A good webcam solution for monitoring your RV, pets, etc.

Hello everyone!

One of the issues I really wanted to solve, before I got my first RV a few weeks ago, was how to monitor the outside of my RV - as well as my pets inside the RV - when I was away from my location for a while. I plan to do as much dispersed camping as possible, so I knew I'd have challenges with WIFI, power, etc. if I used a webcam. I figured on using a Dropcam - but as many people know, the bandwidth requirements are substantial if you are using their DVR packages. I think you can get around this, somewhat, by not using the DVR option. However, then I believe you can only view live action after you get an alert for motion/sound. This is still pretty useful, I suppose. But you will potentially missed the actual activity that triggered the motion, since you can only watch the video "live".

So! A new webcam solution came out recently - Homeboy. I had read about it before it launched and had very high hopes. It's completely wireless. It gets charged and then it is supposed to have a 3 month battery life. (I'm skeptical on that claim, but even if it's a few weeks, that's more than enough before having to charge again). The unit does detect and record motion, and can even sound an alarm or perform a few other features. Upon detecting motion, it can do a number of things. It can leverage the IFTTT platform, which allows you to connect other actions/devices. For example, I set it up with a recipe to actually call my cell phone upon detecting motion. It also sends you the clips of whatever triggered the motion detection. it does NOT allow for live viewing, just yet, but it will keep recording any motion that you can then view from your mobile app.

I was mostly interested in the bandwidth requirements. I tested the Homeboy all week using my Verizon JetPack and was really pleasantly surprised how little bandwidth was used. It has a magnetic base, so I put one right above my entry door - and I ordered another one which I'll put inside. It's VERY easy to put up - the wireless aspect of it makes it so simple, and flexible. The app is okay - needs a little work, but definitely does all you'd expect it to do.

I'm going away (my first trip with the RV..ever) this week for 3 days and I'll get to test a real world use of it. So far, I've really been impressed and thrilled that this solution is MUCH more practical than a Dropcam that would require wiring/power and tons of bandwidth.

Sorry for the longwinded post - but over the years I've seen SO many people write and ask about solutions for monitoring their RV or their pets, so I was excited to be able to share what I've found with the Homeboy product. (Honestly, I'm not a rep for the company - but I AM a tech guy and love playing around with gadgets like this).

Of course, I know this solution won't be for everyone - it's missing some features that I would like to see, but I think the app will evolve and they will probably continue to add features in future releases and updates of the app.

I hope this helps anyone that may be trying to find a decent solution for video monitoring. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

global2
Explorer
Nov 14, 2015
Keep us,posted. I, too, would like to monitor inside our rig when out exploring.
lynndiwagon
Explorer
Nov 14, 2015
Very interesting. Appears to be for indoors only. Would make a good unit for home or inside RV. Most folks that want to monitor pets want real time video. Not sure how the motion activated function would work for pets. A person could probably buy the Cloud cam or Drop cam for about the same price. This camera does have some good qualities for security monitoring. Thanks for posting.
tfirma
Explorer
Nov 14, 2015
lynndiwagon wrote:
Very interesting. Appears to be for indoors only. Would make a good unit for home or inside RV. Most folks that want to monitor pets want real time video. Not sure how the motion activated function would work for pets. A person could probably buy the Cloud cam or Drop cam for about the same price. This camera does have some good qualities for security monitoring. Thanks for posting.

Thanks! I did put the magnetic mount for the Homeboy outside, just above my entry door (which is partially covered by the rolled up awning - when the awning is extended, obviously it's fully covered). I'd be hard pressed to find any RV-viable webcam that would be rated "outdoors" - but I'm comfortable using this outside, even though I know it could be (ironically) stolen or caught in a surprise shower or something....

You're right - Real time video is certainly a great feature....but when boondocking, which is the sweet spot of this solution here, the bandwidth requirements for live video recording are just too substantial. But you're right - if you have access to WIFI at a campground, then a dropcam is a good solution.

