Lack of Smart-Home Tech in New RV's

[jharrell]

Originally Posted by turbopilot

As best as I can determine MyRozie is using FTP to phone home. My guess is they are using FTP back as well for commands, but cannot confirm yet. Not sure the back haul will work when hooked to a cellular connection because they are typically behind double NAT. We will see.

FTP would be unfortunate, not sure what they would be thinking, both for working through nats, which basically everyone is even through wifi, and security. FTP would also be a more work than http IMO.

Every cloud device I have seen uses https since its secure and has the highest probability of working no matter the network situation.

[scrapperjohn]

In my opinion,
Do you need a smart thermostat in an r.v.
You are within 10 ft. of it at all times while inside.
Programmable one I understand..sort of....
This is rving after all.
My question is why are things like furnace still so inefficient??
Still have to light pilot light in oven with a match!!
Same way in my dad's old 1965 camper!!

[jharrell]

Originally Posted by scrapperjohn

In my opinion,
Do you need a smart thermostat in an r.v.

I don't need anything in my RV, its for recreation and enjoyment.

I get greater enjoyment being able to check on the temp remotely and know my dogs are ok because the AC is still on.

I enjoy being able to change the temp from in bed without getting up.

I enjoy being able remotely turn it off if I forgot after locking it up for storage.

I replaced a dumb mechanical thermostat and wanted a digital one to hold better temp, the wifi part was just a bonus and it works great:

https://www.amazon.com/Lux-Products-...010PTKWOE?th=1

Originally Posted by scrapperjohn

My question is why are things like furnace still so inefficient??

Don't get me started, we should have variable speed inverter heat pumps like a mini split by now, Dometic has one overseas not in the US yet.

[Dutch Star Don]

I think a huge point that is missed here is that many are talking about features they use all the time at home and make life easy. Unless you're a full timer, these features really don't become that useful in an RV. You're also talking about baby boomers buying the majority of these coaches. Sure, many of you are very techy, but the majority of us aren't. I know that many can't or don't even want to try and set up there auto generator start (AGS), yet have to program and figure out all types of apps.

Then, once you get the apps figured out, you park the coach for three months (winter storage) and then have to turn everything back on and reprogram it again.

The problem is, if you try to add every connectivity product available to a coach, the prices go up and so do the problems. There will always be someone that wants every techy item, but I'll bet there will be ten others that don't want all that. I want to go camping, not sit for hours trying to figure out programs and apps each time I take the coach out.

I'm sure by the time the younger generation reaches their 50's and 60's, this stuff will be standard. Right now, too much, too fast for an older crowd.

[JavaJelly]

Originally Posted by l1v3fr33ord1

"Old-Biscuit" and I came out of the steam power plant world. We're of the "simplicity is reliability" school. Less stuff to break = more fun.

I also spent 25 years in computers- data networks, applications and interface engines. The last major project on which I worked was to automate the anesthesia record. Prior to that time, the anesthesiologist wrote down the values on a paper record, sometimes as often as every minute during the case. Anyway, we established these criteria the system had to meet, in this priority:

- Accurate (reports correct values, i.e., works as expected)
- Reliable (low failure rate)
- Easy to use

I think those criteria are not far off from what I want in an RV. I'll take an Internet of Things "easy to use," if the other two are met.

Coach-level monitoring and control systems in the RV industry remind me of the early 1990s, before Ethernet took over in commercial and consumer data networks. After that takeover, the proprietary networks disappeared- very slowly, though. It's not cheap to replace the air-handling control system on a 1.25 million square-foot building! Also, think about the switch from wired to wireless Ethernet... how many wire plants are used today, at an install cost of $1,000 per jack (cable and equipment costs combined)?

These experiences tell me that the RV skeleton should be simple. Let me layer my own "improvements" on it. No built-in GPS, no complicated TV controls, no automatic generator start. As the technology changes, or my wishes change, I'm not having to abandon all the neat stuff the manufacturer thought was the cat's meow ten years ago.

That said, it's cool that the RV world is filled with people with different expectations.

Beautifully written.

