Winnebago Opting for Rand McNally GPS Unit

Winnebago Industries Inc. has selected Rand McNally as its exclusive provider of mapping and routing services for its 2014 motorhomes.

According to a news release, Rand McNally’s award-winning RV GPS navigation will be featured as part of the new X1 family of “Infotainment” systems from XiteSolutions North America, available in Winnebago, Itasca and Winnebago Touring Coach motorhomes.

Winnebago Industries has chosen the new X1S 6-inch and X1DM 10.4-inch “Infotainment” systems. The company said that the 10.4-inch display is the largest integrated, in-dash OEM solution in the RV market today.

“Our Winnebago Industries motorhome owners expect the best from us. We’ve partnered with the navigation industry’s best - Rand McNally - to provide navigation and routing information specific to RV travel, providing RV-specific stops along the way and enhancing the trip experience,” said Russ Garfin, product manager for Winnebago.

Rand McNally’s RV software includes:

• Specialized routing and turn-by-turn spoken directions in the U.S. and Canada for 11 different classes of RV.

• Navigation based on legal and physical restrictions, such as height, width, weight limits and propane restrictions, and the ability to favor right- or left-hand turns depending on motorhome class.

• Warnings for speed limit changes, sharp curves, dirt roads, and other potential hazards.

• Millions of points of interest including those specialized for RVs: RV Campgrounds with detailed amenities, RV dealers and maintenance facilities, dump stations, rest stops, travel centers and pet-friendly locations.

• RV Checklists/Maintenance Logs/Trails.

• Rand McNally featured road trips, including Best of the Road, Regional Trips, Scenic Tours and Weekend Getaways.

• 2D/3D Maps with Junction View.

• Multistop route optimization.

• User-configurable warnings to assist in creating detours, choosing to permanently avoid road segments, and receiving warnings for upcoming hazards such as bridges and construction

“Being selected as the exclusive GPS provider by industry leaders such as Winnebago Industries and XiteSolutions North America recognizes the routing expertise and superior user experience that Rand McNally has developed,” said Rand McNally CEO Dave Muscatel.

Good Sam to Debut Road Trip Planning Tool

Good Sam Enterprises LLC announced that it will be launching a new web-based trip planning service this summer, according to a press release. The Good Sam Trip Planner, which will be available exclusively to Good Sam Club members, will be a comprehensive road trip planning tool featuring both routing and information about thousands of RV parks and campgrounds as well as points of interest across the U.S.

The Good Sam Trip Planner will be the second product to be released as part of the recently announced Good Sam-Rand McNally partnership and follows the release of the Good Sam GPS. With the new Trip Planner, Good Sam Club members will be able to create point-to-point directions, research and plot thousands of points of interest across the U.S., and create custom road trips, either across town or across the country.

“Good Sam is dedicated to helping our members make the most of their travel, whether in their RV or car,” said Marcus Lemonis, chairman and CEO of Good Sam. “The new Good Sam Trip Planner acts as a personal travel assistant, helping people map routes to their destination, find new places to visit and camp and to find interesting things to do and see along the way.”

Users will be able to map their routes from start to finish while searching for and adding points of interest along the way. Camping World Super Centers and Pilot Flying J locations are integrated into the Good Sam Trip Planner, making it a comprehensive road trip planning solution. To assist users with making the most of their time on the road, the Trip Planner will also include pre-planned scenic routes and recommended points of interests based on content from Rand McNally’s Best of the Road program.

The planner divides road trips into manageable days, based on desired daily travel distances, quickly allowing the user to add stops from either the Trip Planner database or their own experience. It also provides users with the ability utilize printable directions and share information with family and friends on social media sites such as Facebook.

Additionally, the Good Sam Trip Planner will seamlessly integrate with the Good Sam GPS, enabling users to create custom road trip itineraries and download them directly to their Good Sam GPS.

 

 

Good Sam & Rand McNally Form Collaboration

Good Sam Enterprises LLC today (April 4) announced a partnership with Rand McNally to launch a suite of navigation products designed “to meet the needs of today’s outdoor consumer,” according to a press release.

