technology

Phone holders

While driving our coach, we refer to maps on our iPhones, in addition to the built-in one.

To position the phones conveniently, we use phone holders from Amazon.

Jenn’s phone usually shows Apple Maps directions, in a holder suction-cupped onto the panel to the right of the AC controls:

Phone holder

Phone holder

My phone is usually showing either the RV Life GPS or Google Maps, while my Mac shows the Google Maps route. My phone holder is suctioned to a plate that is stuck on the edge of the pull-out passenger workstation:

Devices

Phone holder

It is easy to adjust them to the desired angle, or rotate them out of the way when not driving.

How we work full-time in our coach

While traveling around the US in our motorhome, we are continuing to work — we are still over a decade away from retirement age.

This has some challenges, but our jobs make it feasible, since we can both work remotely. I am a self-employed macOS and iOS app developer (Dejal), and Jenn is a technical writer for a big corporation that has a lot of remote employees — something that is more and more popular nowadays, especially since the pandemic.

I recently wrote about our workspaces. My lap desk:

SideTrak screen

And Jenn’s height-adjustable desk:

Jenn's desk

Another critical component in our ability to work as we travel is internet connectivity. We couldn’t do our work without reliable internet access; I need it to upload app builds, look up documentation, and communicate with my clients and customers; Jenn needs it to attend meetings and update her documents.

Since it is so important, we have as many options as possible. Including T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon cellular connections, two AT&T iPhones (that we can tether to if nothing else works), plus Jenn has an iPhone on Verizon from her job, and we have Starlink satellite internet for when there’s no cellular coverage. And if all else fails, we can connect to campground Wi-Fi, which can be a bit hit-or-miss in quality and availability.

The somewhat messy internet cupboard, with a modem for AT&T and Verizon, mi-fi unit for T-Mobile, and other devices:

Internet cupboard

The Starlink dish:

Starlink dish

When choosing RV parks, we always look at reviews and information to ensure there is internet connectivity; the Starlink dish gives us more options, but if we ended up in a cellular dead spot with too many trees blocking the dish and no Wi-Fi, we’d have to move.

Other than our workstations and internet, we just need the time to work. So we plan our travel days around that; we typically move between RV parks on Sundays, so travel days don’t interfere with Jenn’s workdays, and stay at each location for a week or two, working during the week, and exploring on weekends, and sometimes locally in evenings.

This works well for us, enabling us to continue to work while slowly exploring the country.

Jenn’s movable height-adjustable desk

Last week I wrote about my lap desk. This week, Jenn’s solution.

When we first bought our coach, our first signficant modification was to remove the existing couches. And not long after, we added a desk for Jenn, along with adjustable arms for a laptop and monitor.

She used that for several months, but ultimately decided she didn’t need the big second screen, and didn’t like the desk situation (in particular the slope of the slide-out carpet with the chair), so we replaced the desk with some storage cabinets.

Nowadays, she works at the dining table, using an adjustable standing desk riser, which lets her either stand or sit on a stool. And as with my setup, she also has a SideTrak Swivel 12.5” display that can be attached magnetically, giving her more screen space.

Here’s her setup in sitting position; with her laptop on a riser stand on top of the adjustable desk, in turn on the dining table, with a stool:

Jenn's desk

And with a quick toggle, the desk can be raised up to standing height, with a standing mat:

Jenn's desk

A closer look at siting height:

Jenn's desk

And standing height:

Jenn's desk

A peek underneath, showing the simple spring-based raising mechanism:

Jenn's desk

There is room behind the desk for us to eat lunch at the table, and at the end of the day, she can easily move the desk off the dining table to give more room for dinner.

This setup isn’t perfect, but it works well enough for her at present. Who knows, we might make further adjustments in the future.

David’s lap desk

Living full-time in a 40-foot motorhome while continuing to work poses some challenges. One is simply where to work.

For those who don’t know, I am self-employed as a macOS and iOS app developer. My company is Dejal; I am the developer of Time Out for Mac, a popular break reminder tool, and Simon for Mac, a pro tool to monitor websites and servers for changes or failures, plus a couple of iOS apps. I also do macOS and iOS consulting, helping other people create great apps — currently SheetPlanner for Mac (and soon iPad), a powerful spreadsheet/planning tool, and NewsBlur for iPhone and iPad, a popular RSS reader.

