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RV Glass Dash
Hi PC,
I just
downloaded my “RV Glass Dash” app from the Apple store (it’s free). I have been
a Beta tester, along with several others, for this app that Ray Davis developed and has just recently
brought to market. About 6 months ago I asked Ray if I could be a part of
the Beta testing because I really wanted a way to monitor, in real time, all
the perimeters of the engine and transmission, while I was driving. I also
wanted a back up “dash board” and a way to do some of the “pro driver”
calculations too. I had to buy a DDEC CANpod from Ray, it’s the little “magic” box
that plugs directly into the DDEC jack behind the drivers seat. So now, when I
turn the key on, it will transmit (wifi) all the information from the DDEC directly
to my ipad! I put up my ipad “holder” at eye level (to my left) suctioned on to
the windshield. When I got it all up and running I was just blown away! I can’t
say enough about how great this set up works! It’s just a comport to have all
this info at eye level running in real time. So far, I have driven over 13,000
miles with the “dash” and it’s been working without a hitch. I really like the
fact that I can monitor all the different temps as well. I now have all the important
info that I need to drive safely and stay informed right in front of me!
Anyway, I
thought I’d pass along the good news that there’s now a viable alternative
“dash board” named “RV Glass Dash” available to everybody. Almost forgot, there is also an
app from Ray where by I can read my DDEC codes too!
Here’s the web
site. http://rvtechtools.com/support.htmlCheers,
Fred
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33 Replies
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Fred,
We were testers for the “8V” crowd and we really like it. We were considering the Silver Leaf equiipment, but that meant we could only use it in the coach. Wiith Ap and the Ipad and anxillary equipment, we are not restricting the Ipad for coach use, only. The system is great: money well spent, thanks Ray,.
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Looks great! So how do I get the hardware and how much does it cost?
Ray looks like you have a winner here.
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A well deserved pat on the back to Ray, he’s been working on this a long time.
Anyway we can help via PC Ray, just let Jon and I know.
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Tom,
Thanks for the kind words.
Andre, although Fred indicated the app is free, I’m charging basically though the sale of the hardware. Apple gets 30% of a sale if it’s a paid app (plus an additional 28% taxes off the top), so I decided to put the app up on the store for free, but recoup via sale of the hardware. There is precedent there with a few automotive apps.
The hardware that will speak to the older buses like ours (prior to 2007) is somewhat specialized, and therefore a bit expensive. The wifi CANpod retails for $600. I am pricing the bundle of the CANpod, appropriate cable, and both applications (still have to get the DDec Error Decoder into the store) for $750. But, I will discount to any PC or POG member for $650, plus shipping.
I will also put you on the beta team, so that you can get access to the decoder app, until I release, which shouldn’t be a whole lot longer.
Feel free to contact me direct if you have any questions. You can reach me at ray@rvtechtools.com
Ray
ps: that does not include the price of an iPad !! 🙂
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The Glass Dash is GREAT!!! I was fortunate enough to be in early on when Ray was deveoping the app and have been very, very pleased with it. My former Country Coach had the glass dash that was super easy to read but there was always the concern about potential failure. That never happened – however had it occured I was covered with the Glass Dash on the IPad from Ray.
It addition to the above comment I now have a Liberty with the conventional hard to see, read dash from Prevost and the Glass Dash works great on it as well.
Job well done Ray.
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Ray,
What are the iPad requirements. I might buy one for this! 🙂 If I understand this will work on my 1991 DDEC II 8V92?
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I would sure would watch using the term “Glass Dash” I thought that belonged to Martin at SilverLeaf JMO
Clifford
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Tom,
The app should work with any iPad, however, I would highly suggest at least an iPad2, as it is quite a bit faster than the original iPad1. I have not yet tested with an iPad mini, but hope to purchase one soon.
Clifford, thanks for the heads up. I will certainly look to see if that is copyrighted. I don’t have any issue renaming the application. All of the code is 100% mine and was coded from the ground up, with the minor exception of referencing code snippets as reference from Apple examples as needed.
Ray
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So, just as a precaution, I have changed everything on my website to refer to “RV Dash” now instead of “RV Glass Dash”.
As soon as I do a bug-fix release or update, I will rename the app officially.
Ray
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Hey Tom Hamrick,
We have the same engine 8V-92 DDEC II and Rays app with the Ipad works great for us.
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Thanks Jim & Chris.
As they’ve mentioned, it will work. However, I will say, the older the DDEC, the fewer messages that are transmitted. Some of the default gauges will not work. I put two mechanisms in place for you to deal with that however.
In the edit screen, you can remove gauges that you know don’t get data.
Or, in the settings panel, there is a “Hide Unused Gauges” switch. When this is ON, when the gauges are first displayed at startup (or when changing orientation or gauge type), all the gauges are blanked out. As they get a message, they are activated and become visible. This keeps non-used gauges from ever showing.
Ray
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Ray does the trip meter work on a DDEC 11 with your setup
Clifford
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I’m honestly not sure how to answer that one? I’m guessing your are saying a DDEC2 here (not 11?).
In the app as it sits today on the apple store, there is a second page, which includes some of these I call “pro driver type values”
It currently contains fuel entries, like instaneous, average etc. I just now added two more entries, one for trip distance, and one for total distance, which did appear with my ddec4.
Whether or not they actually appear in a DDEC2 coach, I am not certain.
There is about 5 more similar parameters in the same “area” of the spec. These include:
total vehicle hours
total engine hours
total pto hours (this indicates high idle)
total engine revolutions
total fuel usedThese are likely available, however they are a bit special in that they are not streaming by default, and have to be requested by the software (in my case via the app). I haven’t added that yet, but certainly could, if worthwhile.
I am going to be getting the next version of the app into the app store, within the next day or two, so it will have these new values as well.
Ray
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I was in the beta testing phase with Ray. A great application indeed. I have a 99 Country Coach XL that had the “Glass Dash” and of course it went out after about a year and a half of ownership. The CC digital dash will go out sooner or later leaving you with no alternitive but to buy the SilverLeaf Glass Dash or Ray’s app. I have both. There are some parts available for the old digital dash from Nick Hessler as well as him being able to make the repairs. I think Nick was one of the engineers for CC on this project. Ray had not started the process when my dash went out so I had to go for the SilverLeaf set up. Although I could have just bought there VMS PC version an run it on a laptop computer, I didn’t think this was the proper way for me to do it. I could not go down the highway staring at a black screen that was not functioning. If there is something in my coach that is supposed to work, it will work.
Regaurdless of which way you go, be assured that Ray’s system is a must have even if all your instrumentation is working. You will get gauges with instrumentation you don’t currently have or only have a warning light for which goes on after the fact, some times.
Congrats Ray, a wonderful app. Glad to have been a part of.
Thanks
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Why is it I can’t find this app in the App Store as mentioned above? Every search comes up with no results.
Thanks
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