Reviewing and Testing the Vantrue P2 Thermal Dashcam

EricSan said:
The good news is that there appears to be some useful and relatively inexpensive options available. I just searched Amazon for "windshield mount with 1/4" screw" and looked for ones that didn't appear to be cheap, plastic crap. I picked one relatively inexpensive one and one that looks more robust and features metal construction. An important consideration is the weight bearing capacity, especially dynamic weight limits (which appear to be about 1/10 of the static weight ratings). The display unit weighs 350g or about 12.5oz, so it needs some holding power for dynamic weight load. I just ordered two of them from Amazon, so we'll see what shows up.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/B01KPMETJK
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https://www.amazon.com/gp/B0D8TFCMYS
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Do you plan to order and test either one of these?
 
jsmith said:
Do you plan to order and test either one of these?
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Yup - just ordered one of each, they should arrive on Saturday. That will give me tomorrow to make some power draw measurements and see if I can run the cable for the thermal camera.

I thought it would be interesting to compare a "cheapie" (that appears to be all plastic) suction cup mount with one that looks more substantial (aluminum with manual suction pump).
 
EricSan said:
Yup - just ordered one of each, they should arrive on Saturday. That will give me tomorrow to make some power draw measurements and see if I can run the cable for the thermal camera.

I thought it would be interesting to compare a "cheapie" (that appears to be all plastic) suction cup mount with one that looks more substantial (aluminum with manual suction pump).
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You going to do the door method like I showed you or disassemble your vehicle and install through firewall?
 
I'm likely to see how challenging it is to get through the firewall. Last time I changed the cabin filter, I was able to locate the large rubber grommet in the firewall (at least from inside the car). I need to find where it comes through under the hood...

Here's quick capture of my daughter in the kitchen with the thermal camera:
vlcsnap-2026-07-30-21h39m12s477.webp
 
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People in black.

Yeah a few years ago i almost ran one of these over in a T intersection, a jogger in full body black spandex in the middle of winter, but even if Danish town streets have light just fine.
I will not be too loud about this black attire, i am extremely casual dresser myself and it is only in summer i am colourful.

Bitrates seem pretty moderate for H.264 compression, i recall back in the day the good 1080p cameras was running 18 mbit and as i recalled still choked on info if you passed some bare trees along the road in winter.

Looking forward to seeing action plate capture performance.
 
EricSan said:
I'm likely to see how challenging it is to get through the firewall. Last time I changed the cabin filter, I was able to locate the large rubber grommet in the firewall (at least from inside the car). I need to find where it comes through under the hood...

Here's quick capture of my daughter in the kitchen with the thermal camera:
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Here is a quick capture of data rates and file sizes for 3min videos at maximum resolution. The numbers from the front & rear cameras (IMX675) are identical to that of the N4S and N5S which feature the same video sensors. The numbers from the cabin camera (IMX662) are just a bit smaller than those from the N4S and N5S (which both produce 223,232KB files). I expect video clarity to be very close across these three cameras, so I'm curious to see if any processing/algorithm improvements have been made.

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There is significant amounts of padding behind the grommet and the firewall exiting the vehicle. You may be able to force a coat hanger down and breach the padding. I just wasn't willing to go through all that effort given the nature of this install. If it was permanent, I would have persisted more. I just don't want to cause any damage to my vehicle in testing a camera.

Using the door was just easier, and is apparently recommended by Vantrue in their install video. Yes, it isn't a proper or professional install, but I figured if installing was difficult, removal of the firewall wire would be equally the same. I opted for easy versus "clean".

As you can see, the image will basically show the heat signature but any surrounding objects are indistinguishable. I surmise that's the case with a thermal camera and is normal.
 