[specmga1]

Originally Posted by jharrell

I don't need anything in my RV, its for recreation and enjoyment.

I get greater enjoyment being able to check on the temp remotely and know my dogs are ok because the AC is still on.

I enjoy being able to change the temp from in bed without getting up.

I enjoy being able remotely turn it off if I forgot after locking it up for storage.

I replaced a dumb mechanical thermostat and wanted a digital one to hold better temp, the wifi part was just a bonus and it works great:

https://www.amazon.com/Lux-Products-...010PTKWOE?th=1



Don't get me started, we should have variable speed inverter heat pumps like a mini split by now, Dometic has one overseas not in the US yet.

Regarding the thermostat, how many AC units do you have in your RV? Can this thermostat control more than one unit (zones)?

[Bubba1]

This is a very interesting discussion on technology. Everything in my "ole entry level coach is analog, therefore manual and I'm okay with that, but for those who are more technologically inclined I can certainly see their point. And I would have to agree it would be nice if the RV manufacturers would build or have as an option to build an RV with the tech infrastructure available or in place so one could add as they wanted or could afford. The structure and architecture of current RV's do not make it easy to run wires for any add ons.

RVing has different meaning to different people. Some like to camp, while some like to glamp. For those who want or need better technology in their RV's have very few options. And with the technology evolving the way it does I can see manufacturers being reluctant to jump in. Tiffin had an in-dash computer in the mid-2000's. Great idea, but technology evolved quickly making it a dinosaur.

There is some tech out there available now allowing owners to control lights, temps, window shades in high end motorcoaches and 5th wheels with tablets now. Hopefully it will, because it needs too, become widely and readily available to all who want it. The future will, thanks to imagination, be amazing. Can hardly wait to see the next gen RV's.
(I think )



Mike H

[JavaJelly]

Wow, I wasn't even stepping on anybody's lawn so I can't get off. Why the resistance? Why the judging of what is useful/important/interesting to other RVers? Why the assumptions about technology when it hasn't even been explored? Not the irv2 I remember; thoughtful, exploratory conversation vs. blanket statements implying "what a stupid idea".

For example, a smart thermostat does more than let you turn it off and on from your phone. It can use muliple sensors and indicates an average temp along with sensor temp to give you the feedback to adjust vents. It can be in cool and heat mode together so, for instance in spring and fall when you might turn the heat and A/C on in the same day, no need to adjust thermostat. It can run the fan only for a minimum set of minutes an hour to keep the temp consistent through the area. All of this together increases efficiency. Saved me 20% in my home in the first month. Also, the thermostat and sensors have motion detectors so it has a follow me mode that changes settings when you are away or sleeping. If you set up an away/return time, it will learn the time it takes to cool or heat a coach and start the cycle say 15 minutes early depending on history.

Oh, yeah, in my home (larger 3 story) I have 4 zones/thermostats and 3 furnaces. All managed through a single interface and synced or not synced; my choice. This would also be applicable in a Coach where there are multiple A/Cs and the units aren't tied to the furnace.

Also, among many other features, it will send you notifications if there is a problem such as the A/C has been on but, the temperature has been increasing.

Also, I wrote that I was in market for Luxury DP so I'm really not "camping". I like the comfort, the tech and the toys. My brother camps in a 1970's class C with nary a bell nor whistle and loves it. He's an engineer at Ford so he enjoys keeping it alive so to speak. We agree that I like to camp 2 hours a day and him much more.


My original point that the new Smart-Home tech is super easy to use but, also allows you to customize heavily. My Father In Law is 79 years old and has never used a computer. The very fact that someone posts on this board means they are more tech savvy than him and yet he still can use apps on his iPhone no problem. We are in a technology revolution (vs. evolution) right now making it useable and cheap for almost everyone regardless of age or interest.

Regarding Having to Learn New Technology: The new app technologies really just take the interface you might use such as at a thermostat or sprinkler control panel and put it in an app that is user friendly. In fact, MORE user friendly and functional than the old interface. For DP owners, think about the Tire Pressure monitors that just tell you if you are low or high or you have to cycle through a button to see the Tire Pressure. Same technology but, with an app th would give you real time pressue always visible on phone or tablet with alerts.

