How Reliable is an Online Speedometer for Measuring Speed in My Toyota Motorhome on Long Road Trips?

[JianTirtzah]

Hi everyone! I’m planning some long road trips in my Toyota motorhome and was wondering about using an online speedometer as an additional tool for monitoring my speed.

 

I recently came across an online speedometer tool that claims to use GPS technology to measure and display your current speed accurately, offering a speed tracking tool for any vehicle in real-time. These tools work by connecting to GPS satellites and calculating your speed based on your movement across distances. Unlike traditional speedometers, which are linked to the vehicle’s mechanics, an online speedometer can provide an additional layer of real-time information, independent of the car’s systems.

 

I’ve heard good things about them, but I’m curious if anyone here has tried using one during their travels, especially for longer drives in Toyota motorhomes.

I drive a 1987 Toyota Dolphin, which handles great, but I know these motorhomes aren’t always the fastest on the road, and having an extra speed tracking tool could be helpful. I already use the vehicle's built-in speedometer, but sometimes I wonder if it's giving me the most accurate readings, especially when going up steep inclines or driving in areas with poor road conditions. Do you think an online speedometer could be a good addition, particularly when exploring different terrains?

I’m curious about a few things before relying on it for my upcoming trip:

How does it perform in areas with limited GPS reception? Many of the places I plan to visit, like national parks or rural areas, tend to have spotty signal coverage. Has anyone noticed a drop in accuracy when GPS reception isn’t the best?
Does it drain your phone battery quickly? I’d imagine having an online speedometer running for hours during a road trip could consume a fair amount of battery life. For those who have used one on long drives, did you find it necessary to keep your phone plugged in constantly, or is the battery drain manageable?
How do they handle speed variations? For example, when I’m on a highway versus when I’m slowing down on back roads or stopping at campsites, does the online speedometer adjust quickly and accurately to changing speeds?
How accurate is it compared to the motorhome's built-in speedometer? It would be interesting to hear if anyone has compared their Toyota motorhome’s stock speedometer with an online tool to see how well they match up. Do you find the online version more reliable or consistent?
What about using it in conjunction with cruise control? I’ve been experimenting with cruise control in my Dolphin to make long stretches of driving more comfortable. If anyone else uses an online speedometer in combination with cruise control, I’d love to know how well it integrates and if it gives real-time updates as effectively as your dashboard.
I’m planning on hitting the road soon, so any tips or advice on using an online speedometer with a Toyota motorhome would be greatly appreciated! I think it could be a helpful addition to my trip, but I want to make sure I’m prepared for any potential limitations or issues that could come up. Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences!

[fred heath]

I use my old garmin gps as an electronic speedometer. There’s a slight lag when you first start moving but functions perfectly.

 

It doesn’t require any airtime or roaming minutes like a cell phone would. And depending on the age of the internal maps, can show food and gas stops.

 

My speedometer cable broke years ago. Easier to use the garmin than replacing the cable. The garmin is accurate. I verify every time I pass a radar speed sign.

 

Many people don’t realize on the garmin if you touch the vehicle speed icon on the home screen, it switches the entire view screen to a huge digital speedometer with resettable trip.

 

The great thing is it costs nothing to operate and leaves your cell phone free for other things.

 

I only mention “garmin” as that’s the brand I’ve always used.

 

You can find them used on FB marketplace for about $20-25.

Edited September 18, 2024 by fred heath

[cooper8643m]

On 9/18/2024 at 3:07 AM, JianTirtzah said:

Hi everyone! I’m planning some long road trips in my Toyota motorhome and was wondering about using an online speedometer as an additional tool for monitoring my speed.

 

I recently came across an online speedometer tool that claims to use GPS technology to measure and display your current speed accurately, offering a speed tracking tool for any vehicle in real-time. These tools work by connecting to GPS satellites and calculating your speed based on your movement across distances. Unlike traditional speedometers, which are linked to the vehicle’s mechanics, an online speedometer can provide an additional layer of real-time information, independent of the car’s systems.

 

I’ve heard good things about them, but I’m curious if anyone here has tried using one during their travels, especially for longer drives in Toyota motorhomes.

I drive a 1987 Toyota Dolphin, which handles great, but I know these motorhomes aren’t always the fastest on the road, and having an extra speed tracking tool could be helpful. I already use the vehicle's built-in speedometer, but sometimes I wonder if it's giving me the most accurate readings, especially when going up steep inclines or driving in areas with poor road conditions. Do you think an online speedometer could be a good addition, particularly when exploring different terrains?

