Any advice for installing adhesive mount cameras?

[Kaitlyn]

I've had a dashcam for a number of years but it is a suction mount with a ball joint. On average, it probably falls down once a month.

I have a new Street Guardian cam (+rear - same story) which has the adhesive mount. Do I really need to think critically about my placement, or just put it behind the rearview mirror within the wiper blade area and good to go?

For better or worse, I was able to not worry as much about the placement of my current dashcam, and while not placed directly in the middle I could also angle the camera ever so slightly.

There is also a thin+thick mount for the camera. Despite there being extra adhesive pads included, I just want to make sure I get it "right" the first time

 

[kamkar]

You want to clean the glass good first.
After it is rare the tape let go on the glass, but i have myself had some issues with the tape letting go of the mount plastic, but as it is in between tape and plastic you can use any other glue in there, so i have used CA glue once, and that finally stopped the camera from falling off the windscreen.

The cameras like the SG one and others can in most cases only be adjusted up and down, and not to the sides so a very off center install make them less than ideal.
Though in most cases the wide angle lens will make sure you don't miss anything or much.
I have had several cameras side by side with one mounted dead center in my car, and the 2 flanking it are pretty much the same, only when you again go on the outside of those you begin to see a noticeable result of being that far off center.

I use to power the cameras up in the hand, and then before removing the protective film on the sticky pad, hold them up to the windscreen so i could gauge by the LCD screen how it look and if its a good spot.
But i have now done it so often i just out the mounts up using the dotted area on which they sit as a ruler so i get them level, some times i have also been a little off, but it don't really matter much in the grand perspective.
After all it is not footage you have to sit and look on hour after hour, so it don't matter much if its a little off, unlike say mt computer monitor, if it was not in level i would probably go insane with the hours i sit in front of it.

This footage i have just uploaded from the B2W camera you can clearly see the camera are not aimed 100% and it is also offset to the left on my windscreen.
So you can see a little more dash and A piller on the bottom right, and not so much on the bottom left, still fine and as this can adjust in both planes i can tweak it another day if i want to.

 

[Nigel]

Use a little detergent to clean any grease off the glass, adhesive hates grease.

Position and align the camera using the LCD without removing the backing off the adhesive pad, then mark the position by sticking some tape to the glass. Then remove the backing and use your marker tape to guide the placement.

 

[Kaitlyn]

Use a little detergent to clean any grease off the glass, adhesive hates grease.

Position and align the camera using the LCD without removing the backing off the adhesive pad, then mark the position by sticking some tape to the glass. Then remove the backing and use your marker tape to guide the placement.

Good idea on marking the location might give it a go! Thankfully street guardian includes wipes in their kit, although just one for both front and rear.

I'll probably clear off a large area... And worry about cleaning the rest of my window another day

 

[Ralph2]

One.. of the problems is caused by the surface of windshield (screen) not being perfectly flat.. so the adhesive tape does not make equal contact and consequently does not have the maximum holding power. To solve this on my vehicle I used a small spacer that I shaped on one side to suit the curvature.

It's easy to see where the (and how much) contact there is by holding it (the shim or actual supplied base with the protective tape still on) against the windshield (screen) in position and looking at it from the outside.