Community Forums

sbleiweiss · 03-09-2023, 11:31 AM

We have an RV specific Garmin navigation system, but it doesn't take into account road closures for snow or flooding the way google maps does. Is there an RV specific nav system that knows about weather related road closures?

lllkrob · 03-09-2023, 12:24 PM

None of the RV specific navigation systems are going to account for weather related road closures since there isn't one central reporting agency to track them. Google relies on user reports and satellite data which require real time analyzing by a staff of people. All other navigation systems buy their map info from map makers that get their updates from state and federal agencies and the information may be years old. At best they have accident and road repair information.

sbleiweiss · 03-10-2023, 08:06 AM

Thank you.

**hamm2018** · 03-10-2023, 08:19 AM

Shell, our Garmin 770 will notify you of road closures because of accidents, construction delays, etc... But while on the road.

Iceclimber · 03-10-2023, 08:33 AM

This is a common issue. There is an option to pair with a smartphone on newer Garmins that someone may be able to advise you on. I just use a GPS enabled tablet and run google maps. It has saved me time on a number of trips by warning about traffic issues. I think the pad was under $100. You should download your travel regions ahead of time to be extra safe. Everyone says "what if you don't have cell or wifi" but it's never failed me if I download first.

NXR · 03-10-2023, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iceclimber

This is a common issue. There is an option to pair with a smartphone on newer Garmins that someone may be able to advise you on.

Correct, the app is called Garmin Drive and will pair to your RV GPS as long as it's not too old. We have an RV 785 from four years ago and it will pair. The RV 770 may be the first one that could use Garmin Drive.

Garmin Drive provides near real-time updates such as closures for accidents. It's warned us about problems and then just rerouted us automatically.

Quote:

I just use a GPS enabled tablet and run google maps. It has saved me time on a number of trips by warning about traffic issues. I think the pad was under $100. You should download your travel regions ahead of time to be extra safe. Everyone says "what if you don't have cell or wifi" but it's never failed me if I download first.

Unfortunately Google Maps will not take weight and height restrictions into account so it can route you on to "unsuitable" roads.

We run Waze for real-time traffic and road conditions but not for actual routing; the Garmin RV 785 does that. Waze is always faster to alert than Garmin Drive. Once we were headed through Atlanta and Waze warned us of a total closure due to an accident so we took the bypass. Garmin caught up but they were 45 minutes later so we would have already known about it...

One advantage of Garmin Drive is it has a lot of range. We're sometimes warned of problems a hundred miles away, unlike Waze. Once was an interstate closure that ended up being four hours long. Garmin Drive, via the GPS display, told us and then rerouted us to miss the closure.

Once, though, it warned us of an interstate closure and the detours suggested would have added like six hours. So I kept checking Waze and the road appeared to be open but congested at the "closure" so we pressed on. Garmin bugged us for two hours about the closure.

Turned out both were correct. The interstate was closed due to a bridge that had been torn down. But traffic was being routed off at the exit just before the bridge, across the road, and back up on to the interstate.

Ray

Lowflyer1 · 03-11-2023, 06:07 AM

We use Garmin "Smartphone Link" app with Garmin 770. It seems to work pretty well.

There are times that even the "Google Maps" is not up to date and tries to direct to permanent road closures.

Dennis C. · 03-11-2023, 07:35 AM

I haven’t had good luck with Waze routing. It seems to pick funky routes that aren’t always the best routes, in my opinion. I like the idea of using multiple devices to ensure you’ve chosen the best possible route. I tend to use Apple Maps in addition to Garmin.

My wife and I drove through the Chicago metro area last summer and Waze directed us into a very sketchy part of town. We didn’t feel very safe, and we certainly garnered plenty of attention rolling through that part of town in an RV. This is not the part of town where you want to stop someone on the street and ask if they have change for a $100 bill, if you know what I mean…

AveryF · 03-11-2023, 08:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dennis C.

I haven’t had good luck with Waze routing. It seems to pick funky routes that aren’t always the best routes, in my opinion..…

We've come not to trust Waze routing instructions. We were re-routed around road construction on the I-65/I-59/I-20 intersection in Birmingham, Alabama directly into a vey congested downtown area on one occasion and into pretty sketchy areas of town on two other occasions. Fortunately, we were in our POV in all three instances and not in the motorhome, but it was still an "adventure". We've since deleted Waze from our devices.

Iceclimber · 03-11-2023, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dennis C.

I haven’t had good luck with Waze routing. It seems to pick funky routes that aren’t always the best routes, in my opinion. I like the idea of using multiple devices to ensure you’ve chosen the best possible route. I tend to use Apple Maps in addition to Garmin.

My wife and I drove through the Chicago metro area last summer and Waze directed us into a very sketchy part of town. We didn’t feel very safe, and we certainly garnered plenty of attention rolling through that part of town in an RV. This is not the part of town where you want to stop someone on the street and ask if they have change for a $100 bill, if you know what I mean…

Why because they use Apple Pay ?

We do the same run both navs at once. They do disagree occasionally. To the other poster yes Google Maps is not going to advise you on roads not acceptable for your RV. There is also route planning via RV life and Open roads for fuel discounts so really no one perfect app. We hop between all of them and occasionally campendium, free campsites blah blah. The best advice I have learned is plan carefully, have the ideal distance and options for spending the night, plan b distance for fatigue or weather or the zombie apocalypse.

Gumpster808 · 03-11-2023, 02:45 PM

We run our Garmin RV gps and RV Trip wizard for routing.

Waze is only for warnings etc and my navigator has that up so we get the accident, road hazard warnings, etc.

Would never rely on Waze for routing in our 41 foot motor home but it does well for the warnings.

My phone runs the Garmin drive app connected to the gps and if rerouting is needed that will take the coach into account.

As with all systems we always double check the route since none of them are perfect.

edgewant · 03-11-2023, 05:40 PM

Instead of using Google maps I’m currently using Truck Maps. It has inputs for length and height. So far in 2 years of infrequent use it hasn’t routed me on some of the impossible routes Google Maos likes to do.

Not sure if it accounts for real time traffic and road closures.

The one annoying feature is it seems to be a little impatient and alerts you to your next turn or leg of the journey many times.

Iceclimber · 03-12-2023, 10:29 AM

Truck maps is a good suggestion I will check it out.

BayRunner · 03-12-2023, 10:45 AM

I have no additional real input here that has not already been offered, but I saw the mention of Waze. I don’t use Waze for the motor home, but did use it a while back driving my daily to and from a new business location we opened. Did so for the alerts. One of the things I liked about Waze is the occasional celebrity voices they offered. Our favorite was Cookie Monster. Whenever we approached a speed trap, Coolie Monster would say, “Police reported ahead…Do you think they want cookie?”