Off-road trail apps for vehicles

[TroyBoy]

I switched over from Magellan to Garmin about ten years ago, so am ignorant as to their functionality today. Are you saying that the auto GPS units will upload and read a .gpx track?

I know you weren't asking me but fyi the MotionX GPS app will read .gpx files

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[47Jeepster]

I know you weren't asking me but fyi the MotionX GPS app will read .gpx files

Not a problem ... I'm not particular where advice comes from.

I would love to have everything in a dedicated unit that is good at highway navigation, can be uploaded with .gpx files for off road navigation, and can be uploaded with waypoints - POI and Geocaching waypoints.

My old 1450 Nuvi is okay with highway navigation and is great with Geocache waypoints. My newer 2639 Nuvi is great for highway navigation, but is a failure for Geocaching waypoints ... actually all of the newer Nuvis are like that. LocusMaps on an Android cell phone can upload .gpx files and thus handles off road trail navigation quite well, plus it works well with Geocaching waypoints ... but, on road navigation leaves a little to be desired.

Unless I'm mistaken, MotionX GPS is an app not unlike LocusMaps, Backcountry Navigator, Gaia, and a ton of others. It is an app that needs some hardware with an Apple or Android operating system. My 2639 Nuvi is great for on road, my smartphone with LocusMaps is fantastic for off road, and my 1450 Nuvi is great for Geocaching waypoints. What I'm looking for is a single unit that is equal to or better than the three units I'm currently using. Oh yes, and it doesn't take a PhD to work it ... the learning curve on LotusMaps was a little/lot bumpy.

With that in mind, how close does MotionX GPS come to satisfying those three desires?

 

[TroyBoy]

Not a problem ... I'm not particular where advice comes from.

I would love to have everything in a dedicated unit that is good at highway navigation, can be uploaded with .gpx files for off road navigation, and can be uploaded with waypoints - POI and Geocaching waypoints.

My old 1450 Nuvi is okay with highway navigation and is great with Geocache waypoints. My newer 2639 Nuvi is great for highway navigation, but is a failure for Geocaching waypoints ... actually all of the newer Nuvis are like that. LocusMaps on an Android cell phone can upload .gpx files and thus handles off road trail navigation quite well, plus it works well with Geocaching waypoints ... but, on road navigation leaves a little to be desired.

Unless I'm mistaken, MotionX GPS is an app not unlike LocusMaps, Backcountry Navigator, Gaia, and a ton of others. It is an app that needs some hardware with an Apple or Android operating system. My 2639 Nuvi is great for on road, my smartphone with LocusMaps is fantastic for off road, and my 1450 Nuvi is great for Geocaching waypoints. What I'm looking for is a single unit that is equal to or better than the three units I'm currently using. Oh yes, and it doesn't take a PhD to work it ... the learning curve on LotusMaps was a little/lot bumpy.

With that in mind, how close does MotionX GPS come to satisfying those three desires?

MotionX GPS is not good for on road navigation unfortunately. It's too bad it doesn't work on Car-play either. Otherwise I could just use google maps for on-road and motionX GPS for off-road all within the UConnect screen.

 

[OffRoadWarehouse]

Magellan will support GPX Track Files, and those from Lowrance units as of this year.

https://magellantrxsupport.zendesk..../posts/360006675594-Upload-download-gpx-files

 

[47Jeepster]

Magellan will support GPX Track Files, and those from Lowrance units as of this year.

https://magellantrxsupport.zendesk..../posts/360006675594-Upload-download-gpx-files

Thanks for the feedback. You're correct that the TR and TRX non-handheld type units support the uploading of .gpx files. You really got me excited when I started reading about that capability.

Unfortunately when I checked them out, all four units have terrible reviews. 3/5 ratings with a number of folks sending their units back. Lots of complaints about poor on-road navigation and search capabilities. Some of the local trails that I checked out on their website are incomplete or inaccurate. I stopped buying Magellan about a decade ago when one of my handhelds blue-screened and I couldn't get any support ... doesn't look like they've changed since lack of support was also one of the complaints. PS ... Garmin support is not demonstratively better. Think I'll keep looking for a another solution.

As an aside, Trailrecon did a video about 11 months ago where he mounted a TRX7 in his jeep. He promised a full review on it, but I can't find where he did that review. Last month he posted a video ("The Best Jeep Phone and GPS Mounting System") where he discussed using an iPad and then settling on an iPad mini in place of the TRX7. Reading between the lines, my guess is that he didn't like the TRX7 either.

 

[OffRoadWarehouse]

Thanks for the feedback. You're correct that the TR and TRX non-handheld type units support the uploading of .gpx files. You really got me excited when I started reading about that capability.

Unfortunately when I checked them out, all four units have terrible reviews. 3/5 ratings with a number of folks sending their units back. Lots of complaints about poor on-road navigation and search capabilities. Some of the local trails that I checked out on their website are incomplete or inaccurate. I stopped buying Magellan about a decade ago when one of my handhelds blue-screened and I couldn't get any support ... doesn't look like they've changed since lack of support was also one of the complaints. PS ... Garmin support is not demonstratively better. Think I'll keep looking for a another solution.

As an aside, Trailrecon did a video about 11 months ago where he mounted a TRX7 in his jeep. He promised a full review on it, but I can't find where he did that review. Last month he posted a video ("The Best Jeep Phone and GPS Mounting System") where he discussed using an iPad and then settling on an iPad mini in place of the TRX7. Reading between the lines, my guess is that he didn't like the TRX7 either.

We only recently (within the last year) started carrying their products, but so far we have only had to warranty two units and it was easy as could be. That might be the difference between buying from online/direct versus having us take care of it though. I dont blame your hesitation since you have had some experience with them.

Since i personally own a TR7, and the company owns a TRX7, ill do a review next time i go out!

 

[47Jeepster]

We only recently (within the last year) started carrying their products, but so far we have only had to warranty two units and it was easy as could be. That might be the difference between buying from online/direct versus having us take care of it though. I dont blame your hesitation since you have had some experience with them.

Since i personally own a TR7, and the company owns a TRX7, ill do a review next time i go out!

Yep, after I posted, I wondered if you sold and serviced the Magellan product ...

A review would be great. Also, mention what you used before the TR7.

 

[TIDALWAVE]

Which OffRoad Apps label the GPX trails on the screen? I have downloaded a lot of GPX trails...but on my GPS units the trails are displayed but not labelled. This becomes confusing if you have never been to that area before.

 

[camprats]

This page describes 3 apps and how they display trail names. https://www.jeeptheusa.com/use-gpx.html

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