Almot wrote:
Sagebrush wrote:
Here is an example of open source "free" Garmin compatible maps from GPSFile Depot for Canada: https://www.gpsfiledepot.com/maps/country/ca
The TOPO maps show all the details you need for off pavement adventures, dirt roads, hiking trails, creeks, lakes, rivers, back country camp sites ect..
You can also load Topo maps on smart phones too, but I've always used Garmin GPS units, thats all I'm familiar with.
Actually I do have a very old Garmin 76CS collecting dust. Tiny screen 2.2" x 1.6", smaller than Street Pilot 2620. My modest phone is 4" x 2.3".
Maybe those topo maps will work, they have more offroad details than maps in Co-pilot or Osmand. Brightness and resolution are no comparison to my phone, but it is very rugged. Old Garmin, more than 15 years. Car GPS didn't exist back then, except for military and police.
I used three 2620's with the open sourced Topo maps over the years, but I finally bought a newer 396 zumo for the motorcycle. I may end up going back to a Garmin GPS. So far the android GPS apps are not getting the job done for me.
I've been using CoPilot and it has not been good lately with the RV routes. The RV routing is a joke, either its way too conservative and runs you way around on interstates or it puts you on a mountain goat path. Its routing me on roads I can't fit on after taking me way out the way. I can't believe truckers could use the app around here successfully.
It can't even get me to the interstate from my house without pointing me to a steep lane and a half road with a tight switch back and deep ditches. Its okay for non-towing routes, but my whole point of using it was RV routing. I can do better with base camp sadly.
I'm trying Sygic now. It is better so far, I can avoid the roads I know are no good with the trailer in tow easily. You can mark a road as "always avoid" and report it too. The POI's are better, I can look up a camp ground name on Sygic fast that CoPilot could not find by name at all. Both apps choose questionable roads for a large rig, but Sygic has more options that let you avoid them and it reroutes well. Sygic Truck app is faster than the CoPilot RV app.