“Today’s consumer has made it clear they want to increase their ease of learning about and navigating to the places they want to visit and the areas where they participate in the activities they love,” noted Marcus Lemonis, chairman and CEO of Good Sam. “Customers will appreciate an increased ease of planning and navigating to their destinations, such as events from horse shows to trade shows, national parks, campgrounds, lakes and trails as well as all of the great places to see along the way, with products customized for them.”

The first product to launch through the partnership is the Good Sam GPS, powered by Rand McNally. The device provides custom navigation on suitable routes, taking into account the specific vehicle or vehicle/trailer combination. After entering vehicle attributes, including length of towed trailers, if propane is being carried and vehicle and trailer height, the Good Sam GPS provides navigation on roads suitable for the customer’s specific vehicle configuration.

For travelers on the go, the Good Sam GPS also features information and navigation to more than 2,000 Good Sam affiliated campgrounds where Good Sam Club members receive nightly discounts, as well as 12,000 additional parks and campgrounds across the U.S. and Canada. The Good Sam GPS also provides information and navigation to thousands of points of interest, all searchable directly on the device.

For NASCAR fans, the Good Sam GPS includes pre-programmed track locations. NASCAR locations will not only help fans, but NASCAR team haulers too.

“We are very excited by the early interest in the product by potential partners and are in discussions with RV and trailer rental companies that have interest in providing the Good Sam GPS for use by their customers,” concluded Lemonis.

Good Sam said that additional products are in development and slated for release during 2013.

Other features of the Good Sam GPS include.

• 7-inch, high-definition screen – nearly 90% larger than most GPS units.

• Full-color touchscreen.

• Large and high volume speaker.

• Turn-by-turn spoken directions.

• Pre-programmed “Points of Interest.”

• Lifetime map updates.

• Wi-Fi connectivity.

Rand McNally Introducing RV GPS App for iPad

Nearly two years after introducing the first GPS designed specifically for RVers, Rand McNally today (Jan. 9) launched the first RV GPS app for the iPad. The RV GPS is being shown for the first time at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

According to a press release, Rand McNally’s RV GPS for iPad is the first iOS application offered that is specifically designed for RV navigation. The new application, available on the App Store, provides RV class-specific routing based on Rand McNally’s proprietary road data and navigation, plus thousands of RV parks and campgrounds, RV-friendly locations, RVer tools and pre-planned trips.

The app also includes “dynamic weather,” a map overlay feature that helps drivers anticipate conditions such as high wind and precipitation along the route.

Also included is a bonus feature of the app: An e-book version of America’s #1 Road Atlas.

“About 20% of RVers have an iPad, and many of them take it on the road,” said Dave Muscatel, CEO of Rand McNally. “Our new app lets those travelers access the same premier RV routing, navigation and content available on our RVND GPS devices, and load it on their tablet.”

 

 

 

 

Partnership Puts Rand McNally in OEM Market

Rand McNally announced that XiteSolutions North America Inc. will be offering Rand McNally’s navigation software as part of Xite’s Infotainment systems for RVs.

According to a press release, XiteSolutions, which provides in-dash information and entertainment solutions to RV manufacturers, will begin delivering Rand McNally’s RV navigation with its new X1 family of Infotainment systems in early 2013.

”Rand McNally’s RV-specific navigation delivers the perfect solution for the RV market – from superior routing based on RV size and class, to points of interest with RV-specific amenities, to features designed specifically for RVers such as checklists and breadcrumb trails,” said Craig Smith, president of XiteSolutions North America. “Our RV OEM manufacturer partners are very excited about the added value Rand McNally’s navigation brings to our family of Infotainment systems.”

Rand McNally’s RV software includes:

• Specialized routing in the U.S. and Canada, including legal, physical and propane restrictions, for 11 different classes of RV.

• Millions of points of interest including those specialized for RVs: RV Campgrounds with detailed amenities, including Woodall’s campground data, RV dealers and maintenance facilities, dump stations, rest stops, travel centers, pet-friendly locations and fishing locations.

• RV checklists/maintenance logs/trails.

• Rand McNally featured road trips, including Best of the Road, Regional Trips, Scenic Tours and Weekend Getaways.

• 2D/3D Maps with Junction view.

