Remote Control Mobile Application for Motorhomes Owners

An IoT React Native app enabling remote control of motorhome devices via Bluetooth and cloud, serving one of Europe's largest motorhome manufacturers.

[ Client ]

About the Client

The client is one of the largest manufacturers of motorhomes and caravans in Europe. In addition to their original trademark, the client operates under various brand names. They wanted to digitize their vehicles by enabling remote control of onboard devices via a mobile application.

1st
German Innovation Award 2021: 2
Platforms: iOS & Android: 2021
SCU Motorhome Launch

[ Challenge ]

Digitizing the Motorhome Experience for a European Market Leader

The client, one of the largest manufacturers of motorhomes and caravans in Europe, wanted to digitize its business. Motorhomes are equipped with various electronic devices such as fridges, TVs, lighting, heaters, air conditioning, and satellite systems. The goal was to provide convenient control over all of these via a mobile application.

Three core challenges shaped the project:

Customer research: The client wanted to understand what devices customers use, when, and how often, to improve products based on real findings.
Beginner-friendly experience: Predefined settings would allow inexperienced campers to have an outstanding experience at the touch of a button.
Customizable automation: Users needed the ability to configure commands so that activating one function triggers related ones automatically, for example, switching on the light activates the heater and extends the satellite antenna.

[ Solution ]

Building the Solution

Akveo developed the mobile application for both iOS and Android using React Native with TypeScript and MobX for state management. To unify communication between the mobile app, backend, and SCU (Special Control Unit), we developed a custom protocol based on Protocol Buffers.

The BLE connection between the mobile app and SCU is secured. The application streams the state of all vehicle components in real time. Remote control via the cloud is also supported, with the app adapting transparently to the current connection type.

Key features delivered:

UI adaptation for tablets
Vehicle management via Bluetooth connection
Control over all components of a vehicle
Dashboards with real-time data from vehicle sensors
Offline mode
Demo mode
Localization, authentication, and authorization
Automated pairing of the mobile app with vehicles
Multiple configurable settings for different use cases

[ Results ]

Impact that Matters

The application launched alongside SCU-equipped motorhomes in April 2021 and went on to win 1st place at the German Innovation Award 2021.

German Innovation Award 2021: 1st place

The application won 1st place at the German Innovation Award 2021, recognizing the quality of the connected motorhome experience delivered.

Live on app stores at launch

The app launched alongside SCU-equipped motorhomes on April 1, 2021, available for download on both the App Store and Google Play from day one.

Multi-brand ready

The Eva design system integration allows the app's look and feel to be quickly adapted for the client's multiple brand names without rebuilding core functionality.

[ Tech Stack ]