GPS Blues

[TJ]

Originally Posted by BigSkyBob

I wish I had the same good experiences others have had that posted here. I have the Garmin 760 LRM that has been in service about two years. When I first used it it was correct on turns and such about half the time. Several times. as others have posted, tried to route me down dirt roads into ranches. I've tweaked this device every which way but it still isn't what I deem as dependable. I wish I had my Garmin Street Pilot back, it was 100% dependable but Garmin no longer supported map updates.

Bob:

This isn't a hardware issue, it is a mapping software issue. And, virtually all mapping software...regardless of brand...is based on a common data set. When the database identifies a driveway as a road, the software proceeds as if it is a road. I've had that same issue on occasion with different GPS units.

The GPS is a useful tool, but it does not have a brain like its human operator. We need to use the information provided by a GPS...any brand or model...as guidance rather than absolute truth. If that "guidance" points you down a path that does not seem right, it is up to us to check things out with other resources such as published maps and make a decision.

TJ

[FLJOE]

Originally Posted by Howyduyu

We are new RVers and we need to get a GPS. Looking at reviews seem to be all over the place. it looks like they all have problems or you can't trust them. What is a good brand and Model that will get you going down the road with confidence? WE have a 2010 Ventana. THANKS

A lot of good suggestions already, especially from Jim. As you can probably tell some folks do their routing about like they are driving a car across country and some use routing tools (GPS and mapping) like they were driving a big rig across country. As a new RVer I guess you first have to decide how you want to route your travels.

With our toad we are very long overall, therefore we tend to stick to designated truck routes. The first thing I check though when looking at our next destination is my Trucker's Atlas. I go to the section that shows all the low clearances in the state we are visiting to see if any are even in the area. I enter the destination in my RV dedicated GPS and see how it will route me. I also enter it into the OEM GPS on my Ventana. The RV GPS sits over in front of my DW and I can see the built in GPS from my driver's position. If we need to detour or there are any back-ups on the road she has numerous apps on her I-phone, like Waze, Google Maps, I-exit, etc.

Some may think all of this is overkill. I just like to use several available tools to ensure a worry free route as much as possible. There are several good RV GPS units out there. The reason I have used one for 6 or 7 years is that it will at least give me a warning if I am about to run into a height issue or other problem related to my size that I missed in my pre-planning.

[Stuart W]

Originally Posted by Finance

I don't see the need for dedicated "RV" units, we've travelled for decades in high clearance units through

That maybe because your in a 34 foot MH with the only real worry being height. 40 foot and longer actually have legal road restrictions, not to mention some windy roads that you could go on may not be possible to stay in a single lane at 40 plus feet do to wheelbase and overall length. Stuart

[hillboy]

A guestion on Garmin updates. We use a Garmin rv 760 LMT and it is fine. On a recent trip to Florida we were on jaxsonville east bypass south bound and before we cam to the junction with I 95 the Garmin showed us as off road. New section of road had opened and I had never updated.
My wife kept asking if we were headed correctly which we were.
The last time I updated a small Garmin unit the unit did not have enough memory to take ie and I was left with only east coast maps.
The Garmin I have now is great but it would be good to hear from someone who had updated a 760 unit. Thanks

[strongcity]

We use a Rand McNally 7710 that we bought in 2012. It still works great. I have heard of a lot of problems with this unit but I think it is about programing and updating the unit. Once it is set up properly it works great. I double check routes before leaving on map quest. We have not had a problem. We take it in our toad if we are unsure of the area.

[TJ]

Originally Posted by hillboy

The Garmin I have now is great but it would be good to hear from someone who had updated a 760 unit. Thanks

I update my 760RV-LMT whenever I get a notification of an update availability. If you register your unit with Garmin and download their update software, you will get a notification whenever new software is available. That usually happens 3-4 times a year.

And, do understand that changes on the ground (new interchanges, road sections, speed limits, etc.) can take a while to show up in the software updates. It is still up to us to keep our eyes open and our brains engaged.

TJ

[MikeGriffin]

I'm giving a seminar at the International Rally this year called Trip Planning & Navigation, and we'll briefly be discussing many of the options mentioned so far in this thread. Any readers who are still thinking about what to get may be interested.

