Route planning for caravans

[Buckman]

Maybe those sneaky little boffins at TomTom have at last found out the secret of miracle making.

Seems that they have found away if you select "car with caravan" and we mainly use CLs in the UK. Not had an issue in France or Spain either.

 

[Jcloughie]

For an app that does live route planning to your dimensions look at CoPilot. About £26 per year. When I looked at them, TomTom did not do a true app that handled dimensions. reading the posts above, it looks like the still don’t. It seems you need to pre plan then sync to the phone. Sounds like a faff, and hard luck if there is a diversion, or you change your destination.

John

 

[otherclive]

For an app that does live route planning to your dimensions look at CoPilot. About £26 per year. When I looked at them, TomTom did not do a true app that handled dimensions. reading the posts above, it looks like the still don’t. It seems you need to pre plan then sync to the phone. Sounds like a faff, and hard luck if there is a diversion, or you change your destination.

John

I was always ultra cautious if for any reason my satnav offered an alternative route because the programmed route might have had a hold up/delay on it. Most times we would stick with the programmed route and quite often the delay would have disappeared. But letting the satnav give me an alternate route was generally refused and we would aim to pull over somewhere and look at the map book.

 

[Buckman]

For an app that does live route planning to your dimensions look at CoPilot. About £26 per year. When I looked at them, TomTom did not do a true app that handled dimensions. reading the posts above, it looks like the still don’t. It seems you need to pre plan then sync to the phone. Sounds like a faff, and hard luck if there is a diversion, or you change your destination.

John

We do not have the app as think most seem to be fairly useless, just the unit. We can input the dimensions which the app cannot do. If there is a part of the route that is closed, it will offer you alternative routes which may be quicker. It also advises on the length of the delay.

No intention of using any phone app at this point as the unit is more than adequate for us. The car satnav although fairly good is very restrictive as cannot add dimensions, get alternative routes etc. We only use the unit when towing.

 

[RogerL]

For an app that does live route planning to your dimensions look at CoPilot. About £26 per year. When I looked at them, TomTom did not do a true app that handled dimensions. reading the posts above, it looks like the still don’t. It seems you need to pre plan then sync to the phone. Sounds like a faff, and hard luck if there is a diversion, or you change your destination.

John

Given a choice, I'd rather have live traffic from a car sat nav even when towing than a caravan sat nav with no live traffic - restrictions like width/height/weight/length are signed anyway and since caravan routes can't exclude "single track with passing places" they don't gain much - although they should take the lower speed limits into account when estimating arrival time.

 

[Buckman]

Given a choice, I'd rather have live traffic from a car sat nav even when towing than a caravan sat nav with no live traffic - restrictions like width/height/weight/length are signed anyway and since caravan routes can't exclude "single track with passing places" they don't gain much - although they should take the lower speed limits into account when estimating arrival time.

We get live updates from our TT Go and we are warned that the route may be unsuitable for caravans i.e. narrow road with passing places.

 

[Jcloughie]

We do not have the app as think most are fairly useless, just the unit. We can input the dimensions which the app cannot do. If there is a part of the route that is closed, it will offer you alternative routes which may be quicker. It also advises on the length of the delay.

No intention of using any phone app at this point as the unit is more than adequate for us. The car satnav although fairly good is very restrictive as cannot add dimensions, get alternative routes etc. We only use the unit when towing.

What is your basis for saying they are fairly useless? Particularly, as you say you don't use them. But in reality, a ‘unit’ is a screen. computer and app, just like a phone.

The CoPilot DOES allow you to input dimensions, which is why I suggested it.


John

 

[Jcloughie]

Given a choice, I'd rather have live traffic from a car sat nav even when towing than a caravan sat nav with no live traffic - restrictions like width/height/weight/length are signed anyway and since caravan routes can't exclude "single track with passing places" they don't gain much - although they should take the lower speed limits into account when estimating arrival time.

I think you are correct that the dimensions are 'signed away', for the TomTom. But the CoPilot calculates on the fly.

John

 

[Jcloughie]

I was always ultra cautious if for any reason my satnav offered an alternative route because the programmed route might have had a hold up/delay on it. Most times we would stick with the programmed route and quite often the delay would have disappeared. But letting the satnav give me an alternate route was generally refused and we would aim to pull over somewhere and look at the map book.

I would agree regarding delays. But what about diversions?

Still, always be cautious, whatever the SatNav. Even the human ones.

John

 

[Buckman]

What is your basis for saying they are fairly useless? Particularly, as you say you don't use them. But in reality, a ‘unit’ is a screen. computer and app, just like a phone.

The CoPilot DOES allow you to input dimensions, which is why I suggested it.


John

I did try Copilot a few years ago before we bought the TT Go and it had drawbacks that I did not like. Possibly at that point you could not input dimensions. Also tried the TT app and just as bad. I cannot remember if I tried the Garmin app if they have one.

 

[otherclive]

I would agree regarding delays. But what about diversions?

Still, always be cautious, whatever the SatNav. Even the human ones.

John

What about diversions? if you are suddenly hit by one you have to use your judgement on what to do. Technology can only go so far in reducing the need for people to use their brains. Although with AI that may change, and for some it cannot come soon enough!

What do you do about diversions?

 

[RogerL]

What about diversions? if you are suddenly hit by one you have to use your judgement on what to do. Technology can only go so far in reducing the need for people to use their brains. Although with AI that may change, and for some it cannot come soon enough!

What do you do about diversions?

Diversions are a thorny subject - official diversions have to be useable by all vehicles, so no width/height/weight/length restrictions, no motorways or special roads so can be followed by all road users including caravans - occasionally diversion routes will split for "light vehicles" and others allowing solo cars a quicker/shorter diversion.

Where a sat nav is dynamic enough to pick up the actual closure, they may reroute from further afield and avoid the official diversion in whole or in part.

 

[Jcloughie]

What about diversions? if you are suddenly hit by one you have to use your judgement on what to do. Technology can only go so far in reducing the need for people to use their brains. Although with AI that may change, and for some it cannot come soon enough!

What do you do about diversions?

In my opinion. change is here already. SatNavs that can react is AI in action.

I use it as a tool. but will not be dictated to by it.

John

 

[Beardy]

I had a Garmin U2 satnav for a while, completely useless piece of junk that was. All the streets had no names! 3 hours driving round town and I still haven't found what I'm looking for. It really sent me some mysterious ways.






I'll get my coat.