When we were considering what kind of RV to buy, we considered toy-hauler fifth-wheel trailers, so we could convert the garage area into an office. Or a fiver or motorhome with bunks, that could be removed and converted into a tiny office; I quite liked the look of the Fleetwood Discovery LXE 44B, with the bunks at the rear.

Ultimately a dedicated office wasn’t deemed an essential feature. When we decided on a Tiffin Allegro Bus motorhome, one point in its favor was a pull-out keyboard tray at one of the dining seats.

But after we actually bought our coach, it turned out that the most convenient desk for me was a simple lap tray. (And we eventually removed that keyboard tray as part of making a liquor cupboard.)

I already had a lap desk that I had used for TV dinners in the homestead, and it works very well for a laptop, too. I can sit on our couch and work comfortably, or take it outside. I’m writing this sitting on a swing seat on a nice sunny day (in the shade of our awning):

David and lap desk

More often I use it while sitting on the couch, sometimes with Paladin’s assistance:

David and Paladin

To make it more portable, I have velcroed my MacBook Pro to the lap desk, using self-adhesive velcro dots. So it can be removed, but typically remains attached. It’s secure enough that I routinely carry the tray around by its handle, with the laptop hanging in space.

I also velcroed a portable solid state drive to the tray; it is my backup drive. And the tray has a slot where I can temporarily put my iPhone or another drive.

SSD

I find the built in keyboard, trackpad, and display of my laptop to be perfectly adequate for my needs. But when I want a little more screen space, I can attach a SideTrak Swivel 12.5” display, giving me plenty more room for reference material or an app I’m debugging.

SideTrak screen

The display is magnetically attached to a plate on the lid of the laptop:

SideTrak screen

So when not needed, it can be simply unplugged and pulled off:

SideTrak screen

This setup works really well for me, giving me the flexibility to work inside or out as the mood (and weather!) dictates.

Adding a bedside Spyder touch panel

Our 2017 Tiffin Allegro Bus 40SP was the first year where Tiffin was easing into touch panels in their coaches, using the Spyder multiplex wiring system. It came with a rather bad black-and-white panel, which I replaced with a much better color one; a huge improvement.

But when in bed, there are only buttons on Jenn’s side of the bed for some functions like lights. One of the things I’m jealous of newer years of our coach is they have more touch panels, including panels on both sides of the bed.

I had previously noticed that there is a Spyder connector below the bed, so I figured I could hook into that.

I resolved to add a panel on my side of the bed, using the same model of touch panel I used to upgrade our main one.

Here’s a look at the small window on my side of the bed (on which we always keep the shades closed), and the small bit of wall next to it:

Window

The bed base, after removing the mattress (you can see the head tilted):

Bed base

By positioning the bed appropriately, the wires under the bed can be accessed; the orange cable is a Spyder network cable, and the connector is visible right of center:

Wires under bed

I ordered components from Spyder Controls Corp:

  1. The panel: KITTW1412 – 2017 5IN LCD UPGRADE KIT BUS PHTN (1 at $349.95)
  2. The G4 tap: 5015508 | 5016592 BBCKZK200 – BACKPLANE ASSY, DROP TAP, G4 COMMON, 4X4 POS 2MM MINI-CLAMP, , Z (1 at $37.44)
  3. A bunch of cable (more than needed; always good to have spare): 14618 BSPL74600 HARNESS ASSY, CUSTOM CABLE , 2 TWISTED PAIR, 24GA, RV-C DROP CABLE ($0.50 per foot)
  4. Some plug connectors: 5066157 CON824204 9787 – CONNECTOR, 4 POS 2MM, MINI CLAMP, BLUE, PLUG, 20-24AWG, C/E, IDC (4 needed at $5.32 each, but I got a spare just in case)
  5. A couple of socket connectors, though not needed for this project: 5066158 CON864204 9788 – CONNECTOR, 4 POS 2MM, MINI CLAMP, BLUE, SOCKET, 20-24AWG, C/E, IDC (none needed, $5.32 each)

Here are the components:

Components

The G4 tap, connectors, and a stripped end of the cable:

