Marusho
Active Member
- Joined
- Jun 22, 2018
- Messages
- 86
- Reaction score
- 119
All cars are required to have a rear camera, and a screen. Most have multiple cameras. It's not a stretch to ask, "why don't car manufacturers offer dashboard cameras?". At one time car manufacturers were reluctant to offer accessories and customizations that were available from established businesses. It was my understanding that there was fear of violating antitrust regulations. So when I wanted an extended roof on my Econoline van, I had to get Ford to build it, then send it to a second enterprise, which destroyed much of their work and fit a lesser product than I would have gotten had Ford engineered it.
Times have changed. Auto manufacturers now offer all manner of accessories, in direct competition with other parties - running boards, bedliners, nav systems, tonneau covers, etc. A remaining area that would be a big crowd-pleaser would be the option of an integrated dash cam.
Despite very innovative engineering, an aftermarket dash cam brings with it a host of aggravations, all of which could be eliminated with an integrated system. They are intrusive, the wiring is a nuisance, they are a target for thieves, they drain the battery, they use the primitive micro SD technology (" for best results, format the card every 1-2 weeks"), controls are awkward, screens (if any) are small and not conveniently-placed. They are difficult to understand and operate. Many of them get terrible reviews and the better ones are about the cost that one would expect to pay for an integrated system.
So, my point is, since the Ram, when equipped with the upscale infotainment systems, has much of what is needed* to offer an integrated dash cam system, and since I believe most people who spring for the advanced electronics would gladly pay another $500 for a good camera system, when can we expect this? It's so obvious a step that it will happen, so why not now?
(I'm not the first to ask for this: Member RT70808 included it in his wish list post.)
* The uConnect has access to power, knows when the truck is parked, knows when an event is occurring (collision, break-in), is connected to cameras, can monitor the battery state, has a touch display. All that it lacks is a storage device - perhaps a 1TB M.2 drive (and some programming).
Times have changed. Auto manufacturers now offer all manner of accessories, in direct competition with other parties - running boards, bedliners, nav systems, tonneau covers, etc. A remaining area that would be a big crowd-pleaser would be the option of an integrated dash cam.
Despite very innovative engineering, an aftermarket dash cam brings with it a host of aggravations, all of which could be eliminated with an integrated system. They are intrusive, the wiring is a nuisance, they are a target for thieves, they drain the battery, they use the primitive micro SD technology (" for best results, format the card every 1-2 weeks"), controls are awkward, screens (if any) are small and not conveniently-placed. They are difficult to understand and operate. Many of them get terrible reviews and the better ones are about the cost that one would expect to pay for an integrated system.
So, my point is, since the Ram, when equipped with the upscale infotainment systems, has much of what is needed* to offer an integrated dash cam system, and since I believe most people who spring for the advanced electronics would gladly pay another $500 for a good camera system, when can we expect this? It's so obvious a step that it will happen, so why not now?
(I'm not the first to ask for this: Member RT70808 included it in his wish list post.)
* The uConnect has access to power, knows when the truck is parked, knows when an event is occurring (collision, break-in), is connected to cameras, can monitor the battery state, has a touch display. All that it lacks is a storage device - perhaps a 1TB M.2 drive (and some programming).