I’m curious about a few things before relying on it for my upcoming trip:

How does it perform in areas with limited GPS reception? Many of the places I plan to visit, like national parks or rural areas, tend to have spotty signal coverage. Has anyone noticed a drop in accuracy when GPS reception isn’t the best?
Does it drain your phone battery quickly? I’d imagine having an online speedometer running for hours during a road trip could consume a fair amount of battery life. For those who have used one on long drives, did you find it necessary to keep your phone plugged in constantly, or is the battery drain manageable?
How do they handle speed variations? For example, when I’m on a highway versus when I’m slowing down on back roads or stopping at campsites, does the online speedometer adjust quickly and accurately to changing speeds?
How accurate is it compared to the motorhome's built-in speedometer? It would be interesting to hear if anyone has compared their Toyota motorhome’s stock speedometer with an online tool to see how well they match up. Do you find the online version more reliable or consistent?
What about using it in conjunction with cruise control? I’ve been experimenting with cruise control in my Dolphin to make long stretches of driving more comfortable. If anyone else uses an online speedometer in combination with cruise control, I’d love to know how well it integrates and if it gives real-time updates as effectively as your dashboard.
I’m planning on hitting the road soon, so any tips or advice on using an online speedometer with a Toyota motorhome would be greatly appreciated! I think it could be a helpful addition to my trip fintechzoom news, but I want to make sure I’m prepared for any potential limitations or issues that could come up. Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences!

Yah

[fred heath]

5 hours ago, cooper8643m said:

Yah

Save yourself some money. Any of the older style GPS units can provide the same information. Chances are you or a family member has one kicking around. If not, you can buy used on places like FB marketplace for about $20-25.

 

I use an old garmin to monitor my speed. Many people don’t realize that if you touch the “speed” sign on the lower right hand side of the screen, it converts the gps into a full screen digital speedometer with resettable trip.

 

Depending on the age of your maps it can also act as a backup for your phone gps.

 

There is a slight lag when first starting up, but goes away quickly. I also use those fixed highway radar speed signs to verify my readings. They have always been spot on.

Edited January 5 by fred heath

[DanAatTheCape]

plenty of free apps available for smart phones that give speed

[thewanderlustking]

On 9/17/2024 at 6:07 PM, JianTirtzah said:

How does it perform in areas with limited GPS reception? Many of the places I plan to visit, like national parks or rural areas, tend to have spotty signal coverage. Has anyone noticed a drop in accuracy when GPS reception isn’t the best?

 

You are probably confusing cell signal with GPS signals...  GPS is essentially everywhere on the planet, as it is satellite based.  But cell phones tend to have poor GPS antennas and some may not even have any... Not a rabbit hole worth going down to explain cellular piggybacking GPS blah blah as a MUCH better solution is a cheap Garmin unit anyways.  With some searching on eBay, you can also find some RV Garmin units that have camera inputs.    

 

Now a good Garmin can still loose satellite signal under certain conditions, like tunnels.  Supposedly dense forest coverage can cause issues also, but I have been all over the PNW, through the Rockies, and the Smokies and never had any issues with GPS signal.  Plenty of times I have been far out of cell service too.  

 

I have a Garmin Overlander, it is NOT a cheap unit though...  I also currently have probably half a dozen other Garmin's.  Get one with lifetime maps.  A lot of them will have LM after the model number, like Nuvi 550LM.  LM means lifetime Maps.  Not all with lifetime maps will say LM, but if it does, it is for sure Lifetime.  

 

Phones maps have gotten way better than they used to be.  For years the road out of my neighborhood turns on to a divided medium, and phones will try and make me turn left.  Garmin's always knew you couldn't turn left though.  But back to your actual questions.  Garmin's have a cool additional feature that are pretty accurate with, and that's posted speed limits.  

 

Anyways you will not have issues with GPS reception with any reasonably modern Garmin unit.  Even if you loose cell coverage, you will have GPS.  I would not TRAVEL without my Garmin's.  I always have one setup in my daily too.  And any time I head out of town, I will also have at least one backup if not two.  Overkill sure, but they are small and its a comfort.  I have been way way out of cell service before in the middle of nowhere, and if I didn't have a Garmin, I would have been uncomfortably lost.

 

There are other selling points, mapping, automatic starting/stopping, these things are much easier and automatic with a Garmin.  Now for daily use around town and a quick "Siri where's the nearest gas station" I have a nice headunit that my phone connects too.  But if I am going anywhere that's more than say an hour from me, or I am going to do multiple starts/stops I am using the Garmin.  

 

The only other brand of note for consumer GPS navigation units is TomTom.  My Mom gave me one, I ended up tossing it out it was so bad.  They do make good GPS running watches though.  There are other newer brands, but they tend to come and go.  Garmin has been in the game for many years and is STILL going strong and making new units.  I have easily owned 2 dozen or more Garmin's.

 

Anyways you can pick up Garmin's for even less than the $20-25 mentioned on eBay!  But 25-50 will get you plenty of much nicer units, some even new in box.  If you want one with all the bells and whistles like a backup camera input, $100 will get you really far.  You shouldn't spend much more than that unless you are hunting down very specific and specialized units like an Overlander or Tread...  

 

And make sure to get one with all the usage accessories like the specific charger cord and cradle.  These are frequently unit specific, especially the cradles.  Those separate can cost more than a unit with one...  So if you find a super deal missing those, check first how much they are purchased separately.  The mounting accessories are plentiful and cheap and not as important.  My personal favorite is the garmin beanbag mount.  Until recently, the suction cup windshield mounts have always sucked.  The one that came with my Overlander though took about six months to fall off the first time.  For more permeant mount, Arkon or RAM Mounts are impossible to beat.  

 

I do have a Toughbook with mobile/cellular internet that's frequently in my truck.  Thats a whole other story and thread though.  And I would NOT trust it as even a secondary navigation device.