Best GPS Router Garmin or Rand McNally

[elkhartjim]

8 hours ago, manholt said:

I did not know there is a truckers atlas...where does one get that? 

 

I got mine at a truck stop. 

[manholt]

Oh.  Duh!  My bad, it was late and my humming bird brain was on default..

[BillAdams]

Quote

Although the Waze have a bus icon you can use I don't think it has bus data for low bridges or narrow roads.

 

The bus Icon you see if for those who are trying to get from point A to point B using Public Transportation Bus.  It's not for Car or RV routing.

When you lose cellular connection you only lose the traffic data.  The software keeps maps along your route downloaded for some amount of the trip ahead of you but I am not sure exactly how much.  If you believe you could be in an area without any cellular data for an extended period of time (hard to imagine) you can download the maps before you go so you will have all the directions you need even in a cellular blackout (but no traffic info).

[BillAdams]

10 hours ago, manholt said:

I did not know there is a truckers atlas...where does one get that? 

As far as the OP is concerned, he specifically asked about a NEW GPS, Garmin or Rand Mc Nally!   I guess he want's to spend the bucks!

Folks often ask questions about something while not being aware that there is another option.  I am not sure what ever happened to the OP but I don't believe letting him know that there are other, possibly better, options is a bad thing.

[elkhartjim]

2 hours ago, BillAdams said:

  I am not sure what ever happened to the OP but I don't believe letting him know that there are other, possibly better, options is a bad thing.

Just another one post poster.

The thread has not been a total waste. Carl found out you can get a truckers atlas at a truck stop. There is a wealth of information on this forum and some of it is worth exactly what you pay for it.

 

[wayne77590]

12 hours ago, huffypuff said:

DW was using Googles maps when Rand McNally GPS quit.  I got us where we were going but I unaware of traffic data in Googles Maps.  I believe both could be problems without cell towers like in the desert.  Although the Waze have a bus icon you can use I don't think it has bus data for low bridges or narrow roads.  It dose have stay off dirt roads option.  

Herman, I don't understand the statement you made ( I put in bold type). Are you stating you don't know how to check data in google maps or the MAPS APP.  Both are capable.

If Jim can teach Carl how to find a trucker's atlas, I'm sure you can learn how to find traffic on a map.

[huffypuff]

3 hours ago, wayne77590 said:

Herman, I don't understand the statement you made ( I put in bold type). Are you stating you don't know how to check data in google maps or the MAPS APP.  Both are capable.

If Jim can teach Carl how to find a trucker's atlas, I'm sure you can learn how to find traffic on a map.

Waze have traffic data input by users on the go.  If there is a cop up ahead it will show on the map and flash a warning on the screen.  When I reach that spot it gives me the option to thumps up or hit no button.  That's gives live data in real time.  There is also input for traffic, hazard, construction to name a few.  I haven't used Googles Maps because I'm unable to multitask like the DW.  LOL  Sorry to see your lost of your motorhome in your signature.  May you find one better than the one you had.   

[hermanmullins]

Wayne, 

Twasint me. I believe it was Puff or Jim but twernt me.

I make enough blunders on my own.🙄

Herman 

[manholt]

Herman is correct, it was Puff and Herman is correct on the rest, also!   Another miss by Wayne!

Jim.  The OP has been a member since 2008, weird, I thought this started in 2009!?

[elkhartjim]

Lord help us all, especially those suffering from senility. Not to name names but his initials are WAYNE.

I'm sorry Herman, Wayne most likely didn't take his meds yesterday.

[manholt]

The twins, strike again!

Please, someone, close the gate to the asylum...

[wolfe10]

Please, let's try to get this one back on topic.

Thanks.

Moderator

[manholt]

Brett.

We where humming along quite nicely until sometime yesterday!  Sorry, guess we just sort off, fell of the cliff.

It was the "Twins" fault !

[huffypuff]

11 hours ago, Hermanmullins said:

Wayne, 

Twasint me. I believe it was Puff or Jim but twernt me.

