Sat Navs

I use a Tom Tom 6200 which links in with the My Drive app on my computer.  Having a somewhat large (and wide) TA van, I'm careful where I take it.  I always research new routes on Google maps, including using Street View to verify that the route is suitable.  I then replicate that route on My Drive and download it to the satnav where it is saved in "My Routes". I can therefore guarantee that the satnav will take me along the prescribed route without attempting any stupid shortcuts down unsuitable roads.  Been using it for about 4 years now, like this, and it hasn't let me down.

It also has lifetime map and speed camera updates.

I have tried so-called specialist satnavs - including the one promoted by this Club but after finding that they still had a mind of their own - sent them back.

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I would not dream of using a standard car SatNag unless it had a setting for large vehicles.  The unit in our motorhome knows the weight, length, width, and height vehicle so will keep me away from roads and obstruction that are not suitable and if I ignore it will warn of the problem ahead.   

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I use www.viamichelim.com as it allows me to have via points and input a caravan etc. The on the road running times I have found to be very accurate. I believe it uses the same mapping as Garmin.

I run through the above on a road map to see the route.

On long runs/unknown territory it is then my Avtex/Garmin satnav. It is not perfect but it does make less mistakes than me. The mapping DOES differ to your car or normal satnav. It does adjust chosen route for a caravan. The towing option on a standard satnav does not, it simply adds more time to your journey.

 

Colin

I have just replaced my old SatNav  with a Garmin Camper 780 at £300,....... don't waste your money. First time out I loaded car and van length and put in our destination in Devon, I was directed thru one of the smallest (Abbotsbury) villages in Dorset with a terrible 90o bend, so I revised my van details and added an extra 6 mts to the length and tried again,,,,,same route suggested.

I now can't trust the brand new SatNav anymore.....SHAME

£300 doesn’t buy you mapping date that’s any different from the Garmin budget version. If the underlying data isn’t good then that’s the best you can achieve at any price whatever bells & whistles are built into the sat nav. Some folks say but a lorry version, but I see plenty of then stuck under low bridges and in narrow lanes.

Currently you cannot load POIs onto Co-Pilot if you are running the latest version of Android. A fix from Android is awaited. Co-Pi;lot have also abandoned seperate versions of its sat nav. One version can be used for all vehicles by setting up the parameters of the vehicle being used.

peedee

 I t replaced my old Garmin with a Garmin Camper 780 Sat Nav and found out on first trial that it routed my car and caravan through a well known bottleneck village in Dorset and even after revising the length of my unit by adding an extra 6Mts it still routed through the same village.... not so good - but I have now found out that after you put in a route you have the option of marking places to avoid and you can also drag the suggested route to a route recommended by a camp site.

Sat Navs are getting better but do your homework first.

three points to add....

1) ensure any satnav is set to 'fastest route' NOT 'shortest route' which will try any shortcut to save you a few yards...

2) when using Tomtom's MyDrive, i found that once a route had been sorted on a PC/tablet, when transferred to the satnav the only thing it dis was to transfer the destination, in effect leving the satnav to recalculate the route....which defeated the object...any replication would need to be done again on the device with way points.

3) i used my old satnav for biking....one day i lent it to my daughter and she gave me hell when she got home....it was trying to send her down every narrow, safe leafy lane!