Phone as gps

[cfd225]

I am looking for an app that we can use as out gps. I want to put in the truck and trailer combo so it does not send us down roads we would not fit. I know there are units we can get, was wondering if some one has found one as an app.

[SCVJeff]

JaxDad wrote:

Lantley wrote:

Trackrig wrote:
The phones work in a pinch, but:
* They use up your data at a high rate. If you're using the phone to save on the cost of buying a GPS, you're going to pay more for the data than the GPS.
* The GPS app uses up a lot of battery power. Some phones we've used have gotten awfully hot when using them as a GPS and having them plugged into power at the same time. If you damage a smart phone due to heat, the replacement cost will be more than a GPS.
* The screen is really too small for comfortable use while driving.
* They're also a pain to use at times, especially when you should be paying attention to driving. You lay it down for a moment and the screen goes dark/times out while not using it. Then you're trying to touch it in the right place to get the screen back and you hit something you shouldn't have touched and it leaves the GPS app and then you're trying to get it all back correctly while driving.
* They work fine for quick usage, but in general, do yourself a favor and buy a GPS.

Bill

Agreed the phone works in a pinch. but a dedicated GPS is better.
The biggest pitfall of using the phone is if it rings while you are in GPS mode. Suddenly you have no GPS. Depending on what point of the trip you are at losing GPS could be no be deal or it could be critical.

I can't speak for Android devices but on my iPhone but the factory map app and Co-Pilot work just fine during a phone call, speech prompts included.

Agreed, mine does the same. There is zero affect on the performance of the navagation.

Its a little confusing why this is even a discussion. A GPS, like a Smartphone is a computer, and the software to run each in GPS mode is the same if on happens to like Garmin, tomtom, Navigon, etc. None of these use ANY phone data whatsoever, they both require plugging into 12V.. So other than one coming with a suctioncup for the window, they perform the exact same function.

[msgtord]

If your traveling out west, cell phone coverage can be sketchy sometime when your off the main interstates.

[ralphnjoann]

I've used a Garmin for years and I'm very happy with it. I have free lifetime map updates and, thanks to a youtube video, I can replace the battery myself, said battery being easily found on eBay.

The feature I find most valuable on a GPS is the ability to add and edit POI (Point of Interest) files. I have a listing for all of the Ford dealers in the country for truck repairs, as well as all of the Walmarts and, more importantly, those Walmarts that don't allow overnight parking. 🙂

There are websites that freely provide files for every interest imaginable (POI Factory, for example) such as specific restaurant chains, roadside rest areas, dump stations, gas/fuel station chains, etc.

I have seen android apps, Walmart No Parking for example, but they are stand alone lists and are not integrated with the GPS function.

[paulcardoza]

Another vote for WAZE. I have it on my iPhone 6 Plus and love the functionality. It will route you based on traffic along the route of you so choose. It alerts you to upcoming hazards and is highly configurable as to what it reports and what it does not.

NO, you cannot configure yourself as a big rig or RV and it doesn't provide low clearance height warnings, but there are alwyas ample road signs for those if you pay attention.

[holstein13]

Lantley wrote:

Trackrig wrote:
The phones work in a pinch, but:
* They use up your data at a high rate. If you're using the phone to save on the cost of buying a GPS, you're going to pay more for the data than the GPS.
* The GPS app uses up a lot of battery power. Some phones we've used have gotten awfully hot when using them as a GPS and having them plugged into power at the same time. If you damage a smart phone due to heat, the replacement cost will be more than a GPS.
* The screen is really too small for comfortable use while driving.
* They're also a pain to use at times, especially when you should be paying attention to driving. You lay it down for a moment and the screen goes dark/times out while not using it. Then you're trying to touch it in the right place to get the screen back and you hit something you shouldn't have touched and it leaves the GPS app and then you're trying to get it all back correctly while driving.
* They work fine for quick usage, but in general, do yourself a favor and buy a GPS.

Bill

Agreed the phone works in a pinch. but a dedicated GPS is better.
The biggest pitfall of using the phone is if it rings while you are in GPS mode. Suddenly you have no GPS. Depending on what point of the trip you are at losing GPS could be no be deal or it could be critical.

