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Old 07-03-2016, 06:02 AM   #1
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Rand McNally Good Sam GPS

How do you like yours and why? I know there are faults in all but why did you choose the RM?


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Old 07-03-2016, 06:38 AM   #2
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Price and availability is why we bought one. It does have its quirks and you need to make sure you download the updates regularly. Its not intuitive to use especially when plugging in destination addresses.

What I do like are the warnings it provides regarding speed, curves and steep grades.

Like any GPS, you don't put 100% of your trust into it. You have to keep your situational awareness keen as it comes to road signage as this often changes faster than the information the GPS has available. Verify the routing by using a Motor Carriers Atlas.

Lastly, confirm directions to your destination RV park or campground by calling them or looking at the instructions on their website...GPS's are notorious for taking you in the wrong way.
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Old 07-03-2016, 06:46 AM   #3
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My wife and I purchased the Rand McNally Good Sam RVND 7735. Main reason I purchased it was it allowed me to download directions from the Good Sam Trip planner directly to the device.

It is a pretty good unit. I second what others have said that you should trust but verify the directions it gives you.

It does a good job of warning you to possible low clearance bridges and overpasses.
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Old 07-03-2016, 07:25 AM   #4
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Bought mine about two years ago - it has sent us down a one lane road and had a couple rv parks on the wrong side of the road. Most of the time it works great. I like working with the good sam maps. I plan my trip using the trip planner which allows me to add address's for other campgrounds like passport.
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Old 07-03-2016, 07:43 AM   #5
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I have been use the Rand for 7 years now. Like all units, it is a computer, and you can't rely 100% on the information, and blindly drive. OTOH, it has given me 99% accuracy. I especially like the ability to overlay weather on the nav screen. They do issue map updates pretty often, and it is a manual process where you have to hook it up to your laptop. I wish they would just do OTA updates, as it already has that capability, hopefully soon. All in all it is a decent unit, and I don't know if it hands down the best unit, as I have never used brand G or M, but it definitely gets the job done, and it is pretty much the most widely used RV nav, as evidenced by being the factory standard installed RV nav unit.
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Old 07-03-2016, 09:17 AM   #6
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Caught between the Garmin and RM, I chose the RM when camping world had a sale. We don't use trip planning or other gadgets, and the thing works well when I choose the route correctly ("Sortest Route" in rural Connecticut will direct you on some narrow lanes and little villages).

One problem was a failed power cord that I later replaced at a local Walmart. Loosing power caused a crises until DW remembered she had written instructions to our destination

The other problem is image washout in bright sunlight, but I plan to buy a Glare Stomper GlareStomper - GPS Visors | Shades | Anti-Glare Hoods

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Originally Posted by tmw188 View Post
How do you like yours and why? I know there are faults in all but why did you choose the RM?


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Old 07-04-2016, 07:42 PM   #7
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I had a RM GPS...for ONE trip. That was enough.

It routed me down a 1-lane dirt road, then to a non-existent interstate on ramp at the end of a dead end street. I returned it, bought a Garmin Dezl 760 and have never looked back.
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Old 07-04-2016, 08:14 PM   #8
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They all have warts but I really like being able to find fuel stops that handle big rigs, rest stops, and campgrounds along the way. Some days we just drive and a few hours from when we want to stop we look for a campground.
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Old 07-04-2016, 08:19 PM   #9
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Bro-in-law returned his after one trip and got the garmin rv760....
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Old 07-04-2016, 09:20 PM   #10
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I have had a RM7710 for 5 years and I rarely use it. It is good for some things, but it has sent me some odd ways. For example last year I went through Chicago on a trip to Montana. I was on I-90. The RM kept trying to get me to exit into downtown Chicago. When I ignored it, it recomputed and tried to get me to exit at the next exit. I couldn't get it to stop so I turned it off and used my I-Pad.
Sorry RM but I can't trust it anymore!!

BTW I had updated it two days earlier.
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Old 07-04-2016, 10:16 PM   #11
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I can't remember if I have had mine 6-7 years. I love it one day and hate it the next. In someways, I still feel like I am learning how to use it. I am learning that setting your preferences and forgetting it is NOT the way to go. Works for toad and car GPS but not RV. If I want to avoid alternate routes, exits etc, before I get to a large urban area, I change the settings. Avoid small roads, interstate only etc. When I am out in the middle of nowhere, use the opposite preferences.

No I don't trust it, I run the IPad Wazy, Google, or something at the same time. On occasion, I use it over the IPad, I know it is looking out for weight, height, etc that the car apps are not. Sometimes I ignore it, like an unexplained exit off a good highway.

I really like, finding travel centers feature ( big enough to get my rig in and out of). Nearest rest area, nearest campground. Travel statistics, mileage and time. Curve warning, and speed warning. Use speed warning a lot, don't have to take my eyes off the road, or wonder the speed limit where I am at that instant, in that small village looking for radar traps.
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Old 07-04-2016, 10:20 PM   #12
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We have a Rand McNally in-dash unit as part of the radio/cd player/backup camera. It is HORRIBLE. After inputting a destination it takes 10 minutes or more for it to find and display the route. My wife and I joke that we'll be "there" before it shows us the way. Then once it does show the route it often looses the signal apparently as our "current" position doesn't change for 5 to 10 miles.

On top of that there is so much information on the screen that it is DANGEROUS for the driver to attempt to read it because of the small print.

We're looking into an aftermarket unit like a Pioneer or Kenwood. We do like the unit's list of POI's and campgrounds, but we just don't have the patience to use it. Any button on the screen that is pressed results in a 5 to 10 second delay before the unit responds.
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Old 07-05-2016, 03:53 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Camper Ken View Post
We have a Rand McNally in-dash unit as part of the radio/cd player/backup camera. It is HORRIBLE. After inputting a destination it takes 10 minutes or more for it to find and display the route. My wife and I joke that we'll be "there" before it shows us the way. Then once it does show the route it often looses the signal apparently as our "current" position doesn't change for 5 to 10 miles.

On top of that there is so much information on the screen that it is DANGEROUS for the driver to attempt to read it because of the small print.

We're looking into an aftermarket unit like a Pioneer or Kenwood. We do like the unit's list of POI's and campgrounds, but we just don't have the patience to use it. Any button on the screen that is pressed results in a 5 to 10 second delay before the unit responds.
I agree. Terribly frustrating to load destination. Way too long to react to an input key stroke.
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Old 07-05-2016, 04:39 AM   #14
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Originally we bought the 7730 but is was a power hog, so I took it back and got the older 7725. Love it. We plan trips on a variety of trip planners - each is better in ways, then the last thing I do each morning is enter in the daily destination. I hook up to our Wifi hotspot for real time traffic and weather. The unit keeps track of our route nicely with live, real time route warnings.

BUT - I always spend time on the route BEFORE we start out. I've messed that up a couple of times and had too unhook the toad and turn around. Not the software's fault. In the Army we called it operator error!!!
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