Why the Nautilus system?

[ajg617]

Very good example. Before the Nautilus system, the above process would have been: I want to dry camp. I fill the fresh water tank, and I turn on the pump.

I remember when the touch screens were the hot ticket in vehicles. Cool, cool, cool. But they, discovered, after a relatively long while, that the process of tuning the radio, or adjusting the fan speed meant you had to scroll through menus, and submenus, all with your eyes off the road. Now many radios, and A/C controls come with simple knobs, and dials because tactile information means you can adjust things while keeping ones eyes on the road. Not as cool by orders of magnitude, but smarter in the long run.

Old style was good for how we used to camp - 4-5 day overnight with/without FHU. But for 30-40 day destination stuff with multiple stops, some dry some not, I find it convenient.

I can not accurately hit my 12" screen in a bouncing 3500 underway - DW has to do it and a fair chance a bump will cause wrong input even so. Gotten into submenus and had no idea how or worse how to get out without changing anything.

[Butcher]

Wait! No instructions to follow? Didn't you not fill the tank? Isn't that something you had to do? What about the pump, did you not have to do that too? Who told you that? Where did you read that?

As I mentioned, if you have read the owners manual, at some point you do not have to do that anymore. It becomes really easy because you already know.

Take this approach. You are a first time RV'er. You have no clue what you are doing. You need to fill up the tank? Where is that? Heck, the salesman did not show you that. Read the manual, learn how to do that. Oh look, it's not the same place you put the city water in. Wouldn't it be simpler to always use one place perform both tasks? I suspect that is what the Nautilus people started out.

Once people get it, it becomes intuitive. You do not have to read the manual.

IF they had buttons for every feature of a car, it would look like an older 747 cockpit. Trust me, the average person does not want that. I loved the Blackberry phone. I liked knowing what button I was pressing. To get all the enjoyment and capabilities of a new smart phone and an actual physical keyboard, I do not think I could put it in my pocket. I had to adapt and I still hate the virtual keyboard. I do like the self correcting feature and that prevents a lot of my errors.

I firmly believe that people dislike a new system because they compare it to the old system. Like new phones, laptops, etc. Once you get used to it, it usually is better. I refuse to use my wife's Apple phone because it sucks. Not because it does, lots of people like them. I refuse to use it because it sucks that I would have to learn a different way to get what I want. Android is better for me.

I also believe that people dislike a new system because of the learning curve [sometimes real steep] that they would have to endure to find out all the capabilities the system has.

BMW came out with a rotating dial to change screens, options, radio, etc. Their first version sucked. I mean really sucked. Not certain how the engineers thought that the average person could easily adapted to that. They kept improving as other manufactures laughed. I work on mostly German cars and after 10+ years of BMW's first attempt, most German manufactures have a rotating knob that changes everything. The better companies use the knob for the less used options and offer old school knobs for the more used options.

BTW, BMW's suck. Why? Because I have adapted to Mercedes way of thinking and refuse to learn such a poor way of thinking. See, I'm old too. I know BMW technicians that think Mercedes sucks. Sometimes, it's the way we are wired.



How about an awning. When I got my first 5th wheel, I had to learn how to move the lever on top of the reel so I could roll it out, lock the levers, sliders, etc. Those with older awnings, you know what I am saying. Now, you go inside the trailer, press the button that says extend when you want it out and press retract when you want it in. People love that kind of change. Simple and easy. Then there are others that complain that you have to bring it in when there is a breeze. Like how hard is that? Put your beer down, grab your phone, press the touch screen, and boom, fully retracted.

I value different opinions so do not think I am saying anyone is wrong. I just believe new ways of doing things are not always bad. Give it a try. Put your initial thoughts aside and try to adapt. You may find that the new smart phone is better than what we had in the 80's. Then again, you may still believe it sucks, but you gave it a fair shot and that is all I'm trying to say.

[Gronk1]

To the OPs question, my Nauilus panel works just fine & I'm used to it, my last trailer worked just fine without one. Would I get rid of it if I could? Nope, they don't sell 'em that way & I don't want to re-plumb the system I have. I do carry valves, pex & fittings just in case.

I do think the panel is a fix to a problem that didn't exist tho

[dryfly]

Wait! No instructions to follow? Didn't you not fill the tank? Isn't that something you had to do? What about the pump, did you not have to do that too? Who told you that? Where did you read that?

As I mentioned, if you have read the owners manual, at some point you do not have to do that anymore. It becomes really easy because you already know.

Take this approach. You are a first time RV'er. You have no clue what you are doing. You need to fill up the tank? Where is that? Heck, the salesman did not show you that. Read the manual, learn how to do that. Oh look, it's not the same place you put the city water in. Wouldn't it be simpler to always use one place perform both tasks? I suspect that is what the Nautilus people started out.

Once people get it, it becomes intuitive. You do not have to read the manual.

IF they had buttons for every feature of a car, it would look like an older 747 cockpit. Trust me, the average person does not want that. I loved the Blackberry phone. I liked knowing what button I was pressing. To get all the enjoyment and capabilities of a new smart phone and an actual physical keyboard, I do not think I could put it in my pocket. I had to adapt and I still hate the virtual keyboard. I do like the self correcting feature and that prevents a lot of my errors.

I firmly believe that people dislike a new system because they compare it to the old system. Like new phones, laptops, etc. Once you get used to it, it usually is better. I refuse to use my wife's Apple phone because it sucks. Not because it does, lots of people like them. I refuse to use it because it sucks that I would have to learn a different way to get what I want. Android is better for me.

