Garmin Dezl failed me

[Heath_Hambone]

So, driving to rancho oso outside Santa Barbara my Garmin Dezl decided to take me down the most dangerous road for a 45.3 foot toy hauler in America. This was because I had listed compressed gas in the options. I GPS had me turn down Gibraltar Rd., Santa Barbara because highway 154 didn't allow haz material. It was a complete disaster. This is a serious lesson in route planning and always using your GPS as a back up ONLY!!! My 3500 chevy overheated about 5 miles up. This was several thousand feet above Santa Barbra. We had a few feet to the right where traffic could pass one way, and pass that was certain death. My wife was hysterical. Thank god a man stopped and gave me coolent, took me up the road another 2 miles "took 30 minutes" to a place he knew we could turn around. Even that was nerve racking with the last 10 feet of the rig hanging over a cliff. The man then took us all the way back down the mountain to clear traffic. What a saint. The entire ordeal took over 3 hours and probably took 10 years off my life, but it could have been worse. My wife told me as we pulled into our spot that we were the most unlucky people on the planet, I looked her in the eyes and said, "No babe, we are the luckiest people on the planet!" We made it without any damage through the worst possible situation. So the lesson here is no matter how much you spend on a GPS, nothing beats a good old fashioned McNally road atlas and a few hours route planning. Drive safe and check out Gibraltar road on the internet, not hauling your rig like I did...


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[vcbice]

Thankfully my experience was not that bad and I had a smaller trailer and shorter road section. My GPS took me on a 20% grade. Only 1/2 mile of it but it was bad enough.

GPS does it to a lot of folks. Famous road in NC called the Dragon (11miles, 90 turns). It is a UShwy so some GPS put truckers on it, sometimes with fatal results (to the people who hit them).

Message is correct. Never trust them.

[Mark S]

Originally Posted by vcbice

Thankfully my experience was not that bad and I had a smaller trailer and shorter road section. My GPS took me on a 20% grade. Only 1/2 mile of it but it was bad enough.

GPS does it to a lot of folks. Famous road in NC called the Dragon (11miles, 90 turns). It is a UShwy so some GPS put truckers on it, sometimes with fatal results (to the people who hit them).

Message is correct. Never trust them.

Going from Maryville, Tenn to outside Atlanta we didn't check map and trusted the GPS. Long story short, we did Tail of the Dragon in my F150 pulling 28 foot toyhauler. Tail of the Dragon is an iconic motorcycle road. Had to pull off every hundred feet or so to let bikes pass. I didn't think I would make many of the turns. Worst driving experience I've ever had. Yes, do not trust the GPS.

[norty1]

Everyone with a GPS should know that blindly following it can sometimes lead to loss of time at best and loss of life at worst. If I am in a unfamiliar location the old faithful Rand-McNally road atlas is right behind my seat to double check my Garmin.

The mapping software on a iPhone, Google and MapQuest are worse, even in a car.

[Mopar_Earl]

Never fully trust a GPS, especially when towing. But the GPS is just an electronic device with software. It has no idea how tall, long or heavy you are. It just takes you on the fastest or shortest route (depending what you have it set for).

Your truck over heating sounds like a mechanical failure or lack of maintenance. Did you solve the issue?

Sounds like the same pass Lucy and Desi took in the movie The Long Long Trailer. Excellent movie!


Earl

[Marcm157]

I work for a family owned coach bus company. I make all my drivers show proficiency in map reading and route planning prior to being cleared to drive. I will only allow GPS. Units in the bus after an approved route is laid out by the driver. Unfortunately map reading skills are not nearly as common as they once were...

[3'senough]

Originally Posted by Mopar_Earl

Never fully trust a GPS, especially when towing. But the GPS is just an electronic device with software. It has no idea how tall, long or heavy you are. It just takes you on the fastest or shortest route (depending what you have it set for).

Your truck over heating sounds like a mechanical failure or lack of maintenance. Did you solve the issue?

Sounds like the same pass Lucy and Desi took in the movie The Long Long Trailer. Excellent movie!


Earl

The DEZL is a commercial truck/rv specific GPS that allows you to enter all that information of your rig parameters and set hazards.

I have a DEZL and I override it on several routes due to my planning ahead and route knowledge. Google earth checks ahead with fuel and food stops as well as cross checking with the Haulers atlas for any road limits.

I also keep my truck GPS going as well to cross check things which I wish the HD series trucks would have haul settings for.

[Mopar_Earl]

Originally Posted by 3'senough

The DEZL is a commercial truck/rv specific GPS that allows you to enter all that information of your rig parameters and set hazards.

I have a DEZL and I override it on several routes due to my planning ahead and route knowledge. Google earth checks ahead with fuel and food stops as well as cross checking with the Haulers atlas for any road limits.

I also keep my truck GPS going as well to cross check things which I wish the HD series trucks would have haul settings for.

I wouldn't trust one made specifically for semis and RVs either. Lol People are involved in making the software and maps. Errors will be plenty.

I plan my route out on maps, Google maps, my phone and my Garmin. I also look at the directions the campground or state park give as well. Nothing ruins your day than needing to back up 5 miles to a turn around spot when you came to that 1902 8' railroad bridge. Lol


Earl

[Heath_Hambone]

Originally Posted by Mopar_Earl

Never fully trust a GPS, especially when towing. But the GPS is just an electronic device with software. It has no idea how tall, long or heavy you are. It just takes you on the fastest or shortest route (depending what you have it set for).

Your truck over heating sounds like a mechanical failure or lack of maintenance. Did you solve the issue?

Sounds like the same pass Lucy and Desi took in the movie The Long Long Trailer. Excellent movie!


Earl

Yes. I checked the fluids right before we left. The trucks in great shape, and the gentleman that helped us said rigs overheat all the time going up. It didn't help that it was 106 degrees. My flip flops melted to the road and separated my sole from the shoe. So, it was super hot... I think that was the main problem with the truck. That and I'm an idiot for not route planning better.


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