GPS Topo Map App for Bronco using Apple, or other systems?

[C1 Ret]

Just saw that the Ford Bronco off-road app dropped today. I’m going to give it a try. On X looks to be my next option.

I downloaded the BRONCO APP last night and tried to get it working today with my Sas, and it does not seem to be connecting correctly. It works fine on my phone but is not connecting to my Bronco.

I also saw a video from the Ozark Overlanding guy comparing Gaia and On-X. I logged in to the GAIA app (since I already had the free version) and purchased the premium subscription for about $40 a year. It seems pretty robust and most similar to what I am familiar with, like base camp. It is working on my Bronco screen thus far. I will give this a shot, since it seems much better than the Bronco App so far.

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[C1 Ret]

Just saw that the Ford Bronco off-road app dropped today. I’m going to give it a try. On X looks to be my next option.

Plus....regarding Gaia. I live very close to a national forest area and BLM areas, and all the roads, trails and routes I am familiar with showed up, and includes private land boundaries, etc. I will review it here after I have had a chance to plan and do some routes.

 

[C1 Ret]

So I tried to get the Bronco app working. It works on my phone and shows up as an icon in my CarPlay menu on the Bronco screen, but that's where it ends. The connection between my iPhone and the Bronco does not seem to allow the app to load on the Bronco, despite my other apps working correctly. Not sure what the deal is; perhaps operator error but I have tried multiple times: rebooted the phone, removed the phone and re-connected, etc. Nada.

I also purchased the Gaia app for $40 bucks a year. It also shows up on my Bronco screen in CarPlay, loads correctly and seems to be working as intended. I have to use the web browser on my MAC to plan the routes and then save as a file name...and yes, the saved file shows up on the Bronco screen and loads correctly. I still have some additional testing to do...but so far, the Gaia app seems to be working as intended. I do not mind doing the route planning in the web browser as this is what I did before with Garmin, but it does limit my ability to change routes on the fly when I am not in an area with cell coverage. Small issue.....and I am guessing there is a work around but I am still learning this app.

Stand by to stand by, but thus far Gaia seems like a win, with lots of planning options. All the Forest Service roads, BLM roads, local streets and trails are visible, along with TOPO features that I prefer. The maps can be saved, then downloaded to your device and displayed on the screen. One thing I did notice, and it is probably a toggle I have overlooked, the surface streets and county dirt roads do not have the street names listed. Again, I am going to assume this is a feature I can toggle on or off, but I have not found that switch just yet.

 

[Hopeless Diamond]

Plus....regarding Gaia. I live very close to a national forest area and BLM areas, and all the roads, trails and routes I am familiar with showed up, and includes private land boundaries, etc. I will review it here after I have had a chance to plan and do some routes.

Make sure to try the different maps that are available. The NF 2016 map is really good, but doesn't cover areas outside the NF. The Gaia Overland map is actually pretty good and does show roads everywhere. The Overland maps download for offline use pretty quickly, some maps can be a real pain and you can only download small chunks at a time. I use a tablet generally in different vehicles, but now with the Bronco and Android Auto, I use my phone. When you download a maps for offline use, and/or record a track, way points etc. it will up date on your other devices (as long as you have them logged into Gaia), albeit slowly at times. I'm right next to the National Forest here in WA with a ton of logging roads. I'm trying to record tracks of all the roads in the area, comes in handy because there are a lot of roads running off in all directions and it's easy to go down the wrong one.

 

[C1 Ret]

Make sure to try the different maps that are available. The NF 2016 map is really good, but doesn't cover areas outside the NF. The Gaia Overland map is actually pretty good and does show roads everywhere. The Overland maps download for offline use pretty quickly, some maps can be a real pain and you can only download small chunks at a time. I use a tablet generally in different vehicles, but now with the Bronco and Android Auto, I use my phone. When you download a maps for offline use, and/or record a track, way points etc. it will up date on your other devices (as long as you have them logged into Gaia), albeit slowly at times. I'm right next to the National Forest here in WA with a ton of logging roads. I'm trying to record tracks of all the roads in the area, comes in handy because there are a lot of roads running off in all directions and it's easy to go down the wrong one.

Good to know.....thank you

 

[C1 Ret]

I have been experimenting with the Gaia app (subscription version) for several weeks. It has some "glitches" regarding the use of the Bronco screen to scroll and, but there are work arounds that require a few extra steps on the screen. Not a big deal, since off-roading is not usually a fast pace like driving on the freeway. The map did freeze up once while using the street road maps (on the Bronco screen) but it still voiced the correct directions, and the map image was still correct on my phone. Not sure what happened there, but when I closed and re-opened the app, it began working correctly.

The nice pluses with Gaia are the ability to quickly load overlay maps such as the MVUS maps, TOPO and satellite. However....these must be done when you have data coverage. Otherwise, if you are going into areas without cell coverage, which is most of what I do....I must create area maps ahead of time on my PC, then download to my phone. This is not really an issue for me since I was essentially doing something similar with Garmin, but unlike Garmin, my phone doesn't have the US forest service Topo or MVUS maps pre-installed. So, I have to think ahead, download the maps for the areas I am going and make sure they are on my phone before venturing out.

The snow is finally starting to melt off in the areas near my home where I ride, so I will be doing a full off road test of this platform soon enough. I will likely take my Garmin Montana with me as a back up for awhile until I am certain the Gaia App is not going to leave without a route. That said, the Gaia "breadcrumb" part of the mapping does seem fine, but I have not tried it out without a downloaded map yet.

Cheers.

 

[Bugkillah]

How is bronco app (since it’s updated) comparing to other trail apps?

 

[C1 Ret]

How is bronco app (since it’s updated) comparing to other trail apps?

I did not know it was updated. Was this recently? If so, I will load it up again and check it out. So ar, the GAIA has been doing what it's supposed to be doing but it does require some pre-planning if you are wheeling in areas without cell coverage (which is pretty much everything in the mountains around me). I was not able to get the Bronco app to operate correctly the first time I loaded it, so I do not know how it does outside cell coverage and if the maps load onto the phone on their own.

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