G4 tap and connectors

Adding the plug connector is easy; you just insert the four wires into the holes on the connector (in the correct order; black, blue, white, red), then squeeze closed with pliers:

Connector

I made a short cable with plugs on either end to go from the existing socket under the bed to the G4 tap, so I didn’t need to replace the socket with a plug, and could restore the original connection later if desired:

Cable

Here’s the G4 tap in place under the bed, with the original plug and my patch plug inserted; later a third plug from the new panel was inserted:

G4

My original concept was to pull the power outlet off the wall to access inside the wall, and run the Spyder cable down there, but that proved too difficult, so my backup plan was to go through the side of the window valance. So I drilled a hole in the side of the surface mount for the panel:

Hole in panel mount

To get better access close to the wall, I used an angled drill adapter:

Drill

The hole in the window valance:

Hole

To hide the bright orange cable, I used a couple of cable covers that I had on hand:

Cable cover

The cable through the hole:

Cable

Paladin was surprised to discover a window here; he has never seen it before, since as I mentioned we keep those shades down:

Paladin

The cable hidden inside the cable cover under the window and on the back wall (with the bed in its normal position, the cable on the wall is hidden):

Cable

A closer look at the cable cover below the window, secured by a loop of velcro attached to a self-adhesive velcro patch:

Cable cover

The cable cover on the wall:

Cable cover

Velcro loop and self-adhesive patch:

Velcro

A plug on the cable:

Cable

The new panel mounted on the wall and operational:

Panel

This is a huge improvement; I can turn on and off all the lights, toggle the heated floors, see tank levels, and more, all from the comfort of bed. I mostly use it to turn off the lights at night, and turn on the heated floors when I wake up, so they are toasty when getting up. Such decadence!

Govee smart thermometers

It can be nice to know what the temperature and humidity is around us, so I added some smart thermometer/hygrometer units to our coach.

To see the current and historical temperature and humidity outside, I added a sensor unit under a slide-out, attached via Command Strips:

Thermometer

I also wanted to monitor the temperature in the wet bay; it has a heater to prevent it getting too cold, since having our plumbing freeze up would be bad, but I wanted to keep an eye on it, just in case:

Wet bay sensor

Those sensors don’t have displays, but for inside I wanted units that not only have sensors, but also display the current values. So I got a couple of units with e-ink displays; here’s the one in the living room, below the smoke detector:

Living room sensor

And the one in the bedroom, between the smoke detector and thermostat (the big temperature on the thermostat is the set level):

Bedroom thermometer

All of these sensors feed data into the Govee Home app, which can show the current values on its home page (along with ugly seasonal graphics):

App

The same screen after the holiday season:

Govee Home screenshot

Tapping on one of the thermometers shows historical data, so I can see how the temperature and humidity have changed over time:

App

Fun fact: that higher humidity was when we were on the coast at Corpus Christi, and the lower humidity was inland at Lockhart; makes quite a difference. And yes, the temperature inside can vary greatly throughout the day; we tend not to run the AC or heaters except for uncomfortably hot or cold weather, preferring to open windows for fresh air when feasible. (Not a cost thing, since we typically don’t pay for electricity at campsites, but it’s quieter, and fresh air is nice.)

The two most frequently asked questions

In the various Tiffin motorhome online communities to which I belong, there are two questions that get asked pretty much weekly.

The first is: what is this unmarked red switch to the left of the driver seat?

Switches

Obviously it is the self destruct button. Or is it the passenger ejection seat switch?

No, seriously, the answer is that it is the switch for the mirror heaters. The side mirrors of the coach are heated, to clear them in cold weather. Something that we’ve never needed, since we try to stick with warm weather as much as possible.

Here’s a peek at the heater, from when I replaced the mirror glass on the driver-side mirror:

Mirror

The second most frequently asked question is: what is this little thing on the ceiling?

Sensor

Is it a microphone to spy on you?

No, the answer is: it is a temperature sensor for a thermostat. There are three of them inside the coach, which are each connected to a thermostat. That enables the thermostats to be positioned inside cupboards or on walls, but still sense the temperature in their respective regions.

