Guest Column: Tom Chimera on RV innovations Part I

I asked my friend Tom Chimera, a long-time owner to write about innovations in Motorhomes. The first part of his write up is below, with the second tomorrow.

The largest RV show in the country was coming to Tampa in January, and I attended. I visited with two conversion companies, Millennium Luxury Coaches of Sanford, Florida and Featherlite Coaches of Suffolk, Virginia (see video below). Conversion companies begin with a completely empty bus shell, furnished by Prevost, the premier bus maker based in Canada. The monocoque design shell consists of an outer aluminum skin covering a structural frame, the engine, the chassis, a driver’s seat, the suspension and the drive train, nothing more.

From this blank canvas, the converters literally build a work of “mobile art” up from the floor, the cabinets, to the ceiling, incorporating all the latest electronics, decorating techniques, appliances and furniture components to enhance their product or to meet a customer’s detailed specifications. The sheer elegance of these Motorhomes and the luxury within them is breathtaking. They are designed to match or exceed the luxury standards of the homes, boats or planes their customers are accustomed to. As I looked at the coaches, it was clear the latest technology encompassed both new products and new applications of existing technology in the Motorhomes. An analogy of a new application of technology in Motorhomes, would be the inclusion of a built in power washer coupled with a water ionizer to reduce water spotting when cleaning the coach.

You may believe as I did, that Motorhome innovations come from general consumer markets. The breeding ground for many applications actually may be the Space, Aircraft, or Marine industries, with their exacting standards and need to operate in demanding environments. The automobile/truck industry has also contributed many chassis safety features. The cabinet building process with its many steps of layered construction for strength is an example of marine industry origin. Many of the cabinet builders and other workers employed by the converters have backgrounds in the above mentioned industries.

Coach builders will meet almost any request for technology that a customer or owner desires to see incorporated into a new Motorhome or retrofitted Motorhome. The builders rarely say no if there is a conceivable way to provide the addition, perhaps only requiring a small change in the application to accommodate the request.

Nelson Figueroa, Owner of Millennium Luxury Coaches is constantly on the lookout for technology developments that will enhance his products. He feels his company is the industry leader in technology applications in Motorhomes. His background in military technology is well suited for his understanding and comfort with new technology applications.

TABLET AND SMARTPHONE INTERFACES

 

Device control

One of the most state of the art applications I found in these new coaches is the ability to use an iPad to replace a prior generation of electronic controllers that interfaced with AMX remote control system components. AMX home automation controls are now also available through separate applications ("apps") for smart phones and tablet PCs through its authorized product partners such as Touch Panel Control. The application is now also being made available for the Android platform. The flexibility of a tablet or iPad, and its communication ability, provides remote ability to control interior or exterior lighting, security systems, coach access, window shades, generator startup, alarm systems, A/C or heat levels or any additional items as requested by a customer. Similarly, activating the camera system to monitor activity in or around the Motorhome can be done remotely.

The system can be initiated by an owner viewing an actual photo of the coach interior or exterior and tapping the device to be adjusted or turned on. A menu appears, and as an example, pressing a button labeled Video could initiate a sequence that could dim the room lights, lower the window shades, switch to appropriate inputs, start a DVD and TV at preset volume levels and turn on additional components as desired.

ADDITIONAL FEATURES AND ENHANCEMENTS RECENTLY ADDED TO RVS

· LED lighting that reduces the power required by lighting requirements as much as 80%, from full utilization (127 amps) to as low as 27 amps in its place.

· Near zero emissions from the latest 500+ HP diesel engines

· Security system enhancements that include handling up to 8 or more cameras with a DVR recorder. Systems include the ability to mount a camera inside a trailer or in a basement bay; the system coordinates the chassis security system with the interior security system.

· Newer versions of GPS mapping systems that incorporate more detailed clearance specifications, from bridge clearance to fuel station clearance, adding a great ability to plan ahead to avoid a situation where it could be difficult to maneuver.

· Electronic component integration allowing any input source to be directed to any output to allow different people to enjoy individual programming at the same time

My next post will continue with additional advances in Motorhome technology.

Comments

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