Rand McNally and Xite... UPDATE!!!

[jimhoiby]

This came to me today (4/11/2022) from Riverpark.

Steve Salisbury
7:03 AM (16 minutes ago)
to me

Rand McNally is the servicer provider of that detailed information, what is new, what’s on it, etc., etc., you would have to ask them and I highly doubt a phone rep is going to know the details of the maps themselves.

We are a distributor of the Xite radio that utilizes their Nav card, we do not get involved with the data, Rand dock ,etc., therefore we do not know the details of the map information.

Rand McNally offered free 8gb Nav cards for owners that have the 4gb from 1/2015 thru 10/2018…the message you received has been on their Rand Dock since then.

So if your RV/ Nav card is 2015/16 or older, there have been multiple map updates since then. They also just released a large update last week (1st one since 3/2020), so if you order a new 8gb card you will need to take it to the Rand Dock and update it.

Our inventory of Nav cards from them all have the 2020 maps. This will also be there last “update”, they will continue to support the Nav cards and any travel subscriptions customer might have with them via their Rand Dock…they just will not be putting out any future map updates.

This is their decision and nothing we can control. There will be a Nav card in a year or so that we can offer that uses the Navi Extras Navigation software on it. It will operate/run in the Xite radios and is the future solution for owners to continue to “current” maps, Navi Extras will charge for the map updates, we do not know the cost of this yet. they currently charge $50-$100 for map updates, so we are guessing that will be true going forward on updates.

hope this helps but i doubt it

[creativepart]

This is a very helpful email you posted. That final paragraph is the first any of us has heard about the "continuing" map updates.

Thanks for posting.

[Americanrascal]

Originally Posted by jimhoiby

...There will be a Nav card in a year or so that we can offer that uses the Navi Extras Navigation software on it. It will operate/run in the Xite radios and is the future solution for owners to continue to “current” maps, Navi Extras will charge for the map updates, we do not know the cost of this yet. they currently charge $50-$100 for map updates, so we are guessing that will be true going forward on updates......

Looks like somewhat of a very hopeful and affordable turn, but I can't quite figure out the Navi Extras system looking at the web site.

[R2D2]

Really helpful post! Thanks for the follow up.

[Ray,IN]

Back to Rand McNally RV GPS lifetime map updates. This explains everything:

https://www.randmcnally.com/pages/mapupdates


FWiW, Rand McNally is out of the RV GPS business; instead focusing on autos, and the commercial trucking and the boating industry.


Just for kicks I bought a OHREX Chinese Truck/RV GPS last month. It is very accurate, although clumsy to use IMO. I'll put up with it though, the cost was $69 for a 7" screen. The owner MUST register it on their website, as lifetime map updates are received on a mini-SD card.

[fourgonbound]

Originally Posted by Dbday

Works with side and rear cameras and i added the dash cam as well. check it out. Also check out Winnebago class c motorhome owners facebook page. Lots of good info there.

How did you wire the RiverPark backup camera to the Kenwood unit?

[creativepart]

Whoa! Big news. Riverpark is now selling a $250 SD card that converts your Rand McNally Xite infotainment system to the new NavNGo navigation system.

You pop out the old SD card and insert the new card and you are now using the new maps and navigation offered by NavNGo.

I've ordered mine as of today and I'll report back once I get it in a few days. Over on IRV2 someone has already received theirs and says it seems to work well and offer new features in the GPS section.

[macnut]

Great to hear! I am assuming no CarPlay with the update?

[creativepart]

Originally Posted by macnut

Great to hear! I am assuming no CarPlay with the update?

At this point I believe the only new feature is the GPS change.

[Americanrascal]

Great news!

[grooverider]

Originally Posted by creativepart

Whoa! Big news. Riverpark is now selling a $250 SD card that converts your Rand McNally Xite infotainment system to the new NavNGo navigation system.

You pop out the old SD card and insert the new card and you are now using the new maps and navigation offered by NavNGo.

I've ordered mine as of today and I'll report back once I get it in a few days. Over on IRV2 someone has already received theirs and says it seems to work well and offer new features in the GPS section.

Did you ever end up getting this and did it work? I would like to try and get myself one before my trip in 3 weeks.

[creativepart]

I got it. Hated it. Packed it away and have never used it.

The Rand McNally GPS and operating system are vastly better. Programing is much easier, especially for multi-stop long trips.

To me it was a waste of $250. I've kept it just in case the Rand McNally system maps get hopelessly out of date and I must switch.

So, my maps are about 2-years old now. But it's not been a problem. Rand McNally released a final update in, I think, 2021.

[grooverider]

Originally Posted by creativepart

I got it. Hated it. Packed it away and have never used it.

The Rand McNally GPS and operating system are vastly better. Programing is much easier, especially for multi-stop long trips.

To me it was a waste of $250. I've kept it just in case the Rand McNally system maps get hopelessly out of date and I must switch.

So, my maps are about 2-years old now. But it's not been a problem. Rand McNally released a final update in, I think, 2021.

Thanks so much, I'm not sure my unit has ever been updated so I may just go that route unless it bricks lol

[creativepart]

Are you familiar with how to update the system?

You have to download and install the RAND DOCK application to a Mac or PC

https://help.randmcnally.com/support...dates-via-dock

You have to have a SD Card reader on the Mac or PC

You take the SD card out of your system - where it's located depends on which system you have.

Here's a video that really ignores all that info above but shows you want to do after you do the above:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9r-2koa334w

[grooverider]

Originally Posted by creativepart

Are you familiar with how to update the system?

You have to download and install the RAND DOCK application to a Mac or PC

https://help.randmcnally.com/support...dates-via-dock

You have to have a SD Card reader on the Mac or PC

You take the SD card out of your system - where it's located depends on which system you have.

Here's a video that really ignores all that info above but shows you want to do after you do the above:

This is great, thank you, I work in IT so I'm looking for an SD card reader at work now

I have the smaller screen version of the units. I'll bring my surface pro out this weekend and try updating it with this software, I assume these are just map updates?

[creativepart]

It will only work with a desktop computer - not phone or tablet.

If you have the smaller screen dash mounted unit the SD card is usually behind a small door on the bezel of the screen.

With the dock program you can backup your SD card to your computer - you may want to do that. The SD card with Rand software is not available if you corrupt the original. And each card is coded to your specific Xite system. You can't copy it or buy someone elses. The coding is hard coded into the format of the SD card. You need an image copy of the SD card to transfer it to another SD Card. But even then it's for your Xite only.

The update also updates the software, if your Xite system has not been updated previously. There are not a lot of changes, but lots of bug fixes.

Then, learning the Rand McNally GPS is pretty easy but if you're used to Garmin it's pretty much opposite of the way Garmin works.

Rand used to have a TripMaker site to setup trips and transfer them to your CD Card... but they just closed that down in the past couple of months.