[tngw1500se]

.........Now I'm even considering the pretty-package of this unit from Garmin. Or this unit from Trigger.
............

The more I see you guys looking at these 500 buck units, the more I want to go down in the shop and tinker with building one. LOL! An esp32 is about 10 bucks. The relay board is 10 and a fusebox would be about the same. I could deck a system out for less than 100.

 

[gregoryx]

The more I see you guys looking at these 500 buck units, the more I want to go down in the shop and tinker with building one. LOL! An esp32 is about 10 bucks. The relay board is 10 and a fusebox would be about the same. I could deck a system out for less than 100.

Right? I feel the urge to just build my own after staring at all the options for a couple days. But for $110 with everything, I feel pretty good about giving it a go. Then I can decide whether to build my own - with a better interface - some other time. 🤷‍♀️

 

[tngw1500se]

Right? I feel the urge to just build my own after staring at all the options for a couple days. But for $110 with everything, I feel pretty good about giving it a go. Then I can decide whether to build my own - with a better interface - some other time. 🤷‍♀️

You could get real simple and go 433 wireless:
https://smile.amazon.com/Wireless-T...keywords=wireless+relay&qid=1634182984&sr=8-3

There's better looking switches that mount on the wall that you could pair to it. NO WIRING AT ALL. These are battery powered. I used them in my RV.
433Mhz Wireless Light Switch RF Remote Control 86 Wall Panel Transmitter E6D2 | eBay

 

[gregoryx]

You could get real simple and go 433 wireless:
...

My ideal solution would be old-school fuses and relays controlled by simple switches. Stuff that works and can be repaired.

Then all of that is automated and controlled by a computer-based solution that gives tablet-based control and feedback (on/off/whatever) and centralizes all the systems - heating, water, audio, lighting, motion, temps etc. - in AC and DC - and then it is running on a tablet at the front and another at the back (from bed).

Of course, all this would be a replication of what's at home: every light switch and everything else works without any control systems - just the way anyone would expect it to - and then the tablets are what get used most of the time once someone gets used to them. Control is available in a different view from a tablet than a phone. And it's accessible remotely.

This is the home tablet interface: busy, but useful once one gets accustomed to it. Clearly, a LOT less stuff for the van, but that's what I'd love to get to eventually. This one is on the nightstand; others are on the wall in other rooms. Different focus than the van, obviously.

 

[gregoryx]

It is up and running. Man, that took a LOT more time than I expected.

To replace the old fuse panel, I needed to disconnect every wire and cable (and label them) and then re-cut the mount plate that it was on. Once I re-cut it and centered things the way I thought would look best, I realized I had stretched the 1/0 cables from the batteries to the 200A breaker to their limit in the first install. And now they wouldn't reach the bit more I needed. Sigh. Re-build those cables.

Then noticed some connections that were loose on other wires and/or cables. Ugh. Oh, yeah... ran out of the right connectors and did a "temporary" setup on them (aka "terrible version of permanent") and forgot about that. Okay... re-terminate most of the cables. Re-terminate a bunch of the wires since their heads didn't fit right. Get it all connected on the new panel. Moment of truth. It worked first try. I love it when that happens.

Then had to get the switch control side mounted somewhere user-friendly. Sigh. Yeah... I've been ignoring this. So might as well do it right. Disassembled the cabinet above the fridge and added a new panel section and mounted the Cerbo touchscreen, heater control, relay control, and tablet. Since the don't all have a clean flush-mount option, I did them all surface-mount. Came out pretty good - at least by my "function over form" mindset.

Clearly some work to do: labels aren't complete on the fuse/relay panel or the fuse panel. Labels on the relay control board are just temporary. Need to figure out how to make them look good AND to dim the lights down a lot. And still mounting and routing everything behind the UI panel.

Relay board works great for $110 so far.