Best Sat Nav (1 Viewer)

Sep 23, 2014
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weston s mare
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Hi to all Can you please help me with your thought's on the best sat nav for motorhome's, our's is 9.25mtrs long 3.25 high. Your comments will be appreciated thank you
 

GJH

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Aug 20, 2007
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I have some notes, including a non-scientific real world comparison of three large vehicle units, Here.

All suffer from map inaccuracy to a greater or lesser extent so having more than one can be helpful - though, if one has the time, using a tool like Garmin Basecamp to plan routes (and avoid potential hazards) is probably worth doing.

Personally I wouldn't touch TomTom. The current Nav4 range (including the latest WiFi devices) doesn't have proper POI support. I also understand that the battery life is poor on the latest devices (meaning that WiFi isn't as capable as it is cracked up to be).

Have a good, hands-on look at as many devices as possible and read sat nav user forums, where available, to try to avoid pitfalls.
 

Gellyneck

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Would agree with Graham.(y)
Garmin Sat Navs "linked" to Garmin BaseCamp for planning on pc (or Mac) works for me.

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Aug 6, 2013
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It turns out that I'm not keen on setting them up for my vehicle dimensions / weight. After buying one that can be set up for my vehicle (my previous one couldn't) I've found that with that setting it never takes me anywhere other than motorways, dual carriageways, and perfect A roads. My previous satnav never sent me anywhere that felt uncomfortable so I've reverted to being a car. I have kept the RV avatar though :).
 
Oct 5, 2012
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I use a Garmin, but with Google maps (via a 3 mifi data package covering most of Europe now ;)) . Google gives, The best and fastest real time traffic data and re-routes in my experience. Garmin is slower and sometimes inaccurate and less easy to see where the traffic issues are.

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Nov 23, 2011
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Upgraded to a Snooper Ventura S 6800 from a S2000 which I had used for 8 years fault free. The 6800 has a 7 inch screen and preloaded ACSI sites. Height and length of your unit can be loaded. Bought it direct from Snooper and got a 10% discount for being a previous customer.
 

GJH

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Upgraded to a Snooper Ventura S 6800 from a S2000 which I had used for 8 years fault free. The 6800 has a 7 inch screen and preloaded ACSI sites. Height and length of your unit can be loaded. Bought it direct from Snooper and got a 10% discount for being a previous customer.
Snooper is one make I won't consider because of the inability to add one's own POI sets.
 
Jan 13, 2014
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Snooper is one make I won't consider because of the inability to add one's own POI sets.
I actually downgraded as it were to the Garmin 760 from the Snooper S6800 it presented me with a few problems so it had to go, much prefer the 760
 
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injebreck99

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Dec 5, 2011
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My 3 year old Snooper S5000 has just given up the ghost, uneconomical to repair according to Snooper, so I am awaiting a £72 Truck sat nav from Fleabay, if it only
lasts 3 years I won't mind.
 

Tootles

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£14.00 a year for the TomTom app on your phone. Best one I have had yet. And, free map and camera updates (y)
 

Forestboy

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Jul 31, 2007
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Don't waste money on sat navs they're out dated and unreliable.
We've tried them all Tom Tom unreliable, Snooper expensive and unreliable did get a full refund, Chinese cheapy total rubbish did get a full refund. Garmin have proved to be the best by a long way out of the traditional sat navs but far from perfect.
However two years ago we decided to try CoPilot on someones recommendation and have to say it is light years ahead of any sat nav and costs pennies. took a little while to get used too but now trust it totally in fact it's now all we use the old Garmin is still on the dash but only used as a speedo.
Good luck
 

sallylillian

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Another vote for CoPilot, several threads on here about it, I have been running 2 truck copies for the last 4 years on a progression of tablets, so buy once use for years with no hardware dependency, save the device OS must remain same, ie Android, Apple, or Windows.

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maxi77

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Personally there is no 'best' satnav, just the one you like using the best, which is usually the one you use at the moment. As far as the hardware is concerned I have had poor use from Tomtom and excellent from the very cheapest from ebay, and I expect that there will be some who have had the opposite experience.

My suggestion is if you like the way your present one works but want an upgrade, choose a suitable one from the same manufacturer, otherwise look at the displays, and data input methods and facilities and choose the one that suits you best. After a few weeks use it will be the best satnav.
 

DJA

Mar 5, 2011
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I have just downloaded the Copilot App for Android to have a look using the free trial. Considering it as a backup to my existing equipment.

I tried a handful of Test routes locally to see what it would siuggest in caravan mode. One of the Routes between an address in Gravesend and Borough Green the App suggested the same route as the Garmin Motorhome unit 660lmd-t suggests which is via the A2, A228 and the M20. Total 17.8 miles and 34 Minutes.

If you ask the Copilot app to suggest an alternative its next best is the same route as suggested on a Tomtom pre Nav4 unit with the Caravan/motorhome mapping, they don't have a current version. Ie via the B260 and the A227. Total 12.8 miles and 35 minutes.

