Ruuvi Sensors: A Game-Changer for Overlanding and Off-Grid Monitoring
Temperature and Humidity Monitoring at your fingertips.
Ruuvitag sensors are the best way we’ve found to keep track of whats going on with out fridge, tent and outside environment.
When you're traveling off-grid, monitoring conditions inside your vehicle, tent, or fridge is crucial. Temperature swings, unexpected humidity, and air pressure changes can impact food storage, comfort, and even gear performance. That's where Ruuvi sensors come in. These small yet powerful Bluetooth sensors provide real-time temperature, humidity, and air pressure tracking, making them an essential part of our overlanding setup.
Why We Use Ruuvi Sensors
We’ve integrated Ruuvi sensors into several key areas of our truck setup, and they’ve made a noticeable difference in how we monitor conditions on the road. Here’s how we use them:
1. Monitoring Our Fridge Temps
Our 12V Dometic drawer fridge didn’t come with a built-in temperature display or Bluetooth monitoring. That means we were left guessing whether our food was staying at a safe temperature.
How Ruuvi Helps: We place a Ruuvi sensor inside our fridge to track temperature and humidity.
Benefits:
Real-time temperature alerts prevent food spoilage.
Helps us adjust power settings based on conditions.
No need to open the fridge to check temp, just glance at the app.
a ruuvitag sensor can add bluetooth monitoring and alerts to your fridge or cooler to help keep your food fresh!
💡 Pro Tip: If you’re running a fridge in extreme conditions, set up custom alerts so you’re notified when the temperature gets too high or too low.
2. Tracking Interior Tent Temperatures
Whether it’s a rooftop tent or a ground tent, knowing the overnight temperature and humidity helps with planning layers, heating, and ventilation.
How Ruuvi Helps: We place a sensor inside our tent to track how cold it gets at night.
Benefits:
Allows us to compare inside vs. outside temps.
Helps dial in heater settings and venting for comfort.
Logs data over time so we can prep for future trips.
3. Measuring Outdoor Conditions
Weather conditions change quickly in the mountains and deserts, and staying ahead of the elements is key.
How Ruuvi Helps: We mount a Ruuvi sensor on the exterior of our truck to track outside temperature and humidity.
Benefits:
Helps us anticipate temperature swings for better layering and camp setup.
Tracks humidity levels, which can impact condensation inside the vehicle.
Integrating Ruuvi with the Victron Cerbo GX
One of the coolest features of these sensors is that they integrate seamlessly with the Victron Cerbo GX. Since we already use Victron for managing our power system, being able to see fridge, tent, and outdoor temps right on our power system display makes monitoring everything even easier.
How to Set It Up:
Ensure your Cerbo GX has Bluetooth enabled.
Add the Ruuvi sensor via the Victron Remote Console.
Name the sensors (e.g., "Fridge," "Tent," "Outside").
View real-time readings alongside battery and solar data.
💡 This integration eliminates the need to constantly check a phone app—just glance at your Cerbo screen!
Key Features of Ruuvi Sensors
Here’s why Ruuvi sensors stand out:
✅ Bluetooth Connectivity – No WiFi required; works even in remote locations.
✅ Real-Time Data Logging – Tracks trends over time to help with long-term planning.
✅ Custom Alerts – Get notified if temps exceed safe thresholds.
✅ Interior & Exterior Models – Designed for different environments.
✅ Victron Cerbo GX Integration – Centralized monitoring for off-grid setups.
Where to Buy Ruuvi Sensors
If you’re looking to upgrade your overlanding setup with real-time environmental monitoring, here’s where you can get Ruuvi sensors:
👉 Ruuvi Sensors on Amazon (Affiliate link)
👉 Official Ruuvi Store
Keep in mind: there are a few different types of ruuvitag sensors for interior and exterior use. be sure to Choose the correct sensor for your application.
Final Thoughts: Why We Recommend Ruuvi Sensors
We’ve been running these sensors for months, and they’ve become an essential part of our overland setup. Whether it’s preventing food from freezing, monitoring our sleeping environment, or keeping track of outside conditions, Ruuvi sensors give us the data we need to make better decisions on the road.
If you have any questions about setup, let us know in the comments! Would you add these to your overland rig?