
• Can I talk you into sharing photos of your installation?

Hadn't seen the 70mai before. Looks like it records at 30 fps vs 25 for the Wolfbox, and like you said, the super capacitor instead of battery. I think I still like the wolfbox package better overall, but it looks nice as well..

Thanks..

 

[andino]

• Any interference with the sun visors?

Yep it fouls both sunvisors sadly. But its not too bad I guess.

• Is the mirror arm the same as the one Wolfbox sells (https://wolfbox.com/products/wolfbo...0-t10p-mirror-dash-cam?variant=47477836284193)
• does it work with the stock windshield mount/button?

I bought that mount only for the plate. But I used this adapter from aliexpress for my first pass. The smallest ball mount is still too loose for the stock mirror mount on the defender so I have it jerry-rig'd right now with some added tape on the stock mount to get things tested and mounted.

I ordered mount #34 from this listing though which is enroute. I'm hoping it'll work and I can do away with my rigged setup as I don't think it'll last in hot weather.

• where did you mount your GPS antenna?

My truck has an Alucab Icrarus top so I mounted it in the front cowl area below the bed. Not the best location but it does work.

• Assuming since you talk about park mode you are using the hardwire kit?

I'm not currently using the hardwire kit. Fun fact that if you're using a USB cable with cig lighter adapter, it'll think it has the hardwire kit LOL. I do have the hardwire kit so I can wire it together with my BlackboxMyCar battery pack which runs off switch power and feeds the camera from its own power so I'm not pulling from the start battery. If you're running a dual battery setup, you could tie it to that instead using the hardwire kit or the aforementioned workaround I inadvertently found while testing.

• Rear camera upgrade this WDR Camera? (https://wolfbox.com/products/wolfbo...rear-view-camera?_pos=2&_psq=wdr&_ss=e&_v=1.0)

That's the rear camera I have yes.

• Can I talk you into sharing photos of your installation?

I can take some photos tomorrow. The wiring is still very much in progress though as I have a lot of other projects I'm doing at the same time. But its wired up well enough to test and drive around.

Hadn't seen the 70mai before. Looks like it records at 30 fps vs 25 for the Wolfbox, and like you said, the super capacitor instead of battery. I think I still like the wolfbox package better overall, but it looks nice as well..

Another nice advantage on the 70mai is the mirror camera can rotate as well so you can always get a level forward video. It also has a newer starvis 2 sensor in the front camera which has much better low light performance over the starvis 1 in the wolfbox.

Something to note is depending on your seating position, the front camera might not have enough articulation to point straight ahead if you plan to use the mirror as an actual mirror fulltime. If you're using the screen, then it'll be okay because the viewing angles are good enough to adjust the camera into necessary orientation. Also there's no anti-glare screen protector that I can find off the shelf that fits in this unit so sometimes during the day, it takes a moment for my eyes to focus on the screen instead of the reflection.

 

[andino]

Also you can get a G930 brand new for ~100 bucks off amazon. They're listed for 120 but there's a $20 coupon you can "clip" which brings it down to 100 bucks. Comes with a 64gb memory card as well which was a nice bonus.

 

[luckyjoe]

I picked-up the G900 when it went on sale for sub-$200/shipped (February?), full motion kit, hardwire, plus camera extension cable. I've been researching and collecting mount parts as well, but have not yet installed it. The G900 is 12" on the long trapezoid edge. It a little too big for my son's Subaru but will fit well in my Grenadier.

 

[LRNAD90]

@andino - Thanks for the detailed response. I was really hoping the 10" mirror would fit between the visors. And then I remembered that the NAS configuration is somewhat different than the ROW trucks, and I'm not clear which you have. Most of the ROW trucks had header mounted mirrors, not windshield mounted, and only have about 8" between the visors, per this photo supplied by a Canadian owner. Versus the NAS (soft top anyway) configuration. But it looks like you've ordered a windshield mount bracket, so maybe nevermind on that?

Was hoping you had used the Wolfbox mirror mount I had linked, so you could confirm it works with the windshield mount/button, but again, not clear if we have the same (another 'quirk' of our erector set trucks)..

I'm not sure where I'd go with the GPS Antenna, would like it to be stealth (not seen), thought about possibly putting it behind the plastic header trim (if it fits, but not clear if it would get a good 'picture' of the sky)..

Wasn't sure if that camera worked with the 930 or not, as the 930 is not listed in the Camera's compatibility list on Wolfbox's site, so glad to hear it works with it. Do you get the 2.5K video/recording with it, or does the mirror DVR still limit it to 1080p (Can't seem to find this info online either)?

Not sure on using the reflective mirror vs. the Video image full time, particularly since I understand it can be challenging to see if you wear corrective lenses (which unfortunately I've had to take on progressive glasses as I age). Also not clear if there is a 'dim' feature when using the mirror, as a traditional dim feature would change the mirror position, and therefore the camera. And I have a feeling that it is not an autodim function.

I really was looking for a good dashcam solution when I stumbled on all these dashcam mirrors and liked the integration and idea of keeping the windshield fairly clean from a bunch of devices. More I look into it, the more I start to wonder if the compromises are worth it though..

The 70mai looks interesting for its more advanced sensor (though lower overall resolution) and supercapacitor vs the LiIon battery in the Wolfbox. I think I still prefer the overall design of the Wolfbox, but I'll have to do some more research on it, so thanks for complicating matters (LOL)

Keep us posted as you finalize your install!

P.S. - Am I the only one that wishes the display also included altitude along with direction and speed? The data is obviously there from the GPS information, it is just not programed to display it..

 

[LRNAD90]

I picked-up the G900 when it went on sale for sub-$200/shipped (February?), full motion kit, hardwire, plus camera extension cable. I've been researching and collecting mount parts as well, but have not yet installed it. The G900 is 12" on the long trapezoid edge. It a little too big for my son's Subaru but will fit well in my Grenadier.

Unfortunately I think a G900 is way too big to work in a Defender..

 

[WreckITFrank]

Unfortunately I think a G900 is way too big to work in a Defender..

did you explore the complete replacement mirrors rather than clip on/overlay style?

 

[LRNAD90]

did you explore the complete replacement mirrors rather than clip on/overlay style?

Seems like pretty much all of these mirrors default mount is the rubber straps? I am finding a number of 'conversions' to eliminate the existing mirror and mount them directly, like the Wolfbox specific one I linked above (https://wolfbox.com/products/wolfbo...0-t10p-mirror-dash-cam?variant=47477836284193), but not many that are designed that way to begin with.

Either way, at 12" wide, the G900 seems way to big for the Defender interior..

 

[4RF RDS]

Being my daily I installed one in my 110 a few years ago. I had a camera in my precious stereo but I swapped that out and the new one did not have a camera so did this instead. It definitely interferes with the sun visors but they actually work fine 🤷‍♂️. I don’t use them too much but when I do its not an issue.

Front and rear cameras, impact detection and parking impact detection. Micro SC card memory (removable) to another device for viewing or view recordings on the mirror. I had to make a mount using the OE mirror anchor point and screws.
I like it and use it all the time. 👌🏻