Bridge heights

TravelTiger

Founding Texas-West Chapter Leaders-Retired
You can also checkout lowclearances.com, they have poi databases of low clearances you can upload to you GPS. However, don't upload them all, only the ones you want to avoid. Our GPS took us off the interstate onto farm-to-market roads to avoid a 14' bridge on I-35 near Oklahoma City! Once I realized what the GPS did, I deleted those POIs and only kept the ones we would not fit under.


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SilverRhino

Well-known member
Good time to buy the Route-1 (USA) low clearance POI database now available to download. There is also a data set available for Canada. This is the largest database of clearance heights that I have found and is extremely easy to load into your GPS. For less than $50, the lifetime subscription will help to keep you and the top of your rig safe as you travel North America.

The data is available for Garmin, Microsoft Streets & Trips, Google Earth, TomTom, MapSource, and Rand McNally. You can access all of the formats that you require for your personal use. Go to LowClearances.com to update or get your Lifetime subscription. This is by far the best source I have found for low clearances and is very easy to use.

They are currently working on a new set of data for bridge widths and capacities which will be another good tool to have.
 

GregP

Well-known member
Does anyone have a suggestion as to an accurate method of measuring the height of the rig when loaded and hooked up? The paperwork with my BH said 12' 11" at time of purchase, but I don't know if that included the front A/C. I also assume that the height is variable depending on your tow vehicle set-up and load distribution. I would like to measure accurately for personal peace of mind and so that I can set up my GPS to avoid anything too low.
 

SilverRhino

Well-known member
Does anyone have a suggestion as to an accurate method of measuring the height of the rig when loaded and hooked up? The paperwork with my BH said 12' 11" at time of purchase, but I don't know if that included the front A/C. I also assume that the height is variable depending on your tow vehicle set-up and load distribution. I would like to measure accurately for personal peace of mind and so that I can set up my GPS to avoid anything too low.

With truck and trailer loaded and ready for travel..... Use a long straight edge and level. Set straight edge on highest point on roof, vent top or AC shroud usually and have it extended past the coach sidewall. When straight edge is level, have an assistant measure from bottom of straight edge to ground. Make sure rig is on a level surface when doing this and you will have a very accurate measurement.
 

GregP

Well-known member
Thanks SilverRhino. I must be losing it in my old age. That sounds so simple and common sense.
 

porthole

Retired
Does anyone have a suggestion as to an accurate method of measuring the height of the rig when loaded and hooked up? The paperwork with my BH said 12' 11" at time of purchase, but I don't know if that included the front A/C. I also assume that the height is variable depending on your tow vehicle set-up and load distribution. I would like to measure accurately for personal peace of mind and so that I can set up my GPS to avoid anything too low.


I set a laser level on the AC and then used a tape measure.
 

SilverRhino

Well-known member
I now use the Good Sam Rand McNally GPS ... it's great. You simply program in your RV details/measurements, etc. and you get all the warnings you need. It is programmed by 2 RVers at Rand McNally and they know what to program into it. This thing is made for RVers !! Check it out ...

http://www.randmcnally.com/product/good-sam-gps-powered-by-rand-mcnally

I have the Garmin RV 760 that also has the feature to enter your rig information. The thing about the LowClearances.com is that it is updated more frequently and you have a lot more flexibility in what and how things are monitored....... Just what works for me.
 

Geodude

Well-known member
Are you running the "low clearances" database on your RV760? I'm curious as to how the two would interact. My guess is that the RV760 would silently route you along what it would think the best route is, but if you come across a low clearance that the Garmin doesn't know about then the low clearance database would provide some kind of alert. Is that accurate?
 

SilverRhino

Well-known member
You have it correct. Any custom points of interest such as low clearances or others work in the background. You set the warning distance or speed when you load them to the RV760.
 

Geodude

Well-known member
Thanks. So I bought a lifetime subscription to Low Clearances today. I've loaded "all POI files" for Canada and the US into my RV760 but the bridge height icons showing the actual clearance value are not appearing on the display. I can see the .gpi file on the device when it's connected to my computer. I also know they're in there as I can go to the waypoint category on the device and look at them and they look fine. I've tried all the tricks I could read on-line, like zooming in all the way, changing the display to 3D, no luck. I've simulated a route too, but no go.

I loaded the GPX file for Mapsource and it worked right away. I must be missing something, but that said, I've built and loaded enough POI files in the past that it should be working.
 

TravelTiger

Founding Texas-West Chapter Leaders-Retired
Be careful, I loaded all POI files and my Rand McNally decided we needed to avoid ALL of them, regardless if we could fit or not! I deleted that and only loaded the bridge POIs that we cannot fit under.


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Sarge

Well-known member
Are any of these compatible with factory (RAM) GPS sytems -

Or is it better to use a tablet / phone...?

Sarge
 

SilverRhino

Well-known member
In order to receive alerts on the 760 you will need wav and sox.exe for the alerts. [FONT=&quot]See [/FONT]http://www.poi-factory.com/node/25730[FONT=&quot] .Here is a video if needed[/FONT]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsJTUmvb6_o[FONT=&quot]Lots of users just use wav files for both units and install sox.exe on the computer.That way you don't have to keep up with two filling systems. This is assuming that you have set the unit for POI notification. ( Page 14 of manual )[/FONT]
 

Geodude

Well-known member
At this point I just want to see the bridge height on the display, no need for now to get any audible alert.

I'm in contact with Garmin to try to figure out why the POIs aren't showing up on the 760. I also loaded a different subject matter POI file I have installed on three other Garmins, so I know it works, and it also doesn't work on the 760.
 
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