Low overpasses, etc.

[SteveWoz]

I'm getting ready for the maiden trip with my wife's and my new 36' motorhome w/toad. What pre-trip measures do you take to ensure that you aren't going to end up in a difficult situation in terms of where your GPS leads you? I'm having disturbing visions of having to pull over because an overpass is too low and not being able to turn around.

Thanks in advance!

Steve

[tatest]

Trucker's Atlas generally, but going through urban areas I like to follow truck routes. You live in an area with many low overpasses in urban areas and small towns, roads restricted to passenger car traffic only. Previewing routes in a car is not a bad idea.

[navegator]

I think that the programers at the GPS companies use Google maps overlaid with the roads indicated, we have found hundreds of streets and roads on Google that simply are wrong or non existing, one example out in the desert Google shows a road in a wash, it actually is a flash flood channel and varies in with from 40 feet to a narrow vertical side channel about 4 feet wide, the floor goes from sand with small rocks and pebbles to areas that are very fine sand and is hard for a person to walk on, if not check the road that goes down Mt. Lemon in Arizona from the fire station at the top of the mountain down to Oracle, today it is closed because to many folks using GPS tried to go down to Oracle and got in trouble and had to be rescued and that was with cars and 4x4s going down and going up the steep hair pin turns discouraged most from continuing.

navegator

[SteveWoz]

Rick Jay wrote:

suprz wrote:
You're in CT, so stay off any road that ends in the word PARKWAY (like Merrit Parkway) and that goes for any state

While that is generally good advice, you CAN drive on the New Jersey "Garden State Parkway" with your RV, BUT be sure to stay in the center lanes. A few of the arched overpasses have low height warning signs (10 or 11 ft?), but that might even be over the break-down lane. I've driven it many times in our 12' tall class A and never had a problem.

But every other "Parkway" that I know of in the Northeast usually has signage something like "No Trucks or Buses" or "Low Clearance".

Stay on the major highways and you'll be OK. IF you drive in the "boonies", and I can speak from experience in Western Massachusetts, DO NOT proceed down any road that doesn't look like it sees regular truck traffic. There are some roads in Western Mass in my GPS which were logging roads over a 100 years ago, and are unpassable unless you're on horseback or possibly an off-road 4WD Jeep. They start off looking like a normal, small road through a nice neighborhood, and then the pavement disappears, the trees start crowding in on the road and then it gets bad quickly after that. Fortunately, when I had this happen to me, I DID NOT drive the moho down that path because I could tell it was getting scary and I could turn around BEFORE the pavement disappeared. However, I did go back the next day in the minivan to check it out. No lie, I think the road went between this guy's house & his chicken coop, and about 200' after that there was a huge rock in the middle of the road. The road at this point was pretty rutted up and narrow. But the GPS thought we could make it! LOL I was lucky to get out of there in the minivan!

My general rule is NOT to drive in such areas once it gets dark, but not so much for fear of bridges, but for fear of low branches. I'll drive all night on the highways without a problem, but if I have to travel on backroads to get to a campground, I try my best to arrive BEFORE it gets dark. Navigating a new campground in the dark is often no picnic either! LOL

Good Luck,

~Rick

Thanks so much, Rick. That's very helpful advice.

Steve

[Rick_Jay]

suprz wrote:
You're in CT, so stay off any road that ends in the word PARKWAY (like Merrit Parkway) and that goes for any state

While that is generally good advice, you CAN drive on the New Jersey "Garden State Parkway" with your RV, BUT be sure to stay in the center lanes. A few of the arched overpasses have low height warning signs (10 or 11 ft?), but that might even be over the break-down lane. I've driven it many times in our 12' tall class A and never had a problem.

But every other "Parkway" that I know of in the Northeast usually has signage something like "No Trucks or Buses" or "Low Clearance".

