Sat Nav or Route Planner With Gradient Avoidance?

TravellingGuys

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Hey all,

Does anyone know of a Sat Nav or route planner that allows you to avoid steep gradients, maybe by percentage?

I know Google maps has the terrain setting but I've used this and still had trouble. I drive a old van and visited an abbey near Helmsley today, coming back there was a 17% hill which our van made up but it wasn't happy about it (I wouldn't like to try something like Sutton at 25%).

I've also seen a couple caravan marketed Sat Navs (at hefty prices) but they have had bad reviews when it comes to avoiding steep hills.
 
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I assume that was Rievaulx Abbey?

Looking at the OS map there is no route there without a steep gradient so you'd have a problem whatever routing software you might use ...

Truth is there are places you simply cannot go in a motorhome/camper if the roads are too restrictive.

I'm not aware that the specialist satnav devices make allowance for gradients.
 
It was Rievaulx Abbey yeah.

I should of never attempted it really but from the terrain map on Google it didn't look so bad and as you say theres no good route so once I was down I was stuck and had to go back up.

Keen not to make the same mistake ha.
 
I think this one is back to good old fashioned signs. As a truck driver (especially in the wet) you get used to seeing them. Almost all steep gradients are signed.
 
Rievaulx

Not quite on thread, but.....
At 54.259752,-1.10734 on the B1257 there is a large layby:
B1257, England, United Kingdom | Instant Google Street View
Its only about half a mile walk down to the Abbey. Another alternative is to park at the Rievaulx Terrace car park and walk down from there. I think the Terrace only charges for access, but its an interesting place to visit anyway.
 
TravellingGuys said:
Hey all,

Does anyone know of a Sat Nav or route planner that allows you to avoid steep gradients, maybe by percentage?

I know Google maps has the terrain setting but I've used this and still had trouble. I drive a old van and visited an abbey near Helmsley today, coming back there was a 17% hill which our van made up but it wasn't happy about it (I wouldn't like to try something like Sutton at 25%).

I've also seen a couple caravan marketed Sat Navs (at hefty prices) but they have had bad reviews when it comes to avoiding steep hills.
Click to expand...

Is it that your old camper is underpowered or do you have a problem with engine / clutch, this is a subject janet and I were discussing the other day, around Matlock the signs are not standard! You drive down the road and signs on the same section of road say 1in 10 and then they say 12% why can’t they just use a standard measure
 
phillybarbour said:
I think this one is back to good old fashioned signs. As a truck driver (especially in the wet) you get used to seeing them. Almost all steep gradients are signed.
Click to expand...

Yeah it was totally my own fault, it was sign posted as 17% but I didn't actually realise 17% was that steep (I realise I should know these things but I just haven't came up against high gradients much in my driving history)

Even though it got up I dont think I would willingly do a 17% plus again, it would just be good if there was something to refer to in the future so I'd know prior to travelling.
 
Ijenk52 - Cheers if I head back I will for sure be walking so it will come I handy.
 
andyjanet said:
Is it that your old camper is underpowered or do you have a problem with engine / clutch, this is a subject janet and I were discussing the other day, around Matlock the signs are not standard! You drive down the road and signs on the same section of road say 1in 10 and then they say 12% why can’t they just use a standard measure
Click to expand...

It could be either to be honest, it's a 19 year old van, clutch should be ok but you never know, it got up just wasn't pleased about doing it ha, to be fair the car in front didn't look like it was having a easy time of it either.

I really need to research gradients as embarrassingly if I seen a sign stating 1 in 10 then I wouldn't have a clue.

AndyJanet, I assume by your questions that you feel I should of been able to get up the hill without much effort? Maybe I should get van checked.

Are you (anyone else readying) able to get your motorhomes/campers up gradients 17% plus without any effort and how old is your van if you don't mind me asking?
 
TravellingGuys said:
It could be either to be honest, it's a 19 year old van, clutch should be ok but you never know, it got up just wasn't pleased about doing it ha, to be fair the car in front didn't look like it was having a easy time of it either.

I really need to research gradients as embarrassingly if I seen a sign stating 1 in 10 then I wouldn't have a clue.

AndyJanet, I assume by your questions that you feel I should of been able to get up the hill without much effort? Maybe I should get van checked.

Are you (anyone else readying) able to get your motorhomes/campers up gradients 17% plus without any effort and how old is your van if you don't mind me asking?
Click to expand...

