Community Forums

JimGale · 06-25-2022, 10:47 PM

New member, first route. Is this common, that the RV Life GPS shows much much longer than Waze? Same route. Will be going same speed as if without trailer. 101, fwy, no special roads.

appsol · 06-25-2022, 11:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimGale

New member, first route. Is this common, that the RV Life GPS shows much much longer than Waze? Same route. Will be going same speed as if without trailer. 101, fwy, no special roads.

Have you driven that route in the past? Since you did not state what you driving we have limited information. But I can tell you I grew up in that area, and have driven those roads many times. If you are driving an RV there is no way you can or should be driving the speeds Waze (Google maps) uses in it's projections.

**Lt Dan** · 06-25-2022, 11:14 PM

First off, Welcome to IRV2!

With the 670-82 mile distance, the almost 17 hours is going to be closer to accurate. You would have to average over 60mph to cover it in 11 hours and you won't be able to average that on Hwy 101. A more direct and faster route would be I5.

JimGale · 06-26-2022, 12:12 AM

thanks for the comments - I'll have to test the drive - I find it hard to believe that it will take 50% longer when Waze calculates based on speed limits, and I'm usually at the speed limit. But, hey, can certainly be. So RV GPS doesn't calculate anything else in, like stops?

thx

1JetDoc · 06-26-2022, 12:27 AM

I don't pay much attention to what the GPS or computer planners say. I always plan my RV trip routes for 50 miles per hour. That gives me 60-65 MPH average speeds while on the road and builds in extra time for food, fuel and rest stops along the way. PLUS, 50 MPH is easy to calculate... 8 hours at 50 is 400 miles. 5 hours is 250 miles, etc.

I'm also finding there are a lot of reduced speed zones for construction along the Interstate highways this time of year, and Waze doesn't take those into account for their trip planning.

twogypsies · 06-26-2022, 01:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1JetDoc

I don't pay much attention to what the GPS or computer planners say. I always plan my RV trip routes for 50 miles per hour. That gives me 60-65 MPH average speeds while on the road and builds in extra time for food, fuel and rest stops along the way. PLUS, 50 MPH is easy to calculate... 8 hours at 50 is 400 miles. 5 hours is 250 miles, etc.

I'm also finding there are a lot of reduced speed zones for construction along the Interstate highways this time of year, and Waze doesn't take those into account for their trip planning.

That's exactly how we judged our driving day and it worked.

**pasdad1** · 06-26-2022, 05:30 AM

Isn’t it a law in California that towing a trailer is limited to 55mph ? This applies even if a motorhome is towing a car behind.

Mike8253 · 06-26-2022, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimGale

thanks for the comments - I'll have to test the drive - I find it hard to believe that it will take 50% longer when Waze calculates based on speed limits, and I'm usually at the speed limit. But, hey, can certainly be. So RV GPS doesn't calculate anything else in, like stops?

thx

You just can't base driving time solely on speed limits. No one drives the speed limit on the roads you are planning to drive, especially in an RV. More importantly, you make stops along the way. Those zero MPH stops have significant impact on average speed and driving time, even if the stops are short. As others have stated, 50 MPH is a good number to use, because it includes stops along the way and presumes you're not just driving a car. I'd not use the WAZE estimate.

Alan_Hepburn · 06-27-2022, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike8253

You just can't base driving time solely on speed limits. No one drives the speed limit on the roads you are planning to drive, especially in an RV. More importantly, you make stops along the way. Those zero MPH stops have significant impact on average speed and driving time, even if the stops are short.

I agree - most routing engines do not account for the time it takes to get up to the speed limit, the time you're stopped at a stop sign or stop light, the time it takes to slow down for a turn, etc. - these all affect your average speed. We usually use 50 mph for an average speed and it works out quite accurately over a full day's drive - which often includes stopping for fuel or food.

1JetDoc · 06-27-2022, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pasdad1

Isn’t it a law in California that towing a trailer is limited to 55mph ? This applies even if a motorhome is towing a car behind.

Yes, California speed limits say 55 MPH for vehicles towing trailers. Of course, no one ever pays attention to that speed limit, and if you try to drive 55, you'll get run over by everything from micro cars towing teardrops to 18-wheelers.

dizcom · 06-27-2022, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimGale

New member, first route. Is this common, that the RV Life GPS shows much much longer than Waze? Same route. Will be going same speed as if without trailer. 101, fwy, no special roads.

Yes it is. with any two apps, you'll often get two different calculations. Try them at different times of the day and you'll get different times also. They're looking at whatever data is available to them at the point in time you make the route. Waze will update as you drive to give you a better projected arrival time. I've found it to be fairly accurate.

**pasdad1** · 06-27-2022, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1JetDoc

Yes, California speed limits say 55 MPH for vehicles towing trailers. Of course, no one ever pays attention to that speed limit, and if you try to drive 55, you'll get run over by everything from micro cars towing teardrops to 18-wheelers.

This is probably why the GPS driving estimate is longer…..it is using the lawful 55mph limit where Waze thinks you are in a car and uses the higher speed limit in its estimates.