It’s a
RemoteControlled RV World I those functions with tablets and smartphones. By K. Schipper
Ron Mullett, general manager for Forest River’s Vibe product, is pictured holding a Lippert Components “MyRV Linc Pad,” an Android-based tablet platform that allows RVers to remotely control multiple functions on their RV, including the awning, generators, water pumps and interior lighting.
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PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE RESPECTIVE COMPANIES
of remote-controlled features into RVs, and to control
LIPPERT PHOTOS BY STEVE TOEPP/ ASA AND SETEC
Suppliers increasingly are able to incorporate a variety
f it seems like electronic communication is changing at a million miles an hour that’s probably not far from the truth. The days when machines will speak directly with each other – without human help – probably aren’t so far away. For now, however, people are still taking the lead, and the RV industry and its suppliers are finding more and more things that can be communicated remotely – whether it’s optimizing the power supply in a battery, leveling jacks
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and deploying slide-outs, or operating a unit’s audio/video system. For some, this may sound old hat. After all, it’s a rare driver who isn’t buffeted by information from a host of gauges and dials. However, today’s systems are becoming increasingly mobile, with the information being sent to smartphones and tablets. Even better, as more people become more comfortable with this type of technology, OEMs and dealers, too, are going to find it’s something buyers not only want, but also expect.
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New & Not-So-New Technology
Having remote control for some functions on the average RV is old hat for some suppliers. It’s something the Goshen, Ind.based Lippert Components has been offering with some of its products for a decade. “We were the first to bring out a system that allows customers some remote control,” says Andy Murray, LCI’s director of RV sales. “The primary functions in those days were stabilizer jacks, awnings, slideouts and exterior lighting.” What’s changed over the years is how the remote control has been handled. At first it was done with a push-button-style remote. Two years ago, the company went to a color touch-screen system that’s more representative of smartphone technology. LCI took a big leap forward in mid2014 when it came out with a product called “MyRV Linc Pad,” which Murray describes as an Android-based tablet platform “that allows us to do much more from the control side of things.” The idea of utilizing a tablet-type device to share information isn’t exclusive to LCI, either. David Bayliss, president of Knoxfield, Victoria, Australia-based BM PRO by Setec, offers a device called the Control Hub that sits on the RV battery to assess its overall condition, including energy consumption and how much is put back in by charging. rv-pro.com
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In addition to allowing RVers to remotely control various functions on their RV, the MyRV Linc Pad also can come pre-loaded with owner’s manuals, troubleshooting videos and information provided by RV manufacturers.
People whose RVs are equipped with Lippert’s MyRV Linc can control multiple functions on their RV from a control panel inside their unit or via remote control.
However, the need to get that information from the battery site to the RV’s owner is as important as measuring it. Bayliss says that because BM PRO by Setec is a power supply designer and manufacturer for multiple markets, the company already had a strong ability to connect them with the outside world via a 3G connection. “It’s natural for us to bolt on more capabilities and add on more electronics,” he says. “One of the reasons we looked at a tablet was because that’s the way the market is moving and that’s the way Apps are being developed.” And, while this may sound fairly new to the RV market, and tablets and Apps for them have only been on the market a handful of years, “this is actually a very mature product,” Bayliss adds. In many ways, it’s difficult to think of audio and visual devices not being remotecontrolled. And, yet, ASA Electronics, the Elkhart, Ind.-based manufacturer of audio and video devices designed specifically for the RV market is utilizing a custom App to take that to a new level. 20 • RV PRO • MARCH 2015
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Jennifer King, ASA’s RV industry manager, says that company’s new system – which will be unveiled with the 2015 spring models – takes remote control a step further. “What we’re talking about is the ability to control the RV’s stereo, television and audio-video system with a smart phone App,” she says. “It will be as easy as going to Google Play or the Apple Store, downloading it to your device, and then controlling all your audio-video equipment from that smart device.” Remote Control Tech Takes Many Paths
While all these companies are focused on mobile devices for their remote activities, they’ve also come at them from slightly different directions and are seeking slightly different results. However, in each case, this has required a lot of research and development to get it just right. Or, as ASA’s King puts it, “There really is a perception that any high school computer
kid can write an App, but there’s quite a bit more to it.” In the case of ASA’s App, the communication is bi-directional, meaning it’s not just sending a signal to the stereo to turn down the volume. The stereo replies with information on the radio frequency a user is tuned to, the speaker selection and more. “Having that two-way communication requires additional product development,” says King. “We’ve worked very closely with App developers on both the graphical user interface and the hardware side of it.” LCI also utilized an outside firm to develop its remote systems. However, Murray says that his company is so committed to enhancing this aspect of its products that last year it acquired the company it had been using to supply its electronics. “Innovative Design Solutions is based in Troy, Mich.,” he says. “They’re a highly sophisticated electronics company, and as we grew with them and saw the potential for this kind of product line, we acquired them. We have a whole division now that’s rv-pro.com
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Jennifer King, ASA’s RV industry manager, and OEM sales rep Jim Hess are pictured with the company’s new system, which is designed to take remote control system for entertainment systems a step further. “What we’re talking about is the ability to control the RV’s stereo, television and audio-video system with a smart phone App,” King says.
