Sat Nav (1 Viewer)

SUE L

Free Member
May 11, 2016
23
7
France
Funster No
43,029
MH
HYMER EXSIS i
Exp
2 months
We have an expensive and usless sat nav built into our Hymer it's a pioneer it's also a CD player and a radio etc etc oh and reversing camera so we want to keep it
So I am searching for a new sat nav any suggestions please ? I see the caravan club are offering an AVTEX Camper Premium sat nav for £299 supposed to use your vehicle size and weight to give best routes it's a lot of money if it's not good so would love your thoughts and advice about the best to go for thanks
 
May 7, 2011
4,794
41,129
Cornwall Gorran Haven
Funster No
16,300
MH
T Line 785
Exp
motorhoming since 1979
We've got a TomTom camper / caravan model, not everybody's cup of tea , but I've never had a problem( just have to use a little common sense ,if a road looks like it might be too narrow , drive on the sat nav recalculates & avoids it, ) It takes intoaccount of camper measurements .
 
Oct 30, 2010
4,256
20,707
Suffolk or France or ........
Funster No
14,290
MH
A Class Carthago Chic
Exp
Since 2008
Tha Avtex seems to be exactly the same as our Garmin Camper 730LT but is a 6" screen rather than our 7".
I prefer the bigger screen but it depends where you are intending to mount it and the type of van you have.

Our Garmin has been very good although, like all sat-nav's, it can have its moments of lunacy. I have to say that its never tried to take us under a low bridge but sometimes ignores roads that we know are perfectly OK for the 'truck'.
Have a look around at prices before you go for the Caravan Club version as there have been some very good deals reported on here in the past.

Richard.

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Puddleduck

LIFE MEMBER
Jan 15, 2014
12,350
43,829
Scottish Borders
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29,703
MH
Without at present
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On and off for many years.
Or if you have a tablet or smart phone there are several app that you can use for free for a while, see if you like hem before buying the full version. Might work out cheaper than a dedicated satnav. You don't have to be online to use most of the apps.
 
Oct 30, 2010
4,256
20,707
Suffolk or France or ........
Funster No
14,290
MH
A Class Carthago Chic
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Since 2008
Or if you have a tablet or smart phone there are several app that you can use for free for a while, see if you like hem before buying the full version. Might work out cheaper than a dedicated satnav. You don't have to be online to use most of the apps.
I've been using CoPilot on an iPad alongside the Garmin and it is pretty good but it has tried to route us under very low bridges a couple of times, once to try and save a few hundred yards. CoPilot was set up as a motorhome rather than as a car at the time.
I haven't tried the new Caravan version though, that may be much better.

Richard.
 
Jul 29, 2013
9,044
17,930
Salisbury
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27,215
MH
Hymer B678DL A class
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since 2011
We have a Garmin 760 Dezl like all sat nav's has its moments but have used it last five years in Europe without to many troubles.

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Oct 7, 2013
5,850
36,679
South Wales
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28,463
MH
Swift Escape Compact
Exp
Since 1988
We have the Caravan Club sponsored Garmin.

No problems caused but we have found that it sends us round the long way to our home rather than our normal route. We think it is probably because it is technically quicker when we have selected "fastest route", although it is further in distance.

Never caused us a problem as regards llow bridges etc, clear screen, easy to configure for m/h or car and with Caravan Club and ACSI sites pre-programmed.
 

Clickem

Free Member
May 20, 2014
1,034
1,073
Northumberland
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31,579
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None
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7 years
I've been using CoPilot on an iPad alongside the Garmin and it is pretty good but it has tried to route us under very low bridges a couple of times, once to try and save a few hundred yards. CoPilot was set up as a motorhome rather than as a car at the time.
I haven't tried the new Caravan version though, that may be much better.

Richard.

Please can I ask is that the Free version, UK/Europe version or was it the Caravan Europe version?
 
Oct 30, 2010
4,256
20,707
Suffolk or France or ........
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14,290
MH
A Class Carthago Chic
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Since 2008
Please can I ask is that the Free version, UK/Europe version or was it the Caravan Europe version?
I use the paid for version of CoPilot with UK/Europe maps.
The Caravan version came out quite recently, after I had paid for the app, so decided to stay with what we have.
May update at some time if the feedback on the caravan version is good.

Richard.