EricSan said:
First up is the utility port power adapter that has a USB-A port on the plug and a USB-C connector at the end of the cable. As has been discussed many time here on the forum, it is important to use the power supply cord or hardwire kit that actually comes from the manufacturer. This is especially important for the P2 because it's power draw is much larger than other cameras. This one needs a 5v 3A power supply. The only Vantrue hardwire kit that supplies enough power is the VP05 (II) hardwire kit. The others don't have the ability to deliver the needed current.
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The Hardwire kit that Vantrure supplied with my P2 is only rated for 2.5A.
I'm not sure if that will be a problem.
IMG_3948.webp
 
jsmith said:
Think that's all they sell. Given the Pilot 2 only offers collision detection mode, it should be sufficient I am guessing?
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Yes only collision detection but unless I'm missing something, it still has to supply the entire system with enough power for all 4 cameras and the display unit, which appears to require 3 A based on the specs shown in the user manual. @EricSan pointed out that the VP05 (II) hardwire kit supplies sufficient power but my VP05 (II) is rated at 2.5A.
 
Hack_man said:
Yes only collision detection but unless I'm missing something, it still has to supply the entire system with enough power for all 4 cameras and the display unit, which appears to require 3 A based on the Cig lighter output. @EricSan pointed out that the VP05 (II) hardwire kit supplies sufficient power but my VP05 (II) is rated at 2.5A.
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My VP05 is only rated 2.5A, too. Does @EricSan have a more updated unit supporting more voltage? Or is his also 2.5A?
 
jsmith said:
My VP05 is only rated 2.5A, too. Does @EricSan have a more updated unit supporting more voltage? Or is his also 2.5A?
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Good question but I would have expected Viofo to re-identify the unit if it had a higher current rating.
 
jsmith said:
My VP05 is only rated 2.5A, too. Does @EricSan have a more updated unit supporting more voltage? Or is his also 2.5A?
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I am not aware of an updated version of the VP05(II), but it should function fine. I did raise the issue of power supply current ratings with Wendy a while ago (as Vantrue started introducing 4-ch cameras) and she said the present supply is fine.

I’m measuring a total power draw of 11.9w (942mA at 12.62v) for the P2 with all cameras running, screen on, and IR LEDs on. This works out to 2.4A at 4.98v that comes from the VP05(II) regulator. This power supply is sufficient to power this camera, but I generally like to see more headroom in a power supply so it isn’t running full-tilt all of the time - this is stressful on the regulator’s components. After a few minutes of powering the P2, the outer shell of the VP05 regulator is showing a 20c temperature rise. This means the electronics on the inside are even hotter. The VP03 hardwire kit is clearly NOT sufficient for this camera as it is only rated to 2A.

The “older” (non-tapered barrel) utility plug adapter is rated to 2.4A, which directly matches the P2 power draw, but the voltage sags a bit at that level of current draw. It’s safer to use the newer (tapered barrel) utility plug adapter which is rated to 3A at the USB-C plug at the end of the wire. See a physical comparison of these two utility plug adapters here:
EricSan

Post in thread 'Reviewing and Testing the new Vantrue N4S Dashcam'

Like the E360 Pro camera, the N4S windshield mount comes with TWO detachable clips that stay put on the windshield, enabling you to easily move the N4S between two different cars with ease. As is customary, 3M VHB has already been applied and comes with a handy pull tab for easy installation. While they look similar, the clip that mounts to the windshield for the N4S is slightly different from the adhesive windshield mounts for the E360 camera.

The windshield mounting plate (on the left in the image below) for the N4S camera is highly similar to, but slightly more rounded than the one...
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Some time ago, I did some stress testing of Vantrue VP03 and VP05 hardwire kit power supply regulators. The VP05 measured remarkably well (meaning the voltage doesn’t sag as current draw increases), but I did not exceed its power rating with my testing. The VP03 voltage droops a little as current draw increases. Thus, the VP05 regulator is clearly a more robust circuit design.

See comparison data here:
EricSan

Post in thread 'Reviewing and Testing the Vantrue Nexus 5S'

File this one under "Because I Can." I decided to do some stress testing on the VP03(II) and VP05(II) hardwire kits to see how they perform. I have several decades worth of power supply design experience (mostly in the context of high-powered, Class-A audio amplifiers) so I thought this would be an interesting and revealing exercise. Power supplies need to be able to deliver both voltage and current, according to their specification. Poorly designed power supplies will exhibit a decreasing level of voltage as current demands are ramped up, whereas robustly designed power supplies will...
 
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EricSan said:
I am not aware of an updated version of the VP05(II), but it should function fine. I did raise the issue of power supply current ratings with Wendy a while ago, she said the present supply is fine.

