Scan Guage or something similar

legolas · 07-19-2018, 10:52 AM

I recently purchased a used 2017 Minnie Winnie 31 K. I previously had a 2008 Silverado and towed a 30' rear living TT. Decided to move to an MH mainly because I got tired of the hooking / unhooking. I am used to having a very nice instrument package - info center on the Silverado that gave me beau coup data...trans temp, tire pressures, oil change status etc; also the rearview had a compass and the radio had a clock. After 3 trips with the MH I am glad I made the move to the MH and am enjoying the benefits it provides over the TT.

What I am less happy about is the Ford instrument gauges, they are a disgrace.So basic as to be laughable. My MH new listed out at $104,000. For that amount I would have expected Winnebago to have an upgraded instrument package.

Now after the complaint has been lodged does anyone know of an after market device, package whatever that would provide some of what I gave up. FranklyI have not done any detailed research into the Scan Guage product I have only read others comments...frankly those have been pretty 50/50, some good some not.

am hoping that there may be something out there that will get me some of the data I want.....

I would appreciate any info you may have.

KTM251ss · 07-25-2018, 04:55 PM

I have an ultra gauge, $79, it has a lot of gauges available. I keep track of engine temp, fuel economy and engine load on it.

BobC · 07-25-2018, 05:55 PM

Any idea how well these devices work on older rigs, is their functionality severely limited? I have a 2002 Suncruiser with a Workhorse chassis.

BirchyBoy · 07-25-2018, 09:14 PM

Scan Guage II will work well for the Winnie. You can find the transmission codes online and add them to the unit. I have mine that starts in my Yukon, then my F-350 and now my Vista.

BirchyBoy · 07-25-2018, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BobC

Any idea how well these devices work on older rigs, is their functionality severely limited? I have a 2002 Suncruiser with a Workhorse chassis.

It will depend on whether your chassis has an OBD II system or not.

Rorytug · 08-01-2018, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KTM251ss

I have an ultra gauge, $79, it has a lot of gauges available. I keep track of engine temp, fuel economy and engine load on it.

My 2011 Itasca Sunova runs it just fine. The only thing it lacks is Transmission temp. There is a model that has that but it lacked other gauges I wanted and the instrument cluster has a trans temp guage.

I like the UltraGuage because of the larger screen and easy to read display. ScanGuage was too small for my liking.
UltraGauge OBDII Scan tool & Information Center

Kvw613 · 08-01-2018, 05:09 PM

Scangauge on my 2002 Itasca Horizon works great. Digital, simple, small, inexpensive. I like to watch voltage, water temp, trans fluid temp, and mpg. There is plenty more information, but you will only get what the sensors will give.

jdkskyking · 08-01-2018, 07:13 PM

I use the ScanGauge II. It provides a multitude of options and information. I mounted it above my instrument cluster.

Donut · 08-01-2018, 07:43 PM

I have a ScanGauge II and have used it on my past three vehicles. I agree the Ford gauges are horrible. What’s even worse, the gauges there are not useful. I recently watched my temps swing from 190-225 on the ScanGauge and my truck gauge didn't budge. Then when the temps jumped to 230, the gauge moved about 1/4”. Stupid

Anyway, I highly recommend the SGII. It’s been solid for 8+ years and I bet it will keep going forever. The one drawback is the small screen, so consider that if you have room for a larger, easier to read screen

John Mo · 08-01-2018, 08:22 PM

I've used a bluetooth OBD reader with the Torque app on Android devices. Not sure if there's a corresponding app on iOS. Cheaper than a SG.

bigb · 08-01-2018, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Mo

I've used a bluetooth OBD reader with the Torque app on Android devices. Not sure if there's a corresponding app on iOS. Cheaper than a SG.

Android tablets are cheap. I have a dedicated Galaxy tablet mounted on a Ram netbook mount and I run Torque Pro. Can monitor many different PIDs and set alarms etc. Wouldn't leave town without it.

Winterbagoal · 08-02-2018, 07:01 AM

ScanGauge II gets it's power directly from the OBD II connection.
External tablets and smartphones would need to be plugged in somewhere to keep charged and running, as most phones/tablets eat batteries faster when running background apps constantly. Or you would need a higher capacity battery.
Might be a consideration when choosing an external gauge/monitor/scanner?

SGII has plenty of make/model specific gauges that can be added (I believe up to 24?) per unit. It's customizable for specific vehicles. I like that it's smaller and doesn't block other instrument cluster items.

bigb · 08-02-2018, 07:36 AM

Mine stays plugged in all the time which is not a problem in my pickup as there are plenty of places to get power. The mount is low and in the center, just in front of my center console. Low enough to be out of the way but not so low that I can't read a gauge with a quick glance.
I did consider a Scanguage way back in their early days, it's a good unit and very simple to use. Before Torque Pro I actually ran AutoEnginuity on a netbook, now THAT was a bulky package but very capable and still is, but I hardly ever set it up anymore as the Torque app fills most of my needs at a fraction of the cost and size.