ROUGHING IT SMOOTHLY
Article & Photography by RAY WHYTE of Kelowna BC.
raywhyte.ca
Encouragement by my wife and priceless companion: Jacquie THE TOW VEHICLE The Tow Vehicle T e victim for this article
is our 1991 Dodge ¾ ton Cummins turbo diesel (aff ectionately known as “Babe” our blue OX). T e 2003 Okanagan Mountain park fi re devastation is seen in the background.
In The Cab It is impossible to address the entire list of factory and
aſt ermarket options for the interior of your tow vehicle. In this article I will go over the items we use and hope to give you some ideas. T e objective is to install accessories that will add to your comfort, safety, and create an environment suited to your needs. Our truck cab has been a work in progress; it is now comfortable and well-equipped for long distance travel. It provides all of our needs for our hobbies and electronic devices. I am not trying to replicate the space shuttle cockpit. I am a techno geek, and you are perfectly within your right to just say, this guy is crazy aſt er you realize how much is in this single cab. T e only device that we operate while rolling is the Satellite Radio, and Jacquie can do this from her co-pilot seat using the remote control. T e GPS is set up for our next destination stop before driving, and operates automatically.
A Good Navigation System (1)
Paper maps and road atlases have
given up their place to GPS navigation systems (Global Positioning System), that automatically lock onto satellites and use them to triangulate your position on the globe. T e GPS then plots your location on built-in maps. It will show you where you are on a particular street. As you drive it will provide you with spoken directions with turn-by-turn instructions to the destination you have previously entered into the GPS. A GPS device is far more than just an electronic map. You can request directions
24 RVT 148 • JULY/AUGUST 2012
and contact numbers for medical aid, fuel stations, restaurants, grocery stores and tourist points of interest just to name a few. T is is invaluable information when you are in an unfamiliar city. Just remember all inputs to this device are to be done when your vehicle is stopped, or by your co-pilot. We should all be aware by now how dangerous distracted driving can be. T ere are two types of GPS: portable and factory installed.
Photo by Graham Whyte
Factory installed systems are very expensive, but are neat with no exposed wiring and work great. T ey normally have larger screens but are out of your direct line of sight, usually located in the middle of the dashboard. In-dash units can be stolen too and with a great deal more damage to the vehicle. T ey are not my personal choice. Because this unit is permanently installed in your vehicle, you are restricted to sitting in your vehicle when planning your trip. Your co-pilot can’t search for that gas station or restaurant while the vehicle is moving. Alternatives are portable GPS devices, smart phones, laptops and tablets. All require GPS applications or built-in soſt ware and capable of receiving GPS information from the satellites. I am not an expert so I can only tell you what I use and prefer. I use a portable GPS for the following reasons: it has Bluetooth connectivity providing hands- free answering for the cellphone. I never place outgoing calls unless I am stopped. I can program a trip right from my armchair at home or in the trailer at the campsite. I can plug the device into my laptop and program a trip. It is easier using the laptop’s large screen and more sophisticated mapping soſt ware. I can switch the GPS to pedestrian mode, put it in my pocket and fi nd points of interest in a strange city while on a walking tour. T e portable unit is less apt to be stolen if you remember to take it with you. I have a belt pouch that holds both my cellphone and my GPS. My wife Jacquie has a 3G iPad and we use this not so much for mapping, but for planning reservations for overnight
stops. T is year I used BCAA’s Triptik Travel Planner®. T e planner lets you create and customize routes for trips across North America. You can print, save and email your high- quality, personalized, and detailed maps. T e TripTik Planner quickly gave me campground phone numbers, and distances
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