Stay on the major highways and you'll be OK. IF you drive in the "boonies", and I can speak from experience in Western Massachusetts, DO NOT proceed down any road that doesn't look like it sees regular truck traffic. There are some roads in Western Mass in my GPS which were logging roads over a 100 years ago, and are unpassable unless you're on horseback or possibly an off-road 4WD Jeep. They start off looking like a normal, small road through a nice neighborhood, and then the pavement disappears, the trees start crowding in on the road and then it gets bad quickly after that. Fortunately, when I had this happen to me, I DID NOT drive the moho down that path because I could tell it was getting scary and I could turn around BEFORE the pavement disappeared. However, I did go back the next day in the minivan to check it out. No lie, I think the road went between this guy's house & his chicken coop, and about 200' after that there was a huge rock in the middle of the road. The road at this point was pretty rutted up and narrow. But the GPS thought we could make it! LOL I was lucky to get out of there in the minivan!

My general rule is NOT to drive in such areas once it gets dark, but not so much for fear of bridges, but for fear of low branches. I'll drive all night on the highways without a problem, but if I have to travel on backroads to get to a campground, I try my best to arrive BEFORE it gets dark. Navigating a new campground in the dark is often no picnic either! LOL

Good Luck,

~Rick

[DavidandDayle]

I understand that a certain roads commissioner designed the roads to the beaches with bridges that were too low for buses so that certain classes couldn't go.

I have the height of my rig posted on the rear-view mirror in two systems. (My mirror is about 3 times as wide as needed for the rear window.) Once you get off the highway and the truck routes there are all sorts of undersize bridges.

[PastorCharlie]

There are 4-5 thousand bridges in the USA with clearances below the federal limits.

[1320Fastback]

Only low bridges I've ever encountered has been on rural roads not that basic GPS navigation wouldn't lead you as it did I. Thankfully we are only 10'5" to the top of the AC and have only had to back up once.

If you get off the interstates and away from major cities take every overpass with care especially back east.

[accsys]

Lynnmor wrote:

BarabooBob wrote:
You asked about measurements that you should take. You need to KNOW how high your RV is and also the weight of the RV and the total weight including the toad. Yes, you need the total weight because total weight is what you need for bridge restrictions.

And post those figures on your dash for immediate reference.

Both in feet and meters and pounds and kilograms if you plan any trips to our great northern neighbors. Its no fun trying to do the math in your head on the fly!!! :E

[MarkTwain]

SteveWoz wrote:
I'm getting ready for the maiden trip with my wife's and my new 36' motorhome w/toad. What pre-trip measures do you take to ensure that you aren't going to end up in a difficult situation in terms of where your GPS leads you? I'm having disturbing visions of having to pull over because an overpass is too low and not being able to turn around.

Thanks in advance!

Steve

Buy the Garmin Diesel 7" GPS. You program the unit based on the height of your motorhome and will avoid routs with low bridges/passes based on your height. It alson has a "Voice Command" function whereby you can tell what changes you want i.e. brightness of screen, volume of voice etc etc. by just giving it verbal commands. Best investment you ever make:):):)

[Crowe]

We've been on the road 8 years and also have never come across a low overpass.

It's more of an issue in certain parts of the country, particularly in the northeast. Some of the roads are not small country roads where the bridges are. Agree with you 100%-heed their warning NOT to take certain roads.

[doxiemom11]

We've been on the road 8 years and also have never come across a low overpass. There are some, but mostly on small country roads and inner city. We use US Hwys, State roads, and stay off the interstates as much as possible. When checking out a campground -- READ their entire listing - sometimes they tell you DO NOT come from this direction because of low overpass or weight limits and will tell you the approved route.

[bukhrn]

JimK-NY wrote:
Measure the height of the RV. Then pay attention to the height markings on overpasses. Add at least 6 inches as a safety measure.

You will almost always see signs well in advance advising of any low overpasses.

Don't just measure to the roof top, measure to the highest thing sticking up, like the AC unit, if that's the tallest.

[Crowe]

if it looks low? STOP and double check

Not always possible-prevention is better. We always used the Trucker's Road Atlas. Pre-planning your route helps to avoid getting into a sticky-wicket.

[catkins]

Interstate highways are never a problem. For all other routes, I check my Truckers Road Atlas - quickly shows safe routes for Truckers ie safe for my Class A. Also, you can use Trucker Path app which shows low clearance issues. I love my GPS but always check my route and verify via another method. Happy Trails!