Mine is 17 years old and has no trouble tackling the Alps. I just don't expect too much. There is no rush, use the right gear and watch the scenery.

I once took a Ford Granada up Sutton bank with a wobble box on the back and got a round of applause from the folks in the carpark at the top.
 
Thanks Polar Bear, maybe there is a fault somewhere then. I might get someone to check it out, currently saving for an upgrade so if I can get by how it is that would be better.

Ha yeah... I wont be going up Sutton in this, I think it would get up to be honest but my BP alarm on watch would be going crazy.
 
What sort of engine and sized van is it? I would have thought any commercial based vehicle from the past thirty years or so should be able to manage most hills albeit at a bit of a slow pace. Ours is a 23 year old Kontiki with a 2.5td old lump and it will get up sutton bank no bother fully loaded with a scooter on the back. The hills in the UK can be brutally steep but they are all short. I remember touring in VW's and a Commer Caravanette and they would be painfully slow on hills that were 20% etc down to first gear and walking pace but they would get up. Maybe needs checking out. The Alps, Pyrenees etc are actually generally less brutal than our hills. Main routes usually average less than 10% but much much longer and higher.
 
TravellingGuys said:
It could be either to be honest, it's a 19 year old van, clutch should be ok but you never know, it got up just wasn't pleased about doing it ha, to be fair the car in front didn't look like it was having a easy time of it either.

I really need to research gradients as embarrassingly if I seen a sign stating 1 in 10 then I wouldn't have a clue.

AndyJanet, I assume by your questions that you feel I should of been able to get up the hill without much effort? Maybe I should get van checked.

Are you (anyone else readying) able to get your motorhomes/campers up gradients 17% plus without any effort and how old is your van if you don't mind me asking?
Click to expand...
Just last week, I went up a rather large hill. Just checked using google maps and it works out to be a 19% gradient (so a 1 in 5)
My van - 16 years old and 3.9t actual weight at the time went up it no problem, including stopping and restarting (I was trying to find a particular house). BUT ... I would NOT drive up there again! Those kind of hills are not kind to vehicles (the particular hill I went up I later found was called the "clutch killer") and best to be avoided if possible.
 
Barryd, it's a 2.8 Master so yeah by the sounds of it there could be some sort of issue. I will get it looked at.

I'd still be keen to hear of any apps, sat navs, maps etc showing gradient percentages if anyone knows of any.
 
Wildebus, cheers yeah I honestly don't know if I would of got up from a stop half way.
 
Hairy dog - I used to be that guy that stressed about people behind but seem to be cured from that now ;).

Yeah I'm getting now that age shouldn't be an issue, I will get the filters changed as they are due anyway but anything major like the clutch or engine I'm likely just to leave as I plan on replacing the van next year.
 
TravellingGuys said:
Barryd, it's a 2.8 Master so yeah by the sounds of it there could be some sort of issue. I will get it looked at.

I'd still be keen to hear of any apps, sat navs, maps etc showing gradient percentages if anyone knows of any.
Click to expand...

I haven't used the feature before, but I just checked physically on my Sat Nav - a Garmin Camper 660LMT - and that does have options to show the Elevation of where you are and the Gradient of an upcoming road (in percentage)

I put in a couple of random journeys to show this ...
This is giving a split-screen with the map and the elevation and gradient warning
IMG_20190516_103605 by David, on Flickr
This one seems to tell you there is a steep gradient coming up, but doesn't say when

Full-Screen Elevation Mapping with a distance to a steep grade. I think the red vertical lines represent the steep gradients (up OR down)
IMG_20190516_110428 by David, on Flickr


On-line, Google Maps can be used to work out the gradient (change of elevation divided by length of road)
This is the hill I referred to in my previous post - https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/5...2898,-1.7896822,18z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!4m1!3e2
 
My van is 19yrs old, 2.8JTD, 3.7T and it pulls up steep hills easily, as hairydog says though starting on the steepest part it would have no chance because it is FWD.
 
Wildebus - thanks for taking the time to do that, its appreciated.

Garmin Camper 660 is one of only two I have been able to find that mention a gradient feature. I was all set yesterday to buy a 660 as it seemed ideal but I read reviews... "by the time you know exactly where the gradient is you are already committed" and similar. In your images it looks like I could put in a route, see there is a 17% or whatever gradient then change it until I get a route with a lower gradient.

I'll also play about with Google :)
 
The aguri 720 has a hill setting , I have never used it so I could not recommend it , could be worth your while researching. Into it .
 
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