Security camera in motorhome

Check out the Reolink C1 cam also. It has a built-in mic and speaker which allows you to communicate.

rk911 wrote:
do the nest cams b’cast continually to the net or only when connected to the app? if continuous that would certainly monopolize any CG’s wifi system.

if the OP has a pair of iphones he could establish a facetime connection between the two and then leave one with the pooch.

They broadcast continually to the Nest cloud in either a one week continuous loop, or a month long loop depending on your preference. But yes, it would tax a campgrounds wifi. You open the app and you can look back over days, weeks etc, and can also save snipped clips in the app indefinately.

A continuously streaming video uses about 562MB of data/hour if you stream at 480p resolution (standard definition). That means that you would use 1 gig of your data allowance if you take a 2 hour trip. Not an issue if you have unlimited data but most people have limited data usage with their monthly cell phone/wifi contract.

We use the Amazon Cloud Cam at home and in the fiver. It was also our camera of choice when we had the motorhome. We have a Verizon hotspot and take it with us whenever we leave home. It uses very little data and we have not ran into any areas yet that we don't have a signal even though I am sure there is some spots somewhere. It has video and audio capabilities. The cloud cam coupled with our temp stick gives us all the comfort we need when we leave our dogs.

Why mess with all that hard wiring and wi-fi connections. Go buy an Arlo Go camera.It works like a cell phone. You can just pick it up and take it anywhere without having to set up a wi-fi connection. You just download the Arlo app to turn the camera on & off. It has a motion detector that can be turned on or off. You can talk to your pet through the camera. The best thing is it can be used at home, your car or anywhere. They are about $400 but well worth it. They also have a built in alarm system with a siren. All the features can be turned on or off through the app and their customer service is fantastic.

GordonThree wrote:
I really like ubiquiti cameras. Very easy to install and configure. No wifi garbage to mess with, just a reliable hard wired connection providing data and power.

Ubiquiti makes a some really nice stuff. Used them on a campus type mesh for a pretty sprawled out hotel. Works nicely for their budget.

FYI, best luck on streaming is from Metro for us. I stream a good 200gb+ every month. after about 100gb I might see a bit of de prioritization but I just disable LTE and get a solid 5-12gb speeds.

I was lucky getting on with their 3rd line free so now we have on line pretty much dedicated as a direct connect wifi device using PDANET+ if tethering is needed or as just the WAN device when connected to laptop with the Windows hotspot enabled. that is a twitchy setup with the Windows hotspot, it can be a tad high-strung & fussy but it works allowing us to provide web access to all our devices via wifi...

oops, I digress... but with Metro you can get decent deals, and other carriers but you need to look at what service is like where you are wandering.

The whole idea is kinda overwhelming and can become a big investment. Still a phone with hotspot ability in the right $30-$95 unlimited plan is pretty simple. I don't think you need a ton of hotspot bandwidth just to check the camera. Now if you have it stream constantly yo another always connected device that will burn up data. Doesn't see like the OP needs more that a few gb/mo really. Heck metro has a device that connects to the ODBII port on cars made post 1997. It's something like $10/mo with I thing, 2gb hotspot data and it just sits monitoring your vehicle even has an app to check the device. I think a normal phone plan is better but this is an interesting way to have an always on hotspot yo use in a pinch.

Just so many ideas and options...we've probably drives the OP to cover after a simple question... d'oh!

My advice is go simple and think of an inexpensive, even used phone to plug in and use as a hotspot all the time. After that there are ways to build a more robust system a piece at a time if you find it's nice to have.

I really like ubiquiti cameras. Very easy to install and configure. No wifi garbage to mess with, just a reliable hard wired connection providing data and power.

The issue for RV's and not just cameras but a lot of applications is unreliable or inconsistent internet connectivity. Unless you get and pay for something like a mobile hotspot, I doubt you will have much luck with dependency on other providers like campgrounds. When we travelled more extensively and I worked while travelling we had a mobile hotspot and it worked well. It was expensive however and usage is tiered - the more you use the pricier it got and I don't know of any company offering unlimited data for hot spots.

there are a lot of apps you could use on one phone in your RV and the phone you carry with you. Mind that if you are outside or in a weak/poor service area for your provider then nothing will work well. The suggestion if using WiFi where your rig is parked has one caveat. The host wifi network will probably lock any attempt to connect to devices on the network. you could work around that via a VPN but now we're getting technical and fiddly.

I would not use just the direct connection a cell acting as your camera too... low light issues will probably render that phone useless when there is little or no light.

Instead look up cameras call "IP CAMERA" that's the sort of camera you'll need. From there you can find any number of caleras that also have IR (infrared) vision.

I'm super booked today but can give more concise details later if you haven't found a solution..

You might find security subscription service too. Best part of that is they will set it all up. Those companies almost always have plans where you can connect directly to your security system.

What makes this seem complicated is need for web connection and potentially needing to have AC power via an inverter.

I've only my phone with me today but I'll look back to see how this is going. it's timely for us as I'm going to rig up a multi-camera system for us in a couple months.