If you only have one phone or tablet, this can certainly be a problem. The great thing about these apps is they work on any tablet, ipod or phone. Once you've paid once you can download it to all your devices. I run my GPS app on an iPad and mount it in the cup holder. No more problems with incoming phone calls and the screen is larger than any standalone GPS. The best of both worlds.

[JaxDad]

Lantley wrote:

Trackrig wrote:
The phones work in a pinch, but:
* They use up your data at a high rate. If you're using the phone to save on the cost of buying a GPS, you're going to pay more for the data than the GPS.
* The GPS app uses up a lot of battery power. Some phones we've used have gotten awfully hot when using them as a GPS and having them plugged into power at the same time. If you damage a smart phone due to heat, the replacement cost will be more than a GPS.
* The screen is really too small for comfortable use while driving.
* They're also a pain to use at times, especially when you should be paying attention to driving. You lay it down for a moment and the screen goes dark/times out while not using it. Then you're trying to touch it in the right place to get the screen back and you hit something you shouldn't have touched and it leaves the GPS app and then you're trying to get it all back correctly while driving.
* They work fine for quick usage, but in general, do yourself a favor and buy a GPS.

Bill

Agreed the phone works in a pinch. but a dedicated GPS is better.
The biggest pitfall of using the phone is if it rings while you are in GPS mode. Suddenly you have no GPS. Depending on what point of the trip you are at losing GPS could be no be deal or it could be critical.

I can't speak for Android devices but on my iPhone but the factory map app and Co-Pilot work just fine during a phone call, speech prompts included.

[Lantley]

Trackrig wrote:
The phones work in a pinch, but:
* They use up your data at a high rate. If you're using the phone to save on the cost of buying a GPS, you're going to pay more for the data than the GPS.
* The GPS app uses up a lot of battery power. Some phones we've used have gotten awfully hot when using them as a GPS and having them plugged into power at the same time. If you damage a smart phone due to heat, the replacement cost will be more than a GPS.
* The screen is really too small for comfortable use while driving.
* They're also a pain to use at times, especially when you should be paying attention to driving. You lay it down for a moment and the screen goes dark/times out while not using it. Then you're trying to touch it in the right place to get the screen back and you hit something you shouldn't have touched and it leaves the GPS app and then you're trying to get it all back correctly while driving.
* They work fine for quick usage, but in general, do yourself a favor and buy a GPS.

Bill

Agreed the phone works in a pinch. but a dedicated GPS is better.
The biggest pitfall of using the phone is if it rings while you are in GPS mode. Suddenly you have no GPS. Depending on what point of the trip you are at losing GPS could be no be deal or it could be critical.

[goducks10]

I use Google maps all the time on my phone. I have the app right on the main screen. Along with Gas Buddy and The Weather Channel. I also have Verizon which has the best IMO coverage. There's places we go where we don't have cell service, but generally we only need GPS when we are entering or in a town. I find it faster to use than my Garmin Nuvi, although it's not as informative. They both have their place. I just use the phone more because it's sitting right on the center console. My Garmin is stored in the center console. Quicker to just pick up the phone and hit the app.

[Gjac]

I have had two Garmin's in the last 10 years of travel and they worked OK. I was about to buy the new RV specific Garmin 760 for $400. After weeks of researching this and reading about problems with both the Rand and Garmin I decided to try the Copilot app for $6.99. My thought was that if it did not workout I'd buy the new Garmin. After using it for 6 mos I would never spend another $400 for a dedicated GPS that has to be updated and needs to be replaced every 5 years or so because of technology chg's or battery's failing. The maps on these are constantly being updated(2 or 3 times in 6 mos). I downloaded the entire US maps at home on WIFI so it used no data. The I phone and Android both have built in GPS so it does not use cell towers or data, I get a new phone every 2 years any ways for free with a 2 year contract, so I no longer worry about hardware or battery failure of a dedicated gps. It has height restriction for low bridges and propane restriction for tunnels also. The maps use 2.1 GB of data so a phone with 5 or more GB is needed. It also comes with a free live traffic update for 6 mos which I liked, and found it just as useful as the GPS function. I have been trying Waze and Google Maps which also shows the traffic patterns for free but this function does use your data.