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Sep 12, 2016
2,262
5,012
Chesterfield England Tellus 3
Funster No
45,091
MH
Lunar Roadstar 800
Exp
6 years
We bought a 7 inch screened Xgody from Ebay free map up dates can be used by a car /caravan outfit / motorhome/ HGV

this cost us £35 which considering the cost of others is amazing and it works well especially the free map updates
 

cruiser

LIFE MEMBER
Sep 12, 2012
4,207
4,926
northampton
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22,870
MH
coach built elddis 400
Exp
since 1978
We use a Chinese sat nav of e/bay. cost £35 pounds. works great , and you can put your van size into it.
 
Nov 13, 2013
488
431
Bideford, Devon
Funster No
29,004
MH
Benimar Tessora 487
Exp
since 2011
Which Pioneer do you have? I have a Pioneer with separate sat nav box with an SD card where you put all PoI's etc and update maps. It is certainly different to use than Tom Tom, Garmin etc but I think it's the best I've had. It's being transferred into my new van.
 

Knotties

Free Member
Jan 4, 2015
43
57
Shrewsbury
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34,634
MH
Swift Bessecar 484
Exp
Since2011
image.png
Has anyone tried this one

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Sep 26, 2010
605
359
North Wales
Funster No
13,865
MH
Hymer B654
Exp
Since 2009
We have an expensive and usless sat nav built into our Hymer it's a pioneer it's also a CD player and a radio etc etc oh and reversing camera so we want to keep it
So I am searching for a new sat nav any suggestions please ? I see the caravan club are offering an AVTEX Camper Premium sat nav for £299 supposed to use your vehicle size and weight to give best routes it's a lot of money if it's not good so would love your thoughts and advice about the best to go for thanks

Hi,
Think we've probably got the same Pioneer SatNav built in to our Hymer (2007). I agree it's not much good but, in case you want to explore possibilities, I managed to find a supplier for replacement DVD's on Ebay - think they were about £12 each (Western and Eastern Europe versions).
I copied each DVD onto the computer and burn a new copy onto DVD every few months. Works ok....'ish!
I can dig out the contact details of you're interested.

John
 

CWH

LIFE MEMBER
Jan 29, 2014
5,126
244,098
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29,909
MH
WildAx PVC
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From November 2013
View attachment 131980 Has anyone tried this one
Yes, the best satnag I've ever had. I've got the 7" screen, without TV, as in your ad.
IMO fantastic graphics, non-irritant voice, quick to recalculate when necessary, never taken me on a wrong or inappropriate route, easy to swap between moho (with dimensions) and car.
Got it from John's Cross (10% discount for MHF members!!)

For 6 months then sold it quickly, very quickly!
May I ask why?

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Jaws

LIFE MEMBER
Sep 26, 2008
23,814
71,771
Thetford Norfolk
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4,189
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C class, Chieftain
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since 2006 ( I think ! )
We have now got three in the van !
The garmin 760 Camper
The Tomtom something or other camper
and recently a £33 cheapo Chinese thing that is a 'truck' one
The cheapy thing ( apart from a few foibles, but no where near as many foibles as the other two ) is turning out to be little short of amazing !!
 

sallylillian

LIFE MEMBER
Oct 29, 2011
3,942
5,010
Falmouth, Cornwall
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Palace Liner 90LO
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2011
Yes, the best satnag I've ever had. I've got the 7" screen, without TV, as in your ad.
IMO fantastic graphics, non-irritant voice, quick to recalculate when necessary, never taken me on a wrong or inappropriate route, easy to swap between moho (with dimensions) and car.
Got it from John's Cross (10% discount for MHF members!!)


May I ask why?
A longish story, but we were in Italy following a route down to Rome and as we subsequently identified it had a mapping fault (7.5 ton limit and we were in our Yankee at the time which was 20 ton) on the motorway above Genoa. So we were routed off the motorway and if you have driven in Italy you will know that this can happen and you end up on slip roads etc which are small shall we say. So we were routed into Genoa city which was the beginning of the nightmare. We were 16 metre train with the car trailer. So now in darkest Genoa she tells me to turn left, as I do so I am confronted with a 2 metre width restriction sign, so had to reverse back out into a ton of traffic with the trailer on the back. Next another turn was met by a scooter driver flagging me down die to a tunnel. There were several more incidents and all the time CoPilot which we were just testing at the time was screaming don't go there. So we switched off Snooper and used CoPilot to get us out of there. Later in the trip we were back to Snooper as we did not have a decent tablet and we were only just getting our heads around CP. Due to roadworks we were detoured and following the detour signs Snooper kept trying to get us back on route fortunately I was following the detour signs as 2 left turns that Snooper wanted is to take had low bridges which were less than our vehicle profile in Snooper!!!!
When I got back to the UK I took this up with them. I was told that once you go off the planned route Snooper reverts to car mode.
There is a lot more to this story but my experience of their kit was a disaster and although I know there are many who like it if you need to have a true large vehicle profiled navigator this is not the tool in my opinion.
 

