Avoiding Low clearance routes
Hi all! My name is kutter. I am new to the forum and new to RVing. My family and I have recently purchase a 5th wheel, 35ft length and 13.5ft tall. I am not new to trailers or towing, but have never o...
Forum Discussion
I'm a full-timer for almost 7 years, 46 states, over 65,000 miles.
I NEVER trust any electronic device to make my routes. I do run the route with my GPS the day, or a few days, before I travel. I also take that information into account as I plan my route with software, and print out my route and turn instructions before I start. I also know where I will stop for fuel and food, and look at those stops with Google maps. I'm 62 total feet long from the nose of the 22' long pickup to the end of the back of the rack on the rear of the trailer where we carry a sewer tote.
Like Mickeyfan0805 - that may be too much for some folks.
I also step through the GPS route - Turn by Turn - I haven't seen a GPS that does not allow you to do that. It's a powerful tool, with the ability to cause great damage if you do not know how to use all the features.
While towing I have TWO RV Gps running. A Garmin set on auto re-calc and auto zoom. One reason is that I prefer the traffic information from Garmin. If my planned route in the Garmin shows me going under low bridges, over bridges where I'm over the load limit, etc - I look at each one individually.
The second GPS is a Rand RV GPS. It is set to show ONE MILE ahead, and NO AUTO-RECALC. I want to see the turns and intersections coming up in the next minute. The GPS does show me how many miles to the next turn/ change of highway. If I miss a turn I do not want it telling me to turn immediately. I'll go to a safe place to stop and look at alternatives.
The GPS does not tell me where to go, my route. It advises me. The decision is mine, and there better be a DANGED GOOD reason for me to follow a suggestion from the GPS that conflicts with the planned route.
This might be more than some people want to do.
But I strongly advise everyone, if something seems weird or fishy. Stop. Look. Research. All that will cost you is a little time. Which is vastly cheaper than any likely damage or such.
Last but far from least - my wife understand my system. How to search for information online (it we have a cell signal - which is surprisingly unavailable in places in EVERY state we have traveled/ camped except Rhode Island). She also understand how to program the two GPS units. She is an important part of our travel process.
I NEVER trust any electronic device to make my routes. I do run the route with my GPS the day, or a few days, before I travel. I also take that information into account as I plan my route with software, and print out my route and turn instructions before I start. I also know where I will stop for fuel and food, and look at those stops with Google maps. I'm 62 total feet long from the nose of the 22' long pickup to the end of the back of the rack on the rear of the trailer where we carry a sewer tote.
Like Mickeyfan0805 - that may be too much for some folks.
I also step through the GPS route - Turn by Turn - I haven't seen a GPS that does not allow you to do that. It's a powerful tool, with the ability to cause great damage if you do not know how to use all the features.
While towing I have TWO RV Gps running. A Garmin set on auto re-calc and auto zoom. One reason is that I prefer the traffic information from Garmin. If my planned route in the Garmin shows me going under low bridges, over bridges where I'm over the load limit, etc - I look at each one individually.
The second GPS is a Rand RV GPS. It is set to show ONE MILE ahead, and NO AUTO-RECALC. I want to see the turns and intersections coming up in the next minute. The GPS does show me how many miles to the next turn/ change of highway. If I miss a turn I do not want it telling me to turn immediately. I'll go to a safe place to stop and look at alternatives.
The GPS does not tell me where to go, my route. It advises me. The decision is mine, and there better be a DANGED GOOD reason for me to follow a suggestion from the GPS that conflicts with the planned route.
This might be more than some people want to do.
But I strongly advise everyone, if something seems weird or fishy. Stop. Look. Research. All that will cost you is a little time. Which is vastly cheaper than any likely damage or such.
Last but far from least - my wife understand my system. How to search for information online (it we have a cell signal - which is surprisingly unavailable in places in EVERY state we have traveled/ camped except Rhode Island). She also understand how to program the two GPS units. She is an important part of our travel process.
