Motorhome (RV) solution - needs reversing camera, Wifi, motion detection, battery power.

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Hi All. I've recently bought a 7m long motorhome, and store it at a location which is secure, but has no CCTV. I would therefore like to monitor motion (not just impact) remotely from my phone. Given the length of the vehicle, a reversing camera would also be of benefit. I'm therefore looking for a solution which combine the following requirements:
  1. front and rear cameras both with motion detection (not just impact detection)
  2. reversing camera (ideally with the green/red/yellow lines showing on a display). I can accept that the I will have to engage the app on my phone (which I also use for satnav) when I want to use the camera
  3. wifi - I will connect the cameras via wifi to an old android phone which has 3G/4G signal. This phone will stay in the motorhome. I will then use Airdroid as a means of controlling this old phone, and change the various settings on the camera app remotely. I realise that some apps are better than others, so not all the camera's settings will be available via the app. When motion is detected (not necessarily impact) - e.g. someone walks in front of the parked motorhome, the camera sends image/video over wifi to the phone and I can 'dial in' to the old phone to see what's happening.
  4. It would be nice for the cameras to have GPS, for any any insurance claim purposes
  5. power - I already have a leisure battery installed in my motorhome which I never use (I always camp with shorepower/electric hook up). I'm happy to get one more leisure battery and connect in parallel, but the battery(s) needs to last up to a week without charge, so the cameras would need to take minimum draw. Alternatively, I can buy a powerbank for each camera - providing the camera can operate whilst charging (i read on nextbase forums that they can't do this). The old phone will also need to be connected to this powersupply. Ultimately, I'm going to get solar panels on the motorhome to hopefully keep the leisure batteries topped up - but please assume this isn't happening anytime soon.
  6. Whilst the vehicle is stationary, I don't need the cameras to be permanently recording - just on motion detection.
  7. Audio on the cameras isn't essential

Think that's it - hope you can help!
 
this is quite a project.

1. you'll get a lot of different opinions but I'd personally use a traditional dashcam for the windscreen locations. my current favorites are the A119 and B1W.

2. I'd not rely on a reversing cam that uses your mobile device as a monitor. if I'm backing up, I know I wouldn't want to worry about the camera trying to connect to my phone. I'd rather use a dedicated camera and monitor combination that instantly shows me an image when I shift to reverse. and they're inexpensive. a wired kit with camera and monitor would probably run you around $20 US or $60 US for the wireless kits which are now becoming pretty reliable.

3. since you're using a mobile hotspot, I'd recommend wifi home security cameras for your monitoring purposes. I personally have a bunch of yi home cameras around the house and a lot of folks here seem to like wyzecam. both brands are pretty affordable and have a comparable feature set. the yi home cameras can record to a micro SD card and can ping your mobile device every time it detects motion or can even trigger when certain sounds are picked up. they can also send these events to the cloud.

4. I don't know that I've ever had a need for GPS on my dashcams but I do like that it will automatically sync the proper time.

5. most cameras will have a USB lead so you'll have a lot of options there. if your climate isn't too hot then USB packs may be a consideration. but since you have a spare battery in the motorhome, I'd just figure out a way to hook it up to that.

6. refer to #3

7. most camera mics can be turned off if need be.

good luck!
 
Thanks @abarth. I started to investigate DVR CCTV cameras, and think I could make it work, but it felt overly complex, and would probably require two new leisure batteries. I'm going for a more elegant (and cheap) approach. I'm going to place two old android phones inside the vehicle, and tether one to the other so that they can both send imagery/video when motion is detected, using the Manything app. This feels like it could be win-win - remote control of the phones using the Manything app, and keep these topped up using a small solar power bank. Given that mobile phones don't come with night vision, I'll invest in two solar powered lights with movement sensors, to give a little light. I estimate the total cost will therefore be an initial outlay of £30 for the solar cell, £30 for the lights, and £5 for some decent 3M pads to stick the phones to the windows. Monthly costs will be £8 per month for data, and £3.99 per month for Manything.

Oh - and bite the bullet, and invest in an actual dashcam with reversing camera £50.

Finger's crossed this solution works!
 
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