Community Forums

mecdatlanta · 07-10-2018, 07:11 PM

Hey Gang,

I had another (not so) fun day in the north GA mountains today. Google Maps tried to send me down a road barely big enough for a Smart car. Luckily, I was able to find some patient folks behind me as they waited for me to back out of that mistake.

Surely there is an app for that? Are you guys using something that will allow you to confidently chart (and follow) a course that will allow you to avoid low bridges, narrow roads, and the like?

Thanks,

Don

BFlinn181 · 07-10-2018, 07:41 PM

I feel your pain, I got sent down some real questionable roads near Blairsville also. I'm not sure any app will have more accurate information, most all GPS use about 3 sets of data to do their mapping. I've tried a couple of different apps on my iPhone and used to hate Maps, the Apple program, it was really terrible so I switched to Google. It usually does O.K., but I've found errors in it and in Garmin GPS data too, really none of them are 100% reliable for all parts of the country.

docj · 07-10-2018, 07:45 PM

Are you aware of the Mountain Directories (East and West). They are my primary resource when planning a trip through mountainous areas. https://www.mountaindirectory.com/

2 Stroker · 07-10-2018, 07:51 PM

Will not leave home without it.
https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/135455
2 stroker

BFlinn181 · 07-10-2018, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by docj

Are you aware of the Mountain Directories (East and West). They are my primary resource when planning a trip through mountainous areas. https://www.mountaindirectory.com/

Around Blairsville, and Helen, GA, the main roads are mostly U.S. highways. Problem I had was trying to go from one small town to another by state or county roads. My Garmin led me onto a road that got smaller and smaller until it was a dirt (not even gravel) road. The Mountain Directories aren't really made for that kind of route planning.

I've also run into issues with my Garmin in Connecticut when we were leaving a campground and wanted to head to I-84. Garmin sent us on a route that wanted us to drive through a military base. The gate guards weren't having it. Ran into a 2 hour tour of vinyards near Altadena, CA. I was trying to find Mt. Wilson Observatory, Garmin had us turning into a field, then taking a private driveway, never did get up to see the telescope. In Oregon we were at a campground and I needed plumber's putty to deal with a sink drain. Garmin led me to a hardware store, but it had closed at 6 pm. It said a Home Depot was 7 miles away. It guided me back to I-5 entrance, once I committed to the interstate it directed me 20 miles up the highway. I pulled over and expanded the map view, turns out the 7 mile away HD was across the Columbia River and I had to travel over 45 miles to go the 7 miles.

I would never risk my RV roof decorations to a GPS.

RickySpanish · 07-10-2018, 08:06 PM

We found the Co-Pilot RV app on iOS to be pretty good. I ran it on a tablet - but the waypoint database was really spotty.

I use and can't give high enough praise to the Garmin RV770. It's a fantastic device that has reliably kept us out of trouble for the last ~10,000 miles.

chiefneon · 07-10-2018, 09:20 PM

Howdy!

We fulltime and have been using Co-Pilot gps app for years. The latest version is as mentioned above Co-pilot RV verision.

https://copilotgps.com/en-us/rv-navigation/

“Happy Trails”
Chiefneon

**Lt Dan** · 07-10-2018, 09:50 PM

I have had good luck with the Garmin 760LMT for the past three years. If you input your height, weight and length it will route you around questionable roads and low bridges. The one thing it can't take into account are low hanging trees as I found out in California last year.

kayak70 · 07-10-2018, 10:34 PM

I have found lots of flaws in most GPS units but still use them. Now just FYI the mountain directories are not inclusive, that is, many pretty steep grades are not listed East and West. You get the well known passes on interstates and SOME of the others, not all. In the mountains of NE GA it is helpful to remember that even the nice paved state roads can and will take you places that are tough in an RV, depends on how you like steep, curvy roads. Lot of those places are tedious in my pickup and I won't drive them in the RV. There are a few campgrounds that are beautiful - but I won't drive the RV up and down the one lane steep grade to get to em. Yeah, be careful what "local" you ask for directions too, some might get a kick sending you to Helen on a nightmare route. The little View has no exhaust or engine brake in a diesel - food for thought. Last rig, DP, had great engine brake and amazing air brakes for the wheels. Makes a difference what you are driving, big gasser A rig you can get in trouble fast too.

Isaac-1 · 07-10-2018, 10:47 PM

I use a Garmin Dezl 770, their commercial truck product, it will rarely send me somewhere I should not go, though it often takes me on routes out of my way, like taking the loop around a small town rather than following the highway route through the center of town as it shows those routes as not truck rated even if they are 4 lane highways with trucks obviously traveling on them.