Vehicle-based programmable appliance control systems and methods include a user control module and a transmitter module which are remotely located from one another. A wired connection, such as a vehicle wiring harness, directly interconnects the modules. The wired connection has two ends and is assigned solely to the modules as the user control module is connected to one end of the wired connection and the transmitter module is connected to the other end of the wired connection. The user control module includes a user control and the transmitter module includes a radio frequency transmitter. The user control module transmits a user activation signal based on assertion of the user control to the transmitter module for receipt by the transmitter via the wired connection. The transmitter transmits a radio frequency appliance activation signal based on the received user activation signal in order to activate an appliance.