[sdianel_-acct_c]

CoPilot. At the recommendation of this forum I now use CoPilot. You do not have to have cell service to use the CoPilot app. It does have an RV setting. I still double check the route on the Atlas to be sure it's routing on major highways. No GPS is perfect. I wouldn't follow it blindly.
Vehicle Preferences
You can adjust how your CoPilot calculates routes based on the vehicle you're driving.
From the user guide:
In the Main Menu, tap Route > Vehicle Preferences
Select your vehicle type, choose from Car, RV (Recreational Vehicle), Motorcycle, Bicycle or Walking.
Toll Roads: Choose to Use, Avoid if Possible or Always Avoid toll roads along your route.
This option is not available for bicycles or walking.
Choose to use the Quickest or Shortest route for your trip or use ActiveRoutes* for routing based on actual road speeds at the time of day you're travelling.
Avoid Ferries – Tick the box to Avoid Ferries along your route where possible
Custom Road Speeds – The ultimate in personal route settings. You can choose to favor or avoid specific road types and allocate a personal speed setting for each. For each road type, first set CoPilot to Strongly Avoid, Avoid, stay Neutral, Favor or Strongly Favor certain roads when calculating routes, then set your preferred speed for each one.
This option is not available for bicycles or walking.
Show Walking Breadcrumb - When you're making a journey on foot, CoPilot can guide you from your starting point to your end destination by displaying a dashed line for you to follow. A walking breadcrumb can be displayed in the map to show where you have walked.
This option is only available for walking.
An icon is displayed in the dashboard to show you the mode of travel you've selected.

[xaugievike]

I have exclusively used my iPhone and Waze for the last several years (disclaimer..I have an unlimited data plan) with no serious trouble. I almost appreciate the traffic data more than the directions.

Regardless of what you use, I think it most important to "scout" your trip ahead of time using your tool of choice (I typically just use Apple maps). Before any big trip I feel like I've driven it already, sometimes often. If it's a big and new route, I'll make notes and have them on hand for the copilot in case Waze, or other circumstances, through a curve during the trip.

[msmith1199]

The main problem I found with using my iPhone as a GPS is I like the windshield or dash mount so it can be easily seen. So I bought I nice windshield mount for my iPhone but on warm sunny days the iPhone would overheat in the windshield and shut down. I had to move the phone down to the cup holder to keep it working. Now that was the iPhone 5. I have the 6 now so I don't know if it will do better in the windshield or not.

[Naio]

Great thread!

[jerem0621]

I used my phone for a few years and went back to a dedicated GPS...

Seems that an inconvenient text, or a call would always come at the wrong time.

Tried them all...Garmin in my experience is the best. Easy to use, easy to update, reliable and cheap.

JMHO

Thanks!

Jeremiah

[SCVJeff]

Your data rate does NOT increase through the use of GPS, PROVIDED that the map set is contained within the phone. If you're downloading it realtime, then get set for a nice bill.

The new iPhone and probably allot of the Androids not only use the U.S. GPS constellation, but the Russian GLONASS constellation as well. Between the two of them working together the accuracy is considerably improved. While there are plenty of apps that say accuracy is improved with cellular on, that is no way a given.. GPS position when the data is good is WAY better than phase differential monitoring off of a group of cell towers.

I carry a Garmin GPS when traveling, and the only reason it ever comes out anymore is to charge the battery.

OP- NOTHING is 100%in the GPS market. You look at the GPS then trust your instincts. How a GPS can vary in route from point A>B vs. the exact same route B>A is beyond me, but I see it often, and usually more in a dedicated GPS.

For a good smartphone app, take a look at NAVIGON. They are a worldwide GPS and Smartphone App manufacturer and were arguable the best in the U.S. , but pulled out several years ago because of the competition in the states. Since then they have been bought by Garmin who hasn't screwed them up too bad since the purchase. The best news is that Garmin CS is pretty good and does support NAVIGON well in the states. This is all I use through the the U.S. With the Nuvi as backup only.

PS- I agree with Katuna, like any other GPS, plug it in...