Community Forums

FreeLunch · 06-20-2019, 03:13 PM

Larry - thanks for supporting RVTW. Hopefully over time, you'll see the RV LIFE app as a better solution than CoPilot. There are things we're doing/working on for the RV LIFE turn by turn app to make it better for RVers.

Victory - yes - it doesn't immediately start up the voice. If you go to the grocery store, you'll see that the voice does start up in a timely matter when needed.

You can move around the map when it's in navigation mode, but it will snap back to the route if you let go. This is a pretty similar experience to other navigation systems. One option to see the whole route is to pull up the bottom view and select "Route". That will allow you to let go of the screen and to zoom in/out as needed.

Radio Flyer · 06-20-2019, 03:50 PM

FreeLunch:
Thanks for stepping in to answer those questions.

And for Kenny and JohnBoy and others who have dedicated GPS devices that provide RV-safe routing based on your RV's length and height (and other factors), that's great. Use what works for you.

But the RV LIFE App provides an equally effective option for those who either don't want, can't afford, or like in my case, don't have the room on their dashboard for another piece of equipment. I already have a Tire Pressure Monitor, Rear View Camera, Auxiliary Fuel Tank Gauge, and a mobile phone mounted on my dash, in addition to the factory-installed navigation system.

If I could get my built-in nav system to import RV Trip Wizard data I'd be in road trip heaven, but Chrysler, in their infinite wisdom, removed the capability to import POIs and other data from the nav/radio system in my 2015 Ram 4500. Consequently, the RV LIFE App is the best solution for me.

reubenray · 06-21-2019, 05:35 AM

Being I cannot access all of the features of this app is it mainly similar to CoPilot? The key difference is being able to input the trip from RVTW to the app.

LarryJB · 06-21-2019, 07:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reubenray

Being I cannot access all of the features of this app is it mainly similar to CoPilot? The key difference is being able to input the trip from RVTW to the app.

This is my hope for it's future. CoPilot has recently been sold to Trimble Maps and they have changed it quite a bit. They pulled the trick of removing some very useful features and trying to spin it as improvements, so a replacement would be very welcome.
I can't imagine planning a multi-stop trip without RVTW, so being able to have a turn-by-turn GPS app that integrates with it, would be great. I don't think they are quite there yet, put they sure seem like they are headed in the right direction.

Victory Blue · 06-21-2019, 08:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FreeLunch

You can move around the map when it's in navigation mode, but it will snap back to the route if you let go. This is a pretty similar experience to other navigation systems. One option to see the whole route is to pull up the bottom view and select "Route". That will allow you to let go of the screen and to zoom in/out as needed.

Thanks for your answers.

IMO, the implementation of zoom and scroll you describe will turn out to be a severe shortcoming for RV Life navigation if it stays that way. Virtually every app I use from Google Maps to Copilot to Pilot/Flying J to the Sync 3 Nav System in my Ford Edge allows scrolling and zooming and all have a location button to re-center the GPS location of the receiver when needed; there's no automatic snap back. Even the "parks" part of RV Life has a location button.

I run Copilot on an iPad mounted in front of the passenger seat and mirrored to my front overhead TV so I can glance at it when necessary. I have to be able to have my navigator (the DW) scroll and zoom to a turn that's 5 miles ahead on the route to see what kind of turn it is, and only when she presses the location button does the screen go back to the current location along the route and at the same zoom level; staying zoomed in at the turn can be critically important. Leaving live navigation (going to route as you suggested) would be a big step backwards and isn't an acceptable option for me.

FreeLunch · 06-21-2019, 10:08 AM

Victory Blue - thank you for your feedback. We'll figure out a solution. With this being the first version of turn by turn, we're tuning the app to make it better.

Victory Blue · 06-21-2019, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FreeLunch

Victory Blue - thank you for your feedback. We'll figure out a solution. With this being the first version of turn by turn, we're tuning the app to make it better.

Thank you! I’ve subscribed and will watch with interest as you make improvements. I’ve used Trip Wizard for about 4 years and really like the way that as evolved.

LarryJB · 06-21-2019, 12:53 PM

I downloaded the RV Life app but did not sign up for the premium version. I was able to link it to my RVTW account and am able to see my trips from the app

I also found where I could "start directions to your first stop" and that sent my 1st destination to Google Maps. I have a question about this. Did that simply send the destination to Google Maps and the GM calculated the route, or did it send the entire route calculated by RVTW to GM so that it will send me on the RVTW route? Also, after I have arrived at my 1st destination, will I be able to then send GM my 2nd destination and so on for the rest of the trip?
Also, is there a better place to ask these type questions? Or is it ok to ask them here?

FreeLunch · 06-21-2019, 02:02 PM

Larry,
Within the Trips Tab in the RV LIFE app, you can tap do one of two things:
1) Tap on the ... and you can get directions to your First Stop or a few other options with one of them being "View Trip".
2) If you tap on "View Trip" or on the map image of your trip, then you'll see all the stops on your trip. From there, you can select which stop you wish to navigate to.

When you decide to send a stop to another map provider (Google/Waze/Apple, etc) you're using the routing of that map provider. The app will send the ending lat/long to say Google. Google does the calculation per the settings in Google Maps.

The advantage of using RV LIFE's RV Safe routing is that RV LIFE takes into account your RV's height, length, weight, and propane status of your RV. Google/Apple/Waze, etc does not.

With regards to questions, there are a couple ways of getting answers. One is you can post a question here and it's nice when the community helps each other out. There are times when the best answer doesn't come from RV LIFE, but it comes from a fellow RVer. The second method is that you can email support@rvlife.com or support@rvtripwizard.com. However, in doing so, the knowledge is only shared with one person vs the community as a whole.

Safe travels!

reubenray · 06-21-2019, 02:17 PM

Is this the app? It has only a 2.0 rating and there are a lot of new reviews.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...vlife&hl=en_US

LarryJB · 06-21-2019, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reubenray

Is this the app? It has only a 2.0 rating and there are a lot of new reviews.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...vlife&hl=en_US

My take on this is that it is a new turn-by-turn GPS app that will compete with RV specific apps such as CoPilot. Its primary feature is that it will integrate seamlessly with their other product RV Trip Wizard. They are still working out bugs, but if anybody can pull this off, they can. However, they are not quite there yet.

Sue46 · 06-21-2019, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reubenray

Is this the app? It has only a 2.0 rating and there are a lot of new reviews.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...vlife&hl=en_US

Yes, that is the app but the new app only came out 1-2 weeks ago so the reviews are for the old app. Always need to watch your dates on the internet.

reubenray · 06-21-2019, 03:44 PM

I installed this, but why is it showing Dallas?

billgr · 06-23-2019, 04:12 PM

Freelunch: I really like the WAZE product which I run on my iPad to navigate with & keep me appraised of "trouble ahead". How do I import a trip from the trip wizard into WAZE? I seem to be missing the import part of the equation.

Thans in advance...billgr
03 GX470 pushing our 09 Camelot 40QDP