New RV navigation app

[jeffcarp]

There's a new RV-specific navigation app available called SmartRVRoute 2. This is actually the second generation of the previous app. The developer of the app is Teletype which is a pretty well-known name in semi truck navigation. They have a very similar app for trucks as well.

It's available for Android and iPhone. The Android link is: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.teletype.smartrvroute4 but I'm not if the new version is available for iPhone yet. The Android version runs on both smartphones and tablets.

The app is built over the top of Google Maps and it is an online solution so you must have a data connection. The obvious advantage of building over Google Maps is that the map is very up-to-date. Basically, when Google Maps adds a road it will be added in this app.

The route is calculated on the developer's servers because the developer builds RV specific route restrictions as an added layer on Google Maps. You enter the specifics of your RV dimensions and weight and the server understands relevant road restrictions and builds a route around them.

The app also helps with propane restricted tunnels but they do this by using the DOT Hazmat rating system in the RV settings. I don't think the Hazmat ratings really apply to RVs but I think by selecting Hazmat rating 2 it should pretty much achieve the results of avoiding propane restricted tunnels.

A downside to the app is that while it shows Google traffic it does not take Google traffic into account when calculating ETA or selecting the route. It does use historical traffic by time of day to calculate the route though. I've found my test route ETAs to be really accurate. You can manually avoid incidents and you can manually avoid an area but traffic is not avoided automatically.

You can build up to 10 via points or stop over points in a route. Unfortunately there is no way to build this in advance, save it and then activate it at a later time. They claim to be working on that functionality. They do have a web-based route planner that can then send the route to the software but I have not tried that.

The servers also build a layer of RV specific POIs over the top of Google Maps and displays them with large icons on the map. These include a very robust database of truck stops and the icons shown on the map are branded. It includes campgrounds, truck washes, rest areas, etc. You can press on any of these icons on the map and immediately generate a route to that location or add it to your trip as a via point.

The app is an annual $59 subscription fee but they also have one month and 3 year subscription options. Every day at 1 p.m. EST the full functionality of the app is available for free for trial for an hour. Outside of that time window, without a subscription, you can fully explore the app and the settings and the map but you cannot calculate a route.

[SCVJeff]

Sorry Jeff, wasn't shooting the messenger...
I mentioned NAVIGON above. I have had at least 12 Garmin GPSs since 1993, and now rely 100% on the Navigon all for iOS. 100% resident, no data. I travel allot for business and as a get me there GPS it's essentially 100% reliable. Not living on the east coast where allot of the travel hazards are, I also use it for RV travel, but also pay attention to where we're going. It's not a truck GPS

[jeffcarp]

There's actually some pretty good articles written about the data usage of Google Maps. The consensus of those articles seems to be that in a large metropolitan area with a lot of traffic content that Google Maps will use approximately 4 MB per hour.

So even an unrealistic usage of 8 hours per day for 30 days, you don't even get to 1 GB of usage. That's why for most people unless they are on a very low plan, I just don't see that Google Maps moves the needle at all in terms of data usage.

[jpmihalk]

That is a good point, but I guess you have to ask if you are willing to allow GPS to eat up the 22 or 23GB of high speed data (of course we have no idea what kind of bandwidth the app uses) or would you rather take a chance on downloaded maps.

I do remember your blog post on CoPilot and pretty much agreed with your conclusions. I have actually used CoPilot with a separate Bluetooth GPS receiver and a Windows phone way back when. That was way before the mobile phone world had matured to its current state... and even now, there is a long way to go.

[jeffcarp]

Funny that you say that about CoPilot. I did a blog review last summer called "3200 Miles with CoPilot RV: It's the Best of Bad Choices for RV Navigation." I did another blog story for another trip about 6 years before that using their Windows Mobile app. Their maps are SO frustrating because their app is pretty darn good otherwise.

I wonder if people's feelings about using the data plan will change now that most mobile plans are going unlimited data again?

[jpmihalk]

I agree. I also use CoPilot and consider it the best available option (but nowhere near perfect.)

