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A separate owner app could avoid Pebble iPad device management

8 months ago

I think Pebble would have to release a second version of the Pebble App to run on the iPhone. The OEM iPad is pretty locked down using Mobile Device Management profiles, so effectively owned by Pebble: apps can't be added/deleted; locked onto the Pebble wireless network for monitoring; etc.

I would suspect they would need to consider a “lite” version more aligned with standard apps on the Apple App Store, maybe focused on owner remote-monitoring features. I know I will not be opening my personal devices up to Pebble monitoring and device management. But a standard app with required individual owner logins that provided access to remote view various features seems doable.

app remote-monitoring iphone privacy

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19 comments

7mo ago

I'm traveling solo these days, so the bike will go inside for now.

I haven't taken my ball hitch or bike rack off any of my SUVs for years when not towing or carrying bikes. Nobody, even New Yorkers, wants to hit one of those bad boys.

7mo ago

Not my area of expertise, but my Rivian iPhone app (and my Polestar app to a lesser extent) is so much more user-friendly, functional, attractive, and stable than the Pebble iPad app. Is it really so hard?

7mo ago

There is an iPhone app—in beta. More coming soon! I will say that with the iPad app, they have been able to make changes through their own improvement or community feedback, so keep providing it.

7mo ago

I imagine a phone app probably being used differently from the iPad—yes? Would it need to be on the Pebble network, therefore only usable around the campsite? Assuming instead a cell connection, I would think some of the same controls, but more focused on remote access to a subset of controls: climate, door lock, cameras (once we get camera access), exterior lights, etc. But adding scheduling for some of these features would also go a long way.

7mo ago

(Following message moved from electrical as it morphed more into an accessory topic.)

7mo ago

My new Yakima StageTwo bike rack for the rear of the Pebble should arrive today, but I'm going to explain why I chose it before it is installed and used based on my non-standard use case.

I have many decades of experience with Yakima rack products and, over the years, although I have researched many rack products, I have stuck with Yakima. They can be depended upon to have four main attributes: (1) a very usable and interchangeable locking system; (2) heavy duty and hold up over time; (3) heavy—not a positive quality, but it goes with the heavy-duty part; and (4) pretty expensive—again, not exactly a positive quality, but goes with the other attributes and I typically buy (or build) for longevity.

Use case: My wife and I have just made the switch from regular bikes to e-bikes. I looked for a year and a half for fold-up e-bikes specifically sized such that they would fit, folded, completely under the tonneau cover of my Rivian R1T (and met our other use-case criteria). I finally found two that work for this (Blaupunkt)—under 17" wide when folded and lying on their sides (NOT 23" like the specs say).

Our e-bikes (47 lbs each) will NOT be TRANSPORTED on the rear of the Pebble but instead out of sight/weather under my truck tonneau cover. Technically (per Yakima specs) the StageTwo rack is not approved for RV usage on the 1.25" hitch. The rack folds up vertical when not loaded with bikes, has impressive strength and locking options, and is available with an optional lighting and license mount kit which I will also use (once I confirm the wiring options).

When on the Pebble, it will be used SOLELY as a rack to hold and lock our unfolded e-bikes when the Pebble is PARKED, so its RV-use rating doesn't matter to me. It will also be used as needed as a typical bike rack on the rear of my Rivian (with a 2"-to-1.25" hitch adapter). And it gets great reviews.

7mo ago

Thanks for the post. I have also been looking for foldable e-bikes that would fit under my Rivian's tonneau cover for the same reason—not quite trusting the weight of e-bikes on a rack bouncing around on the back of the RV with that much leverage.

It turns out to be a rather difficult thing to search for because “folded thickness” is not a common search criterion, so you have to open a lot of websites only to find that nothing fits. Others I've found that look like they might work under a Rivian's bed cover are Tern, Brompton, and Montague. All of them have a track record of building folding bikes and none of them are inexpensive. However, I have not yet actually seen any of them live, let alone purchased yet.

7mo ago

Yep—exactly what I ran into: little information on bike width dimensions when folded. But I now realize that manufacturer-published dimension specs can be inaccurate. I found our bikes by happenstance at an RV show and was able to physically measure them folded up—I would have passed them by based on the published specs of 23” wide.

For the record, I have the V2 Rivian Power Tonneau cover. To get under the V2 PTC, max width needs to be about 17.5". And to fit under that as well as ideally use the raised Thunderbolt Bed Glider I also have in the bed requires more like 16". The Blaupunkts fit snug, but they fit and work perfectly for our use cases.

You might also check out the Urtopia Carbon Fold and the Carbo X—very light and about the same list price as my Blaupunkts. I got mine through General RV, which apparently now carries them in all General RV locations nationwide.

7mo ago

Did I understand that right? You're only using the rack when parked? Not while driving?

Yakima makes great racks, as does my Kuat, but I was assuming I need to find a lightweight aluminum rack rather than steel. Weight being the main issue here. I was thinking of looking up non-bike aluminum racks that could be rigged for this. Electric bikes are always heavy (I'll remove the battery for transport) and no way I'm giving up my brand-new bike for a folder. I get that totally though if starting from scratch.

7mo ago

I won’t risk my e-bike back there on an adapter or non-rated rack, so I decided to create additional storage for lightweight bulky items.

7mo ago

Yes, you did understand correctly. I will be using the Yakima StageTwo bike rack primarily as a secure locking and storage platform on the back of the Pebble when it is stationary. All my previous experience is with 2" hitch receivers and therefore I have not built up a lot of faith in the strength of the 1.25" receiver on the Pebble.

The bike rack I chose primarily for theft deterrence, ability to fold up, and available auxiliary light kit. Bike hitch = 64#; 2 e-bikes at 42# each (with 5# battery removed for each); light kit approx. 5#. Total: 153#. Pebble says, depending on where you get the info, the hitch can support 160 lbs or 200 lbs, and Yakima does NOT recommend this rack (or pretty much any 1.25" rack) for rear of RVs.

Transporting the bikes out of sight and weather, folded, under my truck tonneau cover works perfectly for me. And add about 12# of Kryptonite hard-core bike chain locks on the rear, which we will use at campsites, would put me over the limit for transport anyway. And I can use the rack on the back of my Rivian (with a 2"-to-1.25" hitch adapter) locally. May sound like a crazy approach, but works for us.

7mo ago

Can you post a link to hose with camlock fittings? Or maybe easier to order a spare from Pebble?

7mo ago

Cobbling together the parts wasn’t going to produce as neat and compact a hose assembly as Pebble had procured. I suggested to Pebble that they make spares available for purchase, and received a positive response. Stay tuned.

7mo ago

I will after I receive parts and validate first.

7mo ago

Same idea with charger—mine was defective. I had to Amazon one to a local hotel until the replacement came.

7mo ago

If you get a spare charger, look for one slightly longer than Pebble's, that way you have versatility if added length is needed. A few feet could make the difference. Twenty-five feet barely made it from my F-150 to charge the Pebble unhitched when I parked in front of it.

7mo ago

I also like having something on the rear to take a light bump, rather than the pretty fiberglass stern.

A separate owner app could avoid Pebble iPad device management

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19 comments

Related

19 comments