Benefits of Adding Electronic Access to RV Applications
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is continuing to be felt in every aspect of our societies and economies. One development has been a change in how people travel and vacation. Many people have taken to the road to explore the great outdoors in an effort to socially distance. As a result, the recreational vehicle (RV) market is booming, with sales of RV trailers and vehicles the strongest in decades.
With many people using their RVs as mobile offices and vacation homes, RV manufacturers can take advantage of this growing market by upgrading their vehicles with technology-driven touchpoint solutions, like electronic locks, latches and access controllers. These simple yet sophisticated mechanisms provide a range of technology options to provide safety, security and seamless rider experiences.
Electronic access solutions can be easily integrated into RV control systems to secure common access applications, including exterior baggage doors and toy haulers, as well as safes and cabinets located within the interior. They can also provide easier, more ergonomic access to storage areas within the RV as well as exterior doors and panels and trailer/haulers. Smart access mechanisms can enhance touchpoint experiences and help elevate the consumer’s impression of the quality and sophistication of these premium “homes on wheels.”
Current RV Business Growth
According to a report from the RV Industry Association, September 2020 sales of recreational vehicles increased 31.2% annually year over year. This continues a string of monthly sales increases that many in the industry attribute to the COVID-19 pandemic significantly changing consumer travel and vacation preferences.
The growth is mainly in the towable trailer RV market. Rather than book flights on an aircraft and stay in a hotel or condominium for a week (with all the perceived risks), people who once just considered buying a camping trailer are making the move to RVs. The advantage is simple to appreciate: Pick the destination or region you want to visit, find a campground and park your trailer. This allows RV owners to explore, while staying either outdoors most of the time or in a trailer with their immediate families.
The rapid and ongoing expansion of work-from-home for many people has also helped fuel the boom in RV sales. It’s possible to take the family and the trailer to a campground in the mountains or at the beach, enjoy the weekend and then work from the trailer, since most of the trailers being sold now have complete living facilities that mirror rooms at resort condos.
Securing RV Access Points
Today’s RVs are large-scale, 30+ foot vehicles — motorhomes and towable trailers — that truly are homes on wheels. Many of the popular models can easily sleep up to seven people. They have complete kitchens, multiple bedrooms and full baths, and comfortable sitting and dining areas.
They also feature an extensive array of storage compartments with access panels. There are two basic zones: the interior, which is primarily secured by the trailer’s door, and the exterior storage unit with door panels covering fuel intakes and service panels.
In addition, the appeal of “toy haulers”, which carry overflow items such as off-road vehicles, bicycles, camping gear and other equipment to are becoming more appealing to customers who are spending weeks on the road.
All these access points must be properly secured. That security comes in two layers: latching drawers and storage panel doors tightly closed, and locking them to protect against vandals and theft. RVs are moving vehicles, so latching must be highly secure and resist the effects of vibration. Not only that, RVs move from location to location, thus increasing the risk of forced entry and, therefore, the need for reliable locking mechanisms that are easy to use.
Electronic access solutions, including state-of-the-art electronic locks and compression latches, provide a smart and cost-effective way to fulfill these requirements. Electronic access solutions typically consist of three basic elements: an electronic lock, a user interface and digital credentials loaded to a convenient tool, such as an app that can then be accessed via a Bluetooth-enabled smartphone.
Until recently, exterior doors and storage panels commonly used physical keys or keypads for locking, although some have switched over to wireless key fobs for trailer entry door access. However, many RV manufacturers are now installing high-end control systems to manage a range of interior features and systems, such as lighting and temperature control.
These systems, similar to the ones being installed in homes, provide smartphone apps that allow users to remotely control interior features when they are away from their RV. Electronic access devices can be easily added as a module to these control systems, giving users more secure and consistent control over access to the trailer and external storage areas.
Inside the trailer, touchscreen control panels can be used to secure all the hatches and drawers with the simple push of a button— rather than taking an extra ten minutes to walk around inside and out to make sure everything is locked down before the vehicle gets underway. Feedback sensors can also be integrated into electronic locks to alert drivers if a specific door is not secured.
This integration is easy to accomplish, providing an incentive for RV manufacturers to consider making the investment. It also upgrades the quality and sophistication of the entire trailer’s control platform. As a result, RV manufacturers can simplify their designs without having to incorporate and wire-in separate sensors to determine whether a door or drawer is secured and locked — the modular electronic access mechanism does the work.