I also believe that people dislike a new system because of the learning curve [sometimes real steep] that they would have to endure to find out all the capabilities the system has.

BMW came out with a rotating dial to change screens, options, radio, etc. Their first version sucked. I mean really sucked. Not certain how the engineers thought that the average person could easily adapted to that. They kept improving as other manufactures laughed. I work on mostly German cars and after 10+ years of BMW's first attempt, most German manufactures have a rotating knob that changes everything. The better companies use the knob for the less used options and offer old school knobs for the more used options.

BTW, BMW's suck. Why? Because I have adapted to Mercedes way of thinking and refuse to learn such a poor way of thinking. See, I'm old too. I know BMW technicians that think Mercedes sucks. Sometimes, it's the way we are wired.



How about an awning. When I got my first 5th wheel, I had to learn how to move the lever on top of the reel so I could roll it out, lock the levers, sliders, etc. Those with older awnings, you know what I am saying. Now, you go inside the trailer, press the button that says extend when you want it out and press retract when you want it in. People love that kind of change. Simple and easy. Then there are others that complain that you have to bring it in when there is a breeze. Like how hard is that? Put your beer down, grab your phone, press the touch screen, and boom, fully retracted.

I value different opinions so do not think I am saying anyone is wrong. I just believe new ways of doing things are not always bad. Give it a try. Put your initial thoughts aside and try to adapt. You may find that the new smart phone is better than what we had in the 80's. Then again, you may still believe it sucks, but you gave it a fair shot and that is all I'm trying to say.

You make some very good points. However, I did not mean the issue to be "it's too complicated" or "I don't like change". I guess change means different things to folks. To me it's worthwhile if it makes something more functional as well as reliable. When it comes to the Nautilus we see some but not all perceive it as more functional, but is it really more reliable?

After re-thinking this, maybe a hundred years ago we would have been having a discussion on whether the crank start on the cars were actually better and more reliable than the new electric start on the engine.

Time changes a lot of things.

[The_Lovells]

I do think the panel is a fix to a problem that didn't exist tho

I disagree I consider the Nautilus to be more like electric/power truck/car windows. You could always wind your windows up and down, electric power just makes it easier. The Nautilus panel did not solve a problem it simply replaced a simpler more time consuming, manual methodology. As an engineer I am all for replacing out of date "analog" methods with newer improved "digital" versions.

[NB Canada]

I disagree I consider the Nautilus to be more like electric/power truck/car windows. You could always wind your windows up and down, electric power just makes it easier. The Nautilus panel did not solve a problem it simply replaced a simpler more time consuming, manual methodology. As an engineer I am all for replacing out of date "analog" methods with newer improved "digital" versions.

But would you if you now have a much greater chance of not being able to open the window at all when it fails?

[Butcher]

A hammer opens a window, electric or not.

I'm old enough to work on manual windows and I would say, manual regulators failed as often as electric. Rarely is the repair rate.

[masterdrago]

I've not completed reading our manual yet. What's a nautilus? When we were buying our 3791RD, we were offered the "In Command" system. After hearing all it could do, I tried to visualize arriving back at the camper after one too many margaritas and trying to unlock the RV with my cell phone. I declined to get the "In Command". Our Convenience center looks much simpler than that in out 3791. I see no water heater bypass or a port for sucking the pink stuff into the water lines (I always blew them out using pressure from a wet vac to winterize). Two simple ways to fill the fresh water tank and not much more. Nautilus??

[NB Canada]

I've not completed reading our manual yet. What's a nautilus? When we were buying our 3791RD, we were offered the "In Command" system. After hearing all it could do, I tried to visualize arriving back at the camper after one too many margaritas and trying to unlock the RV with my cell phone. I declined to get the "In Command". Our Convenience center looks much simpler than that in out 3791. I see no water heater bypass or a port for sucking the pink stuff into the water lines (I always blew them out using pressure from a wet vac to winterize). Two simple ways to fill the fresh water tank and not much more. Nautilus??

It is a water,sanitation and winterizing panel on reflection and solitude trailers. Series of valves

Imagines don’t have it

[4x4dually]

I honestly do not feel that any engineer or company starts off any meeting with "How can we make this even more difficult for a new client"?

I guarantee there is a union of auto engineers out there that have company tee-shirts with this logo printed in bold right across the top! Case-in-point....fuel filter placement on 3rd gen dodge diesels. These people literally should be locked in portable toilets and set on fire. (calm down, it's a George Carlin quote, don't get all "ban-y" on me like facebook does)

There is very little concern as the functional use and longevity of these products to the consumer. It is geared toward "flashy and eye-catching" and who can me make think they need to buy this. If it was built to be reliable for the consumer, it wouldn't be built like it is...a convoluted mess of crappy crimp fittings and junk china hoses. It has colored handles with colored pictures so even the folks who take 14 tries to back a 20 ft camper into a wide open rv spot can operate it. This get products out the door while reducing tech support calls at the same time. It's a perfect "give me your money and leave me alone" gig!

I don't mean to come off so callus, but these products being built today are absolute poop if you ask me. Cheap chinesium junk from end to end. If we designed and provided our customers with products like this, we'd all be out of a job. Design goals are and should always be simplicity of design, over-built for demand, ease of assembly, ease of test, ease of repair, customer safety, etc. No where in our process do we ever discuss things like "as cheap as humanly possible" or "can we design it just well enough to get it out of our door".