# Word To The Wise! And New Owners Too!



## egregg57 (Feb 13, 2006)

Many of us use GPS to help get us to where we are going. GPS whether on a smart phone or a dedicated GPS unit can be an invaluable tool and a ready source of reassurance that your route is the right one&#8230;..

BUT, yes there is a &#147;But&#148;. One should always remember that a GPS is going to take you down the road by the most direct route, or alternate route to get you where you are going by the fastest means. That&#146;s a good thing, right?

Maybe not! Remember that your GPS doesn&#146;t know you are hauling a trailer, or fifth wheel, or that you are in a motor home. Some of these units can top 13 feet very easily! Not good when you come to that bridge with a 9'10" clearance!

I had this experience on my way down to Gettysburg. The route I took is the same route that I used countless times when driving home from Norfolk, Virginia or Jacksonville Florida on many, many occasions. So how could it be that I would find myself in this situation?

It was my over dependence on technology. I was not keenly aware of my location. I knew the road forked and that I needed to stay right. Instead I glanced at gauges I have monitoring my diesel, speed, then looked up at the GPS and it was telling me to bear left, which I did. I found myself all too quickly on the wrong road for my vehicle and the fifth wheel I was towing.

The bridge a stone arch on the Hutchinson Cross Parkway in NY sliced off the Max-Air style vent cover over my Bathroom vent and had I not forced myself into the next lane while braking I would have destroyed the AC as well.

It ended up being a $20.00 repair (remove and replace Vent cover) and a bit of white knuckling through some less than friendly roads in White Plains NY, but I made it back to 287 and continued the trip uneventfully.

It is the time of year to take those units out and to go and see. BUT before you go, understand your route! If you haven&#146;t taken the route before this forum is an excellent place to ask! There is undoubtedly someone here that has been down that road before and can help and steer you clear. There are also GPS's out there and trip planners as well that account for larger vehicle that will help you steer clear of trouble.

Be cautious! Be aware! Be alert! A second of inattention can get you into trouble! If and when that happens you want to be ready to react, safely, be in control, and make it out of the situation in good form with all your fingers and toes! Needless to say this ties into good hitch set up, brake control, proper tire inflation and making sure the safety features that are there to protect you and yours can do their job when and if they are called upon!

Have a great Summer!

See you around the Campfire!

Eric


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## raynardo (Jun 8, 2007)

There are GPS units made expressly for trucks/RV's.

Having said that, I've also found myself in a similar predicament although I luckily didn't hit anything. When I was on Long Island, NY a couple of years ago, I put a campground into the GPS and proceeded to blindly follow it, ending up: 1) at the southern terminus of the Brooklyn Bridge and then driving New York City traffic - under train tracks, hitting stoplights every 100 yards, and going through so neighborhoods that made me wonder if I wouldn't have graffiti all over my trailer, and 2) all the exits off the Long Island Expressway exclaimed for passenger cars only 6' 10" in height - heck my pick-up with just the kayaks on top couldn't have made it there.

Then since we had to miss one exit after another my GPS was continually exclaiming "recalculating" at me. I was pretty harried from the traffic, the roads, not seeing another RV anywhere, and going someplace I'd never been to before, then add a mad GPS and you know why I enjoy cocktail hour when I get where I'm going!

But we did find the oasis of a campground - a beautiful county park complete with lake in the midst of the urban sprawl.


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## duggy (Mar 17, 2010)

I find GPS's to be a handy assistant, but not something to blindly follow. Depending on preference settings, and possibly the phase of the moon, they will take you down back roads that are barely drivable, or keep you on the interstate, going many extra miles out of the way to avoid secondary roads, or any other possible number of routes that you would change if you gave it some thought. They do help know how long it will take to get somewhere, and give you some warning when you're approaching an intersection or exit.

Last August we were coming back to Canada, from Letchworth State Park in NY. We had time to spare, so I decided to follow the GPS, and see where it took us, even though I knew it was not taking the best route to get back to I-90. We drove for about a half hour, then arrived at a sign warning that there was a steep hill, followed by a low bridge, and we had to turn around and backtrack about ten miles, to avoid the obstacle. I excused the GPS for not knowing we were towing a trailer, but wished I had just taken the route I had mapped out before we left home!


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## sunnybrook29 (Oct 7, 2009)

While going thru Cairo , Ga . trying to find Mule Day at 
Calvary Ga. my GPS said turn right , go one block , turn right , go one block , turn right , go one block , turn right . It did this over and over , I could not get out of Cairo . I finally ran out of fuel from going around the block and Good Sam wrecker towed me to Mule Day !
Do not trust dem machines 100% , they sometimes will lead ya wrong !


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

Check the setting most GPS's now have a Bus or Trailer setting and you can find many other settings that will help you avoid this kind of fail. That said they still can make mistakes watch out for those forks in the road!!


