CB Radio's & RVing

[Robert812]

Hi all, Just want to know as I have not seen CB antennas on any trailers or class a,b,c. Is there any channels they set on? there is 40 channels and truckers stay on 19. Would like any info anyone has on this. Thanks:)

[empty_nest]

Still have one mounted in my TV....... don't use it as much as we did in "the days". But, it's there and it's an option when cell service is spotty and if I don't want to listen to it, there is always that magic button called "on/off". 🙂

[Bumpyroad]

today on I-95 in Richmond I relied on my "magic" GPS since I hadn't installed my new CB yet. sure enough it flashed red, notified me of a traffic back up at MM 65 or thereabouts. the only problem was that I was already caught up in that traffic tieup. :s
will speed up installing the new CB.
bumpy

[GreenSalsa]

MotorPro wrote:
Cell phones are great but unless you know the phone number of the people a mile ahead of of you you can't ask them about the traffic,with a cb you can

A lot of the newer GPS units or software like WAZE communicates automatically. Users notify each other by adding things to the map such as road hazards, vehicles on shoulders, camera lights, and weather conditions.

The program monitors traffic and automatically alerts me to slow downs and speed traps and provides alternative routing on the fly.

I grew up with a CB. I love them, but they are no match for WAZE on an interstate with connectivity.

[SCR]

CB? I think I have one under the back seat of the truck haven't used it in the last 12 years.

[Bumpyroad]

valhalla360 wrote:

Rather than taking spoty info from truckers who may or may not know where I am or may just be a kid messing with me, my cheap garmin tells me where traffic is slowing or stopped and routes me around it. I don't need the truckers numbers. Thier smart phones feed thier travel data into the system and my gps picks it up.

To the question: If you want a CB, have at it but in terms of being a useful travel tool, it's hopelessly outdated and in overall numbers rarely used by RV'ers.

well, you are right about the lack of overall numbers used by RVers. but obviously you have a lack of knowledge of the conversations between truckers.
bumpy

[valhalla360]

Bumpyroad wrote:

Sprink-Fitter wrote:

I am still wayne_tw wrote:
CB radios are a has been. The technology is out dated and the range and interference makes them just marginally useful. Most truckers and others on the highways do not have them anymore. Cell phones with unlimited minutes and no more "roaming" have taken their place. One poster said it helped keeping up with a spouse on the road with someone else with a CB relaying messages. If they both had cell phones that would have worked better. Want road conditions? Just dial 511 and get from the source!

Why are you and some others so against cb's? If someone wants one let them have one, we have one on our Goldwing and so does everyone we ride with. If a husband and wife want to use them what does it matter to you? And believe it or not, not everyone has a cell phone or two of them to use in two vehicles.

I also have a 2 meter radio, but I can only talk to other ham radio operators.

yep, when you are approaching a city and want to find out traffic from oncoming truckers as to which bypass to take or to go straight through you just fire up your magic smart phone and call the next trucker coming at you. oh wait, don't know their number do you?
just bought a Cobra 25 LTD classic at Love's for $69, actually $79 with $10 rebate.
bumpy

Rather than taking spoty info from truckers who may or may not know where I am or may just be a kid messing with me, my cheap garmin tells me where traffic is slowing or stopped and routes me around it. I don't need the truckers numbers. Thier smart phones feed thier travel data into the system and my gps picks it up.

To the question: If you want a CB, have at it but in terms of being a useful travel tool, it's hopelessly outdated and in overall numbers rarely used by RV'ers.

[ventrman]

I use my CB to keep track of Road Conditions ahead. I listen to the Truckers. I may occasionally make a Query.

[Bumpyroad]

beemerphile1 wrote:

I was traveling at night and came on a 5er with no lights, zero, zip, totally dark. They were traveling about 10 mph below the prevailing speed and creating a real traffic hazard. I tried to contact them on both 19 and 13 with no luck. I hope they got to their destination without killing anyone.

good news. they made it safely and they posted in this thread saying that they use their smart phone and have no need for a CB. 🙂
bumpy

[beemerphile1]

CB radios are old tech but they have a place. We use one occasionally.

The so-called RV channel is 13 but I have never found another RVer on the radio. I monitor 19.

I was traveling at night and came on a 5er with no lights, zero, zip, totally dark. They were traveling about 10 mph below the prevailing speed and creating a real traffic hazard. I tried to contact them on both 19 and 13 with no luck. I hope they got to their destination without killing anyone.

[Bumpyroad]

I have been thanked many times by oncoming truckers who I have warned of a bear in the median strip. likewise I have received many notices of activity on my side.
bumpy

[MotorPro]

I am still wayne_tw wrote:
CB radios are a has been. The technology is out dated and the range and interference makes them just marginally useful. Most truckers and others on the highways do not have them anymore. Cell phones with unlimited minutes and no more "roaming" have taken their place. One poster said it helped keeping up with a spouse on the road with someone else with a CB relaying messages. If they both had cell phones that would have worked better. Want road conditions? Just dial 511 and get from the source!

Cell phones are great but unless you know the phone number of the people a mile ahead of of you you can't ask them about the traffic,with a cb you can

[Bumpyroad]

Sprink-Fitter wrote:

I am still wayne_tw wrote:
CB radios are a has been. The technology is out dated and the range and interference makes them just marginally useful. Most truckers and others on the highways do not have them anymore. Cell phones with unlimited minutes and no more "roaming" have taken their place. One poster said it helped keeping up with a spouse on the road with someone else with a CB relaying messages. If they both had cell phones that would have worked better. Want road conditions? Just dial 511 and get from the source!

Why are you and some others so against cb's? If someone wants one let them have one, we have one on our Goldwing and so does everyone we ride with. If a husband and wife want to use them what does it matter to you? And believe it or not, not everyone has a cell phone or two of them to use in two vehicles.

I also have a 2 meter radio, but I can only talk to other ham radio operators.

yep, when you are approaching a city and want to find out traffic from oncoming truckers as to which bypass to take or to go straight through you just fire up your magic smart phone and call the next trucker coming at you. oh wait, don't know their number do you?
just bought a Cobra 25 LTD classic at Love's for $69, actually $79 with $10 rebate.
bumpy

[Alfred622]

I listen to a CB when doing long distance auto travel - trucker conversations about road conditions is helpful. However, in the RV, there is no good place to mount the antenna so I don't have a radio there....but would like to. Fiberglass body means no ground plane. If on the roof, it would stick up pretty far and hit things. No good place to mount on our outside mirrors either.

With the real time traffic updates on our Garmin GPS, CB is less important when going through big cities now than it was before. Also crowd sourced apps, like Wayse on the Android phone, give us good information about traffic flow and hazards.

[HHfundays]

My parents bought us a CB a couple of years ago after we were RVing in an area hit by a tornado. We have one that will turn on and alert us to emergency info. We have also used it in bad traffic to see what the problem was and how we can avoid it. We have found truckers very helpful in these situations. We sometimes travel where cell towers are few and far between but I do feel like the CB gives us a little (even if it just makes the wife feel better) way to get a hold of police should we need to.