Recommended RV Camera System to Use for Monitoring RV

Question:

Expert Jon G replied regarding furrion camera connecting to your phone for monitoring. He instead recommended Rear View Safety WiFi Backup Camera System # RVS-83112-WiFi. This connects to your iPhone through the free SafetyEye app SafetyCam on Android which allows you to record footage and save still shots to your phone or the app My question is... If I get the system he recommends how is it connecting /powering or talking to each other? Is it powering through your towing vehicles like the furrion? Is the camera using up your wifi data or do you need a hot spot? Does the phone your using to view your cameras need to stay in close proximity to the camera like a Bluetooth device does or can I monitor my cameras remotely when I am away from my RV like I can an arlo/nest/ring system? Im really looking for that unicorn solution of having my backup cameras pull double duty as a security system w/ remote monitoring or vice versa. Has someone done this and I just havent found out yet?

asked by: Kristy

Expert Reply:

The (discontinued) Rear View Safety WiFi Backup Camera System RVS-83112-WiFi connected to the smart phone by creating it's own WiFi signal, so you wouldn't be eating up data, but you also wouldn't be connected to a network so remote monitoring like how you're wanting to use it wouldn't be possible since you'd have to be within the WiFi range to pick up a signal.

I can see a camera system like you're wanting to be something that comes out in the near future but for now the closest thing to what you're looking for is the Furrion Vision S Wireless RV Backup Camera System w/ 3 Cameras # FCE48TASL-05.

The reason behind this is that the Vision S can have an extra camera added, part # FCN48TASF, and then the monitor that comes with it can be used to view all around your RV whether you're on the road or parked at the campsite. The system even has a motion detection feature to make it easier to know when something is moving within the camera range. This doesn't pair with a phone for full remote viewing like the residential camera systems you mentioned, but you can take the monitor out of the RV with you and still see the cameras since this has a bit of a range to it.

As of right now the only way I can see you getting the type of system you want is to go with one of the Arlo/Nest/Ring cameras and ensure that your RV is connected to a network - so either WiFi at a campground or a wireless network when you aren't near a campground. Those camera systems typically connect to the network wirelessly so you just have to figure out how to power them. Some are battery powered and some require 120V power. The only thing about using one of those systems is that they haven't been tested on the road so getting hit with things like rain and wind on the highway may prove to be too much for them.

expert reply by: Jon G