GPS

I can’t imagine taking any trip without a GPS.

I started and continued most of my flying career using maps and radio beacons, flying imaginary highways in the sky. You always knew exactly where you were all the time. When GPS primary navigation came along and you left LA on the red eye, cleared direct Pittsburgh which was nothing more than a quick push of button, after a couple of hours and I probably shouldn’t tell you this, you had no idea where you were.

Well, that’s not entirely true – you could push a button and show airports on your electronic flight information system display but still you did lose situation awareness enroute. I’m sure you’ve experienced this with your own GPS.

You’l find that some campgrounds are off the beaten path and that the GPS may lead you astray. It’s always a good idea to reference the directions found on most campground websites or call the campground directly.

There is a new GPS that’s available which is highly regarded. I don’t own it (yet) so I can’t give you a user report. You put in your type of RV and it routes you around hazards such as low clearances. It has a database of campgrounds with free updates for life. That’s quite a benefit if you’ve ever updated your Garmin year after year.

It’s the Rand McNalley 7720. It does appear that due to it’s popularity, many if not most retailers are back ordered, including Amazon. If you have an Ipad and more importantly a good mount for your Ipad in your RV, there is an app that works like the dedicated GPS. You will need an Ipad with a GPS which is included in the 3G/4G versions. Or you can use a remote GPS either attached or wirelessly attached by bluetooth. There are very popular in the aviation world and many users find they get better results than they get with just the internal GPS antenna. My suggestion – get the dedicated unit unless you don’t want to wait.