Camper van smart home: how to retrofit your motorhome

A camper van smart home brings power, water, lighting, heating and air conditioning together in one place. You see at a glance how full your battery and tanks are, and you control everything with the rotary knob, a wall push button or your phone. Good systems go one step further: they take over the little jobs you would otherwise do yourself every day. You can retrofit this in almost any panel van, semi-integrated motorhome, caravan or expedition vehicle, whether it runs on 12V or 24V.

This guide explains what a smart camper can really do, which ways there are to retrofit one, what to look for before you buy and how to go about it step by step.

What “smart” should mean in a camper

Almost everything is called smart these days. Often it just means: there's an app for it. In a vehicle that isn't enough. There's no Wi-Fi at the pitch, mobile signal is weakest where the view is best, and at 11pm you just want to switch off the light without unlocking your phone first.

So our definition is simple: smart means simpler. A smart camper has fewer controls than before, not more. It shows you what matters and takes care of routines by itself. There's more on this idea in our post Why everything is called smart today and almost nothing is smart (in German).

What you can control and monitor in a smart camper

Area	What you see	What you control or automate
Energy	State of charge, current, solar yield, charger and DC-DC charger, consumption per device	Switch the inverter on and off, shed loads in stages before the battery runs flat
Water	Fresh, grey and black water levels, water pressure, temperatures, leaks	Warning for leaks or frost, pump only runs when someone is on board
Lighting	Which lights are on and what they use	Switch, dim, colour and white tone, lighting scenes, night light, sunrise to wake up to
Heating	Room temperature, operating mode, error messages in plain language	Target temperature, preheating at the time you want, lower temperature at night
Hot water	Boiler temperature, time left until hot	“Hot by 7am”, surplus solar into hot water, shore power automation
Air conditioning and fridge	Temperatures and operating status	Temperature and mode in one place instead of on the original panel
230V and shore power	Whether shore power is present and whether it is connected correctly	Switch sockets and 230V appliances, safely switch everything off if there is no earth
Vehicle level	Tilt side to side and front to back, wedge height for each wheel	Level up without guesswork, automatic levelling with a levelling system in future
Moving parts	End positions of pop-top roof or lift bed	Move pop-top roof, lift bed and awning with direction lock

Three ways to a motorhome control system

There are basically three approaches. The main differences are how much you have to build yourself and how well the result fits the devices you already have.

	Factory-fitted	Retrofit system with central unit	DIY
What it is	The vehicle manufacturer's bus system and control panel	A central unit plus modules that connect to your existing devices	Your own control system, for example with Home Assistant and a single-board computer
Suits	New vehicles from one particular manufacturer	Existing vehicles and self-builds, mixed brands	Tinkerers with lots of time who enjoy programming
Strength	Neatly integrated, no tinkering	One way to control all brands, expandable, no programming	Maximum freedom
Weakness	Hardly expandable, third-party devices are left out	Only supports devices whose interface has been integrated	You are your own developer, support and troubleshooter

Camper Jarvis is a retrofit system. At its centre sits the SmartKnob, a rotary knob with a display. Modules such as Volty, Fluidy, Ampy, Lighty, Heaty, Thermy and Switchy sit right next to your devices and send their data wirelessly to the SmartKnob. You don't need data cables running through the whole vehicle. Which module does what is shown in Which module does what: the overview.

What to look for before you buy

1. Does it work without internet?

A system for a vehicle has to be fully usable offline. Check whether control, display and automations run locally in the vehicle or need a server run by the manufacturer. If you have internet on board, that's a bonus, for updates for example. But you should have the choice. With Camper Jarvis everything runs locally, with no customer account and no app. What happens if the Wi-Fi drops out is explained in What happens if the Wi-Fi is gone?

2. Can you use it without your phone?

Your phone is a good second way to control things, but not a good first one. Look for a fixed control point in the vehicle and make sure wall push buttons keep working. Camper Jarvis gives you three equal ways: rotary knob, wall push buttons and the dashboard in your browser. All three are always in sync.

3. Does it suit your devices?

This is the most important point. Write down what is installed: battery and battery monitor, solar charge controller, DC-DC charger, inverter, heater, boiler, fridge, air conditioning. Then check whether the system talks to exactly these devices through their interface. Volty Pro, for example, reads Victron, Votronic and smart BMS, and Heaty currently controls the Autoterm 2D and 4D, Timberline 1.0 and 2.0, the Webasto Air Top and the Eberspächer Airtronic S2 and S3. Details are in Which devices Volty Pro can read and Smart control for the diesel heater in your camper.

