Remember those old Star Trek episodes in which every time there was a problem with the Enterprise, Captain Kirk would get Scotty on the intercom and ask him to run a “systems diagnostic”? It seemed like the highest of high-tech fantasies, didn’t it? A computer that could,in seconds, tell you what was wrong with every working component of a starship. Although it was certainly something that belonged in fantasies of the future, at the time it didn’t seem like a 21st-century possibility.

Well, the Navion R5000 may not be as complex as the Enterprise’s diagnostic system, but it’s no kiddie windup toy either. In fact, this marvel of modern technology includes six different integrated systems that are guaranteed to make your trip safer and even more enjoyable.

Designed specifically to fit into the same dashboard space used for camera monitors, the R5000 is one of those RV add-ons that is sure to make your life easier. Among its many features is a vehicle systems monitor with a large color display that gives you important engine and HVAC data. There is also a monitor that checks the tire pressure not only on the rig itself, but on the tow vehicle as well (tow vehicle monitoring is part of an optional package). A trip computer allows you to specify the information you want to measure – speed, mileage, fuel consumption – and customize it for a specific route or time period. It even includes a display that informs you of your vehicle’s maintenance schedules.

But wait, there’s more. The Navion R5000 also includes a camera display system, which consists of three exterior cameras plus a rear camera microphone. It allows for camera mounting in the areas you need them the most, like blind spots or curbside. Also, its optional navigation system allows you to access route information like local restaurants, hotels and gas stations. The unit comes pre-loaded with detailed street breakdowns for all of North America, and its computerized voice capability can be used to obtain directions by street name. (You’re forgiven if thoughts of HAL, the talkative computer in 2001: A Space Odyssey, are now dancing through your head.)

As if that weren’t enough, the R5000 also comes   complete with an amazing entertainment system that features a crystal clear 7” color LCD screen and user-friendly menus that even a first-year cadet at Starfleet Academy could figure out. The system is iPod compatible and includes a digital radio tuner and CD audio setup. And if you want to spring for it, you can connect to Sirius satellite radio as well.

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OK, so unlike the Enterprise, the R5000 doesn’t come with defensive shields or dilithium crystals, but rest assured, it tells you what you need to know, when you need to know it. And there’s no need for Scotty to   troubleshoot. If that sounds positively futuristic – well, it is. Eat your heart out, Captain James T. Kirk. For further  details, visit www.lectronix.biz/NavionR5000.