I assume that as the vast majority of this suggested route is Motorway standard it is expecting you to travel at 60 most of the time. The route via the A227 is mainly restricted to 30, 40 and 50 for various sections so speeds will be lower.

It would seem to me to very prudent to always check for alternatives as it is suggesting 5 extra miles of fuel to save 1 minute.

Doug
 

GJH

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It would seem to me to very prudent to always check for alternatives as it is suggesting 5 extra miles of fuel to save 1 minute.
Good point, Doug, as that is a good example of the crudity of machines compared to the Mk 1 human brain. Until sat navs (whether as apps or stand alone) have the facility to combine factors, rather than just work out fastest/shortest, it's what we are stuck with. Having said that, some Garmin models have a Less Fuel alternative (which I have never used) so maybe that is an attempt at a combination.

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Vanman

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It would seem to me to very prudent to always check for alternatives as it is suggesting 5 extra miles of fuel to save 1 minute.

Everyone has their favourite sat nav and after a few years you get used to the foibles of the one that you own. One thing that I have found universal however is how inputting your preferences changes everything. You can have two identical Tom Tom (for example) units and if someone has set theirs to different average speeds and to different road 'type' preferences, then very different routes will be suggested. People forget that they have set up these biases and then cannot understand why it's taking them the long way round, when in fact they have chosen to strongly prefer motorways and so that is exactly what it is doing!
 
Aug 18, 2011
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£14.00 a year for the TomTom app on your phone. Best one I have had yet. And, free map and camera updates (y)
Thought you would know the way to Skegness by now,,,:D:D:DBUSBY,,
 

DJA

Mar 5, 2011
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Vanman I agree with your comment that people forget that they have set up these biases and then cannot understand why it's taking them the long way round, when in fact they have chosen to strongly prefer motorways and so that is exactly what it is doing!"

Rest assured all the test routes I have mentioned on the Copilot, Garmin and Tomtom were set to quickest/fastest with no particular preference on road types as otherwise it would not be a true comparison and no help to me at all.
 
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May 8, 2011
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Vanmano I agree with your comment that people forget that they have set up these biases and then cannot understand why it's taking them the long way round, when in fact they have chosen to strongly prefer motorways and so that is exactly what it is doing!"

Rest assured all the test routes I have mentioned on the Copilot, Garmin and Tomtom were set to quickest/fastest with no particular preference on road types as otherwise it would not be a true comparison and no help to me at all.
Do you not think that it's the norm to set it up for fastest route and no preference to road type??
 

DJA

Mar 5, 2011
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Yes I do think the majority do set their units to provide the fastest route which is why the test routes I mentioned earlier were set that way.

I assume Vanman is suggesting some may have set other preferences at some time then wonder why they get the results they get.

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Aug 18, 2011
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The tight wads -- sorry -- ecologically sound FUNsters will certainly set for non-toll.
Always set non tolls and never trust sat nav 100%..I always check map and totally ignore Sat Nav if i think it is wrong,,,Good in cities though,,BUSBY.
 

hilldweller

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[QUOTE="busby, post: 2043643, member: 17808never trust sat nav 100%..I always check map and totally ignore Sat Nav if i think it is wrong,,,Good in cities though,,BUSBY.[/QUOTE]

Just today I wanted to find a shop in Warrington so used SatNav but the way it wanted to take me the first 20 miles was absurd with the benefit of local knowledge. But in the town with all the one ways it was a godsend.

This was Copilot Live on Android.

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Vanman

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Rest assured all the test routes I have mentioned on the Copilot, Garmin and Tomtom were set to quickest/fastest with no particular preference on road types as otherwise it would not be a true comparison and no help to me at all.

I think all of these units will have pre-set preferences (defaults) and they will all be different. As GW says, the trick is getting control of them and bending them to your will, rather than theirs. For example if SatA thinks you can only travel at 50mph it's less likely to send you along a motorway than SatB that thinks you do 70.

Do you not think that it's the norm to set it up for fastest route and no preference to road type??

Possibly, by default ... but that's lazy and not using the tech very well. I use shortest for my bike as it's usually more fun :) I would not use Fastest if I wanted to enjoy the journey and see the sights, I might use fastest if I were going to werk ... wurk ... what's that thing again ;)
 
May 8, 2011
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Always set non tolls and never trust sat nav 100%..I always check map and totally ignore Sat Nav if i think it is wrong,,,Good in cities though,,BUSBY.
Thats where we failed miserably, approaching Lille which is a pain to get through, wife in front in a Ford focus and a 10 year old tom-tom, me behind in the mh with an all singing spanky new top of the range Garmin nuvi 3590. Road splits and tom-tom takes her left Garmin sends me right. I decide to follow wifey Garmin recalculates and knocks off 10 miles off our trip to Zeebrugge!
 
Aug 7, 2007
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Another vote for co pilot, have on my Ipad (motorhome) and Galaxy phone (in car ) , works great on both !!

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