Invention: RV Temp Monitoring for Pets

[tstanger]

I would be interested, also.

[Papa-t]

Yea my only concern as mentioned above is poor or no wifi connection. Most parks in NC and especially the mountain areas have no service. Now if it could be monitored through a cell phone and send info to another cell phone we could leave one at the camper and take another with us. However some mountain campgrounds we've stayed at also don't get cell service but usually can still get out text. If that could be figured out it could be more feasible.

[Lewis96]

Very Interested, and we have [3] traveling companions!

[kenandterry]

Yup.....interested.......count us in.

[V-Lite Fun]

We have 3 bichons we travel with. It is always in the back of my mind when it is hot outside and we are away. I would be interested in something like this.

[davez]

great device for us dog lovers,will test your app Please PM me.

[dawn52627]

It is not so much insulation, but if your trailer is at 70 degrees and it is 95 degrees outside, how long will it take for it to get dangerous inside for the pets? I would think that since they are insulated it would take a little while and I am sure you don't leave the pets for over 8 hours. Just curious about this. My husband won't let me bring the poodles since he doesn't think they would like it. He thinks they prefer being home alone with his mom letting them out a couple of times a day. (I think they would prefer to be with us)

[BendOrLarry]

How about get one of the many home security cameras that you can view with your cell phone. Point it at a thermometer and kill 2 birds with one stone.

[JPS0929]

Very interested. We camp with our two dogs all the time. Would be more than willing to help test in any way possible.

[OscarsMom2]

This sounds good. We travel with 2 dogs and 2 cats. We are mostly concerned with them overheating. I am definitely interested if there is an iPad app.

[SilverArrowPro]

Sounds awesome!

[The_Rhino]

Another "enhancement" idea would be to create a fresh air vent near floor level that would kick on a fan run by the RV battery in the event of a power failure....

How about get one of the many home security cameras that you can view with your cell phone.

A/C Backup: I installed (2) 12V Deluxe MaxxAir Fans that are setup to open & run in push/pull fashion whenever the inside temp goes over 85. I routinely test my setup by setting the fans to 75 & turning the A/C off. Works great & will run all day on 12V should the CG pedestal breaker trip, etc.

Pet Monitoring w/Old Cell Phone: We bought our kids $40 Motorola E phones that run on the FREE RingPlus cell service. This summer we plan to leave one phone behind and use it with a Security/Baby Monitor App like "Home Security Camera - Alfred". Within the view of the cell camera will be a large inside temp gauge.

I'm trying to find an app that will send me pics at specific intervals, like every 30 minutes... IMO a unused/old cell phone is smarter & more useful than WiFi security cameras, etc. since many CGs, like State Parks, do not have WiFi....

[Dennis Budreau]

i would be interested in this

Originally Posted by thebenz

Our first tixi would be interestedpme out with the Georgetown last year, my wife panicked because we had the pets left inside while hiking and she imagined the power going out and then getting too hot inside. I thought about a way to solve that problem and I wonder how many other people might be interested.

I made a small device that allows me to check the temperature inside from my phone, send me alerts when the power goes out and send alerts when certain temperature levels are reached.

It works over the cellular network and there is no wi-fi to connect to. As long as you have a weak signal it will get out. It didn't really cost much to make and I"m going to have the app work on iPhone and Android.

I'd be interested in finding some people to help me test out my code and see how the "gizmo" works in other scenarios. Any frequent RV'ers out with dogs interested in this at all?

Attached is a picture of the device and a screenshot of my test app.

[Dennis Budreau]

Is it possible to build one of these myself. If so could you send me the info. Thanks.

[ramair]

we are full timers and would be very interested.

[bgilly]

I too have concerns with our pet cooped up in our hot/humid climate and A/C failure or worse yet, power failure.
Considering the response popularity in responses this might be a Kickstarter project.
I looked at other devices that could accomplish this (one already mentioned) but don't have the confidence in them.

Bobby

[DNBINFV]

[QUOTE=. My husband won't let me bring the poodles since he doesn't think they would like it. He thinks they prefer being home alone with his mom letting them out a couple of times a day. (I think they would prefer to be with us)

We have 2 standard poodles and a mutt, they travel very well. They're more excited about RVing than we are.

And yes I'm interested.

[BendOrLarry]

I'm all for new inventions, but in this case I can't see a good reason to reinvent what already exists. Any wireless communication device will have range and obstruction issues so the existing cellular apps and camera options for home security already will do the job. You can take a look at the pups anytime and monitor a thermometer. If the power goes out and you lose communication then you know the AC is no longer working and you need to return. Just my 2 cents worth. I use a Arlo Wi-Fi wireless 1080P system that works great at our home and it could be adapted easily to an RV.

[thebenz]

Originally Posted by rockfordroo

Don't they already make thermostats that do this? (Nest comes to mind; there's a Honeywell versions, too, I believe.)

They do work via wifi, though, I believe.

Correct, those are great products but require a wifi connection and configuration. The idea with this guy is that it small, simple and you don't have to mess with it our configure anything. Just plug it in and theory you only mess with it when you want to remotely check or it lets you know something went wrong.

[thebenz]

Originally Posted by flymhi

Interested with a couple of questions.

1. I assume the cellular would need to be via subscription similar to tablet cellular as an additional device on a family plan?

2. Power outages would be indicated by abnormal temp changes where the device is placed?

3. What do you see as a target price for a device like this?

Sounds like a great multi-purpose device given a reasonable price point.

I've got it's own independent data plan connected with the SIM card inside. I'm working on making the data sent back and forth so minimal that it uses very little data. I'm comparing it to working on the Mars rovers.....different then any software I've done before!

I'm envisioning a $5/month plan. One time fee for hardware and then $5/month for it to be active and reporting. I'd like to make it in the app where you can turn it off and on so you can only for months you are going to be out camping.

I'm currently monitoring power outages by detecting loss of power to the device when it is plugged in and it switches to the battery backup.

I'm so early in this that I have no idea what hardware costs would be. I'm focusing on the software right now.