Driving Camera
This 1st gen Frontier needed a dash cam.
3/14/20203 min read
VIOFO A129 Pro 4K Dual Front & Rear Dash Cam
Upon extended use of this brand camera, I would probably not recommend going with VIOFO. Although the company seems fairly responsive, you would need to ship the item to China/Canada in order to get it swapped out if you have any issues with your unit.
I've been run off the road more than a few times, and two deer have run into the side of my truck, so this is more so to protect myself and my family. This one came with the GPS module to show the current speed and the detailed location after an incident.
One problem I noticed with this camera, is that after a few minutes of being taken off-roading, the G-sensor detects too many "events", and starts constantly beeping and flashing memory errors until you get back to even ground, or turn the sensor off. Not a huge deal, just don't forget to turn the G-sensor back to your desired detection level when back on the blacktop, and you're good to go.
The other issue that I've had on long road trips is that it can tend to get overheated especially in the warmer months when the sun is baking it, and it would appear to go into a self protection mode, but there is no alert or notification of it doing so.
Hardwire powered via Fuse Taps
The hardwire kit allows it to continue recording after the truck has been shut off, in the event that the motion sensor detects bumps when parked, while automatically turning off the camera after it detects the battery going below your specified voltage limit via the four position switch. I hardwired the accessory wire to the 10amp "Mirror" fuse (to tell it when the truck is turned on/off) and the always-on wire to the 20amp "Rear Defog" fuse, using fuse taps, and 10amp fuses. The whole kit then tucks nicely underneath the fuse box, out of site. I used a multi-meter to find which ones were hot in the desired ignition positions, and I picked fuses that were of least concern if anything were to get overloaded.
Mounted
I used a few small pieces of double sided sticky tape to help keep the wires hidden and routed to the rear camera. The power wire goes down the drivers side A-piller and the rear camera wire goes down the passenger A-piller and along the floor.
I did have an issue with the GPS module/windshield mount going bad after 9 months, so I had to plug the power cord directly into the camera (meaning the speed and location options were not working) until the Amazon seller was able to send me a new GPS module.
My long term review for the camera is that it seems to get the job done, but that I'm not certain I feel very comfortable recommending that you purchase this due to random quirks and difficulty of dealing with returns.
The complete list of items used can be found in the Parts List below.
