Too Much Technology?

[Paul_D]

I have a 2018 RV with physical switches and independent controls. As I read posts here, I'm actually glad I don't have a single controller and everything networked.

What happens when your single point of failure, fails? Seriously if your controller dies, how do you break camp?

I have physical switches for:
Lights
Stabilizers
Water pump
Water heater
Tank Monitors
Generator control
Awning
Ventilation fans
Slide movement
A thermostat on the wall and dedicated battery monitor with bluetooth.

[rk911]

Originally Posted by Paul_D

I have a 2018 RV with physical switches and independent controls. As I read posts here, I'm actually glad I don't have a single controller and everything networked.

What happens when your single point of failure, fails? Seriously if your controller dies, how do you break camp?

I have physical switches for:
Lights
Stabilizers
Water pump
Water heater
Tank Monitors
Generator control
Awning
Ventilation fans
Slide movement
A thermostat on the wall and dedicated battery monitor with bluetooth.

Totally agree.

[Isaac-1]

Me too, the use of real physical switches is something I like about our 2002 Safari Trek, so sure I can't turn on the bathroom light from the drivers seat, but also I have never felt the need to do so.

[Unplanned Tourist]

How do you break camp? You don't, you just call a mobile service provider or a tow truck and get your credit card out.

[sbleiweiss]

Originally Posted by Unplanned Tourist

How do you break camp? You don't, you just call a mobile service provider or a tow truck and get your credit card out.

Exactly why OP (and we) like the old fashion switches.

[d23haynes57]

There is a definitely value to "standalone' systems and limited technology. Most important is the avoidance of obsolescence making things unsupportable. Looking at new rigs I determined that many are best owned while under warranty. Most of the stuff in my 2008 can still be fixed or eliminated, upgraded. It is not so large that I can't walk to hallway and turn on the inverter, heat, and check status or go to the front and set the AC, start the generator, or look at the battery monitor. I still have an absorption fridge and have no plans to change it until it fails. The pre heavy emissions engine so far has me confident that it will do the job. All I have is EGR and the Variable Gate Turbo. KISS!

[Psneeld]

Originally Posted by sbleiweiss

Exactly why OP (and we) like the old fashion switches.

[Alaskajohn]

Just switched from an uber reliable and pretty much all analog 1996 Itasca Spirit to an all digital 2025 Thor Compass. Very nervous about this “upgrade.” My main concern is that we rarely camp in “campgrounds” and certainly far from any cell tower. Just invested in an InReach device just in case…

[oldenavy]

Agree with the OP. The network based systems are really for the OEMs to save install and build costs. Since all of them use proprietary software, the user can no longer make modifications or repairs to their RV. While they are based on an open standard (RV-C), the code in the controller is not open source.

They add phone apps and glitz to entice users into thinking its an upgrade, but in reality there’s zero advantage to the end user.

Firefly is the best of the ones I’ve seen, but I’d still like to have individual controls.

Some of the logic of the RV companies in selecting what controls to put where baffles me. In our Tiffin, we had smaller touch screens by the bed that let you operate anything on the network, a nice convenient feature. In our Renegade, there’s a panel above the bed that has some lights and generator on/off controls, but no HVAC controls. It would be nice to be able to control the HVAC without getting out of bed, but I can’t think of why I’d ever want to start or stop the generator from the bed???

[Old Mud]

Originally Posted by Alaskajohn

Just switched from an uber reliable and pretty much all analog 1996 Itasca Spirit to an all digital 2025 Thor Compass. Very nervous about this “upgrade.” My main concern is that we rarely camp in “campgrounds” and certainly far from any cell tower. Just invested in an InReach device just in case…

.Good investment John. Mine has worked and never let me down wherever i was for 8 or so years. If you don't feel the need to be hooked to the rest of the world your golden.

[d23haynes57]

My Foretravel has a generator switch over the bed also. There is also lights over the right side slide out and the only button for that is over the bed. Why? Anyway, in really cold weather if the heat was used for the day after arrival and all night, the 3, 210 A/H lifelines would not start the generator, so I had to the front to use the boost switch to get it going. That was my first driver to go Lithium.

[Skip426]

I started in automotive repair , as alternators were replacing generators and reductors and pick up coils were replacing points and condensers .
Every " advancement " made diagnostics more difficult and of course repairs more time consuming and expensive .

I to don't need to control every function of my coach ; or sticks/bricks for that mater ; from my laptop.

I'll be happy putting up with any perceived short comings of my vintage coach and hope my vintage body will allow me to maintain it for the rest of my RVing life.

As mentioned ; KISS works just fine for me.

[ppine]

The nice thing about technology is you don't have to use it.
I rarely ever use a hot water heater. I use the furnace in the morning in the shoulder seasons. I never use a tv in an RV.

[Unplanned Tourist]

The KISS way of thinking is rapidly disappearing.

There's probably a huge percentage of under 30's that don't even know what KISS means.

I'll just plug a tape into my stereo and relaxe. Or maybe some good old Jan and Dean and hop around a bit.