I've thought about this quite a bit.... I've asked myself - what is the scenario that would make a webcam truly useful? For me, if I'm on a hike - hopefully closeby, and I see a stranger approaching my RV by way of my webcam alert, I'd immediately start returning to the location. I'd continue to see the activity (not realtime, but pretty darn close) when the webcam sends the recorded activity (Homeboy seems to do this every minute or so). If I see sketchy activity, I'd call the police. If someone was just passing by, I'd just monitor the situation and decide if I wanted to still head back to my RV. I don't know how different the situation would be if I had "real time" video access. I'd still make the same decisions whether I was watching recorded video from 5 seconds ago, or live video.

You can probably tell I've thought about this WAY too much! :) But I want peace of mind, since I'll often be traveling alone with my pets - and want to be sure I can have a decent system in place to alert of me of anything that I should know about!

You brought up a good point about the INSIDE camera - and how it could be triggered every time a pet moves.... Most webcam platforms have a "pet mode" now (Homeboy does have this) - which is supposed to figure out when pets walk by, and NOT create an alert. I have a hard time believing this feature can work with any degree of accuracy. Homeboy has a feature, where you can request a video anytime you want. So rather than arm it for motion detection, you could always request a video every 30 minutes, or whatever, to make sure all is well INSIDE the RV.

I'm sure there is no perfect solution. I am still pretty happy about finding a solution that prevents me from eating up all of my expensive bandwidth from my Jetpack! :)
amandasgramma
Explorer
Nov 14, 2015
Sounds good however I can imagine the phone calls when the cats start playing in front of the motion detector!!!! Can it be set where only someone over 4 ft tall makes it work?
tfirma
Explorer
Nov 14, 2015
amandasgramma wrote:
Sounds good however I can imagine the phone calls when the cats start playing in front of the motion detector!!!! Can it be set where only someone over 4 ft tall makes it work?

I probably wouldn't use the "phone call" recipie for the INSIDE of the RV....maybe just the RV. For myself, I want to know if someone comes right up to the entry door. There is a "pet mode" for the Homeboy (and most other webcams have a similar feature). Supposedly it is supposed to intelligently "know" when pet is walking by the cam. I don't know how effective that truly is...

The Homeboy has an "On Demand" feature. So for myself, I'll have a camera set inside the RV, that will not be set for motion detection. But every 30 minutes or so, I'll request a video....so it will send me a 20 second video of what's going on in the RV. For my own purposes, that's a great feature. Like you said, I'd rather not get alerts every time my dogs move around. But if I check in on them every 30 minutes or so, and see everything is okay, I'll have some peace of mind....

:)

Tom
amandasgramma
Explorer
Nov 14, 2015
Thanks, Tom...we'll look into that.
wcjeep
Explorer
Nov 14, 2015
I thought about a pay/go smartphone phone connected by Bluetooth to a temp monitor/alarm system. Could be setup to auto answer by Skype.

Apparently it's excessive for the dog to have her own smartphone. Wife said no.
rjsurfer
Explorer
Nov 14, 2015
I guess I don't understand how the cam communicates to the outside world. If I relies on a wifi signal I find them to be very unreliable especially campground systems. That would eliminate it right there.

So the only other choice is having another cell phone set up in hot spot mode in the camper or purchasing a hot spot just for this device.

Am I correct or as usual I just don't have a clue on how these things work:-)

Ron W.
fred_mopar
Explorer
Nov 14, 2015
I would like to find a good web cam so I can check on my house when I am miles away for a month or two. I don't have a phone line to the house now but I might put one back in. I might use it outside or in side to check the temp of the inside the house since the furnace went out last year and some pipes froze up . I did have the water shut off
dshinnick
Explorer
Nov 14, 2015
Everybody wants something different... :0)

I'm always concerned about the A/C going out on a hot day with the pooch inside while we're out bumming around. I don't have the Auto-Gen start or I'd use that. I'd like a device that would monitor the current temp and if it goes above a certain level, send me an alert so I can rush back.

The A/C has never gone out on me, but the park electricity has; same effect.