I tow travel and horse trailers between 7000-10,000 miles per year and have always used an aftermarket GPS navigation system. My cheapest unit always asked for main roads or toll road options, the next generation queried if a DIRT road was on route and would I accept this, and then the Truck/RV unit gave me notification of roads not advised for towing trailers on or low bridge clearance situations.

When I spec'd my 2016 F-150 with the Sync3/Navigation option I never thought about its limitations with regard to towing and the routes provided.

I just completed a 2 week trip, where my wife to meet me had to take her MKS with the same navigation system, the phone call I received from her on her way to meet was very interesting. We both started from the same location and our nav systems gave us identical routing. About 20 miles from destination I had to make a fuel stop and she kept on. When I pulled out of the station my system gave me a modified route which I followed. She kept following the original route, and frantically called me that the nav system had directed her onto a narrow dirt road that kept getting tighter to the point it became a rutted two-track still listed as a county road, about three miles form the final destination. She had to back about 1/4 mile before being able to turn around and retrace her route.

This caused me to think about my fortunate fuel stop, and what I would have encountered trying to follow the original routing. I know that my eyes would have me stopped before the dirt road turned to two-track, but I bet my having to back a 35' trailer before finding a turn point would have been frustrating.

I question the logic of equipping Ford trucks with a car based navigation operating system. I spoke with Ford technical today about any options or upgrades, which there are none, and even suggested a subscriber paid application thru Ford Pass that would allow me to have a towing compatible system.

I don't believe that I am the only person who tows off the major toll roads or expressways and would appreciate the ability to have this capability within my vehicles nav. system. My 2017 F-150 will be built mid-October, and I spec'd it the same as the 2016, so guess for now will have to run my Truck/RV GPS Nav system.

The software exists, just wished Ford would think that their very fine trucks and the massive towing capability might need more than a car's capability for some of our uses.

Fx

 

I do not care too much for the Sync3 Navigation. It was atrocious using it in Las Vegas. It's interesting using it for destinations that I know extremely well and the routes it chooses.

However, the Sync3 NAV has surprisingly been great when negotiating the backroads and dirt roads of Poudre Canyon and the Red Feather area in Northern Colorado.

Josh

 

I think once Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are added (supposedly a firmware update sometimes in the next few months), we'll all get a lot more options for navigation on our SYNC3 systems. I'm hoping google also has Waze working properly in android auto by then. it could be magical.

 

It would be interesting to know who Ford uses for their maps. I've had Sync nav in my past two Ford vehicles and it was generally trustworthy, but there were a few times it wanted me to drive into an empty lot. I think they've just scanned city planner maps and those sometimes have roads marked out "in theory" but not reality. It was funny to watch the system freak out when I drove on a new highway that had been moved about a 1/4 mile north of the original location during an expansion project.

Another huge drawback to Nav is it's static and expensive to update. When I built my current truck, I didn't bother with Nav. The price wasn't worth it and with cell service so fast and reliable now, you really cannot beat Google Maps app IMO.

 

the navigation is by TeleNav and the map data is from HERE.

yeah I definitely agree, although Waze is even better. it uses Google's map data, reciprocates live traffic data to google, and adds in its own routing algorithms that aren't 100% perfect but can get you around some pretty nasty traffic jams. One key flaw is that if you come up on a major highway stoppage and decide to exit, but it takes several minutes to make it to that exit, the incident may have cleared or other road conditions may have changed by the time you make the exit. so you might not be on the fastest route anymore. Still a lot better than plain-old nav though

 

I've used Google Maps on dirt county roads.. about 35 miles driving between Lake Elsinore and Riverside on dirt roads, I came across a closed and locked gate. Then it started pouring, I barely made it back to the asphalt road but I kept slipping all over the muddy dirt roads. I'm so glad I had locking axle and 4x4.

 

I thought all the SYNC3 systems had android auto already? Mine does... It's pretty handy using Google Maps on the screen, although I still like the Ford Nav.

 

Do you have a 2017 model? That could be why.. the 2016's require an update.

 

Mine is a '16...but it was only built a few weeks ago, so maybe they have added it to the late 16s?

 

Make sure your wife hasn't specified the "shortest" route (it can send you through the boondocks as a short cut). I always pick the "fastest". But I look at the overall route before I choose it (just making sure there isn't anything wacky).

 

I think you're probably right, and that's encouraging for those of us with an earlier build date - we should be getting an update very soon! Would you be so kinda as to send us the software version on your SYNC 3?

 

Sync software version 2.0 build 16074

 

Awesome! Thanks! What does the navigation on screen look like? You got me really curious and I'm anxious!

 

I'm pretty impressed with it the more I play around with it. Pinch to zoom is really smooth, map rotations, traffic data. It's pretty much a fully capable google maps integrated into the Sync system.

It also replaces the Nav icon on the main screen when Android Auto is on:



and Google maps

 

My God, it is beautiful! Many thanks!!!