FITCAMX 4K Hidden Dash Cam on a 2018 Toyota RAV4: Unboxing, Install, and Review
I installed a FITCAMX 4K dash cam on my 2018 Toyota RAV4. The front camera sits inside a replacement cover for the plastic housing behind the rearview mirror, so the finished install looks like it came from the factory.
This write-up follows the full job: unboxing, front and rear installation (about 30 minutes), app setup, and real daytime and nighttime footage, including license plate checks.
Watch the Video #
Quick Summary #
The FITCAMX replaces the factory mirror cover with a housing that already has the 4K front camera built in. Power comes from a harness that plugs into the connector at the mirror, so there is no fuse tapping. A separate 1080p rear camera sticks to the top center of the rear glass, and its cable hides in the headliner, door seals, and tailgate boot.
After a few days of driving, the factory look and the 4K front image were the two things that stood out. In daylight, plates were readable at stops and in slow traffic. At night, the front camera could still read plates when I was stopped close behind another car.
What Comes in the Box #
The outer seal was intact, so the box had not been opened before it reached me. Inside were two boxes: a smaller accessories box and the main box with the dash cam.
The user manual is worth a quick look, but the installation itself is straightforward.
In the main box:
- The new mirror housing, with the front camera already built in. It replaces the original plastic cover behind the mirror so the camera stays hidden.
- The rear camera, with a long cable that reaches the back of the car.
- Mounting clips and adhesive pads.
In the accessories box:
- A wiring harness that connects the camera to power at the mirror.
- A card reader stick with both USB-C and USB-A, for copying recordings to a phone or computer.
- A plastic trim tool for tucking the cable and working the trim.
- A memory card, already included. Mine is 128GB. The size depends on the option you choose when you order.
This kit is the Toyota version. FITCAMX also makes model-specific housings for Honda, Lexus, Ford, Chevrolet, Jeep, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, VW, Tesla, Subaru, Hyundai, Kia, and other common brands. Each one is shaped for that car’s mirror area. The same product page is where you pick the version for your car, and the 8% discount works only through this link. It is also listed on Amazon, but a regular Amazon link does not include that discount.
Install the Front Camera #
The front camera is the housing swap. The only tool I used for the whole job was the plastic trim tool from the box, and even the front half of the install was mostly done by hand.
Tilt the mirror down slightly so you can reach the housing.
Remove the small plastic cover on top of the housing. A fingertip is easier here than a tool.
Take the housing off by pushing it down slightly. It unlocks and comes free.
The old housing has two orange clips. Pull those out and move them to the new FITCAMX housing.
With the housing off, the car’s mirror connector is exposed. Unplug it.
Plug the harness from the kit into that socket, then plug the car’s own connector into the harness.
Connect the housing cable marked front to the matching socket. Set the new housing in place and push it up slightly until it clicks. That finishes the front camera.
Route and Mount the Rear Camera #
The rear camera cable starts at the mirror and runs to the tailgate glass.
Connect it to the rear camera socket on the housing first.
Push the cable under the headliner trim with your fingers and the included trim tool.
Bring it down along the A-pillar toward the front door.
At the front door, pull the rubber weather seal off, push the cable in behind it, and put the seal back. Continue the same way between the front and rear doors, tucking the cable as you go, and keep the headliner aligned all the way to the back.
I mounted the rear camera near the top of the rear glass, in the middle. There is a label on the camera that shows which side goes up. Peel the sticker and press the camera onto the glass, then connect it to the cable.
There is quite a bit of extra cable. I hid all of it under the roof trim, then put the rubber seal on the tailgate back.
One tip from the tailgate: roll the cable so it comes out from the bottom of the rubber boot. That keeps rainwater from running along the cable into the tailgate.
The last step is to put the small cover back on top of the mirror housing. At that point the install is done.
Set Up the FITCAMX App #
I set the camera up on an iPhone. Open the App Store, search for FitCamX, install it, and open the app. Tap Add Camera, then start the car so the camera powers on.
The app asks you to join the camera’s Wi-Fi. Wait a few seconds, then open the iPhone Wi-Fi settings. The network name looks something like CAR- or LHD- followed by an identifier. The default password is 12345678.
