How Camper Jarvis is built: SmartKnob, modules, dashboard

Updated 9 October 2026SmartKnob

Camper Jarvis is a modular system that lets you control and keep an eye on power, water, light, heating and your appliances in the camper. At the centre is the SmartKnob, a rotary knob with a display. Turn to select, press to confirm. All modules send their data to it wirelessly, with no cables in between. You set everything up comfortably in the dashboard in your browser.

The modules

You only combine the modules you need for your build:

  • SmartKnob: display and control centre. Your one place to go for everything in the camper.
  • Volty: your window into your energy. Reads battery monitors, solar charge controllers, inverters and battery management systems, for example from Victron or Votronic, and shows all values in one place.
  • Fluidy: keeps an eye on your water. Tank levels, temperatures, water pressure and leaks, so that neither an empty tank nor an unnoticed leak takes you by surprise.
  • Switchy: switches your appliances, via 4 channels for 12V or 24V and 4 channels for 230V. On top of that come 2 inputs for limit switches, for example on the lift bed.
  • Ampy: your digital fuse box. Every appliance gets its own connection with plus and minus and a fuse for which you set when and how quickly it trips. Developed to the safety standard that also applies in cars. In addition to the SmartKnob and your phone, every connection can also be operated with a push button or switch on the wall.
  • Lighty: your lighting control with 5 channels. Controls colour LED strips with warm and cool white, five individual lights or any mix, for example one colour strip plus two individual lights. Dims flicker-free and silently, handles up to 20A, has digital fuses like Ampy and a connection for a wall push button.
  • Lighty Extension: the small add-on box that lets you connect up to 5 push buttons to one Lighty. This way you can also switch five different lights by hand.
  • Heaty: the connection to your diesel heater. It connects directly to the heater with the matching wiring harness, which is included.
  • Thermy: the connection to your fridge and air conditioning.

Good to know: lights and appliances on Ampy and Lighty do not depend on the SmartKnob alone. The wall push buttons keep switching without it. More on this in What happens if the SmartKnob fails?

Scenes and automations

It gets really good when your modules work together. With scenes you put a whole mood on a single tap: "Good night" dims the lights, turns the heating down and switches appliances off, all in one moment.

Automations build on this: routines that start by themselves at the right time or under the right conditions. For example, the heating that warms up in the morning before you get up. You set it up once, and after that your camper thinks ahead for you.

How the devices talk to each other

All modules communicate over their own protected wireless connection directly with the SmartKnob, never with each other. You reach the dashboard on the same Wi-Fi at http://jarvis.local.

Camper Jarvis needs no customer account, no app and no internet. If you have internet on board, you can use it, for example for updates. The choice is yours. Your camper belongs to you, and so does your data.

Related questions

How do I connect a new module to the SmartKnob?

Pairing practically takes care of itself. You start it on the SmartKnob or in the dashboard and then power up the module. An LED and a sound on the SmartKnob confirm that the connection is up. That is all there is to it: no cable to the SmartKnob, no configuration, no searching for networks. The only thing that matters is that your SmartKnob is already running, because the modules always connect to it. With Lighty: right after pairing, its wall push buttons stop responding. Create a light widget for each light in the dashboard and switch on "Push button" in it, then they switch again.

Can I use several modules at the same time?

Yes, up to 20 modules at the same time, in any combination. That is enough for almost any camper conversion, from a compact panel van to a fully equipped motorhome. If you want to add several modules one after the other, the SmartKnob stays ready to receive for a short while after each successful pairing. You simply power up the next module.

What is the difference between AP and STA mode?

The two modes only decide which Wi-Fi network you use to open your dashboard on your phone or tablet. They have no effect on your modules. • AP mode: the SmartKnob opens its own Wi-Fi network and you connect your phone or tablet directly to it. You need no router and no internet, ideal when you are parked off-grid. • STA mode: the SmartKnob joins your existing Wi-Fi network, for example your camper router or your phone's hotspot. That is handy if you want internet access at the same time, for instance for online updates. You can switch between the two at any time.

What happens if my Wi-Fi drops out?

You are still never locked out. If the SmartKnob loses the connection to your Wi-Fi network, because the router is off, you have moved to another pitch or you are simply out of range, it automatically opens its own Wi-Fi network again. You can then reach the dashboard directly through it straight away. As soon as your usual network is back, it reconnects to it by itself. You do not have to do a thing.

What happens if the SmartKnob fails?

Ampy and Lighty keep their settings and carry on working. You simply keep switching and dimming lights and appliances at the wall switch, fuses and voltage protection stay active, and the outputs stay as they are. The display, dashboard, scenes, automations, the double tap for all lights and the wireless push buttons pause. This is a fallback, not a permanent state: without the SmartKnob you cannot change settings such as fuse values, and dimming only works with push buttons, not with switches. The one exception: an Ampy output set up as a heating element switches itself off after 10 minutes for safety, so that no boiler keeps heating unattended. We are also working on a backup function where a module takes over the dashboard, so that the whole system can still be operated from your phone and tablet.

What do I need to watch out for when mounting the SmartKnob?

The wall surface under the mounting plate must be flat: no more than 0.5mm of unevenness across the whole area of the mounting plate. If the wall is bent, curved or warped, the SmartKnob will not click in cleanly. Check the surface with a straight edge before screwing the plate on. Double-sided tape on the back of the mounting plate gives extra hold.

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