I make enough blunders on my own.🙄

Herman 

Tis was me.

[elkhartjim]

The OP hasn't signed in since August 14th. Now...what is the topic?

[wildebill308]

On 9/23/2017 at 3:28 AM, elkhartjim said:

The OP hasn't signed in since August 14th. Now...what is the topic?

Why people keep buying stand alone GPS for $$$ when you can get just as good program free or nearly free.

Bill

[tbutler]

The GPS unit works off satellite.  It's always on, no gaps in coverage.  My cell phone is here and gone depending on where we are located.  How does your cell work in Canada?  Do you roam or purchase some other kind of connection?  The GPS works everywhere, Newfoundland, Alaska, all over Canada.  I took it to Australia and New Zealand, it worked fine there also.  Once I put in destination, I don't have to touch the GPS.  A cell phone offers a nice addition but it doesn't match the coverage of a GPS unit.

[ispjs]

On ‎9‎/‎21‎/‎2017 at 5:34 AM, manholt said:

I would love to see how you "ride in a Harley"!

Actually my Harley is a FLHTCUTG, which to non-Harley buffs is a Triglide, you know, a tricycle.  You "drive it" instead of riding it like a motorcycle.  It is more like my convertible except with 3 wheels.  It has full navigation and blue tooth so I can display or play about anything.

But getting back to the original question of GPS units.  I guess my feeling is that I would never feel comfortable going down the road in a vehicle that is anywhere from 40' to 65' long and close to the height limits following google mapping or Waze.  Any GPS guidance I have is going to have my length, height, and other factors programed in so I will have a better chance of not getting into a bind.  We will use Waze and other applications on our phone and tablet but not for navigation.  For example when traffic comes to a stop we may pull up one of those other apps just to see what is happening and try to determine if there could be an alternate way around it.   I could care less about knowing where the general public is reporting a police officer sitting in the median.  Come on, are you serious, I'm either pulling or pushing a vehicle that is 30,000 to 50,000 pounds down the road, its not like I'm driving 20mph over the speed limit or drinking a six pack!  I'm more worried about that 10'8" overpass.

[BillAdams]

On 9/25/2017 at 9:33 AM, TBUTLER said:

The GPS unit works off satellite.  It's always on, no gaps in coverage.  My cell phone is here and gone depending on where we are located.  How does your cell work in Canada?  Do you roam or purchase some other kind of connection?  The GPS works everywhere, Newfoundland, Alaska, all over Canada.  I took it to Australia and New Zealand, it worked fine there also.  Once I put in destination, I don't have to touch the GPS.  A cell phone offers a nice addition but it doesn't match the coverage of a GPS unit.

A phones GPS system works using the EXACT SAME satellites that every stand along GPS uses.  I don't need cellular data as my phone GPS is a GPS and uses GPS for guidance.  It has nothing what so ever to do with cellular data.  The phone based GPS units actually have MORE accurate information than ANY stand alone GPS as the data is updated more often and sometimes in real time.

Here's how to get from Auckland to Tauranga.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Tauranga,+New+Zealand/Auckland,+New+Zealand/@-37.3632963,174.9000257,9z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x6d6e76e77bd464e5:0x500ef6143a39926!2m2!1d176.1651295!2d-37.6877975!1m5!1m1!1s0x6d0d47fb5a9ce6fb:0x500ef6143a29917!2m2!1d174.7633315!2d-36.8484597!3e0

[ispjs]

5 hours ago, BillAdams said:

A phones GPS system works using the EXACT SAME satellites that every stand along GPS uses.  I don't need cellular data as my phone GPS is a GPS and uses GPS for guidance.  It has nothing what so ever to do with cellular data.  The phone based GPS units actually have MORE accurate information than ANY stand alone GPS as the data is updated more often and sometimes in real time.

