Hello from Dunedin, Florida

[Rixey & Jeff]

Hello all. We are not new to camping and RVing in general, but this is our first 5th wheel (3231 CK) and our first RV of this size. We are recently retired in FL from the Seattle area, and will be full-time as of October this year. In the meantime we will explore Florida a week or two at a time as we get used to the rig. Our spring project will be to expand the solar system to enable us to boondock when we feel like it. We became aware of this group at the January Tampa Supershow. We met some Montana Owners Club members and they were so friendly and outgoing, telling us about the group and giving us a brochure. So here we are. Our 2020 F350 has a built in GPS system, as do our iPhones, but it feels like we ought to be looking for a GPS for RVers. We'll find the correct place here to post that question. We're happy to be a part of the group

[mlh]

Welcome to MOC. You have a great camper, enjoy.
Lynwood

[Lee-CI]

Welcome to the MOC family from Texas! Glad you found the group here. Folks here are great folks with a wealth of knowledge to freely share. You'll find great info on a plethora of topics as you peruse the various topics and threads. Glad you found us. Happy cramping!

[DutchmenSport]

Welcome to the forums and congrats on getting your Montana. Sounds like you are preparing for full timing in all the right ways. You are using your new camper some and flushing out all the bugs and making changes to customize the camper to fit your specific style of camping. That really takes some time to figure out and it's always easiest to do it before hitting the road full time. You are planning and doing it well. Good job and good decisions!

About GPS? The number one advantage to using a GPS specific for RVers is to prevent traveling down roads with bridges that have low clearance or to eliminate some roads which really might be impassable with a big rig.

For what it's worth, in 37 years of camping and RVing with my wife, we have come across a low clearance bridge only 2 times. (well, 3. But that bridge is one in a town we go through on our way to one of our favorite campgrounds closer to home). The first time we were within 5 miles of the campground and saw a sign as soon as we turned off the main road with a bridge clearance 1 mile ahead. It really caught my attention as I could not remember how tall we actually were. I pulled over right there in the middle of the road and stopped. (it was a back country road). I pulled out my trailer information and yes, I was too tall. I backed up about 100 feet where I could pull into a church parking lot and got turned around. Then had to figure out how to drive a different route to got the entrance of the campground.

The next time was a few years later when we got kind of mixed up in a town somewhere. We were headed down a road that had a low train trusal, well marked clearance. But, fortunately, a cross road right there, which we turned on and had no problem. (we were still mixed up though).

We have a TomTom which works well, but it is not specific for truckers or RV's. It works well most of the time. But it is stupid. It will often take off the main highway and down some residential streets because that actual distance is shorter than the main road, but time wise may be 5 times longer navigating around turns and such. It works absolutely priceless when we are within 10 miles of our destination and off the main roads.

We also follow up with our cell phones mapping as a secondary check when we get within about 10 miles of our destination.

Before traveling, on any day, I also check Google Maps and Bing Maps and an actual paper Atlas map and I always write down on paper the road we plan to travel. Because, as good as the GPS stuff is, they all do seem to want to take us off main roads, through those secondary housing additions in order to shave miles off and then dump back onto the same main road again. At that point, because I know where the main road intersections are, I have learned to completely avoid the GPS navigation and rely on my own notes. So I have learned.

Do you need a specific GPS for RV's? No. What you have will work perfectly fine. You just need to be keenly aware of posted road signs, bridge clearances and have your route mapped out ahead of time. In other words, you really need to plan your route for the day, with or without GPS. You'll do just fine. Because .... when pulling a monster trailer behind you, it's NOT so easy to get turned around sometimes!

[1retired06]

Welcome!

[wed]

Welcome to the MOC and Georgia

[pitman44]

Originally Posted by Rixey & Jeff

Hello all. We are not new to camping and RVing in general, but this is our first 5th wheel (3231 CK) and our first RV of this size. We are recently retired in FL from the Seattle area, and will be full-time as of October this year. In the meantime we will explore Florida a week or two at a time as we get used to the rig. Our spring project will be to expand the solar system to enable us to boondock when we feel like it. We became aware of this group at the January Tampa Supershow. We met some Montana Owners Club members and they were so friendly and outgoing, telling us about the group and giving us a brochure. So here we are. Our 2020 F350 has a built in GPS system, as do our iPhones, but it feels like we ought to be looking for a GPS for RVers. We'll find the correct place here to post that question. We're happy to be a part of the group

Welcome. We use a Garmin RV890. Traveled in unfamiliar territory with it. It's not perfect, but nothing is. It does route us much better than the Garmin in the car would. It also has some nice on the road features that I like. I'd recommend it.

[Foldbak]

Welcome to the MOC! I use RV GPS app. Works good.

[Mark7]

Welcome!

I have never had the need or opportunity to use it yet (15 months away from retirement!) but I would try RV GPS before I went out and bought a RV specific GPS unit.

[Doug Brown]

I also have a built-in GPS in my GMC Duramax. But I use the Garman 785. I like this because it has a built-in dash cam. Also you’re able to put your height and length in the info.

[DQDick]

Welcome to the forum! May your new rig bring you many years of wonderful memories. We use a Garmin RV GPS.