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Offline Maps

One of VanRoute's most valuable features for Australian travelers is the ability to download maps for offline use. This is essential when traveling through remote areas with limited or no mobile coverage.

Why Offline Maps?​

Australia has vast areas with no mobile coverage:

  • Outback regions - Limited infrastructure
  • Remote highways - Nullarbor, Gibb River Road, etc.
  • National parks - Often no coverage
  • Coastal areas - Gaps between towns
  • Mountain regions - Terrain blocks signals

With offline maps, you can:

  • ✅ Navigate safely without internet
  • ✅ View hazard warnings
  • ✅ Access fuel station locations
  • ✅ See rest areas and amenities
  • ✅ Plan routes offline

What Works Offline?​

Available Offline​

  • Full map display with roads, towns, landmarks
  • Hazard database (all 57,000+ hazards stored locally)
  • Vehicle routing based on your dimensions
  • Saved routes and waypoints
  • Fuel station locations (prices may be outdated)
  • Rest areas and caravan parks
  • GPS navigation with turn-by-turn directions
  • Elevation data for routes

Requires Internet​

  • ❌ Live traffic data
  • ❌ Real-time fuel prices
  • ❌ Weather updates
  • ❌ AI trip planning
  • ❌ Map updates (must download in advance)
  • ❌ Sharing routes with others

Note: GPS itself doesn't require internet—satellites work everywhere. You only need internet to download the maps initially.

Downloading Maps​

Requirements​

Before downloading maps:

  • VanRoute Premium subscription
  • Stable internet connection (Wi-Fi recommended)
  • Sufficient storage space:
    • Single state: 200-800 MB
    • All of Australia: 2-3 GB
    • Detailed city maps: Add 100-300 MB per major city

How to Download​

  1. Open VanRoute

  2. Go to Settings → Offline Maps

  3. Tap Download Maps

  4. Choose download region:

    • By State (NSW, VIC, QLD, etc.)
    • By Highway (Hume, Stuart, Pacific, etc.)
    • Custom Area (draw on map)
    • Entire Australia

  5. Tap Download

  6. Wait for download to complete (do not close app)

Pro Tip: Download maps while on Wi-Fi before your trip. Don't wait until you're on the road!

Regional Downloads​

Download only what you need to save space:

Weekend Trip (Sydney to Newcastle):

  • Download: NSW - Central Coast
  • Size: ~300 MB
  • Download time: 2-5 minutes on Wi-Fi

Week-Long Trip (Melbourne to Cairns):

  • Download: VIC, NSW, QLD - East Coast
  • Size: ~1.2 GB
  • Download time: 10-15 minutes on Wi-Fi

Cross-Country (Perth to Sydney):

  • Download: All states along route
  • Or: Entire Australia
  • Size: ~2.5 GB
  • Download time: 20-30 minutes on Wi-Fi

Download Progress​

Monitor your download:

  • Progress bar shows percentage complete
  • Estimated time remaining
  • Pause/resume option
  • Cancel if needed

If download fails:

  • Check internet connection
  • Free up storage space
  • Try downloading smaller regions
  • Restart app and try again

Managing Downloaded Maps​

View Downloaded Maps​

See what you've downloaded:

  1. Settings → Offline Maps
  2. Downloaded Regions shows:
    • Region name
    • Date downloaded
    • File size
    • Last updated

Update Maps​

Maps should be updated every 3-6 months:

  1. Go to Settings → Offline Maps
  2. Find region to update
  3. Tap Update
  4. New version downloads (replaces old)

Auto-update: Enable in settings to automatically update maps when on Wi-Fi and charging.

Delete Maps​

Free up storage space:

  1. Settings → Offline Maps
  2. Tap region to delete
  3. Delete Map
  4. Confirm deletion

Storage is freed immediately. You can re-download anytime.

Storage Management​

Check storage usage:

  • Settings → Offline Maps → Storage
  • See total maps size
  • See available device storage
  • Delete unused regions to free space

Recommendation: Keep at least 1 GB free storage on your device for app performance.

Using Offline Maps​

Automatic Switching​

VanRoute automatically switches between online and offline mode:

  • Online: Full features including live updates
  • Offline: Uses downloaded maps when internet unavailable
  • Seamless: No action required from you

You'll see an indicator showing current mode.

