Survey: Chassis Integration with Coach

[bclemens]

We have an opportunity with one of our chassis suppliers to get access to their computer system....letting us program hard buttons and even adding soft buttons on the dash radio.

So my question is....what would you like to have control over "in the coach portion" from the cab area?

For instance...if you lock the cab doors with the chassis key fob, we can make the coach entry door lock. We can put a soft button on the dash that would lock and unlock the entry door.

We might be able to set up a gen start button in the dash. I know when driving down the road, I have to give the phone to my wife to open the Mira app, start the gen if it gets hot in the back.

Let me hear what you would like to see integrated.

[Edwin Robertson]

Can you describe which model coach this is? There is certainly a difference between the Isata 3 and the 5 coach.

I own the Isata3 on the MB chassis, so for me, two items in the front would be most helpful.
1. The leveling system
2. The generator start/stop

[bclemens]

I'm not sure it matters. I think the gen and the levelers, might be useful for any chassis.

[M_I_A]

Identifying as a curmudgeon, I would prefer no integration with Ram or Freightliner electronics. In fact, Firefly integration with coach systems has not impressed me and my confidence in reliability is low. CAN bus? More like CANT bus. Please, Brian, focus on keeping these rigs super simple. Bluetooth, wireless, and big touchscreens are cool and all that but good luck getting help when they act up. We don't need more finger pointers when things go to heck.

[malmz]

32kd perspective. Of course we already have a genny button up front on the touch pad above the driver on that model.

I would have loved to have the leveler hard panel up front to prevent the exercise back and forth between levelers and slides, it looks like Thor does this on their M2 under the radio. This would also solve the left is right and right is left thing when making fine adjustments with the panel currently facing the back of the coach. Yes, some things can be done with the Mira app, but it is just easier to push buttons on a panel for many of us.

For dash buttons:

- A power door lock button for the house entry door would be great.
- Docking (realize I have that switch already) and porch light control would be great too when finding one's way into a dark campsite but of course there is some liability putting those in the drivers reach down the road. Perhaps only in neutral and reverse if that can be programmed.
- A second electric battery house battery disconnect wouldn't be bad that duplicates the one at the side door since that is a momentary switch anyway.

Not related to the dash, I guess this is a liability if somebody falls on their face, but I wish there was an off switch for the stairs so they could not be extended when pulled up next to a curb. The stairs can be locked outward, but not in. I may add that with a relay.

[gremlin]

+1 on locking the house door when you lock the entry doors, and also vice versa I'd love it if locking the house door w/keypad would lock the two front doors. I'd also love to have locks on the under compartments that locked when these lock, but unlocked via a separate button. This is something relatively high on my list of things to figure out how to do.

In the europa we already have generator start on the touchpad in the cab.

[png31]

I will second MIA’s comments about keeping house systems separate from the chassis. As all of these systems become more complex, integration of them is more of a challenge. If you want to hear some interesting horror stories, talk to a public safety vehicle upfitter.

As others have said, the M2 based coaches already have generator start available on the remote panel in the cab, and it seems to function without issue.

Finally, Malmz’s idea of being able to lock the steps in the up position is great. I haven’t been in a situation where I have opened the door and had the steps crash into the curb, but it has been close.

[RedLdr1]

Looking at it from a chassis service perspective what happens when the chassis manufacture does a software update? Or when a local chassis dealer decides they need to "reload" the system since they can't figure out the issue?

Since I'm all Ford vehicles my perspective is from my experience with that manufactures online updates program. I get an on line update just about every month on our 2023 Mustang Mach-E and I've already had one on my new Bronco. So far on line updates, while the vehicle is sitting in my garage, has worked just fine. But when I start playing with the Bronco's tune my changes playing nice with an OEM update is up for grabs.

[MoJoe1003]

Originally Posted by malmz

32kd perspective. Of course we already have a genny button up front on the touch pad above the driver on that model.

I would have loved to have the leveler hard panel up front to prevent the exercise back and forth between levelers and slides, it looks like Thor does this on their M2 under the radio. This would also solve the left is right and right is left thing when making fine adjustments with the panel currently facing the back of the coach. Yes, some things can be done with the Mira app, but it is just easier to push buttons on a panel for many of us.

For dash buttons:

- A power door lock button for the house entry door would be great.
- Docking (realize I have that switch already) and porch light control would be great too when finding one's way into a dark campsite but of course there is some liability putting those in the drivers reach down the road. Perhaps only in neutral and reverse if that can be programmed.
- A second electric battery house battery disconnect wouldn't be bad that duplicates the one at the side door since that is a momentary switch anyway.

Not related to the dash, I guess this is a liability if somebody falls on their face, but I wish there was an off switch for the stairs so they could not be extended when pulled up next to a curb. The stairs can be locked outward, but not in. I may add that with a relay.

I just use the Equalizer app on my phone and never leave the driver’s seat when I level. I use house to put slides out, as well. Assuming I’m confident I have clearance.

[MevetS]

Originally Posted by bclemens

I'm not sure it matters. I think the gen and the levelers, might be useful for any chassis.

On our '22 Force (M2 chassis), you have the Firefly wireless keypad in the opening to the overhead. That has both those features. So it would seem a bit redundant.

House Entry door would be my priority as well as the step lock.

The MIRA App is/was a great innovation vs. having to push or touch buttons in a centralized area. I'm not sure what the logic is for having to shut the engine off when leveling vs. pulling slides out. I would suspect that interlocking the leveling system and slides with the engine state may be sufficient. That aspect is a bit of a pain. My gripe is based more on exercising the starter.

In any case, the ease of having a panel handy would likely be quicker than having to link your cell to the MIRA, but really ... how much convenience do we really need? I've probably have more convenience in the RV than inside my, somewhat, smart home.

[bclemens]

I am aware some chassis have the switch, but I did not want to taint the data. If you have that great, if you do not, then I want to hear that you want it. I am looking to make the experience more consistent across all brands.

As far as reliability....this would be a redundant system. Unlike others, we try to keep the main controls if possible in case there is an integration issue. Innovation does have its headaches....but that is the path today. I sure many said autos should not do power door locks and power windows because if they fail, we have no manual way to operate them. Sell a car today without it? Multiplex, right, wrong, or indifferent is on travel trailers these days. We can't go backwards...we just have to do a good job testing and vetting before we throw things into the wild, make them as reliable as power windows.

[MGD1961]

I have very little experience with the larger coaches and come from the marine industry but, I wonder why the technology doesn’t crossover.

On yachts we have been using CZone for a decade. It’s ultimately adaptable to coaches and even down to the smaller TT and 5er market.

You can do anything from start the main engine or gen with a simple touch screen and can have as many or as few control stations as you want. I don’t get it. You can control the entire boat from an iPad and with Wi-Fi from anywhere in the world.

Why don’t rvs have this?