Easy Way to Add a Free Video Monitor to Your Horse Trailer or Foaling Stall

As I prepare for two very long upcoming trailer trips I wanted to be sure to install a video monitor in the horse trailer without breaking the bank or requiring electrical work in the trailer. After hours of research and several disappointing shopping trips looking at baby monitors and security systems, I was extremely excited to figure out a solution using a FREE App Called "Alfred" (this used to be called "Web of Cam") that didn't require me to purchase anything new or make any alterations to my trailer.

The other options were baby monitors and surveillance cameras that were not only expensive but would also have required me to either hard wire the camera to the trailer electric or purchase an equally expensive portable generator to power the camera portion of the system. My solution is giving life to two iPhone 4's I've had collecting dust in a drawer while also providing me the flexibility to use my Android phone as the monitor paired with one of the iPhones as the camera or even use a laptop as the monitor and a phone as the camera - and there are always affordable older model smart phones available on ebay and Craigslist. The even better part is that since this solution doesn't require a continual power source, I can also use this in the barn at home since my WiFi signal from the house reaches the barn.

The list of supplies

• 2 WiFi enabled smartphones (can both be iPhone or Android or combo) or 1 WiFi enabled smartphone and 1 WiFi enabled laptop/tablet
  • Had two iPhone 4s collecting dust but could also easily purchase affordable used devices online
• Free Alfred App (used to be called "Web of Cam") for iPhone and Android
• Portable mount/tripod for smartphone
  • Have one for capturing videos of my rides. Picked it up for $5 at Five Below (Several options on Amazon for less than $15)
• Option to turn phone into WiFi hotspot, separate hotspot device or WiFi through OnStar in truck
  • This is a paid service of course
• Backup portable battery or phone charger for truck (optional)
  • I have collected several of these over the years (Lots of available options)
• Wide angle or fish eye detachable lens (optional)
  • I have one of these for videoing my training sessions. Picked it up for $3 at Five Below (Also available at Best Buy for $19.99)

How it works

It's quite simple actually:

1. Download the "Web of Cam" app made by "Alfred Labs Inc" from the App Store or Google Play on any device you plan to use as a camera and/or monitor
2. Connect your smartphones (and laptop if you're using one in place of a smartphone as the monitor) to the same WiFi network. Since you'll be traveling you'll most likely be using the hotspot feature on your primary cell phone, so I suggest testing that out at home in advance of your trip. I am thankful to have OnStar WiFi in my Silverado, so I will be connecting to that network but will use my cell phone as a hotspot for backup if needed.
3. Follow the setup steps in the app to set one smartphone as the camera and one as the monitor. (You can change which device is the camera/monitor any time by "resetting" in the app).
4. Make sure all devices are fully charged. I'm also going to be taking along a backup external battery that I can recharge in the truck if needed, and since I will be using both iPhones I can also have the monitor plugged into the truck and swap which phone is the monitor/camera whenever the camera in the trailer is running low on battery.
5. Mount the smartphone you will use as a camera inside the trailer. I use a phone clip mount I picked up at Five Below for $5.
6. Add a wide angle or fish eye detachable lens clip to the camera if you want to capture more nooks and crannies of the trailer. Totally optional. I picked my set of 3 different lenses up at Five Below for $3.
7.  Open the app in each phone to start using it. If you're using a smartphone as the camera and a laptop as the monitor, you will see an IP address on the camera phone's screen. Type that into your web browser on a laptop/tablet connected to the same WiFi network.
8. Press the "Blank Screen" option in the app on the phone you're using as a camera. This will keep the video camera active but shutdown the viewing screen which will make your battery last much longer.

NOTES:

• Don't go to the home screen or press the sleep button on the phone you'll use as the camera as this will shutdown the app on that phone. You can however put the phone you're using as the monitor to sleep and wake it up whenever you want to check in.
• The remaining battery life of the device you're using as the camera will display in the app viewing area on the device you're using as the monitor. This will help ensure you know when/if the battery on the phone in the trailer is starting to run low.
• The app has lots of ads and will shutdown occasionally on the monitor side especially if you are using an Android device with an iPhone device, but if you re-open the app it seems to always reconnect. I have tested this out multiple times before heading out on upcoming trips, and I have not found the app to crash at all on the phone that is being used as the camera.
• Occasionally the video connection will freeze if the camera device loses connection to WiFi but it seems to automatically resume once it reconnects.
• You don't need a phone plan on the devices you are using since you are connecting everything via WiFi so don't worry about re-activating old phones (or new to you phones you purchase from ebay or Craigslist) because the app actually doesn't even work via 3G or 4G
• The app has the option to capture a picture from the video stream on the device being used as a monitor. This is a great option to snag a moment in time to text/email/FB to a friend/client when you get to your next rest stop.
• IT SHOULD GO WITHOUT SAYING, BUT ALWAYS PAY ATTENTION TO THE ROAD AND A VIDEO MONITOR IS NOT A REPLACEMENT FOR STOPPING TO CHECK ON YOUR HORSES IN PERSON EVERY COUPLE HOURS - A VIDEO MONITOR IS JUST A WAY TO GIVE YOU EXTRA PIECE OF MIND FROM TIME TO TIME.

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