Electronic Latching Improves Ease of Use
RVs are vehicles — they move, so electronic access mechanisms need to provide assurance that all of the cabinets, drawers and storage doors that use them are firmly secured when the RV hits the road. Electronic access systems combined with compression latches can help address this challenge.
Electronic compression latches provide motorized assistance to create a tighter seal on doors, compared to standard latches where the pawl latches on the backside of the doorframe through purely mechanical latching. When a door outfitted with an electronic compression system closes, the latch engages and then compresses the door and gasket electrically the rest of the way to ensure that a complete seal is achieved.
This is helpful for larger exterior storage doors: with a tap of the button on a control pad, all the exterior doors can be fully secured and locked without the user needing to exert extra force to close them. Electronic compression latches can be highly useful on the large doors that secure toy haulers. These doors can range from six to eight feet in length and are often heavier than storage unit doors on trailer exteriors, so it can take added physical effort to latch them. Toy haulers typically use multi-cam latches, with multiple latches installed for securing both the left- and right-side doors.
An electronic compression latch can provide a complete and truly secure solution that can be initiated remotely from the mobile home’s cab or a button in the truck hauling the RV trailer and toy hauler. It can even be possible to prevent the RV from being driven until all the compression latches notify the system that they are fully secured.
Enhancing RV Security and Value
As RV manufacturers continue to provide a more complete, comfortable and sophisticated “home on wheels” experience, having the right access solutions can help protect these valuable investments from theft, damage and accidents inside the RV no matter where the road takes it.
These access solutions are complete systems that provide high functionality while helping RV manufacturers streamline their design and manufacturing challenges. They have the potential to replace multiple, disparate devices on different areas of the vehicle with a uniform set of electronic access systems that work together with the RV’s existing control system to provide reliable safety, security and convenience for the end user.
The modularity of these electronic access systems allows them to be easily integrated into existing RV control systems from the start; in this way, securing, locking, then unlocking and accessing storage units becomes standard behavior for the RV owner.
RV manufacturers that work with reputable electronic access system providers early in the design process can gain advantages as they roll out new vehicle models. Identifying key access points throughout the RV where enhanced security and control is necessary, they can work with these experts to determine the most effective and appropriate use of the latest access technologies.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is continuing to be felt in every aspect of our societies and economies. One development has been a change in how people travel and vacation. Many people have taken to the road to explore the great outdoors in an effort to socially distance. As a result, the recreational vehicle (RV) market is booming, with sales of RV trailers and vehicles the strongest in decades.
With many people using their RVs as mobile offices and vacation homes, RV manufacturers can take advantage of this growing market by upgrading their vehicles with technology-driven touchpoint solutions, like electronic locks, latches and access controllers. These simple yet sophisticated mechanisms provide a range of technology options to provide safety, security and seamless rider experiences.
Electronic access solutions can be easily integrated into RV control systems to secure common access applications, including exterior baggage doors and toy haulers, as well as safes and cabinets located within the interior. They can also provide easier, more ergonomic access to storage areas within the RV as well as exterior doors and panels and trailer/haulers. Smart access mechanisms can enhance touchpoint experiences and help elevate the consumer’s impression of the quality and sophistication of these premium “homes on wheels.”
Current RV Business Growth
According to a report from the RV Industry Association, September 2020 sales of recreational vehicles increased 31.2% annually year over year. This continues a string of monthly sales increases that many in the industry attribute to the COVID-19 pandemic significantly changing consumer travel and vacation preferences.
The growth is mainly in the towable trailer RV market. Rather than book flights on an aircraft and stay in a hotel or condominium for a week (with all the perceived risks), people who once just considered buying a camping trailer are making the move to RVs. The advantage is simple to appreciate: Pick the destination or region you want to visit, find a campground and park your trailer. This allows RV owners to explore, while staying either outdoors most of the time or in a trailer with their immediate families.
The rapid and ongoing expansion of work-from-home for many people has also helped fuel the boom in RV sales. It’s possible to take the family and the trailer to a campground in the mountains or at the beach, enjoy the weekend and then work from the trailer, since most of the trailers being sold now have complete living facilities that mirror rooms at resort condos.
Securing RV Access Points
Today’s RVs are large-scale, 30+ foot vehicles — motorhomes and towable trailers — that truly are homes on wheels. Many of the popular models can easily sleep up to seven people. They have complete kitchens, multiple bedrooms and full baths, and comfortable sitting and dining areas.
