Motorhome GPS

michmace

michmace

Joined
Apr 18, 2021
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14
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Location
East Midlands, UK
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80,480
MH
hi top conversion
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I’m a newbie (ish)
Hi all. After squeezing down the slimiest road and on backing up to a facing vehicle we hit a wall!!!!! To avoid where possible that happening again can you recommend a good MH GPS please? Lesson learnt! Many thanks.
 
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I tried Co Pilot Caravan but it still sent me along ridiculously narrow lanes, no better than Google Maps. I now check out the questionable parts of my route using Google Street Scene.
 
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They are not perfect by any means, not has one yet that doesn't try to send me down narrow streets at times. I go to a site at Headcorn which I know the route well, it takes me down a main road and 200 yrds before a left turn still on the main road the satnav wants to take me off through a housing estate. The algorithm must work it out that it's the shortest route I suppose. As said above use it as an aid along side other means of checking the route.
 
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What Diabalo said. There is no foolproof satnav or App. You have to guess when to disregard the device and find a better road yourself.

Murphy's Law of Satnavs - oops, whenever algorithms meet inaccurate mapping. We've all been there!
 
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michmace said:
Hi all. After squeezing down the slimiest road and on backing up to a facing vehicle we hit a wall!!!!! To avoid where possible that happening again can you recommend a good MH GPS please? Lesson learnt! Many thanks.
Click to expand...
Slimist!!!
 
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simbadog said:
Interesting, not seen that before. Presume you are happy with it? Wonder if the IOS version would run on an ipad that has gps???
Click to expand...
It's the best of ones I have tried that accommodate being able to input the size of your vehicle, but as with all the others, it's not perfect.

I don't specify the exact size of our MH to the last mm, I add a couple of foot all round.
Not taken the wing mirrors off down narrow lanes and streets yet. :pray:

I'm on Android, but see no reason why a GPS enabled ipad will not work fine.

Sygic Support Center | How can I make a purchase in the Sygic GPS Truck & Caravan Navigation app - iOS?

Our Support Team has prepared this brand new website to better serve you, all aimed at delivering the help you need as quickly as possible.
help.sygic.com
 
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Two on Tour said:
It's the best of ones I have tried that accommodate being able to input the size of your vehicle, but as with all the others, it's not perfect.

I don't specify the exact size of our MH to the last mm, I add a couple of foot all round.
Not taken the wing mirrors off down narrow lanes and streets yet. :pray:
Click to expand...
Thanks, I just sent a query to their technical asking if I could use it on a gps enabled ipad & got a personal reply within 5 minutes! :Eeek:
 
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Pausim said:
I tried Co Pilot Caravan but it still sent me along ridiculously narrow lanes, no better than Google Maps. I now check out the questionable parts of my route using Google Street Scene.
Click to expand...
Thanks for all the sound advice and wisdom. Will take all on board and look into recommendations. 😊

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Two on Tour said:
It's the best of ones I have tried that accommodate being able to input the size of your vehicle, but as with all the others, it's not perfect.

I don't specify the exact size of our MH to the last mm, I add a couple of foot all round.
Not taken the wing mirrors off down narrow lanes and streets yet. :pray:

I'm on Android, but see no reason why a GPS enabled ipad will not work fine.

Sygic Support Center | How can I make a purchase in the Sygic GPS Truck & Caravan Navigation app - iOS?

Our Support Team has prepared this brand new website to better serve you, all aimed at delivering the help you need as quickly as possible.
help.sygic.com
Click to expand...


I tried fibbing to my Garmin so that it would assume the PVC is a massive RV. The theory being that could solve the narrow road routing problem.

Wrong! In France it kept warning me very loudly about perfectly usable main roads with weight restrictions. It tried to divert me along the HGV bypass roads round towns. Most irritating. I had to stop and reset the vehicle parameters closer to the actual ones, especially the weight.
 
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I find I talk back to my sat NAV especially when in towns. It will say take a turn and I am looking and saying NOPE not that one as I see how narrow the street is with cars parked down each side. Generally repeating myself several times as I can see a main road coming up in the map.

stanav is great but eyes and common sense required at all times. (And I still get caught out !) 😀
 
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I use copilot truck in my iPad and have Google maps running on apple CarPlay on my pioneer. Google best for routing, Trick great for low bridges etc and eyes and common sense fir the rest !
 
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I’ve used road lords on android, not sent wrong as of yet but not really been anywhere to challenge it. Customisable for dimensions, backs off of google.

