The Problem with Factory RV Apps and Sensors
When we got our first hard-side camper in 2023, it came with an app that let us control all the various “things” in the camper over Bluetooth. It worked well enough — I could turn the interior lights on or off, put the awning out, and so on, all from my phone.
But over time we added more “things” to the mix: Mopeka propane sensors, indoor/outdoor temperature and humidity sensors, Victron solar controller and a few others. Before long, we were having to juggle half a dozen apps just to see the info we cared about. Not only was it turning into application bloat, none of these apps offered any kind of remote monitoring or control. You had to be connected to the device over Bluetooth, which meant you had to be standing right there.
The Home Assistant Solution for the Road
All of that is what finally pushed me toward setting up Home Assistant. I’d used it at home for years, but until now I’d never thought about running it in the camper. The more I looked into it, the more it made sense: I could pull every sensor, every switch, every piece of data into one dashboard and control it from anywhere — no more juggling apps and no more needing to be within Bluetooth range.
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| The custom Home Assistant dashboard in the camper, showing propane tank levels, battery status, and indoor/outdoor temperature—all in one place! No more juggling half a dozen apps. |
So, that’s what I did. I got Home Assistant installed in the camper, started adding the devices we already had, and built a simple dashboard that shows everything at a glance. It's still evolving, but the core pieces are in place and working great.
Some Assembly Required
I won't be showing you every single step for getting Home Assistant set up and running on the Raspberry Pi 5. Honestly, there are a ton of excellent how-to guides out there that do a much better job than I ever could. And who needs another repetitive guide, right?
Instead, when I add a new feature or device that’s truly worth telling you about, I’ll be sure to post a fresh article covering it. If you want more info on any part of the dashboard, drop a comment below.
In the meantime, what’s the one smart device you absolutely couldn't live without on the road?