developing and manufacturing this system for us.” Regardless of how a company approaches the issue, BM PRO by Setec’s Bayliss says remote communication has come a long way in a short period of time. “Typically, these things were done with big plastic switches or fuse boards and things like that,” he says of the RV industry. “To go from that to close to the cutting edge, well, it’s going to take some time to get used to.” His biggest concern is the need to keep his company constantly on its toes in terms of updated releases in software and having the ability to keep up with changes to the smart devices. Along with that, says King, is assessing
ASA sales rep Cedric Waters uses a remote control device to operate a TV. With ASA’s new App, the communication is bi-directional, meaning its not just one-way communication.
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David Bayliss, CEO of BM PRO by Setec, is pictured in his offices in Melbourne, Australia. BM PRO by Setec is a power supply designer and manufacturer for multiple markets that has entered the U.S. market with a monitoring device for the RV market.
how the OEMs respond to the move toward greater connectivity. “We’re going to be rolling out several different audio-video products with this application,” she says. “Then it’s going to depend on how well it’s received. From there, we’re going to let the market dictate what our next step is.” In general, Bayliss says it’s been the OEMs that are driving the move to more remote communication. “It’s driven very much by the manufacturers,” he says. “They’re always looking for the next competitive advantage – the next opportunity in order to be able to impress the RV dealers so the dealers will buy more RVs from them.” Phabulous Phuture
Possibly no one is as adept at working with the OEMs as LCI, because it’s expanded what it is offering both in terms of what it controls and what’s available on its system.
BM PRO by Setech offers a device called the Control Hub that sits on the RV battery to assess its overall condition, including energy consumption and how much is put back in by charging. RVers can remotely monitor these functions on their smart phones.
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Murray notes that along with what LCI has offered in the past, it now also remotely controls generators, tank levels, water pumps, and interior lighting. “Plus, we’re developing controls for HVAC with thermostats and we have a variety of other things in development that we’ll continue to add to our base controls,” he says. Because the tablets offer so much electronic storage space, LCI has also begun to preload its own owner’s manuals onto them, along with troubleshooting videos. And, because there’s still space available after that, the company provides its OEMs space to do the same with their information. “We see it as being a universal digital resource for the RV consumer,” Murray says. Meanwhile, Bayliss says it makes sense to integrate ASA’s App with what BM PRO by Setec is doing. “What we’re doing is talking to companies with electronic devices,” he adds. “Not only will we have the code for your refrigerator, but we’ll be able to alert the manufacturer that there was a problem with it on your last trip and help you make an appointment with the dealer to get it fixed before your next trip.” It may all sound a bit futuristic, but then who would have believed – not long ago – that the average RV buyer would be comfortable taking this sort of approach to gaining more information about a particular unit. ASA’s King says that it helps to have a clean, simple interface, but even with the demographics of the average RVer trending to the mature side, she doubts new buyers will be put off by using the devices. “Smart phone and smart devices have become ubiquitous,” she says. “Everyone is accustomed to going out and downloading the Apps they’re looking for. This isn’t a divergence from what consumers are already doing.” LCI’s Murray agrees. “My father is more than 70, and two years ago I would have bet you lunch he would never own an iPhone because he was intimidated by the technology,” Murray says. “Today, he’s texting messages and photos to his grandchildren. People are becoming more technologically savvy and this type of technology isn’t cumbersome.” Not only is it easy, but gazing into his crystal ball, BM PRO by Setec’s Bayliss believes it won’t be too long before the market takes a bring-your-own-device approach to the whole thing. “We’re seeing phones getting larger and tablets getting smaller, and it’s likely at some point they’re going to substantially merge,” Bayliss concludes. “I hear the word ‘phablet’ being thrown around. Regardless, of the device, though, owners are going to have a better understanding of what’s going on within their RVs. We’re seeing this market come into the 21st century, and it’s an exciting way for owners to better utilize their RVs.” rv-pro.com
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