Community Forums

wfcentral · 09-19-2014, 09:13 AM

I'm a technology geek - so, this is a hair brain idea that came to me... just curious what others would think since I don't even OWN an RV yet (months/years away) and just day dreaming about how stuff would work.

Mainly was thinking about solo RV drivers and how it must be trying to back your rig into spots and such... sure, you could ask for help from someone to spot you in? but, then what if they do a bad job and you bump a pole...? who would be a fault? etc...

So, here is the concept...

You pull into the RV park and get ready to park / back in... you grab a bag of "beacons" - these are electronic gizmos that transmit their exact location to a connected smartphone. You have some beacons that look like hockey pucks. You drop these on the ground to indicate the spot you are trying to back into... you have some magnetic ones that you pop onto the corners of your rig. You put some wheel/pivot point beacons over your rear wheels so you can visualize where the rig will pivot.

Then, you jump in the seat and open the app on your smartphone or tablet.

You get a birds-eye view from above that shows the location of your rig in relation to the parking spot.

Am I just really over thinking this? or would this possibly be a useful tech tool?

wnytaxman · 09-19-2014, 09:21 AM

Great idea, but there is one potential problem that I see. Most all Class A's now are fiberglass on both the front and rear caps. There will be no place to attach any magnetic beacons.

I really like the idea even for those of who travel with our darling spouses. It would probably save a whole bunch of arguing and maybe a marriage or two!

Snoopkat · 09-19-2014, 09:26 AM

Sounds like a lot of hassle. Most rvs (motorhomes) have rear cameras and some have side view cams....mine does. Not sure how tuff it would be to add the side view cams but that might be an easier solution for solos.

Ranger Smith · 09-19-2014, 09:32 AM

I would not waste my money on one

BluegrassFan · 09-19-2014, 09:33 AM

Had to go Google iBeacon to begin to understand what you are talking about. I like your concept -- depending on the accuracy of the distance information. How accurate is the positioning data?

FlyingDiver · 09-19-2014, 09:43 AM

You still need a good backup camera. I don't think all technology that would help that much.

Romeo · 09-19-2014, 10:09 AM

I'm out...you're dead to me!

wfcentral · 09-19-2014, 10:46 AM

ok - well... scrap this idea...

if 100% of the people jumped up and said "oh - my gosh - that's exactly what I've been dreaming of" then I would research it a bit more...

however, I think ultimately the price would be too high and no one would bother.

also, the technology isn't really there yet - it would have to be precise within INCHES, very small, durable and transmit over something rock solid (like wifi... not bluetooth).

mrt_1111 · 09-19-2014, 11:09 AM

I am a retired geek. You keep thinking. Better tank sensors is good thing to think about. Create some that work outside the tanks.

Dutch Star Don · 09-19-2014, 11:18 AM

Not a bad idea.....what might work better since most have cameras, is a bunch of pucks you could drop onto obstacles, like tree stumps or rocks that can't be seen from the mirrors or camera.

We have cars now doing what you propose, they just don't require all the setup.

dieselclacker · 09-19-2014, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrt_1111

I am a retired geek. You keep thinking. Better tank sensors is good thing to think about. Create some that work outside the tanks.

Garnet Industries manufactures a tank sensor that sticks to the outside of the various RV tanks. While it is not wireless (it uses the wires already installed) it is not difficult to install, and is much more accurate at measuring the tanks contents than the factory installed system with the internal sensors. www.rvgauge.com

jswalls110 · 09-19-2014, 12:35 PM

I love the idea. Would take 2 minutes to setup.

Romeo · 09-19-2014, 09:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrt_1111

I am a retired geek. You keep thinking. Better tank sensors is good thing to think about. Create some that work outside the tanks.

There are already tank sensors that mount on the outside of the tank and require no through-the-tank holes.

JMonroe · 09-20-2014, 07:56 AM

I like the idea, but you'll have to work on the problem of how to attach the sensors to the rig. What happens to one of the "hockey pucks" when it gets run over?