Here's how to get from Auckland to Tauranga.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Tauranga,+New+Zealand/Auckland,+New+Zealand/@-37.3632963,174.9000257,9z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x6d6e76e77bd464e5:0x500ef6143a39926!2m2!1d176.1651295!2d-37.6877975!1m5!1m1!1s0x6d0d47fb5a9ce6fb:0x500ef6143a29917!2m2!1d174.7633315!2d-36.8484597!3e0

Bill, are you sure about that?  With my Verizon account when we use our I-phones for navigation it seems to chew through our data.  I would suspect if we were driving all day in our car and kept our I-phone navigating we would use at least 1/2 gig.

[wildebill308]

2 hours ago, ISPJS said:

Bill, are you sure about that?  With my Verizon account when we use our I-phones for navigation it seems to chew through our data.  I would suspect if we were driving all day in our car and kept our I-phone navigating we would use at least 1/2 gig.

Go read what I posted about CoPilot. Don't get the RV version as I hear about problems. I have had good luck with the base app. Just finished a 7 week trip with no problem.

Bill 

[BillAdams]

Not sure about the I-Phone but I use an Android.  The phone will use data if you want it to so you can get live traffic data but this is not required for navigation.  You can download the maps while you have a free internet connection available and the maps of the area you will be traveling are in your phone forever.  They can be changed or updated as your travels change.  You can then turn off the mobile data on your phone and use it like any other stand alone GPS without the live traffic data.

As to data usage, again on an Android, I watched my data usage on 2 separate 250 miles trips.  One trip I was using Google Maps and it use a whoppingly small 8Mb of data and the 2nd trip I used WAZE and it only used 15Mb.  That's not enough data to make any difference in anyone's data plan.

[huffypuff]

19 hours ago, BillAdams said:

Not sure about the I-Phone but I use an Android.  The phone will use data if you want it to so you can get live traffic data but this is not required for navigation.  You can download the maps while you have a free internet connection available and the maps of the area you will be traveling are in your phone forever.  They can be changed or updated as your travels change.  You can then turn off the mobile data on your phone and use it like any other stand alone GPS without the live traffic data.

As to data usage, again on an Android, I watched my data usage on 2 separate 250 miles trips.  One trip I was using Google Maps and it use a whoppingly small 8Mb of data and the 2nd trip I used WAZE and it only used 15Mb.  That's not enough data to make any difference in anyone's data plan.

My phone have Sprint Unlimited so I need not worry about data use.  I can also wifi it to 10 GB without extra charge. 

[ispjs]

On ‎9‎/‎27‎/‎2017 at 4:01 AM, BillAdams said:

Not sure about the I-Phone but I use an Android.  The phone will use data if you want it to so you can get live traffic data but this is not required for navigation.  You can download the maps while you have a free internet connection available and the maps of the area you will be traveling are in your phone forever.  They can be changed or updated as your travels change.  You can then turn off the mobile data on your phone and use it like any other stand alone GPS without the live traffic data.

As to data usage, again on an Android, I watched my data usage on 2 separate 250 miles trips.  One trip I was using Google Maps and it use a whoppingly small 8Mb of data and the 2nd trip I used WAZE and it only used 15Mb.  That's not enough data to make any difference in anyone's data plan.

From your signature it looks like you are full time.  I am assuming that means you travel a lot but I can't tell how tall your rig is.  Do you ever concern yourself with height issues?  How about weight, length, or width restrictions on certain roads?  Have you ever approached an area where you were restricted because of a 100 gallon propane tank on board?  Or how about a major street in a city where any type of large vehicle are not allowed (Chicago).  These are all reasons I use a Truckers/RV GPS to aid in my navigation plus consult a truckers atlas if visiting a new area of the country.  

[tom7020]

 I think both Rand McNally and Garmin are great. 
Rand McNally offers bigger devices, allowing them to install better speakers. These come in handy when you wish to answer more calls on the hands-free mode.
The details about points of interest, RV parks, and other locations are available on Garmin devices. Rand McNally, on the other hand, doesn’t offer much in these terms.