Mounting GoPro behind grille

[saleen8927]

I know there’s another webcam thread going on right now, but I didn’t want to hijack it with this question since it’s a bit different. I have a GoPro knockoff that I use as an occasional dash cam, with pretty good results. It’s not waterproof, and the video isn’t as high quality as GoPro, so if I do this I would get an actual GoPro (probably model 5 or 6, as they’re pretty inexpensive and have pretty similar video quality to the new 8).

I’m not really looking for a dashcam to document accidents, I’m looking more for a way to make road trip videos or just plain driving videos. I can think of quite a few reasons why a cam mounted outside the cabin is better for that purpose (along with a few why it may not be, but none that I think would be a significant problem). There’s plenty of YouTube videos where people have mounted a GoPro on their hood and they look great, but I’m not about to keep a big mount on the hood.

First, can anyone tell me any reasons I might not want to do this, or pitfalls I should watch out for? Second, to mount it behind the grille, I’ll have to take off the plastic cover above the fans. I’ll have to run power to the camera so that it’s constantly powered while the car is on. It won’t be practical to take that cover off every time I want to download video footage. GoPro says it can upload video via WiFi to the cloud for later download on a computer. Does anyone know if that means footage would simply upload to the cloud every time I pull into my garage where it would pick up WiFi?

Basically, could I “set it and forget it” once I mount it, and just go online and grab files anytime I want?

[ericw.]

It's not waterproof behind the grille. Still gets very wet in the rain.

The best angle I've seen is the tow hook mount. Everything looks 10x faster from that low on the car.

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[saleen8927]

It's not waterproof behind the grille. Still gets very wet in the rain.

The best angle I've seen is the tow hook mount. Everything looks 10x faster from that low on the car.


The GoPro 5 and later is waterproof, so I’m not worried about it getting wet (the knockoff I have now isn’t). The spot I’m thinking about isn’t much higher than the tow hook, so it should still give a good viewing angle I would think, while being less visible/obtrusive. I read the GoPro manual online, and it sure seems like it actually will do what I’m looking for - upload the video to the cloud every time it connects to my home WiFi. I ordered the camera and will post an update once I hook it up!

[TruS4]

Just get a $80 dash cam. 🤦🏾*♂️🤦🏾*♂️

[saleen8927]

Just get a $80 dash cam. 🤦🏾*♂️🤦🏾*♂️

I of course considered that, but GoPro video quality is considerably better than most dashcams, and I don’t know of any waterproof dashcams that can be mounted outside for a better view and clearer picture.

[Vinng86]

Only major downside I can think of would be keeping the lens of the GoPro clean enough for usable video. At least a dashcam behind a windshield will be kept clean easily

[infinitereality]

Even though the GoPro is waterproof, you'd have a USB plugged into it....would that be waterproof if plugged up ?

[MVR 155]

Given the wider angle view that the GoPro provides, I don't think you're going to be able to mount it in the grill without having some obstruction in your picture. Have to agree with ericw. that the tow hook mounting position makes for a great spot.

[saleen8927]

Only major downside I can think of would be keeping the lens of the GoPro clean enough for usable video. At least a dashcam behind a windshield will be kept clean easily

I did think of that. I’ll likely have to clean it often. Only time will tell just how quickly the dirt will become noticeable in the videos before I need to wipe it off. I’m guessing about as long as it takes for the windshield to need wiper fluid, maybe a little more frequently since it’s lower/more forward. In normal conditions, I go hundreds of miles before the windshield gets dirty enough to notice.


Even though the GoPro is waterproof, you'd have a USB plugged into it....would that be waterproof if plugged up ?

I’ll know more once I see the GoPro itself, but I’m thinking it will not be waterproof. If I’m not mistaken, it has a flap that you open and plug the usb into. If that’s the case, I will need to seal that area. Actually, now that I think about it, I could probably even consider not having it powered, and just plugging in the usb right through the grille when I’m in my garage. Battery life is usually pretty good on those things. It says 2 hours, but my knockoff also says 2 hours, and it lasts about 4. That would sure make things easier....



Given the wider angle view that the GoPro provides, I don't think you're going to be able to mount it in the grill without having some obstruction in your picture. Have to agree with ericw. that the tow hook mounting position makes for a great spot.

I also thought of that possibility. With a traditional inside mounting spot, you end up getting at least the hood and dash in the shot, so I’m hoping that it’s at least better than that. If there is an obstruction, my hope is that it’s minor enough that it can be cropped out without significantly degrading the field of vision. If it is too visible, then I’ll have to consider a plan B, but I just don’t like the idea of the tow hook area because the camera will be so obtrusive.




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