Canopy Blocking Your View? The Best Mirror Dash Cam for Aussie Utes

You bolted a canopy onto your ute and gained a heap of secure storage. You also lost most of your rear vision. Glance up at the mirror now and you get a faceful of canopy instead of the road behind you. If a canopy, a loaded tray or a cab full of gear has you reversing on faith, a mirror dash cam is the fix. This guide covers the best mirror dash cam options for the Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger, Mitsubishi Triton, BYD Shark and just about every other Aussie ute.

Why a canopy leaves you driving blind

Your standard rear-view mirror only works if there is a clear line through the back window. Bolt on a canopy, a tub cover, a ladder rack or a loaded tray, and that line is gone. Suddenly you are:

• Reversing into tight spots with no idea what is behind the bumper.
• Hitching trailers and campers blind.
• Merging and changing lanes on the highway with a semi-guess instead of a glance.

A factory reversing camera helps a little, but only in reverse and only at crawling speed. The rest of the time you are still flying blind.

How a mirror dash cam fixes it

A mirror dash cam replaces your rear-view mirror with a full-screen display fed by a camera mounted at the back of the vehicle. Instead of staring at the inside of your canopy, you get a wide, live view of the road behind you, all the time, not just when you are reversing.

The best part is you are not just buying a mirror. It is a full dash cam too, recording front and rear with parking mode, so you get clear rear vision and solid proof on every drive.

Best mirror dash cams for Aussie utes

For mirror cams we stock Wolfbox, who specialise in exactly this. All three below bolt to the same tidy mount, so the choice is about how many angles you want covered:

• Wolfbox G900 Pro (front and rear): 4K front, 2.5K rear and a big 12-inch screen. The best all-rounder for most ute owners who just want their rear view back.
• Wolfbox G900 TriPro (Bumper): adds a front bumper camera, great for spotting gutters, ruts and obstacles on tight tracks.
• Wolfbox G900 TriPro (Cabin): adds an interior camera, handy for work utes and anyone carrying passengers.

See the full Wolfbox mirror cam range to compare.

Mount it cleanly, ditch the rubber straps

Mirror cams normally strap over your existing mirror with elastic bands, which can wobble on corrugations and look untidy. On many 4WDs and utes the WOLFBOX OEM Mirror Bracket bolts the camera to the factory mirror point instead, for a rock-solid, factory finish with no straps in sight.

Where should the rear camera go on a ute?

This is the part that matters most on a canopy build. You have three good options:

• On the canopy (door or roofline) for the highest, clearest view down the road behind you.
• On the tailgate above the license plate if you run a tray or tub cover rather than a full canopy.
• Inside the rear canopy window for a protected, tidy mount.

Pro Tip: We absolutely recommend getting a longer rear-camera cable, there are 10M lengths and 15M lengths available to get all the way to the rear. Additionally on a canopy, mount the rear camera high on the door or roofline and angle it down slightly. A high mount sees right to the bumper and well down the road, and it stays cleaner and far less mud-splattered than a low tailgate position.

Do not skip parking mode

Utes get left at job sites, trailheads and shopping centres all day. Add a traditional hardwire kit so your camera keeps recording in parking mode and protects your battery with low-voltage cut-off, or even opt for the DIY friendly OBD Plug & Play hardwire connector. It is the upgrade ute owners are most glad they made.

Which ute do you drive?

The same setup works a treat across the Hilux, Ranger, Triton, BYD Shark, Isuzu D-Max, Nissan Navara, GWM Cannon, Mazda BT-50 and the LandCruiser 70 Series. The camera choice is the same, the only difference is where the rear camera lands on your particular canopy or tray.

Not sure what suits your build? Get in touch with Michael or Harrison with your ute and canopy setup, and we will help you get your rear view back and get you sorted.