US and Canada Low Clearance

POI Factory had low clearance files, till Lowclearance.com claimed copyright infringement. Since then, I expect not many have used their files, anymore, since they charge for them.

Two other options, Rand McNally North American Truckers Atlas. or get one of the Garmin RV GPS units. Their built in Clearance files are excellent.

I saw a BMW car carrier (they go to the trouble of enclosing the entire area where the cars are loaded) hit a railroad bridge.

I asked the people on the scene how it could have happened, and one officer said likely the driver has taken this route before, and was ok. But today, there is packed ice and snow, and he didn't make any allowance for his increased height. Destroyed some vehicles on the top. The sad part is how much you bet these go to the airport and are fixed, and sold as new? Used to see it all the time when I worked down there, brand new cars with stickers in the window being repaired.

The problem with those is if your out of the truck route your on your own. That is exactly where I am usually in my RV off the highway exploring. I did bought and returned an Rv 660 from Garmin and returned it after testing it in my car and 2 major faults. A low bridge and a tunnel that you are not allowed with the size of tank that I have on board. Poi are not the perfect solution but if I have them and they warned me I can open my eyes and deal with it.

I have a Garmin RV770 and havent found bridge clearances in its database. Am I doing something wrong or not looking in the right areea?

that I see low heights warnings ahead of an overpass, but at that time it is too late to detour that particular bridge. I'm talking about secondary or less roads.
I'm sure that the OP would want something that tells him well in advance to make other arrangements, not at the point where you are confronted with the problem.

You cannot look up the clearances. They are programed into the routing engine.

Melaqueman, with the RV and Dezl units, the routing will avoid places you cannot go. If you attempt to go that way any way, it will bring up a red screen warning that your vehicle is not allowed.

You won't see that it's a low clearance, or truck restriction, only that the vehicle is not allowed.

Thanks

I was looking for low clearance poi's myself and phranc reminded of why they don't exist here anymore. Thanks phranc (sort of, lol).

I won't open a can of worms too much, but it just seems to me that unless the old file in question contained the verifiable work product from another site .. how can anyone claim copyright to data that's publicly available in the DOT/FHA National Bridge Inventory (NBI)?

Granted it's an undertaking to sift through 700,000 bridge records stored in a uniquely only-government-could-come-up-with data format, but if someone does that and offers it freely I just can't see where there could be a valid case.

.. just sayin'

Because the site that claimed infringement was a pay site. They were selling a subscription. I don't know if they exist anymore or not.

However, the Dezl and RV units have that data base in the software and it's used to route you. By not routing you where there is a low clearance, there is no need to notify you.

I was looking for a file because the 765T doesn't have the feature like my RV660 does. I'm loaning the 765T to my son in law for his trip to Alaska in a new-to-him pickup camper. The 660 does avoid heights if you use the routing, but it also warns you when not using a route. That's better than nothing for the 765T.

I get the why of the copyright claim, just don't see the validity of claiming to own public data (which no single entity can).

Come on gents
This is a real joke
You have the Low clearance site that have a large listing of low bridges in the USA and Canada. You can buy this listing for less that $100 and even $50 when they have a sale.
I don't know how accurate the information is, but I know they have a very large amount of data.
For a small amount of $ you are willing to take a chance on a bridge that could cost you your RV and even worse your life and maybe the life of yours and other families.

What the hell are you taking about, maybe you should not have an RV ????
Wow
Really, think!

A Canadian RVer

Hi, I just wanted to add a comment for others that my new Garmin RV disappointed me. I don't receive low bridge warnings. What I receive is an RV Access Unknown for my route and I was routed into 3 10 foot bridges on my recent trip to Michigan. I was on here searching for a file since my new Garmin rv is pretty useless.

Have you entered the size and weight of the vehicle in the RV 770 before it directed you toward low clearances?

dobs108

I see that the original question goes back to May 1st but there currently is a sale going on of the Low Clearances product.

http://www.lowclearances.com/

USA only with lifetime updates $45

Canada only with lifetime updates $45

Both USA & Canada with lifetime updates $75

i paid for the files yesterday. loaded the ones I wanted in my garmin. looks good so far. I dont know why nobody wants to share them..

There is an entity that claims copyright on the low clearance files. There was a good low clearance file here, a few years ago, but had to be removed because of copyright issues.