• Enhanced text-to-speech navigation commands.

• Virtual Dashboard – ability to view key features at a glance.

• Multi-stop route optimization.

• User-configurable warnings to assist in creating detours, choosing to permanently avoid road segments, and receiving warnings for upcoming hazards such as bridges and construction.

• Lifetime Map updates provided via Internet download and transferred from a PC to the Infotainment System via SD Card.

XiteSolutions North America’s Infotainment systems with Rand McNally RV navigation will be distributed by RiverPark Inc.

 

Rand McNally Adds to RV-Specific GPS Devices

Rand McNally has introduced the RVND 7720, a new 7-inch RV GPS device with Wi-Fi connectivity allowing for real-time weather information and display. According to a press release, the new device joins Rand McNally’s line of RVND GPS devices designed for RVers.

Offering RV-specific navigation, the unit can route motorhomes and towables around road restrictions, low bridges and other physical hazards. One of the key new features is Wi-Fi connectivity, which enables the transmission and display of weather as well as other real-time information. With updated weather information, RVers will be able to anticipate delays and make plans by viewing current and predicted conditions displayed on the map and along the route.

The RVND 7720 also has an all-new hardware platform as well featuring a new rugged design with ridged casing for added protection, a brighter screen that adjusts for low and strong light, and video input compatible with a range of back-up and rear-view cameras.

The base maps and overlaying content, such as campgrounds, parks, RV service and other RV points of interest, also have been updated for the RVND 7720.

 

Rand McNally Debuts New App at RVDA Expo

Rand McNally and the Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association (RVDA) announced the release of the “RVDA Dealer Locator” app, providing RVers “a simple way to find RV dealers and service providers across a variety of platforms.” According to a press release, the new app is being showcased this week at RVDA’s Convention/Expo in Las Vegas, Oct. 1-4.

The information, compatible for Android and iOS platforms, is also available via Rand McNally’s online maps and directions, as well as on board Rand McNally’s RVND GPS.

The app, powered by Rand McNally’s “Best of the Road” online platform, enables RVers to quickly access a listing of nearby RVDA member dealers across the U.S. and Canada. Each listing includes critical information such as location, contact information and RVDA service certifications. In the future, the app also will provide up-to-the-minute deals and specials available at dealer and service locations.

The service will be marketed by RVDA to its membership. The information will be available on Rand McNally’s RVND GPS units shipping next month, and as a download for current owners of the product.

RVDA member dealers will be able to easily update their entries via a password-protected online administrative tool specifically designed for the program. Updates flow on a regular basis to all products and applications.

“This app will be extremely beneficial to our members and allow RVers to quickly find a quality dealership and service provider at the touch of their fingertips on their smart phone, Rand McNally RV GPS device, or online,” stated RVDA Chairman Andy Heck of Alpin Haus, in Amsterdam, N.Y. “Our members will find it easy to update information about their dealerships by using a new password-protected online portal.”

In addition, RVDA dealer information will be integrated into Rand McNally’s Best of the Road “Best of RVing” microsite, and into maps and directions on randmcnally.com.

“Now RVers will have quick access to RVDA members’ top-tier service locations whether they are planning their trip or on the road in an emergency situation,” said Dave Muscatel, CEO of Rand McNally. “Our Rand McNally RV GPS users as well as RVers using the mobile app or online maps will be able to access dealer data easily.”

 

 

RVDA, Rand McNally Up Access to Dealer Info

Rand McNally and the Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association (RVDA) are working together to “provide RVers easy access to RV dealers and service providers across a variety of platforms,” according to a press release.

The information, available this summer, will be included in new mobile phone apps and website maps and directions, as well as on board Rand McNally’s TripMaker RVND GPS units.

“RVers have unique service needs while on the road and providing RV dealer information across North America in a variety of formats will certainly assist them whether it’s an emergency or a routine visit,” said Dave Muscatel, CEO of Rand McNally. “RVers will be assured of top-tier service provided by RVDA member organizations.”

