Arlo Pro 4 XL (Costco) too heavy for included mounts

[hybridinc914]

I recently purchased and installed the Arlo Pro 4 XL 3 pack from Costco, but the included mounts (VMA1001-11100S) aren't strong enough to hold the cameras in place.  I've even torqued the position locking screw head with a set of heavy duty pliers but that might only last for a day or two, depending on the wind.  Has anyone experienced this problem?  I've reached out to Arlo support to ask if they can send the larger outdoor mounts (VMA1000-10000S) but they want me to video record the cameras dropping position.  Hopefully I can capture the moment it dips, but it's super annoying to have to get the ladder out every time I notice the camera isn't in the original position I left it at.

[lgbalfa]

Where you able to fix the issue?

[hybridinc914]

Nope, I've contacted Arlo but they're requesting I send videos of how I'm installing them, tightening the lock, and when the camera falls, etc.  The easiest fix would be if they just sent me the outdoor mounts.  Yesterday one of my cameras fell to looking straight down. 

[lgbalfa]

I will be mounting mine tonight.

Hopefully no issues.

When I read about the reviews, I don't see issues from anyone else who purchased this from Costco.

[lgbalfa]

I did more thorough research and apparently it is a common issue with the mounts so I returned mine to Costco.

I am going to go with the Pro 4.

I really wanted the extended battery of the XL.

I wonder if you can use the magnetic mounts for the Pro 4 XL?

[StephenB]

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@lgbalfa wrote:

I wonder if you can use the magnetic mounts for the Pro 4 XL?

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No.

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@lgbalfa wrote:

I really wanted the extended battery of the XL.

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The threads on the cameras are standard, so you can use a wide variety of mounts.

I am puzzled by your problem though.  Are you saying that the mount is tearing away from the wall?  Or that it is drooping downwards?

If the latter, you can just orient the mount so that the slot is facing upwards. 

[hybridinc914]

The XL's battery is great, but if the cameras keep drooping it makes them pretty useless unfortunately.  I'm not sure you can use the magnetic mounts with the XL's.  Hope you enjoy the Pro 4's.  They're not bad otherwise.  You'll definitely want to set activity zones and play with the camera's device utilities "camera positioning" and "motion detection test" settings to make sure they system is used to its potential

[hybridinc914]

The mount is solidly attached to the wall.  It's the screw down locking mechanism for camera direction that's the problem.  Essentially since the battery is so large, the strength of the screw down lock isn't enough to maintain its position.  The camera angle will often drop down a few (or a lot) degrees which renders my activity zones or the entire area being covered useless.  The screw itself has thumb holds which will provide more torque for a better lock and I've even used pliers to torque it, but you can see that the plastic isn't properly attached to the metal screw so at a certain point the plastic spins but the screw doesn't.  Hopefully that paints a better picture of the problem. 

[lgbalfa]

Can you still return the unit?

Maybe look for alternative aftermarket mounts that are stronger on eBay or Amazon?

[StephenB]

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@hybridinc914 wrote:

The mount is solidly attached to the wall.  It's the screw down locking mechanism for camera direction that's the problem.  Essentially since the battery is so large, the strength of the screw down lock isn't enough to maintain its position.  

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Thx.

3rd party mounts are pretty inexpensive, so that might be a better option than getting a camera you don't really want.

[lgbalfa]

What did you end up doing?

Every few days just re-tightening the mounts?

[steveoc34]

I used a spacer under the top screw to allow me to angle the mount downward and then position the mount with the swivel being parallel to the ground so the weight of the camera doesn't tilt the mount downward.  I used a plastic spacer from a TV mounting kit as they give you a whole package of hardware that you don't use to mount the TV

[lgbalfa]

Hopefully much better.

[11Bravo]

I am having the same problem. It doesn’t take an engineer to know the cameras are much too heavy for the mounting hardware provided in the box. I bought different mounting hardware what I thought might work better, but no matter what, it still gets down to the fact that a small screw into one end of the heavy camera is expected to hold it in place. Not happening. I’m still within my 90 days of purchase and seriously considering boxing it up and taking it all back to Costco.

[Killhippie]

I have used the mounting for the XL battery shell and mine has not drooped and its been up (and down) since August last year, maybe your mount is faulty, I had the bigger outdoor mount and they are no better and even harder to position so used the smaller mount. Mine stays put just fine, but it is under the eaves of a bungalow but the wind does get to it and no movement whatsoever. I will say the mounts are not fantastic quality though but mine is okay. I would try a after market one tbh if you are having have issues.

[StephenB]

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@Killhippie wrote:

I have used the mounting for the XL battery shell and mine has not drooped 

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FWIW, that is also my experience.

