Road Atlas

[DmaxDually]

I am looking to purchase a good RV/Trucker Road Atlas to plan my routes in advance while I am sitting relaxing at home or the campsite and to have as a back up. I already have a GPS for in route navigation assistance but I am old school and do not like to rely solely on electronics/computers for obvious reasons.

Us older folks (50+)all remember the stack of AAA maps and atlas's our parents kept in the car for road trips or when they got lost. I still enjoy using them.

OK back on topic..I am a AAA member and know I can get free maps and trip planing tools from them. I know that there are a lot different ones out there. The 2 atlas's that I am interested in are: The Rand McNally 2016 Deluxe Motor Carriers’ Road Atlas and The large scale 2015 Good Sam Atlas. Has anyone own/used either of these 2 Atlas's and if so how did you like it? Thanks.

[chris199]

I'm 50+ but would no longer attempt to plan/route a trip manually when free tools like Good Sam Trip Planner and the like are available. Weight limits, clearance concerns, location of compatible fuel stops, major roadway construction projects, etc just make manual planning risky and perhaps very unproductive.

[Fire5er]

I also like and use the Good Sam Trip Planner and download it to our CW Rand McNally 7735 GPS. But I also check my Mountain Directory that gives grade info http://www.mountaindirectory.com/

[onekla]

The Rand McNally Deluxe Motor Carrier's atlas is my go to atlas, followed by Good Sam Trip Planner. I like this atlas because I can use a dry erase marker on the laminated pages and wipe them clean afterwards.

[dieselguy]

I'll always get a smile from some of the topics on the MOC. I agree with Dmax as to the disadvantages of soley relying on electronics for my travels. We carry maps and know how to use them when the need arises. How did Dad ever get us out of the county when we were little? All he did was gas up, check out the truck and camper, and have Mom stock the food. A scribbled on spiral note pad and map(s) was laying between him and Mom in the seat ... off we'd go ... somehow arriving at destination. Yeah ... I know get with the current century.

[jcurtis934]

Use the deluxe motor in addition to gps. John

[DmaxDually]

quote:Originally posted by jcurtis934

Use the deluxe motor in addition to gps. John

John & onekla,
The Deluxe motor atlas was my first choice. Does it have detailed local streets also or is more geared towards interstates and Highways for the big rigs?

All the electronic tools are great and we really don't realize how much they have taken over our lives and depend on them..until they crash or go down. Just like the stock exchange a few days ago. We've all been there, our home computer,at the bank, store or on the phone with a business when their computers go down. Everything comes to a stop. Maybe it's the prepper in me but I like to have a manual back up just in case....

[WaltBennett]

71 now and guess I can remember parchment maps. Anyway, I've used Google maps with Good Sam, Military CGs, Allstays and Passport America to locate places to stay in order to plan trips. I've found that each of them will have info that isn't in others. Just put addresses, coordinates, etc. in a Word doc. and print it out when done. Since we've computers & printer we take with us, it's easy to modify and keep it current. Got the Garmin RV GPS and really like it, just loading each day's destination as we go. Their updater is easy to use and I keep it current. I haven't tried their planner yet, as I'm not that hot on having a 6k mile trip all in the GPS. Have found that the RV one is reliable on telling about traffic issues & detours, as well as easily locating services & alternate CGs. Also carry an older, but up to date, GPS along as a backup. We always pick up state maps at welcome stations as a third backup, but don't buy them since they almost always get out of date to quickly.

[timandsusan]

Always carry a 2 maps and I even have a few compasses! Yes, I know how to use them. My practice is to get a route in my software and each night before we leave the next day to carefully review the next days drive. I compare the route to my 2 atlas and hit the road. This is especially helpful if driving thru major cities.

[cotter key]

the difference between the regular rand road atlas and the deluxe motor carrier is- laminated pages-secondary road truck routes are highlighted-and low overpass and bridge pages, all are useful with the size of our rigs. I drove truck for many years and would go maps and use gps as a backup.gps is nice reminder as to turns different route coming up etc. unless it is specific truck or camper gps it will get you on roads you don't want to be. about all the computer maps(yahoo,mapquest) say to check routing. can't really say about GS trip planner never used it. But I may just be old school and set in my ways

[JandC]

quote:Originally posted by DmaxDually

John & onekla,
The Deluxe motor atlas was my first choice. Does it have detailed local streets also or is more geared towards interstates and Highways for the big rigs?

All the electronic tools are great and we really don't realize how much they have taken over our lives and depend on them..until they crash or go down. Just like the stock exchange a few days ago. We've all been there, our home computer,at the bank, store or on the phone with a business when their computers go down. Everything comes to a stop. Maybe it's the prepper in me but I like to have a manual back up just in case....

If GPS sats ever go down for a couple of hours probably about 1/3 of the traffic out there will be sitting stationary, or making U-turns, or stopping and asking "do you know where I am?"

When we used to cross Lake Michigan at 11mph we didn't see land for almost 6 hours. Some boating friends totally relied on their chart plotters and auto pilot to get them across safely. Which I did also and it is fine unless GPS satelites go down. I knew my compass heading, had two compasses, plus carried paper charts.

Being prepared in the RV is no different. I rely on my Rand RV GPS, but I still use my Trucker's Atlas as a reference to double check for low clearances and other issues on my planned route.

[DmaxDually]

I too came from the boating world before jumping to an RV. I had all the electronic nav toys on my boat including radar. But like it says in the manuals...they are only an AID to navigation. They are not a replacement for paper charts..

JandC..does the truckers atlas give detail local streets too???

[Bill and Jan]

I like to use the road atlas to identify places of interest along the route or destination.

[onekla]

The Motor Carrier's atlas does show the the cities zoomed in, where the low bridges are, as well as a lot of useful information for each state. I have the 2015, it's easy to read and have been happy with it. I picked it up at a Pilot near Little Rock for about $23.00 and we don't leave home without it. Hope this helps some.

[Rondo]

We use the Rand McNally Motor Carriers Atlas along with the maps from the State we are currently traveling in. Once we get to a reasonably close distance to the site we are camping at OR where we are heading for we push the button on the rearview mirror and talk to OnStar and they direct us in mile by mile and turn by turn. We also have the GPS but we seldom use it because I haven't updated it for about three years or more. OnStar does a good job and we tell them we are towing the Monte when we are and they take us on a route that we have not problems with in the way of low clearances and thru busy city and residential areas.

[DmaxDually]

Thanks everyone for the reply's and ideas. It's interesting to see the different techniques we have and use to get from point A to Point B.

onekla,
Yes your info on the motor carries atlas help a lot. Thanks.
I'm going to go with the 2016 Rand McNally Deluxe Motor carriers Atlas. My 2012 TV has the factory nav sys but I'm not spending $200.00 for the DVD to update the maps every year. So I'm going with the Garmin RV 760 LMT maybe with the wireless back up camera. It has a lot of features plus lifetime map updates and lifetime traffic. Thanks for the help.

[JandC]

quote:Originally posted by DmaxDually

I too came from the boating world before jumping to an RV. I had all the electronic nav toys on my boat including radar. But like it says in the manuals...they are only an AID to navigation. They are not a replacement for paper charts..

JandC..does the truckers atlas give detail local streets too???

My Trucker's Atlas is almost 2 years old I guess. Mine cost $49.00 if I recall correctly. I wouldn't say it has "detailed" local street information. I rely more on my GPS, I-phone, or computer maps for really detailed city information.

[DmaxDually]

I just ordered the 2016(Latest Release)Rand McNally Deluxe Motor Carriers Atlas from their website. $39.99 total $50.94 with Tax and shipping.