I’m measuring a total power draw of 11.9w (942mA at 12.62v) with all cameras running, screen on, and IR LEDs on. This works out to 2.4A at 4.98v that comes from the VP05(II) regulator.

Some time ago, I did some stress testing of Vantrue hardwire kit power supply regulators. They measured remarkably well (meaning the voltage doesn’t sag as current draw increases), but I did not exceed their power ratings with my testing.

See data here:
EricSan

Post in thread 'Reviewing and Testing the Vantrue Nexus 5S'

File this one under "Because I Can." I decided to do some stress testing on the VP03(II) and VP05(II) hardwire kits to see how they perform. I have several decades worth of power supply design experience (mostly in the context of high-powered, Class-A audio amplifiers) so I thought this would be an interesting and revealing exercise. Power supplies need to be able to deliver both voltage and current, according to their specification. Poorly designed power supplies will exhibit a decreasing level of voltage as current demands are ramped up, whereas robustly designed power supplies will...
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Did you see my private message? Did you receive that too from Wendy?
 
EricSan said:
Here is the rear view of this rear-facing camera. As you can see, some air vents have been added to help keep the sensor cooler. The camera barrel appears to rotate through a full 360 degrees so you can aim it wherever you need. Like the front camera, the rear camera can be mounted on a fully vertical rear window like you might find on a pickup truck.
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My issue with the rear camera is I have a sliding rear window which makes mounting more of a challenge.
AC was an unusual option for a truck back in the day so I went with the slider.

@Jeff_Vantrue Does Vantrue make a compatible exterior mount camera?

IMG_3951.webp
 
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Look like metal roof in your truck, a "oldie it would seem "

I would just fab a sheet of something, that would attach to the sheet metal of the car with magnets, and you then can stick the camera to in the other end.
Maybe something that can go in between cabin light and car, and so you can screw in place.
And then off course have it a little offset from that middle " pillar " when the window is closed, shouldn’t need much if you are also close to the glass with the lens.
I think i would space to the Right as seen in your picture so the lens would be behind the fixed part of the glass.
 
kamkar said:
Look like metal roof in your truck, a "oldie it would seem "

I would just fab a sheet of something, that would attach to the sheet metal of the car with magnets, and you then can stick the camera to in the other end.
Maybe something that can go in between cabin light and car, and so you can screw in place.
And then off course have it a little offset from that middle " pillar " when the window is closed, shouldn’t need much if you are also close to the glass with the lens.
I think i would space to the Right as seen in your picture so the lens would be behind the fixed part of the glass.
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Good idea with the magnet, I don't want to drill any holes. I think the best solution is an external camera on the rear bumper.
 
A couple of say 1/2 " neodymium magnets will grip like a SOB to the sheet metal, if anything you might want to put a thin rubber in between to increase friction between magnets and steel.

I have used magnets for years, just one 20 mm OD 10 mm thick round one for my rear cameras, even washboard dirt roads and normal car suspension and they aint going anywhere

The rear camera in my new car is held in by 2 similar round OD magnets but just 2-3 mm think, i think they are from the " locking " mechanism of some cupboards or so, so not really terrible strong, but easy hold the S1Pro Max rear camera to the sheet metal of my rear hatch, which do get " slammed " close.
 
T 800 rear camera, here with a additional 10 mm spacer in white plastic.

Magnet mount.webp
 
kamkar said:
A couple of say 1/2 " neodymium magnets will grip like a SOB to the sheet metal, if anything you might want to put a thin rubber in between to increase friction between magnets and steel.

I have used magnets for years, just one 20 mm OD 10 mm thick round one for my rear cameras, even washboard dirt roads and normal car suspension and they aint going anywhere

The rear camera in my new car is held in by 2 similar round OD magnets but just 2-3 mm think, i think they are from the " locking " mechanism of some cupboards or so, so not really terrible strong, but easy hold the S1Pro Max rear camera to the sheet metal of my rear hatch, which do get " slammed " close.
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I ended up installing the rear camera in our RAV4 on the ceiling near the hatch. It's not ideal but I was concerned because my wife is not very gently when she shuts the hatch and I was concerned the camera would take a beating.
 
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