I do not want a GPS solution that requires me to use my data plan, even if maps are up to date. I don't mind occasionally using data for traffic updates, but at least it is an option that I can turn off in CoPilot.

I also use a few other GPS apps (not RV specific) but they do help when additional info is needed. I don't consider myself the norm, I have 2 cell phones and 2 tablets that can also be used for routing and planning.

[jeffcarp]

mileshuff wrote:
Sounds worthless to me. Out on the open road there are too many long stretches of highway where I do not have data. Any service requiring data signal is of no use to me. GPS itself does not need data unless trying to route to a POI by name rather than address. I research RV friendly routes ahead of time.

I know what you mean about the lack of data in some places. It's really a trade-off and I struggle with it. In all cases I want real RV routing meaning no routing me where I shouldn't be like on weight limited roads, low bridges, propane-restricted tunnels, etc.

That, in and of itself, makes the choice really slim because so many solutions (like Garmin) don't handle the propane-restricted tunnels.

For 80% of where we travel, the next most important thing to me is robust real time traffic. But I also need a solution for that 20% of the time where I don't have a data connection, like you raised.

The closest option to being the complete solution is CoPilot. But I've had so many problems with the quality of their maps that I just don't trust them at all.

Sygic has the complete package as well but their ETAs are really, really slow.

I'm still searching for a vendor to get this right.

[DiskDoctr]

I am also looking for an RV GPS solution.

Probably end up with AllStays + standalone GPS to supplement my smartphone GPS.

I appreciate any time someone posts up information about new, updated, or other possible solutions. Thank you! 🙂

[mileshuff]

Sounds worthless to me. Out on the open road there are too many long stretches of highway where I do not have data. Any service requiring data signal is of no use to me. GPS itself does not need data unless trying to route to a POI by name rather than address. I research RV friendly routes ahead of time.

[jeffcarp]

Yes, you're probably right about taking it personally. I completely get questioning the value of certain features or comparing it to other products. I'm just not understanding the issue with the cost. It's cheaper than Sygic RV which has half a million customers. It's cheaper than buying the Rand McNally device unless you keep that device for 6 years and it's cheaper than the latest Garmin device unless you keep that device for 9 years. The only RV specific app that's cheaper is CoPilot but their maps aren't very good.

[mikestock]

jeffcarp wrote:
Not sure I've ever seen so many smug cynics in one place. This was a simple informational post about a new product. It wasn't even a recommendation. Unreal the attack mode that some people automatically shift to. Sad.

I think you may be taking this too personally. The negative posts are obviously aimed at the message, not the messenger. You did provide some information that I, for one, didn't know. Most of us are just incredulous at the price of $60/year. I can't imagine too many RV'ers willing to go there, as the developer will soon learn.

[jeffcarp]

I'm not here to defend the product. I'm not even a customer. I am still deciding what my preferred navigation device is going to be after owning many of the choices over the last 10 years. I've owned (or beta tested) Rand McNally, TomTom, Garmin, Sygic and CoPilot. I'm still searching for a product that meets my list of wants. This app isn't it either.

I have to disagree that they don't provide any information though. The description of the app is pretty clear that they provide routing specifically based on the RV attributes that you enter. Thats how it's fundamentally different than Google Maps. All of those settings can be explored for free after downloading the app. The app store listing also has a link to their website which has more information, screenshots and a PDF manual download.

To each their own. The point of this was not to claim product superiority over other products. The point was to simply let people know that there was another option.

[Bill_Satellite]

You get what you give. Look at what these folks have presented. It is not RV friendly in any way, shape or form and even if it was there is almost no way to find out unless I happen to be driving from point A to point B between the hours of 1am-2am or 1pm-2pm. I can't find ANY information as to why this is better than the free Google Maps apps and there is so little information available related to RV routing (not truck routing) that it is impossible to know what the app can or cannot do.

[jeffcarp]

Not sure I've ever seen so many smug cynics in one place. This was a simple informational post about a new product. It wasn't even a recommendation. Unreal the attack mode that some people automatically shift to. Sad.

[Bill_Satellite]

OH BOY! I can actually try this product once a day from 1-2PM. That should be plenty of time to make a decision, NOT! Snore!