The Best Way to Monitor Your RV’s Temperature While You’re Away
- Big Beard Battery Team
- Oct 15
- 3 min read
One of the biggest perks of outfitting your RV with a well-designed solar system is independence. You can stay off-grid longer, power what you need, and live on your own terms. But what about monitoring what’s happening inside your RV when you’re not around?
Whether you're leaving pets behind for a short hike or just want peace of mind while traveling, temperature monitoring inside your rig can be just as important as solar panel wattage or battery bank size.
That’s where Ruuvi Tags and your Victron solar setup come in.
What Are Ruuvi Tags?
If you’ve never heard of them, Ruuvi Tags are small, Bluetooth-based sensors made by a company in the Netherlands (just like Victron). They’re surprisingly powerful for their size — able to track temperature, humidity, and other environmental factors. Even better, they integrate cleanly into Victron systems via the Serbo GX, letting you monitor your RV’s internal climate from your dashboard or remotely via the Victron Remote Management portal (VRM).
Why Add Temp Sensors to Your Solar Design?
Solar design isn’t just about where the panels go or how big your inverter is — it’s about making the entire RV smarter and more self-sufficient. Temperature monitoring adds a layer of control and safety:
Pet Safety: If you leave animals behind in the RV, knowing the internal temp is life-or-death.
Fridge Monitoring: A failing fridge can spoil your food in hours. A temp spike tells you something’s wrong.
Inverter Heat: Electronics like your inverter or charge controller shouldn’t run too hot — monitoring ambient temp around them helps spot potential failures.
Smart solar systems today go beyond energy — they give you situational awareness of your entire rig.
How to Set Up Ruuvi Tags with Victron
Buy a Ruuvi Tag – You can grab them on Amazon or request them through BigBeard Battery with your solar kit.
Download the Ruuvi Station App – This is how you activate and configure the tag.
Remove the Battery Strip – When the sensor arrives, it has a plastic tab to prevent the battery from making contact. Remove it and you’re live.
Claim & Name the Sensor – Open the app, find the tag, and give it a name (e.g., “Fridge,” “Inverter,” “Bedroom”). You’ll “claim” it in the app so it links to your profile.
Place the Sensors – Drop one near your inverter, one inside your fridge, and one in the bedroom. You can even add one outside or in the bathroom for fun insights.
Once set up and linked to your Serbo GX, these sensors feed live data into your Victron system, which you can monitor from anywhere with an internet connection.
Make Solar Smart, Not Just Powerful
Too often, RV solar installs focus entirely on panels, batteries, and inverters. But a true solar design considers the user experience, comfort, and visibility into the system’s performance and environment.
When you know your refrigerator temp, your inverter’s operating conditions, and your RV bedroom climate while off-grid — that’s not just solar. That’s smart solar.
If you're ordering a Victron solar kit or planning an upgrade, consider adding Ruuvi Tags to your setup. It’s a small investment that gives you a big boost in peace of mind, especially when the rig is parked, unattended, or housing loved ones (furry or not).
Ready to add Ruuvi to your RV’s solar design? Drop us a message at BigBeardBattery.com — we’ll walk you through the options and make sure your solar setup isn’t just strong… it’s smart.