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## Outbacker47 (Jun 6, 2010)

I found a web site that has POI's that you can download to your GPS that will give you a warning when approaching a low overhang or bridge. It's called http://www.lowclearances.com/. You download whatever height you need to be aware of and it warns you when you get close. Depending on which GPS you have I think some of them actually route you around the low clearances. Take a look at it and see if it's something you could use.


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## egregg57 (Feb 13, 2006)

All gootuff, this is exactly what I wanted the thread to do, get people talking about it.

I am not sure about anyone else but I have heard little about the alternate GPS setting s for trucks and RV's. I knew they were out there but on the forums I frequent there was barely a whisper.

So getting this on the forefront may help someone down the line!

Thank you all for joining in with your input!

Eric


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## Snow (Sep 27, 2011)

duggy said:


> Last August we were coming back to Canada, from Letchworth State Park in NY. We had time to spare, so I decided to follow the GPS, and see where it took us, even though I knew it was not taking the best route to get back to I-90. We drove for about a half hour, then arrived at a sign warning that there was a steep hill, followed by a low bridge, and we had to turn around and backtrack about ten miles, to avoid the obstacle. I excused the GPS for not knowing we were towing a trailer, but wished I had just taken the route I had mapped out before we left home!


IIRC that is the same route Google Maps will give you if ask for directions from Niagara Falls to Letchworth State Park (it takes you to the Western entrance) ... I was warned about that route prior to us heading down there 2 years ago ..


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## wolverine (Mar 5, 2009)

On our way to Elkmont in the Smokey Mountains last year my GPS took me through Maryville and then to Townsend. The problem I had was after Townsend. My GPS took me down a winding road that became steep, which was not too terrible. But when I came to a bridge that had some restrictions, I had no choice but to cross it. There was no way I could turn around. I got out and looked at the bridge, which the road had a 90 degree curve at the approach end and could tell a few people had hit the bridge with there trailers trying to cross it. I knew I was under the total weight limit for the bridge and my trailer is fairly short. I could not believe that there was not one single sign warning travelers about the bridge prior to the sign on the bridge.


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## mountainlady56 (Feb 13, 2006)

I have a Garmin, and I don't know my way around where I live, now, that well. So, I programmed in the desired location, and that thing took me (literally) down PIG TRAILS, it seemed, up here in the N GA mountains!! I was afraid someone was gonna come out and start shooting, or something, on one of the roads! Finally got to the destination, and decided to just use my sense of direction to get back to Ellijay proper. Saved about 15 miles of driving, and a WHOLE lot better roads!
That woman in that little box kept telling me to "turn around", etc. I told her to "SHUT UP!" LOL
Darlene


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## hatcityhosehauler (Feb 13, 2004)

This biggest issue here Eric is not that you lost the vent cover, but that trailers are NOT ALLOWED on either the Hutchinson River Parkway, or the Cross County Parkway. For that matter, neither is your F-350 even without the trailer. In fact, most of the NY Parkways have restrictions for no commercial vehicles, and NY considers anything with a GVWR greater then 7000# commercial!







If a Westchester County Cop wanted to be a real A*****e, he could write you a fairly expensive ticket.

A better route for the trailer, heading south for you would be, I-84/I-684/I-287 to the Tappan Zee Bridge. Once on the bridge, you are on I-87 NB/I-287 WB. Take this to Exit 15 I-287 SB, and you can pick up I-80 or I-78 off of 287. This by-passes NYC and the George Washington Bridge altogether. Next time your heading through my neck of the woods, drop me a note, and I'll let you know the best route.


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## jake's outback (Jul 24, 2010)

duggy said:


> I find GPS's to be a handy assistant, but not something to blindly follow. Depending on preference settings, and possibly the phase of the moon, they will take you down back roads that are barely drivable, or keep you on the interstate, going many extra miles out of the way to avoid secondary roads, or any other possible number of routes that you would change if you gave it some thought. They do help know how long it will take to get somewhere, and give you some warning when you're approaching an intersection or exit.
> 
> Last August we were coming back to Canada, from Letchworth State Park in NY. We had time to spare, so I decided to follow the GPS, and see where it took us, even though I knew it was not taking the best route to get back to I-90. We drove for about a half hour, then arrived at a sign warning that there was a steep hill, followed by a low bridge, and we had to turn around and backtrack about ten miles, to avoid the obstacle. I excused the GPS for not knowing we were towing a trailer, but wished I had just taken the route I had mapped out before we left home!


Hey Doug, or anyone in the know, we are heading to Letchworth tomorrow morning. Taking 400 to 20A, from Toronto to Buffalo making a few stops walmart and a camping world just to look. Where is this low bridge?


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