Connect the dots

How to monitor all aspects of your caravan with one device…

There’s no end to the gadgets and gizmos designed to make a caravan more enjoyable. Some, frankly, are more useful than others. Others bring disparate aspects of the RV lifestyle together into one convenient system. The SmartConnect System by BMPRO is a case in point.

HOW SMARTCONNECT WORKS

Essentially, SmartConnect works in conjunction with the BMPRO OdysseyLink system. The primary function of the Odyssey Link is to receive data sent by SmartConnect sensors about various aspects of the caravan. This data is then transmitted to a 7in BMPRO Odyssey tablet mounted inside the van or to the Odyssey smartphone app. If your van has the smaller BMPRO Trek digital display, the data must be sent to a smartphone app. In either case, the OdysseyLink can broadcast the data to up to four separate devices.

Confused? Don’t be. It’s actually quite simple. If your van is equipped with a BMPRO OdysseyLink – as many new vans are nowadays – you can purchase a range of SmartConnect sensors to monitor various features and functions.
For example, sensors are available to monitor the levels of your van’s gas cylinders, the pressure in the van and tow vehicle’s tyres, the temperature of the fridge and, say, the temperature of the front boot. Further, it can be set-up to also monitor the amount of water left in the van’s freshwater tanks.

This is what I meant about cohesive systems that covered everything. There’s no need to purchase a separate tyre pressure monitoring system which, let’s face it, is another display screen to mount somewhere. Why not have one system that will monitor various temps, the battery’s state of charge, etc?

The beauty of the system is this: it’s up to you which things you wish to monitor. There is no need to fit each and every sensor. Conversely, the flexibility is there to allow you to monitor, well, everything, from the amount of gas remaining in the cylinders, to the temperature of your van’s cupboards.

If your van doesn’t have an OdysseyLink, you might be asking why you should care. Well, this article is about more than the search for a cohesive system. It’s also about searching for an inclusive system – bringing the convenience of the technology to the masses.

In lieu of an OdysseyLink, there’s the ProSmart system, which we’ve featured in GoRV previously. It is functionally quite similar, in that you can purchase a kit that offers a range of sensors; however, the sensors’ data is managed by the central ProSmart node that’s provided in the kit, rather than the OdysseyLink. It just needs to be connected to the onboard battery and mounted somewhere suitable. A point of difference, however, is that up to 40 sensors can by paired via Bluetooth to the ProSmart. The ProSmart node will transmit the data to a special app, which could be up to 20m away by line of sight, down by a river, allowing you to quickly refer to your phone should you be concerned, for example, about the temperature of your fridge or the amount of water left in the van’s freshwater tanks.

Further, we’re told that BMPRO plans to increase the range of sensors and features available for the Odyssey system.
So if your van has an OdysseyLink system, it’s time to look at the SmartConnect range in order to get the most out of it. If it doesn’t, and this technology appeals to you, all is not lost – check out the ProSmart. This is the future of caravanning – inclusive, cohesive systems that bring disparate aspects of a van under the ‘one roof’.

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