Anybody using ?Low clearances.com??

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Patnsuzanne

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Not to hijack the earlier post... is anybody using the Low clearances.com that Optimistic Paranoid suggested?  We do most of our planning with Google Maps through our I-phones and pads. The website says the program will integrate with IOS devices, but it would be good to get first hand opinions as to how easy it is to download and actually use.  For instance, do you have to enter a specific route, or will low spots automatically show up when you are looking at a given area on the map. Thanks for any input!
 
I used it for several years to add Low Clearance info to my Garmin GPS and it worked fine.  Have not ever tried to add it to IOS or Android apps.

Note that it says it installs "with Android & IOS app we support".  First step is to make sure the app you want to use is one of those supported.
 
The clearances show up as points of interest on our Co-Pilot GPS app and Garmin GPS. We can set alerts for how many miles or minutes from each one we want to alerted. We can also select at installation the maximum heights we want to be alerted to.
 
It's worthwhile noting that in most GPS devices or navigation apps, the add-in height data is NOT used when calculating a route.  You can get warned as Dutch described, but the route won't avoid based on some specific clearance.
 
I have been using a RandMcNally RV GPS for six years.  It allows you to enter your vehicles height, width, length, height, and capacity of propane tanks and then plots out a safe route, so mine DOES plot a route depending on those factors. (A regular car GPS probably does not take those measurements into consideration.)  If you ignore it, it starts yelling at you to remind you that you might hit a low bridge! 

Using an RV GPS with the bridge heights entered is a lot easier than looking them up ahead of time or as you drive. I figured the extra cost was more than worth it, considering the cost of losing my satellite, Air conditioner, and roof!

By the way, just in case someone measured wrong or they added a couple of inches of asphalt to the pavement, I add half a foot or so to the number I enter for height. 
 
JudyJB: My point was that the add-in bridge POIs usually do NOT get included in the route selection, even if the primary GPS software does use its own built-in low clearance data.  And usually only the "RV" and "Trucker" type nav systems even claim to have routing based on height, e.g. your Rand McNally RV GPS.

Lowclearance.com claims that the standard bridge height data used in those systems is very limited, i.e. major routes only. They claim to have more than 3x as many low clearance locations in their database. I have no idea whether that is an exaggeration or not, but its something to consider.
 
I subscribed for one year, downloaded the POI's and put them in my Garmin GPS and into Garmins's Base Camp - mapping software. I marked all bridges less than 13' 6" with a red flag in Base Camp. All others are blue. I check my route in Base Camp with my GPS before I start out.

I do all my route planning in RV Trip Wizzard and download the route to Base Camp -  but that's another story. RV Trip Wizard has bridge clearances displayed on the map but I don't think it's as inclusive as Low Clearances.com 
 
Thanks to all for your reply?s and advice. It seems as though the jury?s still out on its use with our mobile devices so for now I think we?ll do some more research before we pull the trigger and buy it.
 
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