Know What Your Rig Is Doing
Smart RV & Automation
Automatic leveling, remote monitoring, smart thermostats, and whole-system dashboards — from basic monitoring to full automation.
Automatic Leveling Systems
Automatic leveling transforms a 30-minute chore into a 2-minute button press. Worth the investment for full-timers who move frequently.
- ✓Lippert OneControl — app-based control of slides, awnings, leveling jacks, and lighting. One interface for your entire rig's systems. Available as aftermarket or factory install.
- ✓Equalizer Systems Automatic — hydraulic leveling with single-button auto level; fast and reliable; standard on many Class A motorhomes from the factory.
- ✓Manual electric jacks + Andersen Leveler: budget alternative; electric tongue jack + Andersen composite leveling blocks achieves level in under 5 minutes without hydraulics.
Smart Thermostats & AC Soft-Start
RV air conditioners draw 1,200–1,800W at startup — often the largest single load on your power system. A soft-start device cuts that startup draw by 65%, making AC viable on solar.
- ✓Micro-Air EasyStart 364 — the gold standard soft-start device; installs in 30 minutes; reduces AC startup current from ~16A to ~6A. Allows running AC on a 2,000W generator or inverter.
- ✓Dometic CT thermostat — app-controlled thermostat; pre-cool your rig before you return; set schedules by time of day. Works with most Dometic AC units.
- ✓Why soft-start matters for solar: without EasyStart, a single AC startup can trigger low-voltage shutoff on a lithium battery system. With EasyStart, the startup is invisible to the system.
Remote Monitoring Platforms
A monitoring platform shows you solar production, battery state, tank levels, and shore power status — from anywhere on your phone.
- ✓Victron Cerbo GX — whole-system monitor for Victron components (solar, battery, inverter, shore power); VRM portal provides remote access from anywhere. The standard for serious Victron builds.
- ✓RV Whisper ($200) — monitors temperature, humidity, propane, and CO across your rig; cellular connected (works without WiFi); sends alerts to your phone. Best for environmental monitoring.
- ✓Renogy ONE Core — hub for Renogy solar and battery components; real-time app monitoring; energy flow visualization. Best if your power system is primarily Renogy.
App-Controlled Devices
Smart plugs and switches let you control appliances remotely — turn on the water heater before you return to camp, or shut off a device you left on accidentally.
- ✓Kasa Smart Plug EP25 — energy monitoring + app control; works over local WiFi (GL.iNet router); set schedules for water heater, coffee maker, or any 120V appliance.
- ✓Lippert Ground Control app: controls slides, awnings, leveling, and lighting from your phone if your rig has Lippert OneControl. No additional hardware needed.
- ✓Local network only: smart home devices that require cloud servers fail without internet. Choose devices that work on your local WiFi network without a cloud dependency for reliable RV use.
Battery & Tank Dashboards
Combining battery state-of-charge with tank levels in a single view eliminates the guesswork of managing an off-grid RV system.
- ✓Victron SmartShunt — battery monitor that pairs with Victron Cerbo GX or phone via Bluetooth; shows state of charge, time remaining, and historical consumption.
- ✓SeeLevel II + Garnet iSee: combines tank levels (fresh, gray, black) with the Garnet display for a unified view. Bluetooth version connects to the SeeLevel app.
- ✓Simarine PICO: boat-grade battery and tank monitor; supports multiple battery banks and unlimited tank sensors; excellent display. Premium option for complex systems.
Whole-System Integration
The goal for a fully smart rig: one app that shows power, tanks, climate, and controls. Getting there requires choosing compatible components from the start.
- ✓Victron ecosystem: Cerbo GX + SmartShunt + SmartSolar + MultiPlus all communicate over VE.Bus/VE.Can. Single VRM dashboard for your entire power system.
- ✓Lippert OneControl ecosystem: covers coach systems (slides, jacks, awnings, lighting, climate). Pairs with Victron for power monitoring. The closest thing to a full smart-home RV platform.
- ✓Mix-and-match caution: not all smart RV components talk to each other. Plan your ecosystem before buying — a Renogy power system and a Victron system each have their own app, not a shared one.
Smart Stack — By Level
Entry
Monitoring Only
- ✓Victron SmartShunt (battery SOC)
- ✓SeeLevel II (tank levels)
- ✓RV Whisper (temp, propane, CO alerts)
- ✓Kasa smart plug (water heater control)
Mid
Monitor + Control
- ✓Victron Cerbo GX (full power dashboard)
- ✓Micro-Air EasyStart (AC soft-start)
- ✓Dometic smart thermostat
- ✓Lippert OneControl (slides, awning, jacks)
- ✓SeeLevel II + iSee Bluetooth
Full
Fully Automated
- ✓Victron ecosystem (solar + battery + inverter)
- ✓Lippert OneControl full coach integration
- ✓Automatic leveling (one-button deploy)
- ✓Cerbo GX + VRM remote portal
- ✓Reolink cellular security cameras
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