2014 Jeep Wrangler 2D Sport (JK)

17 mpg city.   18.6 gal tank   316 mi range

 

RV Navigation

The objective is to plan a 9000 mi trip from the USA east coast to west coast and back with stops at national parks and other locations of interest.   Trip planning must respect the height, weight, propane transportation restrictions.   A navigation device + application is also required to assist with following the

 

My final solution was to include use the RV Trip Wizard to plan my trip, and then used the GPS coordinates provided with each stop by RV Trip Wizard when printed as input into my CoPilot GPS phone naviagation app, and my Garmin GPS.   When I built my trip with RV Trip Wizard, I included many rest / fuel and overnight parking options.   In this way, I could selectively choose my next stop based conditions in route.   Inputing GPS coordinates into my navigation devices eliminates the risk of choosing the wrong destination by name, and the need for internet access to search by name or address.   Note that four decimal places for decimal degree GPS coordinates provides sufficient accuracy for vehicular navigation (accuracy to 36 feet).   I added phone numbers to the comments / notes section for each stop where I expect the need to call places like Walmart to ask for overnight parking permission.   My choice of stops was not based only on what was offered in the RV Trip Wizard app.   I also confirmed and found other options by using the resources of Allstays, and Campendium.

Below are the notes I collected from my investigation into my RV Navigation problem.  

 

RV Trip Wizard

www.rvtripwizard.com

Note that a companion mobile app RV LIFE provides for the navigation of the route created with RV Trip Wizard.   The two are integrated together very well.  

Pros

  • Easily generate a detailed 9k mi / multi-month RV trip plan with tools that assist with paid and free overnight parking, fuel stops, propane fill locations, dump locations, etc.  
  • Automatically calculates the approximate fuel cost between each stop, and for the entire trip.
  • The incremental mileage, time, and cost for each leg is calculated.
  • It is very easy to see the date you will be at each stop, and you can optionally fix dates for stops with reservations.
  • RV Life App   GUI makes it easy to begin navigation from a particular stop.
  • Elevation tool allows you to analyze the elevation along your trip.

Cons

  • RV Life App   Cannot save full large trip plans and associated downloaded maps to mobile device SD card.   THIS IS A SERIOUS LIMITATION! (confirmed with support SK #VRZ-336-78196)   For my 9000 mi trip, this was nearly 5 GB of maps for all of the states we pass through.   The app does allow you to selectively download maps by state, BUT provides no way to delete a downloaded map as you pass from one state to the next (the only way to delete a map is to use the Android OS delete app data feature, forcing you to re-configure the app, login, etc. all over again).  
  • RV Life App   Fails to properly start a route when cellular data is not available, even if you have already downloaded the route and map.   If you start the route with cellular data on, then it will start properly, and it will continue to run properly even if cellular data is lost.  
  • When you edit a trip and add fuel stops, the other fuel stops don't re-calculate properly (always), and sometimes they get corrupted by fuel stop edits.   I reported this issue, but support denied the issue existed and refused to test sufficiently to experience the issue.  

I ended up using RV Trip Wizard to plan my trip online, and then printed it out, and used the GPS coordinates (automatically included in printout) for each location to put into my CoPilot GPS phone naviagation app, and my Garmin GPS.   This strategy allowed me to include many possible rest / fuel / overnight parking options into the trip, and then selectively choose the next stop to drive to, and just enter in that stop's GPS coordinates.  

 

CoPilot GPS

Google Play link   Evaluated 5 Dec 2020 v10.19.0.1358

I really like the GUI and the navigation performance overall.   Cannot import POI or routes, so it will be necessary to either directly enter the GPS coordinates of each stop, or to look up the location using the GUI (pretty much like using a GPS).  
  • The inability to import a GPX route from an external application is a serious limitation.
  • Downloaded maps may be stored to a SD card (requires Android OS KitKat 4.4.4; link), or internal phone memory.
  • Route Planning   Route planning cannot be done online.   The mobile app must be used for route planning.   Trips can be saved and loaded.   Trips are stored in the com.alk.copilot folder in the iOS .TRP file format (it is possible to use an external application to convert a route in a .klm format to .trp).
  • Points Of Interest (POI)   CoPilot online help document.   Supports POI's in .OV2 or .CSV format.   Custom POI icons are supported.   How to remove custom POI.  
  • You may enter GPS coordinates for a POI directly, and in a variety of formats.

   

 

SmartRVRoute

Google Play link   $59/yr

 

Garmin nuvi 2455 GPS

I have a Garmin GPS.   I wanted to be able to import waypoints so that it would be easier to select a location for the GPS to navigate to.  

Option 1: Latitude Longitude

Find the 'Where To' by Coordinates option and enter the GPS coordinates of the place to navigate to.

Option 2: POI

In the Garmin GPS, when you do a search, you can enter a name or an address to search for.   By uploading Points Of Interest (POI) to the GPS, those POIs with a specific name can be easily found and then designated as the location to navigate to.  

Option 3: Saved Places

The Garmin nuvi 2400LM allows up to 1000 POIs to be 'Saved' (e.g. 'Saved Places').   This GPX file can be edited to include my custom saved places.  

Garmin POI Loader (POI file content format)

 


GPX Route Navigation

The objective is to use a device and application software that will allow the user to follow a GPS track (.gpx file) added to the device from an external source.   GPX files are available online for hiking, offroad, and marine routes to make it easy for other users to navigate unknown areas.   My primary interest was for Jeep offroad trips.  

