Dawn of the Connected Caravan

When Head of Product Media Relations, Dirk Ellenbech decided to go on a caravanning tour to the UK he brought with him not only a shiny comfy camper van but also a slew of IoT and connected Vodafone products.

We caught up with Dirk, his wife, their dog and a camper van bristling with smart tech at Battersea Park in London.

One of the key features of this vehicle is security. With camper van theft and resale, a huge problem in Germany and across the EU, Dirk decided that a few optional extras were necessary.

the camper has Vodafone’s V-Auto autotracker installed with its companion phone app which will alert you, via GPS cleverness, if your vehicle isn’t quite where you thought you’d left it.

It also allows you to disable the engine when the vehicle is safely stopped. (And not while hurtling down an autobahn, in case you’re wondering!)
The autotracker also can also provide data on your driving, length of journey and directions taken, allowing the driver to adjust driving style or pick different routes.

Moving inside by unlocking the doors with another smartphone app we find more tech. A V-Home kit is installed with it’s infrared & standard sensors that detect movement during the day and night and can alert you of intruders or even fire, smoke or water damage via a smartphone app.

The V-Camera is also built in allowing Dirk and family to keep an eye on their four-legged friend, Hazel when they go to less dog-friendly places and have to leave her behind. Dirk told me that although 2-way communication is available through the system, Hazel isn’t keen and it’s purely used to make sure she isn’t getting up to anything she shouldn’t be.

And talking of four-legged friends, the camper isn’t the only thing that’s had a tech overhaul. Their dog Hazel has a V-Pet Tracker pod attached to her collar so her owners can keep an eye on her even if she can’t be seen. With Wifi Bluetooth and GPS you should be able to monitor your pet at all times via your smartphone.

Lastly but probably most usefully on long trips, is the Vodafone Gigacube wireless router, allowing the family to stream video and music to TV and devices while indoors. Of course you need to be in an area with network coverage but as Dirk says, it’s a whole lot easier than attempting to point a dish or an aerial in the right direction!

Though all the gear uses Vodafone sims, Dirk and family’s travels prove that it happily roams across various networks across Europe delivering safety security and entertainment on their travels. I’m sure they’ll have many miles of happy motoring.