The wet bay also has a sensor, but it is a bit different — a copper probe connected to the temperature dial, used to control the heating of the wet bay (frozen pipes would be bad):

Wet bay

Hopefully this helps some people who had wondered about those.

Micro-Air EasyTouchRV smart thermostats

Our motorhome was produced in 2017, during a time when Tiffin was slowly updating the technology. So it has a mixture of analog switches for some things (like cockpit shades), smart network-based controls using the Spyder multiplex wiring system, and non-integrated controls like the power management and heating/cooling.

Our coach has three rooftop AC units, plus AquaHot hydronic heating. More modern coaches integrate these into the Spyder touch panels, but in this vintage they are independently controlled via three thermostats like this one in the bedroom:

Old thermostat

(Note that that Spyder touch panel at the bottom isn’t original; I upgraded it from a much inferior panel that came with the coach.)

While these thermostats were fine, they weren’t as convenient as they could be. (Shock, having to get off our butts to adjust them!)

I’ve been wanting to upgrade them, like I did with the Spyder panel, and I recently got around to that. I purchased one Micro-Air EasyTouchRV thermostat panel, the model compatible with our ACs (352C):

EasyTouchRV

Here’s the old thermostat:

Old thermostat

I pulled off the cover to unmount it via the two screws:

Removed cover

Pulling it away from the wall, I reached the three connectors for the wires:

Wires

The new panel comes with mount points that are screwed into the wall:

Mount points

Hooking up the new unit was simply a matter of unplugging the old one and plugging in the new one (being careful to not let the wires drop inside the wall; there wasn’t a lot of slack).

Here’s the new unit mounted:

New unit

Much nicer:

New unit

Not only does it have a nicer display, it can be controlled remotely via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth via an app:

App

When using both cool and heat, one can set it to Away mode to have upper and lower limits, to keep the temperature within that range:

App

The upper and lower limits on the display:

New unit

I was satisfied with that experience, so I ordered two more units for the other thermostats:

More new units

The front and middle AC units are controlled by thermostats in a cupboard above the passenger chair (they have remote room sensors towards the front and middle on the ceiling, so being enclosed in a cupboard doesn’t affect their performance):

Front and mid thermostats

A closer look at the old front and middle thermostats:

Front and mid thermostats

With the covers removed:

Front and mid thermostats

Like with the bedroom one, easy enough to swap the plugs:

Wires

The new unit:

New unit

Here’s a look at the mount points for the new unit; they come with a spacer that is broken off once screwed into place:

Mount points

The mount points before breaking the connector:

Mount points

The wood is thick enough to hold the screw, but I still used the cap on the other side, to avoid wires rubbing on the protruding screw:

Cap

The new units installed:

New units

So much nicer! Highly recommended.

Upgraded TST TPMS display

One of the first accessories I purchased for our coach was a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS).

Recently an RV technology site called TechnoRV announced an upgraded display unit, that is compatible with the older system. The new one has a larger display, and uses a touchscreen instead of buttons next to the display.

Here’s the old unit:

Old unit

And the new unit:

New unit

I also got a weighted base, that attaches magnetically to the unit:

Base and unit

The unit on the base:

Unit on base

The new unit’s menu:

New unit

The old and new units next to each over; you can see how much larger and more clear the new unit is:

Old and new units

VIAIR tire inflation compressor

Another essential gadget I’ve had for quite some time is the VIAIR 450P air compressor, to inflate the tires on our coach.

I already had a tire inflator that plugged into a 110V outlet, which I’ve previously used for truck tires and other tires. But it can’t quite handle the maximum 130 PSI of the coach tires, plus is very noisy. (I inflate the front tires to 120 PSI.)

The VIAIR unit is much quieter, and automatically shuts off when not actively inflating.

Unlike the old one, this one connects to a 12V source like a car battery. I hook it up to the truck’s battery; the truck needs to be running while in use, to avoid draining the battery.

I keep it in the back of our truck, so we’ll be able to use it while driving the truck around if needed.

It comes in a handy bag, and includes two long coiled hoses, so I can leave the compressor by the truck, and reach all of the coach tires:

VIAIR tire inflator

VIAIR tire inflator

Here it is in use; it’s easy to inflate by pulling the trigger, and release to read the gauge to check the static pressure:

VIAIR tire inflator

An essential tool.