Before You Travel​

Checklist:

  1. ✅ Download maps for entire route
  2. ✅ Download maps for surrounding areas (in case of detours)
  3. ✅ Sync hazard database (automatic with Premium)
  4. ✅ Save planned routes
  5. ✅ Download weather forecast before losing coverage
  6. ✅ Ensure device fully charged

During Travel​

In offline mode:

  • Navigation works normally
  • Hazard warnings appear as usual
  • GPS shows your location
  • Can still plan routes (within downloaded area)
  • Saved routes accessible

Limitations:

  • No live traffic (route may not avoid delays)
  • Fuel prices not updated
  • Can't search beyond downloaded area
  • Weather not updated

Tips for Remote Travel​

Battery Conservation:

  • Lower screen brightness
  • Enable VanRoute battery saver mode
  • Offline maps use less battery than streaming
  • Bring car charger or power bank

Data Connection:

  • Keep offline maps downloaded
  • Don't rely on emergency coverage
  • Some remote areas have zero coverage for 100s of kms

Safety:

  • Tell someone your route before leaving coverage
  • Download maps for backup routes
  • Carry physical maps as backup
  • Know where coverage resumes

Common Remote Routes​

Popular routes requiring offline maps:

The Nullarbor (WA-SA)​

  • Distance: 1,200 km
  • Coverage: Minimal
  • Towns: Every 200-300 km
  • Download: WA - Goldfields + SA - Eyre Peninsula

Gibb River Road (WA)​

  • Distance: 660 km
  • Coverage: None
  • Unsealed road
  • Download: WA - Kimberley

Birdsville Track (SA-QLD)​

  • Distance: 517 km
  • Coverage: None
  • Remote outback
  • Download: SA - Far North + QLD - Channel Country

Stuart Highway (Darwin-Adelaide)​

  • Distance: 2,800 km
  • Coverage: Patchy outside towns
  • Download: NT + SA - North

Cape York (QLD)​

  • Distance: 700+ km
  • Coverage: Very limited
  • 4WD required
  • Download: QLD - Far North

Troubleshooting​

Maps Won't Download​

Check:

  • Internet connection stable?
  • Enough storage space? (check device settings)
  • VanRoute Premium active?
  • Try smaller region first

Solutions:

  • Restart app
  • Switch to Wi-Fi
  • Free up storage (delete photos, apps)
  • Download individual states instead of whole Australia

Download Interrupted​

If download stops:

  • VanRoute auto-resumes where it left off
  • Don't need to start from beginning
  • Ensure device doesn't go to sleep during download
  • Keep app in foreground

Enable in Settings:

  • Prevent sleep during downloads
  • Background downloads (iOS)

Offline Maps Not Working​

Verify:

  • Maps actually downloaded (check Offline Maps → Downloaded)
  • You're in the downloaded region (check map boundaries)
  • GPS enabled and working
  • Not trying to route outside downloaded area

If still not working:

  • Delete and re-download maps
  • Update VanRoute to latest version
  • Contact support with error details

Map Quality Issues​

Blurry or low detail:

  • Download higher quality version
  • Settings → Offline Maps → Map Quality → High
  • Note: Larger file size

Missing roads:

  • Update maps (roads change over time)
  • Some very remote tracks may not be mapped
  • Report missing roads to support

Storage Full​

Free up space:

  1. Delete unused map regions
  2. Clear app cache (Settings → Storage → Clear Cache)
  3. Delete old downloaded routes
  4. Move photos/videos to cloud storage
  5. Delete unused apps

Selective downloading:

  • Download only states you'll visit
  • Download highways instead of whole states
  • Use custom area to download specific regions

Best Practices​

Before Long Trips​

1-2 weeks before:

  • Download maps for entire route
  • Download surrounding states (for detours)
  • Update existing maps

Day before:

  • Update all maps one final time
  • Test offline mode works
  • Verify GPS accuracy
  • Charge devices fully

Storage Strategy​

Limited storage (32 GB phone):

  • Download only needed regions
  • Delete after trip
  • Use lower quality maps
  • Clear cache regularly

Ample storage (128 GB+):

  • Download entire Australia
  • Keep maps updated
  • Use high quality
  • Never worry about coverage

Update Frequency​

Recommended:

  • Urban areas: Update every 2-3 months (roads change)
  • Rural/remote: Update every 6 months
  • Before major trips: Always update

Why update:

  • New roads built
  • New hazards added
  • Closures and detours
  • Fuel station changes

Summary​

Offline maps are essential for Australian caravan travel:

Key Points:

  • ✅ Download maps on Wi-Fi before trips
  • ✅ Premium subscription required
  • ✅ Full navigation works offline
  • ✅ Hazard warnings work offline
  • ✅ Update maps every 3-6 months
  • ✅ Plan for 2-3 GB storage

With offline maps downloaded, you can confidently navigate anywhere in Australia, even in areas with zero mobile coverage. Stay safe and explore more!