two

Aug 4, 2011
4,901
4,559
West Midlands
Funster No
17,624
MH
A-Class Fiat
I've had several SatNavs, all different. The worst was a Ventura Snooper, so I'd not pick anything with Ventura on it. I do think that Garmib products are good, however, It's a shame that they're still all rather poor at routing, considering that the principle is not at all new. I fear that you may simply be swapping one set of problems for another.

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Jaws

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Sep 26, 2008
23,814
71,771
Thetford Norfolk
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4,189
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C class, Chieftain
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since 2006 ( I think ! )
My experiences with a Snooper echo precisely those experienced by @rogher
We only used the poxy thing on ONE trip.. I was so appalled by it I returned the thing, listing ( as best I could ) all the MAJOR errors and problems it had dealt up and insisting on a full refund including my postage costs
The supplier was not exactly helpful but after I posted the info on certain social media sites and sent them a link all was resolved !!
 

CWH

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Jan 29, 2014
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From November 2013

sallylillian

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Oct 29, 2011
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I quoted my vehicle for accuracy in answering your request, however a 2 metre width restriction would pose an issue for the majority of members, most on here would suffer if they met with a car height bridge, either the navigator can accurately route you in safety based on your entered dimensions or it cannot. Why buy a navigator with the ability to route with a large vehicle profile if you are not concerned about its ability?

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Last edited:

CWH

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Jan 29, 2014
5,126
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From November 2013
I quoted my vehicle for accuracy in answering your request, however a 2 metre width restriction would pose an issue for the majority of members, most on here would suffer if they met with a car height bridge, either the navigator can accurately route you in safety based on your entered dimensions or it cannot. Why buy a navigator with the ability to route with a large vehicle profile if you are not concerned about its ability?
Not arguing with any of that! I just wondered if MAYBE the Snooper was better at accepting a smaller large vehicle (if that doesn't sound too mixed up!) and if MAYBE that's why I've never had a problem with mine - my moho is quite small in comparison with yours but even so it's been routed around narrow roads, low bridges etc. As you said, a satnag's not much use if it doesn't accurately route you according to the information you've put into it.
 

two

Aug 4, 2011
4,901
4,559
West Midlands
Funster No
17,624
MH
A-Class Fiat
Snooper uses Here maps, like many others. As vehicle size is data related, all are likely to suffer from inadequate data.
Snooper's programming is poor, in addition. You are warned of features not on your route (only nearby) which can be very distracting and the software hangs under some conditions. In car or motorhome, Snooper used to give up going round a couple of mini roundabouts near me. Pioneer does not, using the same data.
 

sallylillian

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Oct 29, 2011
3,942
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Falmouth, Cornwall
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Palace Liner 90LO
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2011
I apologise my reply was unnecessarily brusque, for the record as a result of the Italian experience and the unintentional in anger comparison with CoPilot we went on to convert to CP, the truck version, we have it on 2 10 inch Tablets and after lots of experience now have tuned to our favoured routing profile and it is now our navigator of choice.

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Jan 8, 2014
1,038
2,519
Emsworth
Funster No
29,620
MH
Bailey 740
Exp
2013
We have the Chinese cheap sat nav. Been fantastic for the last 3 years. Just bought another back up one for £38 off Amazon.
 

friar tuck

Free Member
Nov 15, 2011
196
101
redruth cornwall
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18,908
MH
a class rv
Exp
im a newbie
My experiences with a Snooper echo precisely those experienced by @rogher
We only used the poxy thing on ONE trip.. I was so appalled by it I returned the thing, listing ( as best I could ) all the MAJOR errors and problems it had dealt up and insisting on a full refund including my postage costs
The supplier was not exactly helpful but after I posted the info on certain social media sites and sent them a link all was resolved !!
Hi.having dealt with you for many blackbird parts and advice I value your opinion so I'm interested in which Chinese sat navigation you have so I can order same.
 
Jul 12, 2013
3,840
5,208
The City of Henlow
Funster No
26,906
MH
Adria Supreme
Exp
Since 1980
Bought a Garmin Nuvi to replace our TomTom. It took roughly 10 weeks before I can honestly say.... I hate it!

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