Campfire

[Acadianmom]

I have talked to quite a few women that follow their GPS and never check a map. Some end up going way out of their way or getting lost.

Martha

[Queen]

I have a freaky good sense of direction, like if I visited a place once, at night, 20 years ago, I can drive right back there. Mary could get lost driving around the block. So we tried a GPS once, it got me lost and it stressed her out... so we've switched back to an atlas and paper state maps, much more peaceful.

[MandysMom]

We still laugh about our 2008 trip when in Texas we decided not to follow freeway and to use paper maps. But we kept the GPS on while traveling a highway north with the idea of missing major cities. The whole way we were LOL because GPS lady kept saying, " turn right on Farmer ( insert a family name) road" those roads they mentioned turning on we're essentially dirt track long driveways into ranches! Yeah, turn on a farmers/ ranches private road in a 45,000 lb diesel converted bus! I don't think so. Which once again points out that using common sense should over ride GPS!
Velda

[Bethers]

Somewhere, several years ago, I posted a picture on this forum of my GPS telling my to turn.. If I had, I'd have driven directly into the Gulf of Mexico, and that's what the screen showed. I think it was trying to kill me.

I found the picture:

[monik7]

I wonder if I'm the exception. I use my GPS all the time for every trip. I also look at my atlas and if I want to go a different route than mine directs me, I go by the atlas. A couple times mine has directed me to a less direct way, but those were rare exceptions. I definitely think maps should always be used as backup and checking that the GPS isn't "confused." I also like that I can save addresses in the GPS from the past because there have been many times I've used all or part of a prior route - especially to sights in western states.
Sandi

[JudyJB]

When I first bought my new motorhome, there were two events that caused me to get a new, RV GPS:

1) The first was when my old GPS took me through downtown Mansfield, Ohio, and under an old railroad viaduct with a tiny sign that said "12'". My motorhome was 11' 8" tall at the time and the viaduct was a semicircle. It was very scary.

2) I was in Mackinaw City, Michigan, and came extremely close to driving under the Mackinac Bridge, which at that location had several big signs that said "10' 8" and "Danger". I ended up holding up traffic and backing up through a four-way stop while everyone waited for me!!

I do check maps and even Google maps before I go somewhere, so I know not to follow the screwy directions my Rand McNally GPS occasionally gives me, but since I enter my RV height, weight, width, length, etc. it keeps me from going under low bridges or over very narrow bridges and off roads with weight limits. Only once in my travels when I decided to ignore it did I almost go under a low bridge, but a guy in a pickup truck followed me and kept honking until I stopped to see what the problem was. He had known there was a low bridge and the sign was fallen over, so he saved me!!

[Queen]

Since I do most of the driving, we'll probably get another GPS at some point. When Mary has to play navigator all the time, she ends of staring at maps for hours and misses most of the scenery.

[Colliemom]

I still haven't se maps and Good Sam Trip planner. Don't have a GPS. Took my whole trip out west and back that way. Maybe some day I will get a GPS. With the WiFi n my new truck, I can keep updated anywhere now.

[BarbaraRose]

I have a GPS I love but before any trip I will go on Google Maps and figure out how I want to go and write down those directions. If the GPS agrees, I just use that, or I turn off the volume so I don't have to listen to her yell at me! But mostly it is good for finding stores, motels, telling me what lane to be in on freeways and when my exit is coming up, etc. The best part is it tells me how fast I am going. My speedometer in the Jeep is off by about 6 mph and gets further off as I go faster. By the time I am going around 70, it is off by about 10 mph. So it is very helpful to know exactly how fast I am going. It also tells me what the speed limit is since sometimes I miss the signs and don't know what it is. It also reminds me if I am going too far over the speed limit if I start daydreaming...

[Birdie]

I had Garmin Truck GPS until I wore it out. It did the height and weight thing. I have changed my route planning the last couple of years as I have primarily traveled solo. I like to know where I am staying at night before I pull out in the morning. So I normally plan my site seeing and gas stops along the way. I use AllStays and they note many of the 'low' bridge crossings, gas stations and campgrounds. I am now using the Apple maps along with Google maps, G Maps allows you to make multiple stops and I haven't figured that out on A maps, and then with my GPS I normally plan out a few days of travel. Makes some folks crazy. It is all jello anyway. Recently a lady I have traveled with took off the top of her new 34' Class A with a RR bridge. But she never plans her routes until she starts the engine....exciting for her!

Barbie I use my GPS for speed and it pops up school zones too. However the speed controllers don't always notify the GPS folks and sometimes they don't match! I like knowing my exit number and which lanes might be best for me. The lane thing helps when you are in a 5-7 lane city traffic. I am not there frequently but sometimes you gotta do it. Albany NY....that was actually easier than Phoenix! (With the GPS).

[Acadianmom]

I usually have the volume off on my GPS because it aggravates me when I don't want to follow it. I think the best thing is knowing which way an exit is going to be because I hate to have to change lanes in a hurry. People are so considerate in letting me change lanes.

I am one that doesn't do much planning. I know which road I want to take but not good at figuring out how far I will go. Since a lot of the time I am on some back road in Texas I write down what road I want to take and the town where I need to change highways. If I was in a big RV towing a car I would be a lot more careful where I go. Years ago my son and I were on some side road North of Dallas because I didn't want to get on the interstate. We got to a railroad bridge and I pulled over. We were out measuring how tall my motorhome was. Now I have a label on my dash that has the height in case I forget. My boys just loved to travel with me.

Martha

[Queen]

When I did cross country motorcycle trips I used a cool trick to help me keep rolling without having to stop and look at maps... you use a dry erase marker and write your route changes on a side mirror. I've done the same thing when traveling solo in the car and it works pretty well, you can even write on the side window or the corner of the windshield, and it wipes off with a dry tissue.

[Birdie]

Mickie, that is really neat idea. I could use that for putting my 'want to' overnight cg name. I always forget it even if I know how to get there! I think I will pop that on another forum I belong to. Will just tell them someone I know did/does this.

[JudyJB]

One advantage to the Rand McNally RV GPS is that you can push a button and it will tell you what campgrounds are nearby. Then you select one, and it takes you there.

The newest upgrade also tells you what gas stations, restaurants, etc are at the next few exits if you are on a freeway. And it also lets me know when I go over the speed limit. You can set it for how many MPH over you want to be warned. I had to adjust it last year in Ontario because everyone normally drives 5 MPH there!

It will also avoid things like dirt roads, ferries, and toll roads.

[Queen]

Mickie, that is really neat idea. I could use that for putting my 'want to' overnight cg name. I always forget it even if I know how to get there! I think I will pop that on another forum I belong to. Will just tell them someone I know did/does this.

It really helps me to remember things like the exit number for the place I'm staying overnight, got tired of having post-its stuck to the dashboard and then seeing them flutter down to the floor where I couldn't reach them.