4. How much power does the system itself use?

A control system runs around the clock. Every milliamp counts when you're off grid for days. Ask for measured values, not estimates. One example: in normal operation Switchy draws 56mA at 12.7V, which is around 1.3Ah per day.

5. How safe is the electronics?

A smart home in a vehicle switches power, heating and 230V. Look for CE conformity, reverse polarity protection, protection against overvoltage and undervoltage, and make sure the protective functions work in the module itself and not only in the central unit. Camper Jarvis is developed according to the development processes of the automotive industry.

6. Can you expand it later?

Hardly anyone builds everything at once. A good system lets you start small and add modules later, without running new cables to the central unit.

Step by step to your smart motorhome

1. Take stock: List all devices with manufacturer and model. Take photos of the rating plates and the existing controls.
2. Set priorities: What annoys you most today? Usually it's battery, water and heating. Start with those.
3. Place the central unit: The SmartKnob goes where you pass by most often, for example at the entrance or the kitchen unit. It is connected to the leisure battery with its own fuse.
4. Fit the modules to the devices: Each module sits where its device is: Volty at the power system, Fluidy at the tanks, Heaty at the heater. The cables to the devices are included.
5. Pair and set up: Modules pair with the SmartKnob in seconds. In the dashboard you create a widget for each function and give it a name that suits your vehicle.
6. Automate: Only once everything is running do you add scenes and automations. That way you know at every step what the system is doing.

Experienced self-builders can handle the installation themselves. For 230V the rule is: only a qualified electrician may make connections to the shore power system. Which fuses and cable sizes you need is explained in Cable size and fuse in a camper.

What everyday life in a smart camper looks like

• Good night with one tap: The lights dim, the heating turns down, the inverter and pump switch off.
• Hot by 7am: You set the time, and the system works out from the measured heat-up rate when the boiler needs to start.
• Solar power becomes hot water: When the battery is full and the sun keeps delivering, the surplus goes into the boiler instead of going to waste. More in Smart Solar Plus.
• Shore power automation: Plug in, and the boiler switches to automatic mode. Unplug, and it switches back.
• Night light instead of floodlight: If someone comes into the vehicle after 10pm, a soft red light comes on at 1% instead of the bright ceiling lights.
• Level without guesswork: The SmartKnob shows you how many centimetres of wedge go under each wheel. More in How to level your motorhome.
• Leak detected: If water is leaking somewhere or the pump keeps kicking in, you get a warning before the floor gets wet.

And still, the human always wins: if you switch something by hand while an automation is running, you take over immediately and visibly.

Motorhome, camper van or caravan?

The principle is the same everywhere, whether you're after a motorhome or a caravan control system. Camper Jarvis works with 9 to 36V, so it fits 12V and 24V electrical systems. Caravans often have no diesel heater, but shore power plays a bigger role. In an expedition vehicle with 24V and large tanks, an accurate tank level display is particularly worthwhile. In a panel van every centimetre counts, so the modules sit hidden next to the devices and only the SmartKnob is visible.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need internet for a smart home in my motorhome?

Not with Camper Jarvis. Control, dashboard and automations run locally in the vehicle. You open the dashboard in your browser, either in the SmartKnob's Wi-Fi or in your own Wi-Fi. If you have internet on board, you can use it for updates, for example.

Can I control my motorhome remotely?

Remote access over the internet is announced for the first quarter of 2027. It will then need an internet connection in the vehicle, for example via a mobile router. Everything else will keep running without internet.

Does it work with my existing control panel and power distribution unit?

Yes. The power distribution unit (in Germany called EBL) usually stays as it is. Camper Jarvis adds an extra layer on top and talks to the devices directly through their interfaces. How to add to or replace an existing panel is explained in Camper control panel and switching system.

Can I install it myself?

If you can wire 12V systems yourself, you can manage the installation. The cables to the devices come with the modules, and the dashboard guides you through the setup step by step. If you'd like a workshop to install it, we're happy to recommend a partner.

What happens if the central unit ever fails?

Lights and circuits on Lighty and Ampy can still be operated with the normal wall push buttons. The protective functions keep working in the module. Details are in What happens if the SmartKnob fails?

Do I have to buy everything at once?

No. You start with the SmartKnob and one module and add more later. A new module pairs in seconds, with no new cables to the SmartKnob.

Good to know: All modules are available. The shop still says “Coming soon” because the retail packaging isn't ready yet. If you don't want to wait, write to us directly. We'll put together the right system for your vehicle.