gps units

[mids911]

what gps units have you all added to make travel less stressful?

[2nOZ]

The Garmin RV 760LMT.

[Subaru297]

Nothing beats Google Maps on my phone and you can cache maps now as well so you don't need to use data while on the road. Free map updates and great route finding.

Cheers

[Jm9301]

Originally Posted by Subaru297

Nothing beats Google Maps on my phone and you can cache maps now as well so you don't need to use data while on the road. Free map updates and great route finding.

Cheers

Agreed with this, you don't have to deal with yet another gadget with its own wires and battery. You can cache the maps, use voice navigation and get traffic information easily. The days of a standalone GPS for personal use are behind us imo.

[Larry G.]

Would not be w/o a REAL GPS.

Our 7" Rand McNally 7710 serves us well.

Designed specifically for the RVer and camper. Routing includes legal weight and height restrictions designed for the type of RV you are using.

More than 14 million points of interest - including festivals, National/State/Regional Parks and other Rand McNally researched locations.

Pet-friendly locations - animal hospitals, hiking trails, parks, beaches, and more.

RVer Tools including Checklists, Quick Mileage Calculations, Maintenance Logs, and Breadcrumb Trails to get you back to your campsite.

And more....

I use Google Maps for pre-planing routes only.

[RAurand]

Originally Posted by 2nOZ

The Garmin RV 760LMT.

X-2 and Love it.

[RAurand]

Originally Posted by Subaru297

Nothing beats Google Maps on my phone and you can cache maps now as well so you don't need to use data while on the road. Free map updates and great route finding.

Cheers

Question for google maps users. Will Google Maps warn you if your route will take you under a bridge or overhang that your RV will not fit under? What about bridge or road restrictions?

[hoppers4]

If my eyes were better, perhaps I would use Google maps or Waze. However, my dedicated Garmin GPS is much better suited for me as all the information is displayed in a larger format. I'm using a 7 or 8 year old Garmin Nuvi 1490 but will be updating to the Garmin RV 760 soon.

[Subaru297]

Originally Posted by RAurand

Question for google maps users. Will Google Maps warn you if your route will take you under a bridge or overhang that your RV will not fit under? What about bridge or road restrictions?

It does not look like it has that capability but Google have been advised that it would be a good addition so it could happen.

There are plenty of Apps that cover navigation and RV routing along with offline maps.

To be honest I haven't used a Garmin or TomTom for years. I have a few outdated models at home that never got used either. I always just reach for my phone rather than trying to search for addresses or places in a dedicated GPS unit. I always found them very clunky to use and the maps were always out of date.

We just got a 2016 Ford Edge with built in Nav and the Navigation is useless for finding things. It can't even locate the Ford dealership! I think I had 1 successful search in a few months of owning it. I upgraded the software to enable Android Auto and it is amazing! Google maps right on the dash with voice commands that actually work without needing to memorize specific commands like you do trying to talk to the Ford built in system.

I am sure the newer GPS units have come a long way since I have used them but I'll stick with Google Maps and always have an up to date map that I can find almost anything on.

How often are the Garmin maps updated and do you get the updates for free?

Cheers

[Subaru297]

Originally Posted by hoppers4

If my eyes were better, perhaps I would use Google maps or Waze. However, my dedicated Garmin GPS is much better suited for me as all the information is displayed in a larger format. I'm using a 7 or 8 year old Garmin Nuvi 1490 but will be updating to the Garmin RV 760 soon.

Get a mount for your existing tablet if you have one. Preload your maps and you are good to go. Big screen and you can use or try out all the different Apps including Google Maps.

Most tablets have GPS built in but not all. YMMV

Cheers

[hoppers4]

Originally Posted by Subaru297

Get a mount for your existing tablet if you have one. Preload your maps and you are good to go. Big screen and you can use or try out all the different Apps including Google Maps.

Most tablets have GPS built in but not all. YMMV

Cheers

I have to give you credit for a good idea, however between the two kindles and three laptops, none have gps cept my phone. Recently got a 2-in-1 so there's no new tablets in my near future. Thanks anyway.

[blujay40]

I have to add another vote for the Garmin 760LMT RV unit. I have ran it side by side with Google Maps/Navigation and as far as directions, both are about equal. I also have ran Waze and like it even better than just Google Maps/Navigation alone because it allows real time interaction by all Waze users in reporting police, road hazards, cars on shoulder, and even road kill that may be ahead. I also like the map presentation better in Waze than Google Maps/Navigation.