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A few years ago I was on my way to Lake Garda and there was a massive traffic hold up on the main road just outside Monza, so I set the satnav to follow the suggested alternative route. What I didn't realise was that the alternative rout was through Monza city, now at this time Monza was having massive road works and lots of roads had big concrete block barriers so couldn't follow the satnav route, it just got worse and worse the further we got in the satnag tried and tried to get us out, after about what seemed 2 hours (probably close to 30 mins) I had lost all sense of direction and was totally clue less. Apart from narrow streets at one point we ended up being sent through a pedestrian cobbled plaza with people sitting outside restaurants eating and being amused at a lost dopy old Englishman. Then we spotted a sign to Venice, I thought that's the right direction, so sally satnag got the sack and we followed the signs out, what a bleedin nightmare.
 
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I feel your pain! Similar experience in Paris. Just don’t take the vehicle into cities anymore unless absolutely unavoidable or known route
 
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We use an old TomTom Go 1005 - no longer made but still gets updated on a regular basis. Probably the best one we've had and no been sent down any narrow roads yet (touch wood!). MH is 4.5 tonne tag axle.
 
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michmace said:
Hi all. After squeezing down the slimiest road and on backing up to a facing vehicle we hit a wall!!!!! To avoid where possible that happening again can you recommend a good MH GPS please? Lesson learnt! Many thanks.
Click to expand...
Do a forum search, there are as many opinions as there are satnavs.
 
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simbadog said:
Interesting, not seen that before. Presume you are happy with it? Wonder if the IOS version would run on an ipad that has gps???
Click to expand...
That’s what I run on my iPad mounted in my pop up holder on the dashboard.
Gives speed camera warnings too👍🏻👍🏻

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Got my truckers sat nav off eBay allows you to put the width and height in. Had no problems with mine £40 ish
 
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ceejayt said:
I feel your pain! Similar experience in Paris. Just don’t take the vehicle into cities anymore unless absolutely unavoidable or known route
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Similar things have happened in much much much smaller places particularly in the dark evenings, don't ask me how I know, I just do.:rolleyes:
 
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barsteward said:
Similar things have happened in much much much smaller places particularly in the dark evenings, don't ask me how I know, I just do.:rolleyes:
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It’s why we decided not to travel at night unless absolutely necessary.
Had a very lucky escape in Spain, went down a dead end with roadworks, pitch black and pouring rain, had to turn around and by inches missed dropping the rear wheels down an uncovered 6 foot deep hole
 
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What works for me at the moment is my old Tom Tom 510 with my newer 10" android infotainment unit running Waze in tandem. With all the threads that have been discussed on this subject over the years I figure there is no perfect system but what you are most familiar with is lightly to be the best navigation system for you.
If you have an android tablet/infotainment centre you can try out almost all the major players apps and see what works for you because quite honestly I think a sat nav is much like a wind tunnel if you put the same shape in and blow air over it your going to come out with pretty much the same result.

I tend to use my Tom Tom as the main unit because I am familiar with layout and in times of stress my eye is always drawn to the relevant information. I turn the sound off on the Waze unless I feel the Tom Tom is taking me in a direction I feel is not the optimum for me, in which case I can compare notes with the Waze and if required change to the Waze.

The main thing I would say about any sat nav is do not rely on it totally no mater how good your system is. If your gut feeling is telling you "That right turn road doesn't look right" then your gut 99 times out of a hundred is probably right.

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AFAIK no satnav knows exactly the width of any road. They rely on data harvested from local authorities who impose restrictions, just because there are no signs doesn't mean it's passable with anything other than an agricultural tractor. The first and last mile are usually the worst, when we're abroad we now follow the signs more than relying on satnav.
 
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barsteward said:
What works for me at the moment is my old Tom Tom 510 with my newer 10" android infotainment unit running Waze in tandem. With all the threads that have been discussed on this subject over the years I figure there is no perfect system but what you are most familiar with is lightly to be the best navigation system for you.
If you have an android tablet/infotainment centre you can try out almost all the major players apps and see what works for you because quite honestly I think a sat nav is much like a wind tunnel if you put the same shape in and blow air over it your going to come out with pretty much the same result.

I tend to use my Tom Tom as the main unit because I am familiar with layout and in times of stress my eye is always drawn to the relevant information. I turn the sound off on the Waze unless I feel the Tom Tom is taking me in a direction I feel is not the optimum for me, in which case I can compare notes with the Waze and if required change to the Waze.

The main thing I would say about any sat nav is do not rely on it totally no mater how good your system is. If your gut feeling is telling you "That right turn road doesn't look right" then your gut 99 times out of a hundred is probably right.
Click to expand...
Wise words duly noted. Many thanks. I’ll do some digging around and also invest in a good road atlas !!
 
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