[Diamond19]

I’ve had the same problem with the Pro 4 XL cameras purchased from Costco, and have contemplated the same solution. Does anyone know if the Arlo “total security mounts” tighten more securely.

[StephenB]

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@Diamond19 wrote:

Does anyone know if the Arlo “total security mounts” tighten more securely.

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Likely they do, but there are quite a few complaints about those mounts here.

FWIW, the normal screw-mounts provided by Arlo work fine with my own XL cameras, so I am unclear about that the problem here is. 

There are scores of third-party mounts that will fit, since the screw threads are standard.  I'd look at those first, unless you want the specific features of the total security mount.

[lgbalfa]

Just curious if people are still have issues with the mounts?

[hybridinc914]

Yep, still having issues.  My solution for 2 of the 3 XL cameras was swapping the mounts for the Outdoor Mounts provided with the 2 Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight cameras' solar panels.  Check out the attached screenshots of the "Side Alley" camera which shows 1 XL camera that I hadn't swapped the mount falling again after 24 hours.  I wish Arlo would just send me 3 Outdoor Mounts to rectify this problem.

[markieb]

I'm having the same problem. The Pro 4 XL camera is too heavy for the included plastic mount to hold it in place. Every few days - especially when the wind kicks up - my camera ends up drooping down in the swivel and points straight to the ground. I'm trying to lock it in the all the way upright position but eventually the camera drops. I've even stripped out one of the plastic tightening screws trying to crank it down. Still doesn't hold.

I have camera footage of it actually falling if that helps Arlo support any.

The camera is definitely too heavy for the cheap, lightweight mounts that come with it. Gonna try an after market mount from Amazon before deciding whether to return the cameras to Costco.

[11Bravo]

I hear ya. I had to purchase different mounts on Amazon and even those become loose. Now I’m finding the batteries don’t last long and ya have to take the whole thing down to charge it since they don’t make a battery charger for the longer batteries. Grrrr. Too late to take mine back, but if I were you I’d return them and buy Ring Stuckup Cams. I just installed three Ring cams in the backyard and what a difference. Batteries last long and they are not constantly going offline like the Arlos.

[Killhippie]

Mine is up and has never drooped in almost a year, you have to really tighten it hard mine is solid, unlike the camera. The standard charger works with the XL batteries so not sure what the issue is there, however mine don't reconnect still, and its mounted outside about 4ft from my router with maximum signal as my router covers 3500 square feet.

 These are toys, all Wi-Fi cameras are toys, and are not worth the trouble. Go call a installer, get either Hikvision or Duaha  starlight or TiOC 2 Turret cams and a NVR of just a POE switch if you don't want to record and you will have the most stunning night vision in full colour with  warm LED's that's are much more powerful and bigger than the tiny things in Arlo's, with so many features its mind blowing my NVR can even have my friends and people I dont like faces put into its 200,000 face database it recognises beards glasses top cour shoes, even if they carry umbrellas and it powers up to four 4K cameras at 30Fps and another 12 at 1080P at 30 Fps or another 6 5MP cameras at 30Fps. Lower the bitrate and you get 16 cameras in total at 1080P at 30 Fps (2MP on a big sensor in turret cameras will give better results than 2k/4K on a tiny Arlo size sensor) You can have twin surveillance hardrives in them up to 10TB  total. All for the cost of three Arlo Pro 4 XL's pretty much!

 I really suggest for a few hours install by a good installer get wired PoE cameras and a UPS and you are set 24/7 monitoring and instant push notifications even with full AI over the app with no battery issues no loss of internet (with UPS) no visible cables and images that make your jaw drop. Arlo and all Wi-Fi cameras in my humble opinion are false security, buggy and cost way more than they are worth and have a tiny sensor with two many pixels because 2K and 4K sounds flash so they let in very real little light at night, my cameras don't shift to infrared until after midnight then auto light up for full colour (if you want that) and you have control over brightness, contrast , gamma, aperture, frame rate, bitrate etc, the full range you expect at this price point both for day and seperate night views or leave it on auto, you can program what warning you want too, my back garden had the sound of growling dogs (it did have the roar of the T-Rex from Jurassic park for fun) or use the ten built in ones including a ear splitting siren I now use at 160db. You get incredible close up detail, search by metadata and analysis of sound with amazing sensitivity, movement, alarm and AI etc. Also Arlo cameras cant capture moving number plates on a car, a modern wired system has ANPR built in and will identify the make and mode of the car! Arlo is like Apple gear (I have a iMac, iPhone and iPad) they look great but sometimes have form over function issues, a security camera that cant reconnect to Arlo servers until you take it down and pop the battery out is not security at all, and they can be stolen easily too. So truly think about what you are investing in.