Satellite Navigation

[robrobc]

Having found myself being directed the wrong way down a one way street todayoh:, (fortunately I was in my Car and not 5'er and it was the first time my Navman has got it wrong) it got me wondering.

I normally just disconnect the Sat Nav from the Car and shove it in the Cab and off we go

I know that there are companies who make Sat Navs designed/programmed for Commercial vehicles, so does anyone have any experience of them?

Thanks for your help

 

[Jim]

My only experience was a bad one with a Garmin Nuvi 360 that you could tell if you were driving a bus, car or truck. Not that it took what you were driving into its route calculations though

I think they have some better systems now.

 

[moandick]

See <Link Removed>

I am very keen on a proper satnav system for large vehicles BUT I don't think we have it yet.

This system is getting close to a second edition so I am hanging on awaiting it.

One problem that you are inevitably going to come across is the fact that the mapping is particularly based on the 'main' roads that the heavies use. Do not expect it to direct you safely around the local housing estate because if heavies don't normally use that route then the Pronav will not cover it very well.

 

[robrobc]

Thanks moandick,

I have had a look at my local stores and guess what.......Sold Out/Not in Stock oh:

So bang goes that idea of popping in and having a look

 

[tonka130]

HGVSOLUTIONS.COM do a TOMTOM approved add on for hgv's, to all TOMTOM's. You input your length, height, weight etc and it will route you accordingly. They say that pretty much all roads are covered in the software.
If you go fot 'procab+' then you will get wrong turn recalculation, and a big poi database of truck stops, fuel stations etc.
It costs 50 quid one off payment and i think 20 quid a year for updates and a continued licence.

I have downloaded it onto my pc, but haven't had time to install it to my Navigator 6, on my pocket p.c. Once i've put it through it's paces i'll re post my opinion on it.

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[huskieracer]

try this link to snooper truckmate looks like it can do the job.

Link Removed

 

[Geo]

I have said before and am happy to repeat,
All mapping claiming to give routes for Large vehicles are basing the information on road legality and not suitability, to do that, every individual road would have to be physically inspected and that is just not viable, so the route shown will be a legal route not always one that your vehicle will fit down oh:
Geo

 

[scotjimland]

I agree with Geo..


Paradoxically , we all want sites or aires away from busy highways but want dual carriage access to them oh: but no matter how good sat nav is, it's always going to be the last few km that can be problematic ... this is where a paper map is unbeatable.. indispensable..
Let sat nav take you into a blind road where you can't get turned and you have only yourself to blame .. not TomTom

Just for arguments sake, lets say this Big Truck Routing was available, how does it handle the farmers lane.. or the single track road with passing places that lead to the site ?
Does it flash up on the screen.. SORRY NO ROUTE AVAILABLE or what ?

Only YOU can make the call by an informed decision or taking a chance .. no sat nav will ever do that ..

 

[robrobc]

I agree with Geo..




Just for arguments sake, lets say this Big Truck Routing was available, how does it handle the farmers lane.. or the single track road with passing places that lead to the site ?
Does it flash up on the screen.. SORRY NO ROUTE AVAILABLE or what ?

Only YOU can make the call by an informed decision or taking a chance .. no sat nav will ever do that ..

Broadly speaking I agree with your comments, I believe that given the time and resources available then there will come a point when it may be possible to have additional data being updated on screen. such as road width, low bridges and the like.
I think the real issue will be how we access and use that information.
There is always the old adage......"too much detail"

That said there are times when it would be irrelevent no matter how much detail we have.

Rob

 

[tonka130]

Google earth can be of assistance with final approach road details, as you can obviously 'see' the roads (assuming the route isn't in the middle of a forest).
I have often used it when planning to visit cl's, more for the purposes of sussing out the sunny pitches, facing southeast so I can enjoy the sun and watch satellite tv if I wish, rather than perilous roads.
Does anyone know whether there is a commercial version of google earth, that is updated more frequently, and zooms in to a greater detail?

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[Forestboy]

try this link to snooper truckmate looks like it can do the job.

Link Removed

Don't waste your money on one of these. I had one as I thought it would be ideal in the Rv it was a load of rubbish and no better than my £99 cheapie. I sent it back and got a full refund eventually. As Geo said it cannot recognize a suitable road it only goes by the official rating so if it doesn't say unsuitable it'll take you down it.

 

[tink]

I have said before and am happy to repeat,
All mapping claiming to give routes for Large vehicles are basing the information on road legality and not suitability, to do that, every individual road would have to be physically inspected and that is just not viable, so the route shown will be a legal route not always one that your vehicle will fit down oh:
Geo

Just what I keep telling people Geo we are based in Blidworth with our low loader & some of the routes the Pronav tried to take us down when we trialled it,well if we had been strangers to the area we would have been in trouble,even with all truck dimensions programmed in.We took it back as not fit for purpose. Tink.

 

[pappajohn]

happened to us more than once in spain using Navman .....good job the window was closed when i swiped it off the windscreen in a paddy.

when we came home and bought a TomTom. :thumb:

 

[Reallyretired]

I have very recently obtained a snooper truckmate though I haven't been able to check it out properly yet. I had it running in parallel with my tom tom today on roads around Kent and Sussex and it does provide additional information about bends and low bridges etc, though even on this fairly short run there were some roads for which it did not have 'truck' data, Interestingly these tended to be the more major roads where it would be less useful anyway.


It has a few useful features, such as being able to mute speed camera warnings unless you are over the speed limits. It warns of schools but only during school hours (neat:Cool

Not so good is its POI files do not contain any campsites, though its quite good on McDonalds and grocery stores.

Because of the thousands of M'home related POIs I have on my tom tom I shall be using both,enabling voice direction on whichever seems more appropriate at the time. This should enable me to get lost with maximum efficiency. :shout:

 

[Linda and Steph]

I know that there are companies who make Sat Navs designed/programmed for Commercial vehicles, so does anyone have any experience of them?

Thanks for your help

I tell my Nuvi 300 that I'm driving a truck. It doesn't help though, it still tries to take me down lanes that a motorbike would have difficulties with. It even attempts to use routes which state no trucks oh:

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