With that said, where the Garmin wins our vote over Google maps and Waze is that when routing you, it takes into account known obsticles that could cause you problems in navigating your RV. Things like low overpasses, detours, steep up/down hills, sharp turns, etc. are displayed on the screen with plenty of warning. Another thing that the 760LMT has over Google/Waze is that is will tell/warn vocally about what lane you should be in for your upcoming turn/exit, whether it's a left/right exit, etc. so you can keep your eyes on the road ahead.

Another biggie for us is that we also use the BC20 camera with our 760LMT. Wired into the running lights of the trailer, it allows me to monitor traffic/objects behind me while backing up, changing lanes, etc. from the same screen as the navigation maps by just turning the running lights on/off from within the cab.

So for us, the Garmin 760LMT RV unit is hard to beat and at the moment, does many things that Google/Waze cannot.

[Murff]

The Garmin 760 is what I just purchased after much research. Has a Car, RV & Semi-truck mode. You can enter the length, height, weight into it. Although the 760 has been replaced with the 770, it is still a good unit. My second choice would be the 660, which states it is made for RVs. These Garmin models can connect to your smart phone and also give you weather updates and warnings.

I have had Tom Toms and most recently a Magellan that replaced a FUBARed Tom Tom. Customer support at Magellan is the absolute worst.

Murff

[havnfun]

We also run the Garmin RV 760 with the BC20 camera and it works great!
Far surpasses the TomTom I had previously and I love the rear camera.
Happy RVing,
Jeff

[ttavasc]

Here's another vote for Garmin - I have the RV660LMT and am looking to add a BC30 backup camera at some point. It has the same RV dimensions feature as the RV760LMT and I like the voice commands for adjusting route or searching for places nearby hands-free. Garmin's BaseCamp route planning software seems a bit clunky, at least on my Mac, but once you figure out the quirks it does a pretty good job. After I have a trip planned, including fuel stops, etc. then I just transfer it over to the GPS unit and we are all set to roll. I keep all of our trips saved in BaseCamp so that when we repeat one it's always ready to go.

[hbravo]

Here is a vote for an RV specific GPS. I have A Magellan but will go to the new Garmin at some point.

[RVhiker]

Our Garmin RV660LMT has served us well. It does a pretty good job finding routes to campgrounds, and knows where the nearest Walmart Supercenter, rest area, and fuel is located. It's not perfect, but I'd much rather have it available than not. For me, the 6" size of the screen is plenty big enough.

[RAurand]

Originally Posted by Subaru297

It does not look like it has that capability but Google have been advised that it would be a good addition so it could happen.

There are plenty of Apps that cover navigation and RV routing along with offline maps.

To be honest I haven't used a Garmin or TomTom for years. I have a few outdated models at home that never got used either. I always just reach for my phone rather than trying to search for addresses or places in a dedicated GPS unit. I always found them very clunky to use and the maps were always out of date.

We just got a 2016 Ford Edge with built in Nav and the Navigation is useless for finding things. It can't even locate the Ford dealership! I think I had 1 successful search in a few months of owning it. I upgraded the software to enable Android Auto and it is amazing! Google maps right on the dash with voice commands that actually work without needing to memorize specific commands like you do trying to talk to the Ford built in system.

I am sure the newer GPS units have come a long way since I have used them but I'll stick with Google Maps and always have an up to date map that I can find almost anything on.

How often are the Garmin maps updated and do you get the updates for free?

Cheers

Maps are updated on a very regular basis. AND, YES, they are free. (Free LIFETIME UPDATES) RVer's need to really understand there is a huge difference between regular auto/pickup truck GPS's and RV GPS's.

[Dustdevil]

Several years ago, I bought a Garmin Nuvi 255WT for use when out of town on business. When I am home, I use it for the motorhome, then transfer it to the Jeep toad for use in the local area, wherever we happen to be camped. It often has forest service roads and BLM trails on it as well. At least the major ones. And it has traffic, so I can gauge the best route for longer trips. Doesn't have the rig size feature that keeps you informed of any low overpasses, but it's very useful nonetheless.

[Subaru297]

Originally Posted by RAurand

Maps are updated on a very regular basis. AND, YES, they are free. (Free LIFETIME UPDATES) RVer's need to really understand there is a huge difference between regular auto/pickup truck GPS's and RV GPS's.

Yes, the two previous GPS units I have used did not have free map updates for life. And at $70 dollars for a map update they became out of date fairly quickly. If I were to buy another it would have to come with free lifetime updates and free traffic as well.

I don't think anything will be as up to date as Google Maps or OpenStreet Maps which a lot of the Android or Apple navigation apps rely on.

I am not really arguing one way or the other as I don't have experience with a modern RV specific GPS. Just giving other options.

Cheers