465T Garmin GPS ???

4Fun · 10-11-2011, 04:33 AM

Took a trip this past weekend and used the 465T Garmin GPS unit for directions. Based on the comments and reviews on this site it seemed like a reliable unit that people were happy with.

Unfortunately the unit took us on a horrible route and we were very disappointed. So now the question is should we keep the unit or return it?

Based on our first experience with the unit, I've lost confidence in the unit for future trips. We wanted the low clearance feature of the unit.

So ... should we keep the unit and chalk the first unreliable routing experience up as a fluke ?

Any opinions???
Thanks in advance for any help!

David49 · 10-11-2011, 05:24 AM

I feel your pain. I've had a Garmin for years and been very happy with it; but, mine has also taken me on some very questionable routes on occasion. Unfortunately, I think all GPS units do this to some degree. As a result, I now plan my routes in advance using Street Atlas and write the directions in a notebook we use on our trips. I then use the GPS for situational awareness, alerting me for my planned turns, and for "on the fly" alternate routing should there be an unexpected problem with the planned route. Yes it is more work, but since I started using this method, our trips have been far more pleasant and stress free. When the GPS tells me to take a different route, I just stay the course and let the GPS adjust to my preference. The key is knowing the route YOU want to take.

My next GPS will probably be one similar to yours since I also would like the height clearance factored into the routing.

JManatee · 10-11-2011, 06:00 PM

We used our 465t to navigate across the entire country. It did fairly good until we got to California. Then it sucked. It took us down canyon roads with switch backs that we should have never been on. It tried to route us over a mountain pass that had a limit of 25 foot vehicles and it has a 26% grade.

Once we were back out of California it started doing good again.

OLYLEN · 10-11-2011, 07:18 PM

Something doesn't sound right here. Do you have it in RV/truck mode? If anything the unit is too conservative holding to truck routes.

LEN

JManatee · 10-11-2011, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OLYLEN

Something doesn't sound right here. Do you have it in RV/truck mode? If anything the unit is too conservative holding to truck routes.

LEN

Are you asking me or the op?

As for me, I know ours was in truck/rv mode with our settings configured correctly.

RVThere · 10-11-2011, 07:45 PM

I have the 465T and I don't think I ever posted anything positive about it.

Like any GPS for a motorhome, you have to look at your route ahead of time either on a hard copy map or Google Maps. I check for low bridges or narrow bridges which are my biggest fear.

I then use the 465T to tell me where I am and when the next turn is coming. I NEVER just enter a destination and let it guide me blind. It will often tell me to do something that does not make sense and I ignore that turn because I've done my route homework.

For example:
- the 465T was set up for trucking so it will not route on truck restricted roads (that are fine for RV's). Rt. 31 is NJ is a great shortcut between I-95 and I-78 that leads you around NYC. The 465T will go bonkers on that road because trucks were not allowed on it during the 1990's.
- the 465T does have some low clearances for major roads but they are often clearances on the SHOULDER, not in the travel lanes. On the PA Turnpike, there is an underpass where the extreme shoulder is 12' 9". Since the 465T is set at my 13' height, the 465T tries to tell me to turn off the PA Turnpike and take backroads around this underpass.

If you return it and buy another unit, let us know if it is any better than the 465T.

4Fun · 10-12-2011, 07:24 AM

It was definitely in the truck mode -
It is strange that the unit routed us to an unpaved gravel road when there were better options available (usually traveled and closer) for our destination point! Of course, we learned that after the fact!

We are sending it back today. We have a Magellan 3045, but we were looking for RV/ Truck mode for clearance alerts. Oh, well... back to the drawing board!

450Donn · 10-12-2011, 07:32 AM

It all depends on how it is set up. I remember a couple of years ago we went to Orlando,FL and took our GPS with us. It ran us all over the place for the entire week. On the last day we discovered I had set it to avoid toll roads

. Settings make a hugh difference how they route you. But I got the Dezi 560 instead. It has a bigger screen and car/truck/RV, and pedestrian modes to choose from. My only complaint so far is when going to the hospital it keeps saying arriving at Virginia (VA) hospital

when we are going to the Veterans Administration (VA) hospital.
No mechanical device will be perfect all the time, and GPS units are no different. Check how you have it setup and try it again before returning it.

Mochisme · 10-12-2011, 07:55 AM

I have the Garmin 465t and so far I am very happy with it. I have only used it for local trips (under 200 miles one way) and it has done fine including trying to route me around a traffic Jam that I did not pay attention to and later wish I had.

Now my Tom Tom in my car a few years ago had me on a gravel road that became a jeep trail for a few miles, but then the DW discovered it was set for Bike Routes. LOL

docj · 10-12-2011, 07:56 AM

We've used a Garmin 465T for 12,000 miles over the past year and have never experienced what you describe. One time, as RVThere noted, it went crazy because I went down a truck-restricted road that I knew would be a good route.

On a couple of other occasions it took somewhat circuitous routes in order to maximize the amount of time we spent on "approved" truck routes. In these cases the extra travel wasn't all that great and we figured it was better to be safe than sorry.

The only question I can think of that hasn't been asked is have you updated the software and the maps to the latest versions? There have been a couple of updates to both since the device was first released.