Motorhome DASH CAMS

John Sootheran explores the big brother’ world of dash cams with motorhomers in mind

What is a dash cam?

A dash cam is a small camera device that attaches to your dashboard or windscreen and films the view of the road ahead as you drive.

The footage is typically saved to a memory card inside the device and if needed, can be downloaded to a computer to be stored or viewed.

Once the card is full, most dash cams simply overwrite the oldest footage.

Using a dash cam when you are motorhoming will give you increased peace of mind, as you will know that any incidents will be captured for use as evidence if needed.

What are they for?

On today’s very busy roads, dash cam footage is generally used to prove the blame or establish innocence following a road traffic accident.

In some circumstances, the footage may be used as evidence in third-party cases to establish culpability.

How much do they cost?

The cheapest (worthwhile) dash cams cost from around the £80 mark, and prices rise to £300 or so.

The most expensive cameras often include a second, rear-view, camera and some units also offer an in-cabin camera, too.

The more expensive cameras are likely to have a wider angle of view, better image resolution, more features, increased night vision, app control and Cloud/Bluetooth/Wi-Fi functionality.

What should you consider when buying a dash cam?

Angle of view

This is the breadth of the view that the camera captures, and is typically from 120° to 170°. Ideally, you want this to be as wide as possible, covering the full width of the road ahead – from pedestrians on the nearside pavement to vehicles passing on the opposite side of the road – and as close to your motorhome as possible.

Blindspots could obscure important data from the footage. Generally, 140° is a good choice, but be aware of the fall-off in image quality at the edges of the frame as the lens gets wider.