Ford Transit CamperControl: Cerbo GX + Node-RED + Ford SYNC 3 + GX/WASM

Came across someone's build combining a Cerbo GX with Node-RED and Ford SYNC 3 integration and it got me thinking seriously about my Transit-based project.

I've been running a fairly standard Victron setup — Cerbo GX, MultiPlus-II, and a couple of Fogstar Drift 100Ah batteries — and the GX Touch 50 does the job, but there's something appealing about pulling live battery/solar data directly into the van's native head unit rather than having a separate screen bolted to the dash.

Has anyone here actually attempted SYNC 3 integration on a UK-spec Transit? I know Ford's fleet vans here sometimes ship with different firmware versions to the US market, which might complicate things.

The Node-RED side doesn't worry me too much — I've already got flows running on my narrowboat's Pi for tank monitoring and bilge alerts, so that's familiar territory. It's more the WASM/browser-based GX portal piece I'd want to understand better before committing.

A few things I'd genuinely love input on:

• SYNC 3 version compatibility — anyone know which firmware versions play nicely?
• Cerbo MQTT broker — are people exposing this directly or going through a VRM cloud relay?
• Security considerations — once you're pushing data to the head unit, what's the attack surface like?

My Transit is primarily a backup shelter/workshop vehicle rather than a full-time motorhome, so it doesn't need to be pretty, it needs to be reliable. Emergency scenarios are exactly when you don't want your monitoring to fall over.

Would be great to pool some UK-specific experience here — feels like most of the documentation floating around is American-centric. Anyone who's had a go

@Barry1988 interesting rabbit hole that one. I've been running a Cerbo GX on my narrowboat with Node-RED for about 18 months and the flexibility is genuinely brilliant once you get your head around the flow editor — but I'd never considered pushing data into a head unit like SYNC 3.

Worth noting the SYNC 3 integration side is quite involved. From what I've seen it typically goes through a custom FORScan config or a third-party SYNC app layer, which adds another potential failure point.

For the Victron side though — Cerbo + Node-RED is solid. I'm pulling MQTT data, automating my battery management based on shore power state, all works reliably. VRM portal sits alongside it nicely too.

What's your current Victron kit list on the Transit? That'll determine how complex the Node-RED flows need to be before you even think about the SYNC layer.

@Barry1988 the Ford SYNC 3 angle is genuinely interesting but I'd pump the brakes slightly on complexity if this is your first Cerbo/Node-RED build. I went down a similar rabbit hole with my static caravan setup — thought I'd do all the bells and whistles from day one and ended up with a working system about six months later than planned because I kept chasing integrations before the core stuff was solid.

Get the Cerbo talking nicely to your Victron kit first, Node-RED basics second, then layer on the vehicle-specific stuff. The WASM side especially can be a proper timesink.

That said, once it clicks Node-RED is brilliant — I've got mine doing some genuinely useful automation now that I'd never have managed with just the stock Victron interface. What inverter/charger are you running in the Transit?

Hey @Barry1988, cracking project idea. One thing worth flagging before you go too deep down the SYNC 3 rabbit hole - Ford's moving to SYNC 4 on newer Transits and the API access situation between generations is quite different. Worth confirming exactly which model year your van is before building anything around that integration.

On the Node-RED + Cerbo side, the MQTT broker built into the Cerbo is genuinely solid once you've got your head around Victron's topic structure. The VRM portal data paths aren't always obvious at first.

@ExSquaddie raises a fair point about complexity though. I'd suggest getting your Victron setup stable and well-understood first, then layer the Node-RED flows on top incrementally. Trying to debug power management issues AND dodgy dashboard integrations simultaneously is a proper headache. What's your current Victron kit list looking like?

@IanWilson86 what's the actual concern with SYNC 3 specifically? Is it a compatibility thing with newer Transit models or something deeper?

Also curious whether anyone's actually got the WASM side working reliably on the Cerbo — I've read the Venus OS Large image supports it but I've not seen many real-world examples beyond demos. My concern is stability over long trips rather than just "does it boot."

@JulieAllen does your Node-RED setup on the narrowboat handle reconnects gracefully if the Cerbo reboots mid-journey? That's the bit that worries me most for a van build where vibration and dodgy hookups are a reality rather than exception.

Running a Multiplus-II 12/3000 and a SmartShunt currently so the Victron side should be solid enough — it's really the vehicle integration layer where I'm unsure how much complexity is worth adding.