Does anyone use an RV GPS or phone app to navigate when traveling?

[BeerBrewer]

We are new to RVing and we were wondering if anyone uses one of the RV GPSs or phone App to help navigate? When we travel by car we always use Google Maps of ways when traveling. We were hoping that we could use something similar when towing our Travel Trailer. If any of you use one of these we'd appreciate your comments on them. Do they work well? Do they really avoid roads and highways unsuitable for an RV, like Passenger Vehicle only Parkways and roads, low bridges, etc.?

I've read some articles on line, but these sound more like sales pitches than reviews and I frankly don't know if I should believe them. I'd rather rely on real hands on experience told by the people that actually use or used them.

Thanks!

Bob

[Country Campers]

Bob
Try the search bar in the upper right , this topic has been discussed here many times.

Brian

[Second Chance]

Bob
Try the search bar in the upper right , this topic has been discussed here many times.

Brian

X2^^. I'll just add that many folks on the forum (including us) use the Garmin RV GPSs with good results.

Rob

[Ditchdigger]

Watch out when using Google, it is not for RV's and trucks. I have had to turn around using it. I have one in my radio that I have programmed for trucks, that I use. My girl friend likes to use her Phone, and a Allstate app. to find the height of over passes when using Google, I like the built in one, don't have to worry about low clearances.

[DougW9876]

Garmin RV770 works well for me.

[boyscout]

X2^^. I'll just add that many folks on the forum (including us) use the Garmin RV GPSs with good results. Rob

@BeerBrewer some of us use the Garmin RV devices and find that they mislead with infuriating frequency.

I have posted here about the problems we've had with ours but Advanced Search isn't finding the post(s) to provide links for the OP.

We have the both of Garmin's most-recent RV GPSs and we also have the company's trucker GPS they were selling a year ago (no longer on the web site... they're dropping models quickly.)

All of the devices have misled us, especially the two RV GPSs, by giving us routes that were anywhere from a few miles to more than 60 miles longer than they needed to be. These erroneous routings have *not* been the result of the devices' claimed ability to route around trailer-unfriendly routes, in fact they have most often occurred when we were using the devices in "car" mode.

Just a few weeks ago I was going to an Einstein's bagel store on East Fowler Avenue in east Tampa... a very major and long-established thoroughfare. The GPS instructed me to turn left off Fowler, go south 1/4 mile, go west 1/4 mile, and then come back north 1/4 mile to Fowler where the store was located. When I got there I saw that I could have just gone to the intersection and turned left to the store, saving 3/4 of a mile of driving.

After about 1.5 years with these three devices I now have as many as two dozen such experiences. Most have been just a few miles wrong, a couple have been significant. We've also found that speed limits reported by the devices are very frequently incorrect, especially in Florida. Better this year than last year, but still not reliable.

The devices are updated as frequently as possible in the hope that these frustrations would go away. They have improved in 18 months but not gone away, still regularly loopy.

We now almost never rely upon them by themselves. My Ford truck has a built-in GPS, and my wife uses Google Maps, so we often have 3-4 GPS sources at work to ensure that we actually do take the best route. The alternatives often save us from quite-stupid advice by the one or two Garmins we are running at the same time - very occasionally even the two Garmins don't agree!

As for the devices' claimed ability to avoid restricted roads, low bridges, etc. that might impede travel with a trailer, I have no problems to report myself but have read about others online (maybe here?) in which the device guided the owner into a low bridge or a dead-end road. I therefore don't rely on them for that aspect either. Caution is needed while planning and driving.

Finally, we have not found that the RV resort databases and searching features in the devices are much use at all. It's sometimes interesting to see the campgrounds appearing on the display for the road ahead, but as a means of searching and selecting resorts/parks that meet our criteria in a destination area they're pretty useless... a number of iPhone apps and Google Search are far more useful for finding places to stay.

Last time I reported these problems here a couple of guys hurried to say how good the devices are. Note that I'm not shilling for anything else; this isn't a tear-down rant inn favor of something else. I haven't tried other competitors and have read harsh criticism of them too. I've owned the latest and greatest Garmins for years and until recently found them to be excellent.

Further, despite my complaints I would not get rid of the 3-4 Garmin devices I have now - not all of them anyway. Garmin's displays are large and clear, live-driving instructions are more timely, understandable and specific than those of my truck's GPS and sometimes of Google Maps, and the Garmins do a great job of displaying upcoming turns in a clear way and in plenty of time to prepare accordingly. Definitely a good tool, but don't embrace all the claims about them and be ready to double-check them when you're starting a journey of any significant length.

[Bill & Jeri RV Travels]

We’ve been using a Garmin RV760 for the past couple of years or so and are very happy with it. But as someone said previously, you need to verify the routes to make sure they make sense. I typically build our major travel routes with Garmin Basecamp and compare them with Google Maps, an Atlas, etc., before downloading them to the RV760. Any side trips we take we usually use it, Google Maps or the GPS built into our F-350.


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[cfowler55]

Garmin 660 has served us well. iPhone routed us toward a weight limit bridge well below our GVW. Available turn around was ugly but we eeked thru. The up side is now my wife believes in mapping filters.

[Da Breeze]

What I hate the most is that Google Maps ALWAYS takes you through the center of a business district and NEVER onto the Business Bypass !!!
Gotta make all their advertisers $$$$.

Almost had 2 accidents in Whitefish Montana on that towns very narrow and congested 4 lane roadway.
I always double check my routes now especially coming into a town or city. So I can avoid thise districts.

Garmin is on my 'wanna buy" list once they get it right.... [emoji4]

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[iproff1]

One app I've not seen mentioned here is CAA. I have used their triptik to plan many routes you can down load it as a pdf file and save it. It shows gas prices along the way and other information. While it is not interactive while driving it works great for planning a route on a long trip. I can also sent the PDF to the kids so they know the route and about where we are.

Ken

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