Garmin 61 LMT-S vs Garmin RV 770 LMT-S

[Capt Ron]

Trying to buy a new Garmin GPS and I can't figure out the difference between the 61 anf the 770. The 770 is almost $150 more but everything I look at says these are virtually identical units. From my research it appears that the 770 has voice comands but the 61 does not beyond that I don't see the difference. Both can use the BC 30 camera both have lifetime maps.

Can anyone enlighten me?
Anybody using either one?

[Grizz1]

From what I can tell the 61 is a car GPS and the 770 is for an RV also, meaning the 770 will include RV specific info and routing for height and weight I believe the 770 also has a campground database and RV services. I don't own either but I did read up on them.

[rashers]

Make sure to get the one that allows length & height to be entered as that will route you around any low clearances it's aware of. It's usually the truck or RV variant. It's not a guarantee but should virtually eliminate any surprises. I picked up the truck variant and it works great for my fifth wheel setup.

[Eddie0563]

Originally Posted by Capt Ron

Trying to buy a new Garmin GPS and I can't figure out the difference between the 61 anf the 770. The 770 is almost $150 more but everything I look at says these are virtually identical units. From my research it appears that the 770 has voice comands but the 61 does not beyond that I don't see the difference. Both can use the BC 30 camera both have lifetime maps.

Can anyone enlighten me?
Anybody using either one?

Originally Posted by rashers

Make sure to get the one that allows length & height to be entered as that will route you around any low clearances it's aware of. It's usually the truck or RV variant. It's not a guarantee but should virtually eliminate any surprises. I picked up the truck variant and it works great for my fifth wheel setup.

Does anyone know where to get the best discount on the Garmin RV 770 LMT? Would like to purchase a new one.

[rmueller]

Originally Posted by Capt Ron

Trying to buy a new Garmin GPS and I can't figure out the difference between the 61 anf the 770. The 770 is almost $150 more but everything I look at says these are virtually identical units. From my research it appears that the 770 has voice comands but the 61 does not beyond that I don't see the difference. Both can use the BC 30 camera both have lifetime maps.

Can anyone enlighten me?
Anybody using either one?

770 uses the dimension/weight of your RV for hazard avoidance. It does have voice commands. I've had mine for about 2years now, love it. I ditched the Rand for the Garmin. The traffic/weather integration is pretty cool as well. Tons of info on the screen, easy to read without too much distraction.

The only complaint is the crummy software (BaseCamp), its a nightmare to use. I feel like I have to re-learn it every time I touch it. I write software for a living, their software is the awful, good news...there are tons of alternatives that work with the 770.

Ron

[photopilot]

Just a word of caution- check the route the 770 picks against google maps or other mapping software because sometimes the route it picks makes no sense. It’s been better this winter, maybe they made a software change, but last winter it sent us way out of the way when a simple left turn would have gotten us to our destination. It also suggested a turn I could not make due to road geometry, and I wished I’d followed Google.

Walt

[l1v3fr33ord1]

Originally Posted by rmueller

The only complaint is the crummy software (BaseCamp), its a nightmare to use. I feel like I have to re-learn it every time I touch it. I write software for a living, their software is the awful, good news...there are tons of alternatives that work with the 770.

I wrote a couple posts that outline how to set up a route quickly in BaseCamp, and how to correctly place a shaping waypoint. Here are the links.

The million dollar question AGAIN ! Post #4
The million dollar question AGAIN ! Post #7
The million dollar question AGAIN ! Post #11

[TriGlider]

For what it's worth, I just ordered the new Garmin RV 780 GPS, that should be arriving today. It was just released on the 15th of this month. Should make the 770 prices drop soon.


I've come to understand when you buy a new GPS you have the "State of the Art" for about 15 minutes. This one is replacing my Garmin RV 760 that will be moved to TOAD duty.


https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/660527


https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_c...&v=O2hBj_UorE4

[ByeTheWay]

Originally Posted by rmueller

The only complaint is the crummy software (BaseCamp), its a nightmare to use. I feel like I have to re-learn it every time I touch it. I write software for a living, their software is the awful, good news...there are tons of alternatives that work with the 770.

Ron

Sorry to hear your having trouble with BaseCamp. I don't write software but I Love BaseCamp. I use it in my Jeep for backroads and my Motor Home. It was a challenge, but I'm glad I stuck with it.

[ByeTheWay]

BaseCamp uses a .GPX format. Files need to be in .gpx for uploading
I have tried several sites that offer format conversion but I prefer:
Conversion from a GPS format to another GPS format

I download many sets of Waypoints (WP) from Discovery Owners at :
https://www.discoveryowners.com/test.asp and convert the WPs into the format needed to upload into BaseCamp, where they are stored and uploaded to my GPS as needed. Groups include: COEs, Casinos, Elks Lodges, PassPort America (which is outdated), Days End, Hot Springs, Slot Canyons, Dump Stations, Rock Hounding areas, Western Mine’s, and maybe a couple others. As I change locations in the motor home the closest ones show up first. Just go to the Garmin Saved folder to find them.
I don’t load all of the above on my GPS at the same time. Just the ones near my route. Instead they are all loaded in BaseCamp and I load the area that I will be traveling in during the following month. I have thousands of wps stored in BaseCamp. A few months ago I purchased (on line) wps of all the mines in the western US. This was thousands alone.
I do my route planning on BaseCamp, selecting waypoints on the highway from Google Earth, often right after a city and if I have a specific way I wish to go through a city I select waypoints within the city on the route. When creating a route I number the waypoints (1, 2, 3, …) then if I need to add one I use as decimal such as 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 Numbering is for my benefit when creating the route. I save used routes and download them from my Garmin back into BaseCamp. I prefer to choose my route from Google Earth then copy and paste the coordinates into BaseCamp.
I too found BaseCamp challenging, but when I saw the possibilities, I knew I could learn it. I have been using it for several years. I looked into other GPS companies but could not find others with applications for thier gps products.