gps
We are taking a trip out west this April. We usually use google maps for directions but what does everyone use these days. Thought about Garmin but every system has +s and -s What does everyone use? As always thanks!!
Forum Discussion
Waze. Very accurate. Maintained by the people who use it. So it tells of speed traps, hazards, etc. Google bought it a few years ago. Available on IPhone and android. Free.
Google Maps is all you need.
I use a Garmin Nuvi that's older than my truck. Lifetime upgrades to the maps. We find ourselves outside of cell service frequently. With Google, one must remember to download maps for offline use and even then I recall there were issues. Garmin is far from perfect, and the Ford nav system out-sucks them all.
Is there a GPS that is RV specific? Apple Maps doesn't always cut it. At times have been directed to city streets etc that a truck with a 30ft travel trailer have no business on.
I have been using Garmin products for many years. When we got our first travel trailer I got one of the RV specific units. We currently are using an RV780. You can load in all the specs about your RV and when using their Basecamp mapping program, it will use the height, length etc. measurements for routing. So far it hasn't sent us down any dead end roads or under any overpasses that were to low for our 13'+ clearance. There is a new version as usual, which is $500, but that is for the unit and life time Maps.
Good Luck & Happy Travels
Garmin Montana. I get into remote areas on the dual sport out exploring and often don't have cell service. I still use Mapsource for topo as I never could figure out Basecamp. I mark waypoints throughout the winter and keep them in a file for each state. Driving I use the Garmin and City Navigator plus cell phone google maps.
Caver, Yes it took me 6 months to switch from MapSource to BaseCamp. I still use MapSource some time.
I use gaia gps i like it for the fact that i can download a map to my i pad or android device and i dont need cell or gps signal to see where i am goingand most phones today can handle the max size that gaia store some where around 100k tiles (1gig) with no issues
With multiple “free” ways to get directions and look at maps on todays cellular devices, has pretty much negated the need or usefulness of standalone gps based apps or devices imo.
Especially if just talking public roads. Even in spotty or no cell service. In those areas one generally isn’t tryin to navigate difficult directions.
But to each their own.
I use TomTom on my phone which I pay an annual subscription for. With the paid subscription you have an online account which you can use to plan trips. I have the details of my RV configuration, length, width, height, and it routes accordingling. Once it routes I can tweak as I desire. Once saved it will synch the route to the phone.
I had gone to the Smokey Mountains a few years ago and the TomTom took me on roads I had no business on with a TT. When I got home afterwards I discovered the routing stuff online. When I entered my RV configuration it did indeed change the route and did not route on the roads I had no business being on.
In Google Maps and Waze you cannot enter the parameters of your setup, they are going to route the best route for a CAR.
I have always TomTom and when a device was dying I tested with the TomTom Ap, Maps and Waze. I stuck with TomTom. TomTom maps are downloaded to your phone so cell service is not needed. You do get traffic and I like the lane guidance.
If you are talking about laying out the trip from beginning to end. I use google maps to start and then I use RV Life Pro trip planner.
If talking about once on the road I use google maps on phone, this way I have another lady telling me what to do. With that said my copilot likes to use the good old fashion paper maps. There have been more than one time GPS has a problem getting me through major cities.
Garmin. I like a true GPS because it doesn't need to connect to anything.
I use Garmin's BaseCamp to plan my trip on my laptop so I can zoom in and out and use different colors for each day's trip. Google mymaps nor Waza allows me to use different colors for each leg. I can also upload the trip into my very old garmin streetpilot gps, but BaseCamp does not interface with my vehicle's display so I use Google maps to navigate each days trip. I some time use Waze on my tablet, but Waze will not allow me to put in a long 4-6 week trip like BaseCamp.
