Leaving on long trip, best GPS

[tmarie416]

We are leaving in 6 weeks on our longest trip to date (6 weeks) From Florida to Maine. We need to buy a GPS,do we need an "RV" GPS?? Opinions please!

[William_B]

We plan with Delorme's Street Atlas and use the Garmin RV 760 going down the road. We like it a lot, big screen, easy to use and you can enter your own RV size, weight, etc. We go many places where there is no internet service.

[jplante4]

BobGed wrote:

jplante4 wrote:
A decent tablet with a data connection and the Copilot RV app is all you need. I got a free tablet with data from Verizon when I switched from Sprint. Buy a robust suction cup mount. I run Copilot and Waze and switch between them. No need to a specialized RV GPS unit.

Just as clarification for others, CoPilot does not require an active data connection for routing as your selected maps are loaded on your device. In app traffic alerts and/or Waze does need a data connection.

Correct. The data connection is for Waze and other apps I use on the road (TruckSmart, traffic updates on Google Maps, etc). You can run Copilot on a non-data tablet and I did this for a while, but found myself using the phone for the other stuff.

[BobGed]

jplante4 wrote:
A decent tablet with a data connection and the Copilot RV app is all you need. I got a free tablet with data from Verizon when I switched from Sprint. Buy a robust suction cup mount. I run Copilot and Waze and switch between them. No need to a specialized RV GPS unit.

Just as clarification for others, CoPilot does not require an active data connection for routing as your selected maps are loaded on your device. In app traffic alerts and/or Waze does need a data connection.

[bukzin]

Really love the ability to zoom in and out
while using Google Maps on my ipad.

I also have started to 'save' places we like on Google Maps.
Those saved locations sync across to my cell phone and
Windows computer.

Very handy, and free!

[ncrowley]

We really like our Garmin RV GPS. The large screen is much better than other GPS devices and cell phones. We always check all the roads using the web before we leave and use the Garmin as we travel. It is great for showing you what lane to be in, warning you of sharp turns and hills and telling you when you need to turn off. The traffic warnings have also been useful.

[jplante4]

A decent tablet with a data connection and the Copilot RV app is all you need. I got a free tablet with data from Verizon when I switched from Sprint. Buy a robust suction cup mount. I run Copilot and Waze and switch between them. No need to a specialized RV GPS unit.

[Sam_Spade]

belairbrian wrote:
My must have feature is Lane Assist.

Good suggestion, assuming that it works right.

Alas the system in my Ford Fusion keeps telling me to keep right when going through Atlanta on 75/85.....where the right lane is exit only.

[Kayteg1]

Bare in mind that maps are done by government and GPS manufacturers can only add navigation programs.
Still with the base developed the way it is, you will find lot of misinformation.
I found yahoo or google maps the most accurate, but once on the trip in Virginia I had 3 different systems giving me 300 miles round route on freeways.
Talking with locals help me to figure out that I can make it 220 miles on very nice highway, that was ignored by mapping.
In my travels I like to confront $2000 GPS build into the car with $19 Delorme, where display on big screen will allow me to see whole map, zoom in/out and catch potential problems.

[Matt_Colie]

Tina and Greg,

You were very smart to ask, but notice that the answers you got varied. There is no one best answer for everybody.

The problem is simple and two sided.
If you are really traveling, you will be out of internet frequently and in the right places, it can be for days at a time.
If you want to plan, a stand-alone GPS is always at a disadvantage because they simply cannot display the route in the detail that is often required.

All that being said, consider using all the tools available:
Google Maps can be good, but lack many features and without great effort, it is network dependent.
Waze and a Traffic GPS are only good for traffic in urban areas. (As you seem to be east coast people, this may take some getting used to.)
Any good GPS with a "Lane Assist" function is a great thing for the driver. It unloads that portion of the navigation.
Doing the planning - either daily or trip long - with a mapping program like Street Atlas can make the rest of the excursion much more relaxing. As for clearances and lot of other things, go to Discovery Owners and download the things you want like low clearances to make them show up on the SA screen.

We run both. The drivers GPS gets loaded with the planned route for the day, and the laptop has the whole plan and its GPS follows us along. We find that this works out very well.

If you are carrying internet, you can also use GasBuddy to reduce the cash bleed that all excursions are.

Matt

[Belgique]

Totally agree with Bill.Satellite. I'm a gadget guy and have a new Garmin 2689 that we have used on a long long trip to Mexico and out west from NC. I run it and Google Maps. Maps is always better and easier to use. I'm sorry I bought the Garmin (but don't tell my bride).

[zigzagrv]

I use Delorme to plan my trip, but check it with the CoPilot app on my tablet. The CoPilot app has motorhome settings to keep you from going under bridges that are too low and also avoid going on parkways that don't allow large/commercial vehicles.

[Finally_Time]

I have a Rand McNally 7730 with a 7 inch screen, which is the same as the Good Sam RM 7735. The length, height, and weight for the RV or RV plus tow or towed vehicle can be set. The GPS will then route you away from low tunnels and bridges. It can be set to avoid small roads and dirt roads. There are lots of other settings for warnings about going over the speed limit, approaching sharp curves, construction zones, etc. I travel by myself; the cat is no good about reading maps and handling a smart phone or tablet, so I appreciate the step by step directions and visual showing which lane to get in for exits and interchanges. Also the motor home speedometer is hard to see it some lighting so I find myself using the GPS speed indicator – easier to see.

I am very happy with this GPS and now that I am used to it, I find it easier to use than the Garmin in my car. There is a learning curve though, it takes a while.

[tmarie416]

Currently we use apps on our phone but since we are in flat Florida with not many low clearances to worry about. We are heading into areas we are unfamiliar with and though we needed a GPS but maybe the phone apps we currently use will be good enough. I always route on a paper map as well. Thanks for the great advice, much appreciated!

[Bill_Satellite]

With Google Maps you can download the area you will be traveling and it is stored locally. Even with no cellular service, as long as you have a GPS signal the routine will continue uninterrupted. Even if you don't do that, Google Maps automatically downloads your entire trip in small segments so losing cellular for a period of time would also have no effect on your routing.
I still think the real time traffic is the best reason to use Google instead (or as a supplement to) any stand-alone GPS. We were recently traveling from VA to AL and there was construction ahead. There was no help available (or even a notice from our GPS with the traffic option) but my Google Maps said I could exit here, go a couple miles out of my way and save 30 minutes by going around. It worked perfectly as we could see the traffic on the Interstate at a stand-still.
I also drive UBER when I am bored and have watched it change routine in just a matter of 30 minutes or so of a major slow down. Yesterday on the I69 corridor N. of Houston I made a run to the airport and the 3 left lanes were closed due to construction. It was early and traffic was not too bad, as I returned from the airport traffic was backed up for miles. I made a return trip to the airport letting the riders know I was going to take a detour to avoid this traffic and I found that Google Maps had already made the detour change to save us from the traffic jam ahead. This all happened in just about an hour.