AllTrails

Link to app

If you are sure you will have a cellular connection, then you don't need the PRO version, otherwise you need the PRO version to download and then later access GPX tracks (offline) with the AllTrails mobile app.   NOTE: The app doesn't allow you to save downloaded maps to an SD Card (a serious limitation).   It does allow you to manage the downloaded maps (delete and determine if a map is downloaded) .   If you have limited phone internal storage capacity, and are cellular data consumption senstive, then using the paid PRO version, you need to download the maps over a WiFi connection in advance of your trip.  

Follow a GPX track, or record and share a GPX track.   The user interface is easy to use, and the online website works seamlessly with the mobile app.   You cannot adjust the app so that it will 'track up', but otherwise I found the performance navigating a downloaded (or previously recorded) GPX track fantastic.   You can also easily change the map overlay.   Using the online website, you can import non-AllTrails GPX track files under 'Lists' and then access and follow them using the mobile app, BUT you must have the PRO version to access them on the app.   If you do (or want to) do a lot of off highway and/or hiking trails, the community contributions and the quality of the online and mobile app is will worth the PRO version price.  

 

GPX Viewer PRO

Link to app

This mobile app by default downloads all maps and GPX tracks so that it may be used without a cellular connection.   With a few adjustments to the user interface, this app makes it easy to follow an existing GPX track.   Move to next/previous track/route buttons makes it easy to navigate multiple tracks/routs.   Quickly switch the map type.   Although not my primary need, I was surprised and disappointed that I could not record a GPS track.  

The user interface is very well designed.   I was able to download a 182 leg GPX track, and then easily brows the point to point locations within the track, with detailed information on the length of each leg, and other relevent metadata.  

I found that adjusting the settings to turn on 'Follow GPS', 'Rotate map', and 'Waypoints' configured the app behaviour to what most people experience with a traditional GPS navigation device.  

Trackbook is integrated into the app, but the free (non-PRO) version is so restrictive, it is difficult to do anything useful in Trackbook.  

 

AlpineQuest Off-Road Explorer (Lite)

App link in Google Play

  • You can store maps on the SD card or using phone internal storage
  • You cannot download a GPX track with the LITE version, although the description in Google Play says you can.   This feature is only available in the paid version.   This limitation prevented me from evaluating the ability of the app to assist me in following a downloaded GPX track.   A SERIOUS LIMITATION !

 

Tracklia - GPX, KML, KMZ - view, edit, create

Link in Google Play

Can you store maps on SD card? Navigate existing track with 'track up'?  

 

Garmin POI Loader allows creating and uploading custom waypoints to your GPS. Does not allow you to create multipoint routes or tracks.

Android GPX Navigaton App - follow a GPX track Garmin GPX: Create or Edit your trail for your GPS https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.morillon.magpx Locus Map Pro Backcountry Navigator Pro Does NOT do routing. Bad Medicine Bypass 4.0 EasyTrails GPS - Follow a track with voice instructions - Works with downloaded offline maps - http://www.easytrailsgps.com/ Maprika - Download online maps, or create your own from an image - Track your route MMtracker RideWithGPS ViewRanger SatMap zoom in to 1:3K

Garmin InReach SE+


Communications

weBoos Drive X RV cellular signal booster.   5G Ready.  

 


Off Roading

Many off highway vehicle (OHV) trails exist, but you need to be able to air down, and then back up to maximize the vehicle's ability to manage the trails.   For me, the ideal system operates off of 12 VDC (Jeep battery), has 4x outputs so that all four tires can be inflated simultaneously, but of course it needs to have a reasonable volumetric output (not pressure) to support that.   The unit must also have a sufficient duty cycle so that you can air up all for tires without a thermal overload, causing you to wait 20 min for it to cool down before starting again.   It must also have an air chuck that mounts to the tire valve stem and stays attached without leaking.   3 CFM / 85 LPM @ 90 psi is a good performance target for airing up 4 tires in less than 10 minutes.  

Marginal

Smittybilt 2780 2.54 CFM Universal Air Compressor 72 lpm. 150 psi. 40 min @ 40 psi duty cycle. 0.3 hp. $102 (hose fittings are not standard 1/4 NPT, they are metric; M12x1.25 x 1/4 NPT converter)   iKer 2.5 CFM / 70 lpm. 150 psi max. $59   | Asani 201 12 VDC air compressor 150 psi max. 2.5 CFM / 70 lpm. 25 A @ 12VDC. $50   | ARB 12V Twin On Board Air Compressor $542 3 CFM / 85 LPM @ 90 psi   |    

Adequate

Smittybilt 2781 5.65 CFM / 160 lpm. 150 psi max. 40 min at 40 psi duty cycle. 30 A @ 13.8 V $160 (hose fittings are not standard 1/4 NPT, they are metric; M12x1.25 x 1/4 NPT converter)   | Mean Mother Air Compressor 5.65 CFM / 160 lpm. 150 psi. 0.73 hp. 45 min duty cycle. Proprietary fittings. $190   | Up Down Air 12089917 5.6 CFM / 160 lpm. 150 psi. 75% duty cycle $190  

NOTE: Most tire inflation units don't have a pressure switch (like most home 120 V compressors do) that will turn the compressor on/off at a specific pressure.   DIY pressure switch modification

 

Communications

Walkie Talkie

Sometimes you need to communicate with your spouse to park your RV / camper, or other activities.   We all have smartphones, probably with headsets, so all you need is an app that will utilize the WiFi radio to support direct communication between two or more phones, without the use of WiFi or a cellular connection.   Why WiFi? You might want to use the Bluetooth on your phone for a headset.   And WiFi can communicate up to a 100 to 200 ft distance.  

Apps

Tried several apps, but could not get any to work reasonabley well.