Do you use CoPilot RV or CoPilot Truck?

[WyoFree]

Hi guys,

I've decided on Copilot for my Motorhome based in part on what you've had to say about it. I didn't realize at the time that they have one for RV's and trucks.

Which one do you use and I'll be using an iPad if that makes a difference.

[Cricco]

I used the RV edition. Served me well from mass to Florida and back.

[WyoFree]

Thanks Cricco,

The RV seemed to be the obvious choice but you folks have taught me the obvious is not necessarily the best, so I'm happy to have you're input. I've read that you can use the maps of CoPilot off line because the maps are stored in your phone.

Does that mean when you used CoPilot between FL and MA you didn't have to go on line and use the satellites?

And if you don't use the satellites for the maps, what about the automatic updates for traffic and weather?

My wife and I took a trip to the midwest earlier this year and our Garmin decided to recalculate right in the middle of Indianapolis. I needed to know if I was suppose to take the interstate to the left or the interstate to the right. When I saw the sign "Welcome To Canada" I knew it did me wrong because I was going to Chicago!

[LSC9901]

OK .... so I'm curious. How does it differ from a regular GPS ? I took a quick look at the webpage for it and it states that an internal or external GPS is required. If the Garmin is getting me lost how will it be any different since it would seem that the program on my phone is getting data from the lost GPS ???

[Dr. Q]

Most cellphones (if not all) have GPS chips in them, so they can use navigation without using data or having an internet connection, as long as the maps are resident on the phone. CoPilot maps are resident on the devices.

Some iPads also have GPS chips. If the iPad is capable of connecting to the internet, like a phone, it has the imbedded GPS chip. Therefore CoPilot will work without any problem on those too.

However, without a data connection, you will not be able to get traffic updates as you drive. Those updates are coming from the internet...

I used CoPilot for a 6,000 mile journey and it worked very well.

Hope this helps....

[WyoFree]

I just left the CoPilot website

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

And this is what it said;

Explore without Limits, RV without Borders

Don’t let your travels be limited by the fear of scary high data bills. With CoPilot RV’s reliable offline navigation, you’ll never again duck in and out of a signal or wait as an online navigation app struggles to find which direction you’re heading in.

[WyoFree]

Dr. Q, I missed your post and now understand how the traffic and weather part of the app works. I was curious about how that works. Based on the CoPilot quote I mentioned earlier where it said "high data bills".

Will the traffic and weather updates not add to your data bills?

[Dr. Q]

Originally Posted by WyoFree

Dr. Q, I missed your post and now understand how the traffic and weather part of the app works. I was curious about how that works. Based on the CoPilot quote I mentioned earlier where it said "high data bills".

Will the traffic and weather updates not add to your data bills?

Traffic and weather will be using your data plan on your device. Those will not use much data... You can choose how important that is to you...

The navigation itself, needs no data connection to function.

[tjkwny]

I purchased this two months ago and have found it quote good. The only issue I've had was the background navigation did not work - so you stopped getting directions if you navigated away from the program.

The download of the maps worked great as it minimized the need to access internet / data while using. Works fine with no data connection but no traffic updates.

I would buy again

[Dale & Mark Bruss]

The Truck version has a higher price as it is targeted to commercial truck drivers. The key difference for RVers is the height of your rig. The Car/RV version is settable to 13'.

Our Volvo and Travel Supreme were both 13'3" high so we used the Laptop Truck version for 10 years. The Bounder is less than 13' so we are using the Car version now.

Most smartphones and tablets have some form of integrated GPS. Since we use a laptop, we use a GPS radio.

The plain Android version from the Store is the Car version and is very low cost with an annual subscription for the verbal text-to-speech option, a very useful option. The recently released RV version has a one time fee with the option of the Car version.

ALK who creates CoPilot is better known in the trucking world for Fleet Manager. From it's title it is fleet management software along with routing software. The various methods ALK uses to accumulates road changes makes their products very good at routing. That road database with heights is a key element to keep the air conditioners on top of your rig. The Trucker versions from Garmin get their road databases from another large firm with the resources to gather such information. Regular GPS units, even Garmins, do not have the same road databases. I believe the Magellan RV unit uses the same road database as the Garmin Trucker GPS units.

[Victory Blue]

The RV version allows heights greater than 13' (mine is set to 13' 6"), but the weight limit setting is 26,000 lbs. I run Copilot on an iPad Pro} and mirror it to my front TV through an Apple TV so I don't have to look at a small screen. My wife acts as navigator and controls the iPad. Note: only iPads that include cellular have GPS; cellular does not have to be activated.

Using it the way I do the biggest problem I have with Copilot is its truncation of the first syllables of the the voice navigation as it's sent to the TV speakers. So "22.8 miles" may sound like "8 miles". Of course, the actual mileage is on the screen so it's nots a major issue. The Copilot people realize this is a problem in their app and say it will be fixed in the next release.

[Dale & Mark Bruss]

Interesting that ALK change the rules for the RV version so it covers later gas motorhomes. But at 26K, a lot of DPs will need the truck version.

[Sweetbriar]

Originally Posted by LSC9901

OK .... so I'm curious. How does it differ from a regular GPS ? I took a quick look at the webpage for it and it states that an internal or external GPS is required. If the Garmin is getting me lost how will it be any different since it would seem that the program on my phone is getting data from the lost GPS ???

The prime difference is you can install the software on any device rather than buying a single use GPS. I use a 6" tablet which allows a much larger display at a fraction of the cost over a large screen GPS. I also have music, books and such on the same device that will Blue Tooth connect to the dash radio. When space and budget is limited devices that can multitask are a good thing. GPS capability is pretty much standard on most devices such as tablets or cell phones. If you use a laptop then an external GPS will possibility be needed.

Route planning is no more difficult than a standard or even a RV/Trucker GPS but it you are not careful concerning the route it can and will get you lost or route you thru areas you might have wanted to avoid just like any other GPS will. It will route you around height limiting obstructions but I haven't tested it for coach weight.

[FlaRider]

I have the RV version and use it on an iPhone 6. The main reason to have the app is off line maps. You can download the maps you want while you have wifi and not worry about cell connection or using up your data.

On the down side of the app, and maybe I'm doing something wrong and someone can correct me, I could not get the audio to Bluetooth to my radio. I was streaming other music at the time, but google maps worked.

The app will not run in the background. Which is a big negative for me. I like to other things on my phone while traveling.

The search did not work that well. While in the app I tried to search for something in Google and it would not find it. You must have the spelling correct and use the full word. Not sure why it would be different than a normal Google search.

Not sure about the maps, but the app has not been updated since it came out in March 2016. Not sure if they have an update schedule.


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