Using "truck" for towing a travel trailer

Did you check the garmin garage site and see if any of them would fit your bill better, Personally i would use a truck of some type.

The Griswald family Truckster is the ultimate Family Vacation vehicle..it even has the dog leash hanging from the bumper.
The Garmin doesn't know what you are driving and it doesn't change anything for what Vehicle you chose..

I'm going to guess you're not talking about what vehicle icon is displayed on your unit, but the preference setting - switching that from car/motorcycle to truck, right?

Changing from car to truck will change some of the variables the formula the device uses to calculate routes - and probably result in roads more suitable when towing a trailer - give it a go.

The setting in the preferences does change things - see above.

When using the truck preference to calculate routes you may experience longer routes as it only travels along truck routes. Which may lead to increased fuel usage as the trip will take longer...

Right you are, Keith! . I guess I could have phrased it better, but I thought common sense would rule We will give it a try and see what happens. Thanks for the explanation.

Thanks, mikeal. Maybe we had better do a simulation to see if it goes too far out of the way.

How did it turn out when you simulated a route in the truck mode?

I drive a 3/4 ton and pull a 5ver (fifth wheel) that sticks up 12 ft in the sky (from the ground).

I use truck setting for a couple of reasons...
1. I think(?) this helps with routing away from low bridges etc. I am scared of hitting a low bridge.
2. I think it gives me the routes away from "stop and go" traffic, and away from "two lane" roads.

The old song, "give me 40 acres and I'll turn this rig around" is true with long campers also. That's why I like 4 lane highways.... and truck routes.

Even the truck setting would not have helped this guy http://youtube.com/watch?v=hmwLJF0huZI btw nobody was hurt

I know it's not funny but...
I wonder.... if a poi file of all bank atms - with awnings... would have help him? lol.

I would think the truck and camper are totaled.
ug.

xnman, the truck setting on Garmin units does not route you around low bridges because that data is not contained in the map data. (There's a low clearance POI file here on the site if you want to look at that.)

It also does not route you away from "stop and go" traffic because that information is also not contained in the map data. (You would need to have a traffic receiver to get traffic information.)

The truck setting probably will tend to route you away from smaller roads (or rather tends to prefer larger roads), but just be aware that it's not an absolute.

There is also a bus setting that you can use. When I was at a ralley last year the garmin people stated that if you drove a big motorhome or truck with trailer then use the bus setting it is suppose to be better than the truck setting but MM is right on the money none of them take in account for traffic or low bridges, unless you have the poi or traffic info.