silverleaf monitoring system

Looking to have a monitoring system installed on my 2007 Phaeton mh.  I am trying to get an idea of cost and satisfaction level of current users of the Silverleaf system.  Also the Pressure Pro tire monitoring system which seems to be the only one compatible with Silverleaf.  Has anyone had the full dash system installed? Price? Am I gaining that much more info than I already have with the factory installed system?  Any and all info would be appreciated.


dee

I have been using various Silver Leaf systems for about 10 years. They provide a wealth of information that cant be provided by an on board system. The built in Silverleaf system (glass dash) systems are nice, but pretty pricey. I have used the VMSpc product with good results over a variety of delivery platforms (wired from a PC, Bluetooth, Wifi, and direct connect to the JIB).

It's a good system with a lot of different options.

Has anyone had the full dash system installed? Price? Am I gaining that much more info than I already have with the factory installed system?

Click to expand...

The Silverleaf, whether standalone or the VMSpc version, is an excellent display system but the fact that you ask that question makes me think the money would not be well-spent. Some drivers feel the need for more tech info about their vehicle operation, though I'm not sure they all actually use that info very much.  The factory-supplied dash provides all the info a typical RV driver might want or need, so buying a pricey electronic dashboard makes sense only if you are really interested in more detailed info, have some understanding of what that info means, and are willing to monitor it.

You seem to be asking if the system will provide extra value, but that really depends on YOU. If there is info you want that is not provided by the standard gauges and indicators, then you should consider one of the enhanced dash display systems. Since you don't seem to have an unfulfilled needs, I would say there is little or no value in having it.

A less techy alternative is the TripTek system from Coretronics. It's more of a trip computer than an engine monitor, but it includes display capability for several items not usually provided in the standard dashboard.  Some TripTek models also include monitoring for the SmartTire TPMS. Less technically oriented drivers may find it more in tune with their level of interest.

Yes, the Silverleaf can display the status of Pressure Pro tire sensors, though it requires  the Pressure Pro Gateway add-on to do it. You don't gain any functionality as far as tire pressure monitoring is concerned - you just include the TPMS info on the Silverleaf display. That's convenient if you utilize the Silverleaf as you primary visual dashboard.

If you your concern is the capability to display additional chassis technical info when & if something goes wrong, you may want to learn more about the capability of the dash on your Phaeton. The standard Freightliner chassis dash includes a small window (the one that normally shows the odometer) that is capable of showing a host of additional items via a menu of choices. It's not a really convenient user interface and impractical to use while driving, but it does give access to quite a bit of data. I believe the '07 Phaeton has the Freightliner MMDC panel display unit, which should be described in the chassis owner manual. If you don't have that, see theses sources:
http://www.rvtechlibrary.com/electronics/mmdc_overview.php
http://www.rvtechlibrary.com/electronics/mmdc_owners.pdf

Gary

thanks for the info.  I have talked to silverleaf and done some research to get familiar with it.  Very pricey.  I am familiar with the freightliner dash.  though it is not very user friendly it has a great deal of info on it.  I had to learn it the hard way.  I lost an injector last summer and thru long phone conversations with freightliner and caterpillar I learned how to navigate it.  I am probably going to pass on the silverleaf but I do think I should install a tire monitoring system.  Any thoughts on these?

dee

I have a SilverLeaf Glass dash with Pressure Pro, Genset and inverter tied into it, you also can have your tank monitors tied into it.

I like it very much but if you are trying to do it on the cheap...Forget it.

I think I know someone who has a complete VMSpc system (used) for sale. Even has the computer to display the data. Contact me offline and I'll check further if anyone is interested.

I have a VMSpc, round 9 pin connector with 6 wires available.

I've been using a Silverleaf VMSair for a couple of years now. Data is bluetoothed to a Samsung tablet that's dash-mounted, so there are no wires to mess with - a very clean installation. It displays all kinds of parameters that are easily scaled and prioritized for someone's particular needs. It's intuitive to use, and very easy to see at a glance that everything's OK, because the status indicators are all color coded.

A side benefit of using a tablet to display everything is, you can keep all your pubs on it as well - manuals, diagrams... everything. It does not, however, display TPMS information. TPMS info for our coach and toad is displayed on a small Minder Research display.

Kev

I have been using the SilverLeaf system since it was first introduced in 1998 at a Beaver Rally in Moltree, GA. I never move the coach until the VPSpc is online and showing engine data. The only dash gauges I ever look at are FUEL and system air pressure. Everything else is much more accurately displayed on the SliverLeaf. I have had it tell me of a fuel filter starting to plug before it effected engine performance.

We have a Monaco that had the Aladdin system in it. I had the folks at SilverLeaf install their replacement system for the Aladdin last fall, with the Pressure Pro tire option. I really like the fact that I can now see the pressure of all the tires on the rig and toad at one time without having to watch a TPMS cycle through each tire reading one at a time.

I have been using Silverleaf VMSpc and Street Atlas Since about 2006. I now have a 22" Dell monitor mounted over the steering near the roof where I can glance up and see the engine performance and where I am on the map. I have a micro computer dedicated to the system mounted just above the monitor. I wouldn't be without it. I have posted pictures of it before. The other posters have installed good systems.

A friend of mine has adopted the same concept with his MH. He found that it was as cheap as replacing some of his failed instrument meters and gave the same information plus a lot of extra useful data. He uses his laptop driving a 13" TV. I haven't seen his final design yet. I hope to see it in June.

Wonder if someone could help me? I have a Beaver motorhome with a bose home entertainment center controlled by a silverleaf monitoring system.
The system controls an amplifier in Zone2 that controls all the speakers.
On a recent replacement of the Alternator where the batteries were disconnected Zone 2 on the bose stopped working.
The silverleaf says Zone 2 is off
and I can't figure how to turn it back on so I can use my stereo.
All The RV shop can tell me is that has happened before and they don't know how to
turn it back on.
Any ideas?

You could try calling Silverleaf. Martin, the owner and technical guru, is a very helpful guy, although it's been a few years since I last talked with him.