Community Forums

Wingrydr57 · 02-07-2016, 01:31 PM

Hello again everyone lol, as we get ready to order a new allegro 34pa just wondering what brand gps comes in the coach if we order it with that option. Or would we be better off to just buy a garmin rv 760 lmt?

Thanks, Steve

jmcannonball · 02-07-2016, 02:16 PM

I would go with the Garmin, or something similar. My experience with "built in" GPS has been less than acceptable. Updates (or lack thereof) are my main complaint.

Brianb131 · 02-08-2016, 04:34 AM

I just picked up a 36LA in December and it came with a Kenwood DNX571TR.
Besides getting a featured Kenwood Radio, the GPS part uses Garmin Technology. For the short amount of time I have had it, I have had no problems, and its guidance functions just as any Garmin should.
The big advantage: it is programmed for RV's and Trucks. So you put your height and weight in, and it sets routes avoiding low overhangs, weight limits etc... It also has points of interests for RV services.

luvlabs · 02-08-2016, 07:29 AM

Updating the built in GPS is a pain in the ***** and so you are probably not going to do it frequently enough. I to would suggest you save your money and buy a nice Garmin 760 for RVs. Same programming but so much easier to work with - including a link to your smart phone to get live updates to traffic and weather as you travel. I don't believe the built-in offers that.

G-Man562 · 02-09-2016, 10:56 PM

saved the 1200 option and bought the 349 dollar garmin RV760LMT [Amazon]it has the lifetime updates and you can program RV heights so to avoid those routes.....picking up my 32SA at the end of the month

TS192 · 02-10-2016, 07:45 AM

My 32SA also came with a Kenwood DNX571TR. So far, no complaints. The nav side of the unit is Garmin. It too has vehicle profiling, height weight width etc. The Kenwood side has great features such as bluetooth for phone, separate bluetooth for iPod or mp-3 player, zone adjustments for speakers CD player and so forth. So far, we love it plus it sounds great. I will add, to update the unit firmware and software there is a usb plug right under the dash. To update maps you use an SD card. Hope this helps. Cheers and happy motoring.

curtsr · 02-10-2016, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TS192

My 32SA also came with a Kenwood DNX571TR. So far, no complaints. The nav side of the unit is Garmin. It too has vehicle profiling, height weight width etc. The Kenwood side has great features such as bluetooth for phone, separate bluetooth for iPod or mp-3 player, zone adjustments for speakers CD player and so forth. So far, we love it plus it sounds great. I will add, to update the unit firmware and software there is a usb plug right under the dash. To update maps you use an SD card. Hope this helps. Cheers and happy motoring.

+1 we had the Kenwood/Garmin GPS on our previous Tiffin and our new Phaeton and quite satisfied.

Wingrydr57 · 02-10-2016, 05:34 PM

Thanks to everyone for your responses !

**Lt Dan** · 02-11-2016, 10:03 PM

My RED came with the Kenwood/Garmin GPS which is okay, but now I'm getting a warning that the maps are more than a year old and need to be updated.

Instead of buying maps every year, I too bought one of the RV 760LMT GPS units, which the display looks almost exactly the same as the Kenwood. It came with lifetime maps and traffic updates for $349.

The BIG advantage of the 760 is you can use BaseCamp to pre-plan routes and download them to the GPS. As far as I can tell, there is no way to load routes into the built in Kenwood unit.

On the other hand, the Kenwood unit is a really nice radio/stereo. One feature I really like about it is you can load MP3 files directly onto a flash drive and just plug it in to the extension cable. The music plays either in order or random directly from the flash drive without having to use a separate MP3 player.

EVO-Bob · 02-25-2016, 01:10 PM

Any idea whether its possible to easily replace the Kenwood with the 760?

garykk · 02-25-2016, 01:32 PM

The Kenwood is built into the dash,,,,we have our 760 mounted on the dash...

TS192 · 02-26-2016, 10:31 AM

The Kenwood/Garmin is a very nice unit. I don't know why anyone would want to replace it with a stand alone GPS. How about the stereo part of it with it's speaker zones, bluetooth, CD player mp-3 player etc.? You're going to have a lot of loose connections and no music or comunication. I think people get misinformed about the Garmin side of this unit. Especially the people who don't even own this unit. It has full features of any RV ready GPS. Tons of cool useful features. I have put in my profile for my MH and did the firmware updates Latest map update (already had the latest installed) and had no problem. And it performs perfectly. You paid a lot of money for this unit and if you break out the manual you too will find all of it's extensive features. Please think about it before you start removing important and multi-functional dash components from your beautiful motorhome. JMO

tholtman · 02-26-2016, 11:24 AM

Agree.... That Kenwood unit is a fairly high-end unit with quality features and sound. I have another portable garmin that I no longer use. The last thing I want is another thing to plug-in and sit on my dash.

rreichar · 03-16-2016, 04:04 AM

We have the Kenwood in our 2014 36LA. I am very happy with it. I have updated both the firmware and the map software once. It wasn't difficult. I don't remember the exact cost of the map update. It wasn't cheap but it works well so well worth the cost. The Bluetooth works well and sound quality is pretty good. I don't see myself replacing it anytime soon. I find the gps to be more responsive than portable units I have used. You enter the dimensions and weight of your vehicle and it won't send you down roads where you won't fit. Is it worth the silly amount of money Tiffin charges for it? I don't know. Maybe not. Our coach already had it so we didn't have a choice. If I were ordering I would think twice.