Go back to the app after the phone connects. Once the connection succeeds, tap the camera for a live view of what it is recording. From the same place you can open the files, sorted into loop, snapshot, locked, and parking recordings.
In camera settings I turned sound recording on. It is off by default. I also set the video resolution to the highest option, 4K (3840×2160). Loop recording can be one-minute or three-minute clips. On the settings screen it was still set to one minute; I switched it to three-minute clips.
Collision detection is there as well. If something hits the car while you are driving, the camera locks the current recording so loop recording does not overwrite it. You can set how sensitive that is.
Daylight Footage #
The daytime test is real footage from the car on a cloudy October afternoon. The front camera records in 4K. The rear camera records in Full HD (1080p).
On a busy four-lane road the view is wide enough to show every lane, the traffic lights, and the cars around me. Colors look natural, and the image stays sharp even with a bright sky.
Stopped at a red light behind a Nissan, I zoomed in and the license plate was readable. That is the practical advantage of 4K: you can zoom and still see the detail.
A large intersection with cross traffic looked the same way. Trucks, SUVs, and pickups moving across the frame stayed clear, and the wide lens covered both sides of the road. At another stop, behind a minivan, the plate was easy to read again.
Plates were still readable while moving, when a car was a few lanes ahead, including a Kia and the Honda next to it.
In a shopping area, with parked cars, pedestrians, and signs, the camera handled both shade and bright storefronts. A Honda CR-V at a light was clear enough that the small dealer frame around the plate was readable. Large trucks and delivery vans passing close by showed no blur and no distortion, including at the edges of the frame.
The rear camera is mounted inside, on the rear glass. A Honda stopped right behind me at a light had a readable plate in Full HD at that distance. Farther back, the rear camera is for seeing what happened, not for reading plates.
The same moment from both cameras showed a van in front and a Honda behind. Both recordings carry the date and time, so you have the full picture if something happens. In moving traffic the rear view shows who is following and who is changing lanes.
In daylight, the front camera is sharp enough to read plates at stops and in slow traffic, and the rear camera covers what is behind you.
Night Footage #
The night test used the same car and the same cameras, around 10 p.m.
In town, with street lights and store signs, the front camera keeps a bright, clean image. Road markings, cars, and signs are easy to see. Stopped at a red light, I zoomed in and the plates on the vehicles ahead were readable in 4K.
Bright brake lights sitting right next to a plate can wash the plate out. Most dash cams struggle with that. A white Audi stopped ahead was a better example: zoomed in, its plate stayed clear even with the lights on.
While moving, the picture stays smooth and you can see what is happening around you. Reading plates at night still means being close, ideally stopped.
The rear camera at night mostly shows headlights. It records what is happening behind you, but it is not a plate-reading camera in the dark.
At night, the front camera does a solid job when you are stopped close behind someone. For a dash cam that looks factory installed, that result was impressive.
Verdict After a Few Days #
The housing really looks like it came from the factory. The wires stay hidden, and the camera does not block the view through the windshield.
Installation took about 30 minutes. The only tool was the plastic trim tool from the box.
The 4K front camera is the highlight. In daylight, plates were readable at stops and in slow traffic. At night, I could read plates when I stopped behind a car. The app is simple: connect to Wi-Fi, open the live view, and download clips.
If you want a dash cam that looks factory installed and records a sharp 4K image up front, the FITCAMX is a really good choice. The 8% discount works only through this link.
FAQ #
How long does the install take? #
About 30 minutes for the front housing and the rear camera cable on this 2018 Toyota RAV4.
Do I need special tools? #
The only tool I used was the plastic trim tool that comes in the box. The small cover on top of the mirror housing came off with a fingertip.
How does it get power? #
The included wiring harness plugs into the connector at the mirror. The car’s own connector then plugs into the harness. There is no fuse tapping.
What memory card is included? #
This kit came with a 128GB card already installed. The capacity depends on the option you choose when you order. The box also includes a USB-C and USB-A card reader for copying clips to a phone or computer.
Can it read license plates at night? #
The 4K front camera could, when I was stopped close behind another car and zoomed in. Very bright brake lights next to a plate can still wash it out. The 1080p rear camera at night mostly shows headlights.