nomadPi

This is a software stack designed to run on the Raspberry Pi that lets you control everything within your campervan, boat or tiny home.

It was initiated as an alternative software stack for the VanPi platform (GitHub repo), which it aims at supporting in the future, but it can also run independently.

Check out the video below for an introduction to the system:

Main features

Here is a list of the main features of the stack.

• Relays and WiFi relays

  Control appliances through relays and WiFi relays, organize your control panel and map single buttons to multiple switches.

• Batteries

  Monitor the state of charge, current load and remaining capacity of your battery bank.

• Water tanks

  Monitor the level of your tanks (fresh water, grey water etc.).

• Heater and thermostat

  Control your heater through a smart thermostat, set the desired temperature and the timer on which it should run.

• Solar chargers

  Monitor the state of your solar charge controller, including generated power and charging status.

• Security cameras and alarm

  Install an AI-powered surveillance system and set up rules to trigger an alarm while you are away, powered by Frigate.

• GPS tracking

  Monitor the current position of your van and its travel history.

• Remote access

  Check on the status of your system and control it from anywhere in the world through a Cloudflare tunnel.

• Cloud backup

  Setup your own Nextcloud cloud where files from your system are synced (including surveillance videos) in order to have full access even if the system goes offline.

• Integrated voice assistant

  Control your system with your voice, ask about the state of different components or about anything you like.

Requirements

The stack can be installed on a fresh installation of Raspbian OS (recommended Lite 64bit). It is compatible with (at least) the Raspberry Pi 4 and Raspberry Pi 5.

Getting Started

Check out this video guiding you through the steps necessary to install nomadPi onto your Raspberry Pi:

1. Flash a copy of Raspbian OS lite 64-bit and boot your Raspberry Pi.

2. SSH into your Raspberry Pi after it booted (this might take some minutes upon first run). The command below assumes you chose pi as your username and raspberrypi as your hostname, while flashing the OS.

   ssh pi@raspberrypi.local

3. Run the install script:

   wget -q -O - "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/coconup/nomadpi/master/install.sh" | dos2unix | bash

   This script installs all necessary dependencies, Docker and Docker Compose. It will reboot the Pi after it runs.

4. After rebooting, SSH into your Raspberry Pi again and start the stack:

   cd ~/nomadpi
   ./start.sh

Services and resources

Core services

• nomadPi React: React-based frontend (GitHub project). Access it at http://raspberrypi.local:3000.

• Portainer CE: Web-based Docker management interface. Access it at http://raspberrypi.local:9000.

• Frigate: AI-powered surveillance service for CCTV that employs real-time object detection and alerts for enhanced security monitoring. Access it at http://raspberrypi.local:5000.

• nomadPi Core API: Node-RED-based core API for controlling the nomadPi hardware (GitHub project). Access it at http://raspberrypi.local:1880.

• nomadPi Automation API: Node-RED-based automation API (GitHub project). Access it at http://raspberrypi.local:1881.

• nomadPi App API: Node.js API serving the React application (GitHub project). Access it at http://raspberrypi.local:3001.

Additional Services

• GPSD: GPS daemon container.

• Mosquitto: MQTT broker for communication between services.

• MariaDB: MariaDB database for storing configuration data.

• Zigbee2mqtt: Zigbee to MQTT bridge.

• Cloudflared tunnel: Container for running Cloudflare Tunnel.

• Nextcloud client: Client for backing up your data onto a remote Nextcloud installation.

Supported hardware

Here is a list of currently supported devices and affiliate links for where to purchase them. Pull requests for additional devices support are highly valued.

Raspberry Pi

Model	Purchase links
Raspberry Pi 5 8gb	link
Raspberry Pi 4 8gb	link

WiFi relays

Vendor	Description	Purchase links
Tasmota	Any tasmota WiFi relay	link

Batteries

Check out this article about building your own battery for a budget, compatible with the supported BMS below.

Vendor	Description	Purchase links
JBD	JBD BMS's with bluetooth connection	- 100-150A - 200A
Liontron	LiFePo4 batteries with bluetooth connection	- 🇪🇺 100Ah - 🇬🇧 100Ah

Solar chargers

Vendor	Description	Purchase links
Renogy	MPPT (+ DC/DC) chargers with bluetooth connection	- 🇪🇺 50A MPPT+DC/DC - 🇪🇺 60A MPPT - 🇪🇺 40A MPPT - 🇪🇺 30A MPPT -🇪🇺 Other Renogy MPPT chargers - 🇺🇸 50A MPPT+DC/DC - 🇺🇸 30A MPPT+DC/DC - 🇺🇸 60A MPPT - 🇺🇸 40A MPPT - 🇺🇸 30A MPPT- 🇺🇸 Other Renogy MPPT chargers - 🇺🇸 30A MPPT - BT-2 Adapter
SRNE	MPPT + DC/DC charger with bluetooth connection	- 50A MPPT+DC/DC - BT-2 Adapter

GPS trackers

Vendor	Description	Purchase links
Various	Any GPS USB dongle	link

Water tank sensors

Vendor	Description	Purchase links
DIY	Ultrasonic sensor JSN-SR20-Y1 + ESP8266 board	- JSN-SR20-Y1 - 🇪🇺 ESP8266 - 🇺🇸 ESP8266

Security cameras

Any camera compatible with Frigate is supported. Some examples below.

Vendor	Description	Purchase links
Reolink	Any Reolink camera	- RLC-520A - Other Reolink cameras
Google Coral	Edge TPU, highly recommended for speeding up object recognition in Frigate	- link

Heaters

Vendor	Description	Purchase links
Webasto	Thermo Top Evo 5 (hydronic)	link

Supporting the project

If you feel like it, you can financially support the project in one of these ways:

• Make a monthly contribution through Patreon
• Make a one-time donation via Paypal
• Purchase supported hardware through the affiliate links above