As part of their agreement, Rand McNally will develop a dealer-locator application for iOS and Android mobile phones. The app will enable RVers to quickly access a listing of nearby RVDA member dealers across the U.S. and Canada. Each listing will include critical information such as hours of operation, contact information and services provided, as well as up-to-the-minute deals and specials available. Marketed by RVDA to their membership, this app will be available mid-summer, 2012.

RVDA dealer information also will be provided in Rand McNally’s TripMaker RVND line of GPS devices. The product provides RV-specific navigation as well as services that RVers need while on the road such as campgrounds, pet-friendly locations, rest stops and service centers. The RVDA information will be available on GPS units shipping later this summer and as a download for current owners of the product.

In addition, RVDA dealer information will be integrated into Rand McNally’s Best of the Road website, “Best of RVing” microsite, and into maps and directions on randmcnally.com. Best of RVing (bestoftheroad.com/rv), launched in May, provides content designed to engage and inspire RVers, offering a variety of information for the experienced and novice RVer.

“We are excited to be working with Rand McNally, a trusted source of maps, directions, and navigation content to provide applications and information that is critical to the on-the-road experience,” said RVDA Chairman Andy Heck of Alpin Haus, in Amsterdam, N.Y. “The applications will enable RV enthusiasts to quickly access the information they need in a variety of formats – through phone, online, and navigation products.”

RVDA member dealers will be able to easily update their entries via an online portal specifically designed for the program. Updates will be regularly provided to all products and applications.

Rand McNally Rolls Out RV-Specific Microsite

Rand McNally has expanded its award-winning travel community “Best of the Road” with a new microsite dedicated to RVers, according to a news release.

The “Best of RVing” site, at bestoftheroad.com/rv, kicks off with a prize-a-day giveaway featuring items such as Rand McNally RV GPS devices, e-reader tablets and campground memberships. In collaboration with the Good Sam family of RV clubs, the site also features an “RV Stories” contest in which RVers can win up to $5,000.

“Following the success of the ‘Best of the Road’ online community of road travelers, it was logical to build a special section just for RVers,” said Dave Muscatel, CEO of Rand McNally. “Rand McNally has a long-standing relationship with RVers, who use our TripMaker RVND RV GPS as well as the Rand McNally Road Atlas, to explore the country. The ‘Best of RVing’ site extends that experience, providing an outlet for RVers to connect, share their stories, learn about the lifestyle, and get practical tips from experts and partners.”

Launched a year ago, bestoftheroad.com is a community of road travelers who review the best stops on America’s highways and byways – including small towns and the points of interest between them. Every year votes are collected for the best small towns, which are then visited by amateur travelers in a Best of the Road Rally. With more than 77,000 “likes” on Facebook, bestoftheroad.com has become the must-visit destination for travelers planning their road trips.

 

 

Rand McNally Offers Woodall’s Data on TripMaker

Rand McNally and Woodall’s are partnering to include Woodall’s campground data in Rand McNally’s TripMaker RVND GPS units for RVers.

According to a press release, the data will be pre-loaded in devices shipping mid-April, and also will be available to current owners of TripMaker RVND devices – both the 5-inch and 7-inch models – via a free download early in the second quarter.

Rand McNally said it will be reaching out to existing owners to ensure that they are able to download the new content.

“Woodall’s is North America’s leading source of campground information for RVers and campers. We are very pleased to offer this very valued content as part of our industry-leading RV GPS devices,” said Dave Muscatel, CEO of Rand McNally.

Highlights of the Woodall’s Campground data include:

• Listings for more than 12,000 RV parks and campground locations, with amenities.

• Family-friendly campgrounds and pets-allowed locations.

• “Big Rig” parks.

• “Green parks.”

• Site information such as extended stay sites available, typical site width and pull-through information.

• Services such as fees, escort to site, dumping.

• Essential information about seasonality and rates.

The data also includes the proprietary “5-W” ratings, which reflect the views of unbiased inspectors who visit and rate every possible private campground each year.

“We are excited to bring together two well-known brands in the RVing community – Rand McNally and Woodall’s,” said Ann Emerson, vice president and publisher, Woodall’s & Trailer Life Directory. “Our carefully researched data will certainly enhance the value of the TripMaker RVND GPS to RVers, especially those who have been loyal users of Woodall’s for decades.”

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