There are several things to consider when looking at navigation apps/programs or dedicated devices. The first, and most important, is "Do I want something that provides SPECIFIC guidance for RVs?". If the answer to that is "yes", then stop considering Google Maps and Waze. If you want something that DOES NOT REQUIRE CELLULAR SERVICE, then your choices are immediately narrowed to either a dedicated GPS unit (Rand McNally, Garmin or Magellan mainly) or CoPilot for RV. If you have a large rig and you want weight as a factor for routing, then you may need to drop CoPilot from the list because you can't input a weight over 26,000 pounds unless you buy their trucker version - which doesn't include campground POI's.

Whatever you do, understand that they haven't yet built a GPS navigation unit that won't occasionally route you "the long way" or to a location you didn't want. All routes should be reviewed in advance and should be compared with two other sources: 1) a campground's own directions to their property (if going off the route) and 2) a motor carrier's road atlas.

When traveling, supplement your GPS by doing these things:

1. Knowing where you're going before you go (review the route!)
2. Looking ahead at stops by using a Google satellite view if you're unsure of where you're going
3. Keeping Waze on, not as your primary navigation device, but as an early warning system of things that may be ahead on the road.

[jrs]

I'm currently considering the Sygic app (probably the Truckers app) loaded on a Samsung tablet. Several mounts are available. Doesn't need to be connected in order to work. Less cost too....

[WoodyS]

I have probably updated the software and maps on my Garmin RV-760 20 times! I do it before we leave on any trip. I suspect Garmin updates the map data at least four times a year.

With the RV-760 you need a computer with Internet access. And you need to load the Garmin software "Garmin Express" on your computer.

When you plug the RV-760 into a USB port of your computer while running Garmin Express, the program automatically checks to see if there are any updates. And if there are, it asks if you want to install them.

Software updates are quick. Map updates can take a long time -- as in 30 minutes or longer.

One of the differences between the old RV-760 and new 770 is that the 770 has built-in WiFi. So you no longer need a computer for the updates. Give the 770 your WiFi access code and it will do the updates on its own. That's pretty cool.

Woody

[FLJOE]

Originally Posted by MikeGriffin

I'm giving a seminar at the International Rally this year called Trip Planning & Navigation, and we'll briefly be discussing many of the options mentioned so far in this thread. Any readers who are still thinking about what to get may be interested.

There are several things to consider when looking at navigation apps/programs or dedicated devices. The first, and most important, is "Do I want something that provides SPECIFIC guidance for RVs?". If the answer to that is "yes", then stop considering Google Maps and Waze. If you want something that DOES NOT REQUIRE CELLULAR SERVICE, then your choices are immediately narrowed to either a dedicated GPS unit (Rand McNally, Garmin or Magellan mainly) or CoPilot for RV. If you have a large rig and you want weight as a factor for routing, then you may need to drop CoPilot from the list because you can't input a weight over 26,000 pounds unless you buy their trucker version - which doesn't include campground POI's.

Whatever you do, understand that they haven't yet built a GPS navigation unit that won't occasionally route you "the long way" or to a location you didn't want. All routes should be reviewed in advance and should be compared with two other sources: 1) a campground's own directions to their property (if going off the route) and 2) a motor carrier's road atlas.

When traveling, supplement your GPS by doing these things:

1. Knowing where you're going before you go (review the route!)
2. Looking ahead at stops by using a Google satellite view if you're unsure of where you're going
3. Keeping Waze on, not as your primary navigation device, but as an early warning system of things that may be ahead on the road.

Extremely good advise!!!

[HavingABlast]

Am I the only old guy hearing “Working at the Car Wash Blues” (by Jim Croce) in my head every time I scroll past the “GPS Blues” thread title?

BTW, We use the Garmin RV760 and love it. Much better than the Clarion unit that I paid for when I ordered the coach. It can be reprogrammed and viewed by my DW while in route.

[TonyDi]

I used to have a Rand McNally 7710 and the best thing about was that it died two years ago. I replaced it with a Garmin 770 and I love this GPS.