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solman's avatar
solman
Explorer
Feb 28, 2020

Best GPS or trip planner to avoid low bridges

Hello All,
I am not sure if this is the best place to post this thread. Moderators feel free to move as needed.
We just purchased our first fifth wheel. It's a Keystone 315 RLS that DW fell in love with. She insisted on a 2nd A/C unit for the bedroom as the camper is 35 feet long. My last camper I just traded was a toy hauler with a clearance height of 12'4".
New height on the 5er is 13'5". I think I might have to take the long way at times especially living in the North East.
I looked at GPS units for RVing but find many negative reviews concerning poor routing and inaccurate bridge height guidance.
What are you using to keep out of trouble with a larger and taller RV?
Thanks
  • I use RV Trip Wizard. It's an online program only for $39/Year, but after I plan my trip, I re-create it in Google Maps and send it to my phone for navigation. It hasn't failed me yet. The program has a way to send trips to your phone but you can't use them for navigation so that's why I re-create them for that purpose.
  • Low clearance poi’s adds low clearance locations to your gps as poi’s you pay for the database and the copilot app allows you to create a profile using your own weight and heights and routes accordingly.
  • While not a planner, we found the "RV Parky" phone app to be an invaluable resource.
    It includes a ton of filters for campgrounds,free places and Wal Marts. Road hazards such as low overpasses are denoted by a red triangle.
  • I have the Garmin 660 GPS. It allows you to set up types of vehicles such as car or 5th Wheel or motorhome. You enter the vehicles data such as height, weight and length and it uses this to calculate your route.

    On word of caution it will change your route when you least expect it. We travel to Myrtle Beach from south west PA down 79 19 to 77 and it wants to change the route to avoid that steep hill on 77 going into North Carolina. I've towed up and down that hill at least a dozen times or more but the GPS tries to make me avoid it. It definitely works for the height.

    Good luck and safe travels!

    Dave
  • We use the app Copilot to navigate when traveling with our TT. It keeps us away from low bridges and parkways..... so far! We've been using it a year now.
  • Check out the Garmin RV 785.
    You can enter height, length, width and weight of your RV. I’ve got one and really like it.
    I like the built in dash camera too!

    Advanced GPS Navigator with Built-in Dash Cam for the RV and Camping Enthusiast

    RV navigator with high-resolution 7” touch display plus built-in dash cam to record your drive and enable features such as forward collision and lane departure warnings¹
    Custom routing takes into account the size and weight of your RV then finds the best route for your vehicle²
    Provides road warnings to keep you aware of steep grades, sharp curves, weight limits and more
    Includes a directory of RV parks and services, TripAdvisor® traveler ratings, plus integrated content from Ultimate Public Campgrounds, KOA®, iOverlander™, PlanRV™, Foursquare® and more
    Control with your voice, and enjoy hands-free calling³ and built-in Wi-Fi® connectivity for easy map and software updates without a computer
    Map updates included; preloaded street maps for North America with coverage of the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands and Bahamas
  • RobWNY wrote:
    I use RV Trip Wizard. It's an online program only for $39/Year, but after I plan my trip, I re-create it in Google Maps and send it to my phone for navigation. It hasn't failed me yet. The program has a way to send trips to your phone but you can't use them for navigation so that's why I re-create them for that purpose.


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