Waze

[FlatBroke]

Someone in a post mentioned this AP. Thank you! It’s so much better than my old Garmin it’s not even a contest. Only thing I’d its a power eater do I will have to hook up to my charger when using. I was using Waze going down the busy interstate and it warned me there was a vehicle parked on the shoulder. I thought it must be looking at the cars running down the service road beside me, but sure enough there was a old pick up parked on the shoulder about a mile down the road. That sold me!

[vjstangelo]

I have both, a smartphone and an older Magellan GPS with Canada and USA maps. When traveling to Canada or where we have spotty cell service, we use the GPS. Otherwise it’s Google maps and Waze. Breaking it down, 10% usage is Magellan GPS, 30% paper maps like the Rand McNally atlas, balance is maps on the smartphone. Note the Magellan is not an RV specific unit so it does not take into account we are in a MOHO.

[Bill_Satellite]

2012Coleman wrote:

Bill.Satellite wrote:
It you don't know the basic route you plan to travel in a large RV before you leave then, please, don't leave! If you are going to depend upon ANY GPS device to get you where you are going with blind abandon then you ARE going to get into trouble no matter what you use.

I thought it was pretty funny to see advice to not depend on GPS from a guy with the word Satellite in his user name...

Funny story while using WAZE: Got a warning of animals on roadside ahead. Got to the spot to see a motorcycle gang on the shoulder.

My user name refers to an earlier life where satellite TV and satellite Internet was my business. Even so, someone with satellite or GPS or anyone thing else in their user name should also NOT blindly allow ANYTHING to determine where they go or what they do when in something as big as an RV. I do it all the time in my car, but never in a 40,000# RV!

[2012Coleman]

Bill.Satellite wrote:
It you don't know the basic route you plan to travel in a large RV before you leave then, please, don't leave! If you are going to depend upon ANY GPS device to get you where you are going with blind abandon then you ARE going to get into trouble no matter what you use.

I thought it was pretty funny to see advice to not depend on GPS from a guy with the word Satellite in his user name...

Funny story while using WAZE: Got a warning of animals on roadside ahead. Got to the spot to see a motorcycle gang on the shoulder.

[Bill_Satellite]

Can I do X3 to my own post? Come on folks, let's get real!

[rk911]

Bill.Satellite wrote:
It you don't know the basic route you plan to travel in a large RV before you leave then, please, don't leave! If you are going to depend upon ANY GPS device to get you where you are going with blind abandon then you ARE going to get into trouble no matter what you use.

X2!

[Bill_Satellite]

It you don't know the basic route you plan to travel in a large RV before you leave then, please, don't leave! If you are going to depend upon ANY GPS device to get you where you are going with blind abandon then you ARE going to get into trouble no matter what you use.

[Lantley]

hypoxia wrote:
I use Waze, Google Maps and Garmin. Waze and Google Maps are good for cars and small vehicles but when I'm 65'-70'long in heavy traffic on multi lane roads they do not show the projection of the lanes ahead and what lane out of 6 or 8 you should be in, Garmin does.

This^^^
If this were the commuter car forum waze and Google maps maybe the winner hands down. However when it comes to RV'ing I prefer the features of a standalone RV GPS.
When WAze and Google redirect they are not taking into account I'm towing and 13' tall 39' long trailer.

[paulcardoza]

And the "Hey Waze" feature lets you interact hands free........

[philh]

Nice thing about the report button, you don't have to immediately press the following buttons right then, you can wait until you have a moment to press the buttons.

I find the crowded cruise control buttons take my eyes off the road far more than something that's in my direct line of sight.

[Hondavalk]

When I'm on the bike, phone is in my pocket connected to a helmet speaker. Waze has notified me of potholes and debris in the road. In unfamiliar areas it gives me directions to destinations so I can remain focused on the road other then trying to read road signs to figure were I'm going. Some of us ( me ) are very directionally challenged. I could get lost in a paper bag.:D Waze and GPS are a life saver for people like me.

[hypoxia]

I use Waze, Google Maps and Garmin. Waze and Google Maps are good for cars and small vehicles but when I'm 65'-70'long in heavy traffic on multi lane roads they do not show the projection of the lanes ahead and what lane out of 6 or 8 you should be in, Garmin does.

I haven't found a GPS app that I like for everything.

Does anyone remember Mapopolis? It allowed you to put in lots of preferences which no one does now.

[Ron3rd]

Bill.Satellite wrote:
WAZE supplies data about traffic density and speed WITHOUT any user input. If you don't have a passenger in the car you should not be using the input function to add additional data points for accidents or objects on the road. However, if you are sitting in traffic stuck due to an accident directly ahead I see no issues with tapping the screen a couple of times to let drivers behind know what's going on. I have been routed off the interstate and onto surface roads many times. We also carry a paper map so we can look at the suggested re-routing and decide to hang in there and wait out the traffic or re-route if the road appear to be good.
Too many folks who have never used WAZE or Google Maps provide information without any actual knowledge, just assumptions. Both of these mapping systems route better, are updated more often, have a data base 1000's of times larger and are ever bit as safe as ANY stand-alone GPS. And before some naysayer jumps in saying it will eat up all your data and they don't work when driving in area without cellular data receptions, those are incorrect misconceptions as well.

This answer.

I never interact with Waze but use it every day. Where Waze really shines is in high traffic gridlocked metropolitan area. Your GPS will normally show you the shortest route but not necessarily the fastest route. Your GPS can put you on a freeway on ramp and get you stuck in traffic for an hour where Waze will route you around the traffic.

In such cases I use it more than my in dash GPS. Waze is owned by Google btw.

[Bill_Satellite]

WAZE supplies data about traffic density and speed WITHOUT any user input. If you don't have a passenger in the car you should not be using the input function to add additional data points for accidents or objects on the road. However, if you are sitting in traffic stuck due to an accident directly ahead I see no issues with tapping the screen a couple of times to let drivers behind know what's going on. I have been routed off the interstate and onto surface roads many times. We also carry a paper map so we can look at the suggested re-routing and decide to hang in there and wait out the traffic or re-route if the road appear to be good.
Too many folks who have never used WAZE or Google Maps provide information without any actual knowledge, just assumptions. Both of these mapping systems route better, are updated more often, have a data base 1000's of times larger and are ever bit as safe as ANY stand-alone GPS. And before some naysayer jumps in saying it will eat up all your data and they don't work when driving in area without cellular data receptions, those are incorrect misconceptions as well.

[Solo]

Used Waze as we were in the Dallas/Fort Worth area last week and found it useful but we still need our Garmin as Waze does not yet have a "large vehicle" setting and it did want to route us to places that we would not be able to fit. Another tool we'll keep in our arsenal but, not the total answer for us. It's entertaining at least for my co-pilot to interact with other Wazers on long stints!