Onstar, Orion Emergency Satellite Stuff? - RV-Dreams Community Forum

Hina · RV-Dreams Family Member

Onstar, Orion Emergency Satellite Stuff?

Hina · RV-Dreams Family Member

Hi Everyone! Does anyone have experience with Onstar, or Orion? I'm setting up the new Class A, and since I have already had experience with flat tires in the middle of nowhere, with no cell reception, I thought this might be a good idea. (Also, ever deal with AAA or Good Sam recently? If you can't come up with GPS coordinates.... OMG)

Just looking casually, looks like Orion Vis might be a better application, but if you know of any other services, let me know. smile I don't really need the hands free phone stuff, I can manage navigating the old fashioned way with maps, I'm mostly looking for the SOS feature in case I wind up in a "damsel in distress" situation. Also, I am on the low income end of the fulltimer spectrum, so subscriptions of like $20 or less a month would be ideal. Thanks!

The Bear II · RV-Dreams Family Member

We've used the Lexus equivalent to OnStar for turn by turn directions and to locate businesses in unfamiliar areas. It works great, luckily we've never had a need to use it for emergency or roadside service.

Just a thought.... Most national highways and secondary routes have cellphone coverage. There are very few spots without service especially if you use an outside antenna and amplifier. We've always had good luck with AAA roadside service but to be honest with you we haven't had a problem in many years where we needed roadside assistance.

In remote areas, the same service truck will be sent by the various roadside assistance services, there just aren't that many mobile service repair choices available. So the quality of response depends upon the dispatcher you call at your roadside service provider.

I'm sure you'll add a navigation system in your new Class A it will provide GPS coordinates or there are GPS apps available for smartphones. Heck even my $50 bicycle computer shows GPS coordinates.

I'm happy with my cellphone and AAA in case of emergencies.

I've got so many new fangled electronic devices I'm afraid if I add one more my brain will explode from trying to remember how to use each of them.

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

While the services might be usable for emergency contacts and such, I'd never trust them for routing. I know of one couple that was using OnStar, which re-routed them in New York. It kept trying to put them on a route that was for passenger vehicles only. In the whole process of finding their way back out of the city, they hit a low overpass and peeled back the roof of their RV.

Maps are the only way to go, although I might use the map features to some degree. I won't trust one to route me.

Terry

Ckerr · RV-Dreams Family Member

I have onStar in my Avalanche and falling in that category of woman traveling by myself, would not be without it. I have tried the navagation features and have not been impressed, but for emergency assitance it's been great.

Last summer I had the transmission go out in the truck. They were able to diagnose the problem remotely (unfortunately fatal failure) and send the truck to come get me. My subscription is less than $20 a month and not only provides the emergency contact, but the same sort of assistance as AAA would.

I've never changed a tire in 6 years... just call onStar! Definitely a fan!

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

We have OnStar in our car and agree the navigation is nothing special, any GPS or smartphone will do better. Once our free trial ended we paid for only the basic service for two years and let our cell phone minutes expire since we did not use it to make any calls. Supposedly the cell phone antenna for OnStar has more power (watts) than any current cell phone, so it will make calls in more remote areas. We have not had a needed it, but calling OnStar directly is supported without buying minutes so we are ready. A single friend had a Spot device and it did not do the job, it was much too weak.

dewwood · RV-Dreams Family Member

I have OnStar in my truck and have found it to be very useful. I was recently talking with a rep and asked about their phone service as mine is about to expire. I have a Verizon local phone number assigned so I asked if the phone was just a cell phone coming off of nearby towers or if it was indeed a satellite based phone and was told it is a satellite based phone. We are ofter in areas where reception is very poor to nonexistent so that was why I originally purchased the minutes. For $10 a year you get 300 minutes which is not a bad deal. You can purchase additional minutes at any time.

Ckerr · RV-Dreams Family Member

Even though I CAN change a tire, I choose not to when on the road by myself. And with onStar those little things don't cost me any extra. Keep in mind, changing a motorhome tire is a much different activity than a trailer or even a truck tire. I always figure better safe than sorry.

I'll keep paying for my basic onStar service with roadside assistance because in the over 7 years I have had it it has more than paid for itself in actual dollars saved, not to mention peace of mind and security.

Clay L · RV-Dreams Family Member

It appears that Onstar service is cell tower based and not satellite based. Apparently they have made deals with the major carriers and according to their coverage map they have very good coverage but there are some blank spots in AZ, TX. NV and NM.

See HERE

-- Edited by Clay L on Monday 27th of May 2013 03:26:19 PM

-- Edited by Clay L on Monday 27th of May 2013 03:34:55 PM

Hina · RV-Dreams Family Member

Yeah, and those are the states I will most likely be in most often. Even here in Northern California, there are a lot of spots with no coverage, such as at the beach. Wish all this stuff they make out to be so great really was!

Clay L · RV-Dreams Family Member

Yeah wouldn't that be nice!!