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Joined: Aug 2014
There is a guy that has developed a free application for the Ipad that mimics a glass dash. You will need to purchase a Canpod interface that plugs into your coach diagnostic port. It sends a WIFI signal to your Ipad with all the information. Total cost is under 900 bucks not including the ipad. Considering how much a glass dash costs installed, this is a bargain if you want to convert.
http://rvtechtools.com/rvdash.html
2002 Newell Coach 621. The harder I work, the luckier I get.
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Vince, several of us have installed the Silverleaf VMSpc which use the Windows operating system and costs substantially less. I am using a 14" tablet that sits in the dash area. The VMSpc software is also free and it is very impressive and flexible. A search of this forum will reveal photos of this application. But thanks for posting since some my prefer Apple and a dial type of configuration.
2001 Newell #579
tow a Honda Odyssey
fun car: 1935 Mercedes 500K replica
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Hello VinceD, I purchased the canpod about 6 months ago and I am very happy. If performs flawlessly and I am able to get more info than the gauges on the dash as well as more accurate readings.
Posts: 14
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Oh I like this better!!! I wonder with it will work with my canpod? I will try it tomorrow.
2002 Newell Coach 621. The harder I work, the luckier I get.
Posts: 1,531
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Joined: Jul 2012
I bought the RVtechtools thingy, but it was too complicated for me to use and it did not offer much in the way of customization. It required a wireless network and your device could not be on that network AND the "internet" at the same time. So, if I wanted to look at the engine with one screen and weather radar on another, it was not possible. (Technically it was possible, but would have been more complication than I could handle).
Although, I have not done it yet, I am planning on getting the VMSPC and installing a windows tablet somewhere near the dash.
Bill Johnson
Birmingham, Alabama
Posts: 1,479
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2001 Newell #579
tow a Honda Odyssey
fun car: 1935 Mercedes 500K replica
Posts: 1,531
Threads: 155
Joined: Jul 2012
Chester, Thanks and very impressive! I like my Garmin GPS but am very interested in being able to have other information at my fingertips (just like you have).
My list would include...
Engine data from Silverleaf
Weather Radar including watches and warnings
Location of truckstops along my path.
Nearby points of interest
I would also like to see an app that uses gyroscope and GPS to tell me things like...
1. How smoothly am I driving?
2. What is the grade of this hill I am climbing?
3. Direction of travel and
4. Direction of the wind (in relation to coach).
Bill Johnson
Birmingham, Alabama
Posts: 4,188
Threads: 635
Joined: Jul 2012
Bill, I haven't yet found a way to get all of those on one device but it may be getting close. I use VMSpc to provide the engine data and Streets and Trips for directions and nearby points of interest. The VMSpc and Streets and trips are both displayed side by side on a laptop on my center console. In front of me suspended from the overhead I have a Garmin Dezl 760 which provides navigation, including the closest truck stops and rest stops, and it will display grade information which I believe is calculated based on its GPS information so I am not sure how accurate it is (altitude is the least accurate of the coordinates for GPS). By using Garmin's app (Smartphone Link) on my Android phone the 760 will display weather information including radar centered on your current location. The Smartphone Link app is free but I believe the weather radar was a one-time $9.95 charge.
I have an app (GPS Status) on my phone that displays direction of travel, pitch and roll and acceleration (in g's) which helps with the 'how smoothly am I driving" question. The direction of the wind in relation to my coach is something I haven't found an app for yet. The phone app from Weather Underground shows the wind direction, speed and gust information for close by weather monitoring stations but it doesn't correlate that with your direction of travel. That one is particularly tricky since terrain can have such tremendous affect on wind speed and direction. I think that sensitive instrumentation mounted on your vehicle would be needed to really be meaningful for direction and strength of wind relative to direction of travel.
Michael Day
1992 Newell 43.5' #281
NewellOwner.com
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Thanks Michael,
The wind question is interesting to me due to the size of our coaches. I want to isolate the effects of the wind from something going on with the coach. If I am pulling to the right and the wind is going that direction, it makes me feel better.
The more experienced drivers will simply look at the patterns in the weeds on the side of the road to figure out the wind direction, but as a recovering engineer, I know there has to be a better way.
cheers,
bill
Bill Johnson
Birmingham, Alabama
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(08-19-2014, 03:49 AM)bikestuff Wrote: Thanks Michael,
The wind question is interesting to me due to the size of our coaches. I want to isolate the effects of the wind from something going on with the coach. If I am pulling to the right and the wind is going that direction, it makes me feel better.
The more experienced drivers will simply look at the patterns in the weeds on the side of the road to figure out the wind direction,[b] but as a recovering engineer, I know there has to be a better way.[/b]
cheers,
bill
I suppose you could add a pitot tube and static ports to each side of the coach, measure the differential pressures... thus calculate the wind component.. This would require a black box that was designed by an engineer.... (that should satisfied the need)
Jimmy