They also feature an extensive array of storage compartments with access panels. There are two basic zones: the interior, which is primarily secured by the trailer’s door, and the exterior storage unit with door panels covering fuel intakes and service panels.
In addition, the appeal of “toy haulers”, which carry overflow items such as off-road vehicles, bicycles, camping gear and other equipment to are becoming more appealing to customers who are spending weeks on the road.
All these access points must be properly secured. That security comes in two layers: latching drawers and storage panel doors tightly closed, and locking them to protect against vandals and theft. RVs are moving vehicles, so latching must be highly secure and resist the effects of vibration. Not only that, RVs move from location to location, thus increasing the risk of forced entry and, therefore, the need for reliable locking mechanisms that are easy to use.
Electronic access solutions, including state-of-the-art electronic locks and compression latches, provide a smart and cost-effective way to fulfill these requirements. Electronic access solutions typically consist of three basic elements: an electronic lock, a user interface and digital credentials loaded to a convenient tool, such as an app that can then be accessed via a Bluetooth-enabled smartphone.
Until recently, exterior doors and storage panels commonly used physical keys or keypads for locking, although some have switched over to wireless key fobs for trailer entry door access. However, many RV manufacturers are now installing high-end control systems to manage a range of interior features and systems, such as lighting and temperature control.
These systems, similar to the ones being installed in homes, provide smartphone apps that allow users to remotely control interior features when they are away from their RV. Electronic access devices can be easily added as a module to these control systems, giving users more secure and consistent control over access to the trailer and external storage areas.
Inside the trailer, touchscreen control panels can be used to secure all the hatches and drawers with the simple push of a button— rather than taking an extra ten minutes to walk around inside and out to make sure everything is locked down before the vehicle gets underway. Feedback sensors can also be integrated into electronic locks to alert drivers if a specific door is not secured.
This integration is easy to accomplish, providing an incentive for RV manufacturers to consider making the investment. It also upgrades the quality and sophistication of the entire trailer’s control platform. As a result, RV manufacturers can simplify their designs without having to incorporate and wire-in separate sensors to determine whether a door or drawer is secured and locked — the modular electronic access mechanism does the work.
Electronic Latching Improves Ease of Use
RVs are vehicles — they move, so electronic access mechanisms need to provide assurance that all of the cabinets, drawers and storage doors that use them are firmly secured when the RV hits the road. Electronic access systems combined with compression latches can help address this challenge.
Electronic compression latches provide motorized assistance to create a tighter seal on doors, compared to standard latches where the pawl latches on the backside of the doorframe through purely mechanical latching. When a door outfitted with an electronic compression system closes, the latch engages and then compresses the door and gasket electrically the rest of the way to ensure that a complete seal is achieved.
This is helpful for larger exterior storage doors: with a tap of the button on a control pad, all the exterior doors can be fully secured and locked without the user needing to exert extra force to close them. Electronic compression latches can be highly useful on the large doors that secure toy haulers. These doors can range from six to eight feet in length and are often heavier than storage unit doors on trailer exteriors, so it can take added physical effort to latch them. Toy haulers typically use multi-cam latches, with multiple latches installed for securing both the left- and right-side doors.
An electronic compression latch can provide a complete and truly secure solution that can be initiated remotely from the mobile home’s cab or a button in the truck hauling the RV trailer and toy hauler. It can even be possible to prevent the RV from being driven until all the compression latches notify the system that they are fully secured.
Enhancing RV Security and Value
As RV manufacturers continue to provide a more complete, comfortable and sophisticated “home on wheels” experience, having the right access solutions can help protect these valuable investments from theft, damage and accidents inside the RV no matter where the road takes it.
These access solutions are complete systems that provide high functionality while helping RV manufacturers streamline their design and manufacturing challenges. They have the potential to replace multiple, disparate devices on different areas of the vehicle with a uniform set of electronic access systems that work together with the RV’s existing control system to provide reliable safety, security and convenience for the end user.
The modularity of these electronic access systems allows them to be easily integrated into existing RV control systems from the start; in this way, securing, locking, then unlocking and accessing storage units becomes standard behavior for the RV owner.
RV manufacturers that work with reputable electronic access system providers early in the design process can gain advantages as they roll out new vehicle models. Identifying key access points throughout the RV where enhanced security and control is necessary, they can work with these experts to determine the most effective and appropriate use of the latest access technologies.