Cost: The current cost of an optional security system in an RV vs. complete security system for the home, integrating cameras and store 30 days of video and sends alerts to all family phones when anything happens, including smoke detector, motion at the door AND auto switching to cellular as a backup. I can arm and disarm remotely if someone needs to get in for example. The list goes on and on. Total cost $300.

I could give many more cost examples of cost actually going down vs. current systems like Silverleaf. Many industries like home security are going through complete restructuring because of non-tradional entrants. An HD camera that also provides two way audio, motion sensing (which alerts you when away), night vision, and more for $170 is amazing.


Top of my Head Applications for an RV (just the coach/house part): climate control, auto generator settings and monitoring, tank levels w/warnings, sound system control such as Sonos (about $200 with no installation needed), slide out control so you can be outside or in the middle of the coach, electricity usage monitoring, lighting control vs. the expensive wired systems now installed.

[JavaJelly]

I didnt even mention monitoring your pet while away including talking to them.

[jharrell]

Originally Posted by specmga1

Regarding the thermostat, how many AC units do you have in your RV? Can this thermostat control more than one unit (zones)?

My RV just has one, and thermostat is a single zone. You could easily have two separate and they would both show up in the app off your account.

Powering these residential style thermostats is tricky since they are designed for 24v ac power. The LuxGeo just happened to also support USB power, so I got a 12v to USB adapter and works great.

[JavaJelly]

Originally Posted by jharrell

My RV just has one, and thermostat is a single zone. You could easily have two separate and they would both show up in the app off your account.

Powering these residential style thermostats is tricky since they are designed for 24v ac power. The LuxGeo just happened to also support USB power, so I got a 12v to USB adapter and works great.

NEST thermostat is battery powered if 24v power is not available. It will warn you via phone and thermostat when the battery is low.

[jharrell]

Originally Posted by JavaJelly

NEST thermostat is battery powered if 24v power is not available. It will warn you via phone and thermostat when the battery is low.

LuxGeo can run off batteries too, didn't want to deal with batteries when I have huge ones connected to solar and generator in the RV.

Someone on here got a Nest working with a 24v converter I think, good thermostat, wish they would do a a RV specific one.

[JavaJelly]

Originally Posted by jharrell

Someone on here got a Nest working with a 24v converter I think, good thermostat, wish they would do a a RV specific one.

Exactly the spirit of my post. It would be real easy. Perhaps Silverleaf or Vegatouch will lead the charge to integrate smart-home and get compatibility with Alexa, Apple Home, Google etc. However, I think some smaller more agile company will do it first. The other guys make their living on expensive legacy systems. Very old business strategy trap, frogs in a pot of water warming to boil. We'll see.

[nothermark]

I'll give it too you from the perspective of somebody who was a working electronics tech for 48 years and a hobbyist/casual worker for 55 or so. That includes communications, controls, power and computers from the hardware side. I am not interested in a bus controlled interconnected house for the same reason I happily returned my last smart phone to my employer and went to a flip phone on pay as I go. Too much money invested in toys that will break and be hard to get parts for after a few years. I run 5 computers and am looking at a new server. I also maintain several tablets and computers for other folks so I am not computer adverse but more than a bit computer hardware and security savvy. Call it paranoid if you want.

Internet connectivity is a major security hole for some clown to break into the server you connect to. Once in there they can play with everybody connected. Look at all the major break in's to see how much is under attack and how often things are broken into. One of the more recent sources for major attacks was a string of cracked security cameras. If you can talk to a device and make changes it can store then somebody else can do it too. The more you can do the more they can do.

Hardware is an issue in that most of the hardware comes out of China. They don't have the support longevity laws we used to and may still have as the issue is moot. We don't make it an after a few years anything that breaks is an upgrade not a repair with a few exceptions where somebody has carved a niche fixing or replacing old control boards or is selling off new old stock on places like ebay.

Bottom line is we pay a lot more cash to have less robust systems than just walking over and turning a knob or flipping a switch. Monitor but don't control from a distance for security. The other options leave a lot of room for nasty surprises.