Garmin 770 LMT

Sharon and Gary - your experience with your 770 really makes me rethink whether or not I want to buy one. But I have to ask one question before making my decision: did you ever contact Garmin and ask what could be done to fix these problems?

It sounds to me like you had problems that could have been caused by a unit malfunction, poor software, incorrect mapping, but just as easily by the need for updating - again - or user error. When you downloaded your update before your trip, did you try to update it again? It is always recommended to try a second update simply to see if everything needing updating actually was on the first try. You indicated you never downloaded the smartphone app which would have given you traffic information, but you were upset that you couldn't pick "least congested" in your choices of how to set up the mapping. Although that option is not included in your initial setup, if you had downloaded the app and used the traffic update feature, it would have given you options whenever it encountered a traffic problem and you could have then decided if you wanted to try a different route or stay on the one you presently had.

If you called Garmin and were told the problems you experienced were due to shortcomings of the model, I certainly would not want one for myself. However, if you never called Garmin, then I guess we'll never know the exact cause or nature of the problem and if it could have been averted. One issue you mentioned that is of great importance to me is the lack of being able to tell the unit that you have a toad and cannot back up. I have surge brakes on my tow dolly and can back up about two feet before they lock up so I always have to make sure I have a forward egress. Backing up and turning around isn't an option.

Buying something and having it work perfectly out of the box, especially if it costs $400, should be expected, but in today's world, I don't think that is an option any longer. With that thought in mind, does anyone have useful information about the Rand McNally 7730? I'd like to see a comparison between it and the 770 but the professional reviewers haven't gotten around to making one yet.

There is NO setting for a motorhome pulling a toad.  There is either a motorhome by itself, a vehicle with a trailer, or a 5th wheel.  All of the aforementioned rigs can be backed up.

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Sounds similar to what I have on my dezl 560 LMT. I use separate profiles for my rig with and without toad. Backing up isn't (for me) a concern, any more than with any other form of navigation. And the rare occasions I've had to back up have been MY fault, not that of the Garmin.

Many many many roads have multiple names, or change names at an intersection, and the Garmin is limited in that capacity, causing MUCH confusion.

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All the GPSs and nav programs I've seen have problems with this, one way or another, including Google Maps, Street Atlas, etc. I've seen some of the misrouting you mention, both with the dezl 560 and Street Pilot 320, as well as with others, not to mention the reports I've seen on other GPS types. So far as I'm aware, it's the nature of the beast at the current state of the art.

Apparently your expectations are too high, or maybe my expectations are too low, (or is there another GPS out there that meets all your expectations? I've not come across one, though I've certainly not seen them all), but I've been very happy with my dezl 560 (and with the Street Pilot before it).

So if you find a GPS that doesn't have some of the problems you list, I'd love to know about it. Good luck...

I wrote an email to Garmin asking a few questions and just received a reply. I was surprised at the turnaround time on their response.

When concerned about traffic congestion, Garmin suggests 1) to use their traffic updates app, and 2) choose fastest routing as opposed to shortest. Fastest will keep you on interstates when possible, while shortest will put you on surface streets if the overall distance is shorter.

Regarding using a 770 with a motor coach with toad, Garmin says to input your total length, not just your motor coach length. They also strongly suggest using the Avoid U-Turns option in setup.

One issue you mentioned that is of great importance to me is the lack of being able to tell the unit that you have a toad and cannot back up. I have surge brakes on my tow dolly and can back up about two feet before they lock up so I always have to make sure I have a forward egress. Backing up and turning around isn't an option.

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We drive a 40-foot motorhome plus a four-down toad and we cannot back up either.  We've owned GPS units for many years and I've never seen a GPS that addresses directly this particular issue.  What we do first is check ahead visually to ascertain whether we can turn around if we can't go forward and second we check the GPS map to see if we can go around the block if we can't back up.  Most of us have had at least a few instances where we've had to get out and unhook in order to make a very tight turn or back up.  It's not the end of the world when it happens - but nice to avoid if possible!  We try not to enter parking lots that look like they're going to be a problem.  Park on the street instead and walk in if it looks too dicey.  I also use the GPS map when we're looking for an exit to briefly pull off a freeway without getting stuck; the standard shaped freeway exit is preferable to a cloverleaf style and worst is an oddball shape that may force you to go right for example.  Depending on the GPS you can set the No U-turn or Truck Route option to avoid tight places.  I don't believe there's a perfect solution - but be sure to let the rest of us know if you find one!

ArdraF

Ardra - you're probably right about there being no GPS on the market today that offers the option of not being able to back up. We came very close to having to unhitch a couple of times last year because we assumed that all Pilots would have plenty of room and found out the hard way that some are no bigger than a small convenience store. We did actually have to unhitch in a Sam's Club filling station, but that was because one of our wheel straps came completely undone and I was ready to lose one side of my car off the tow dolly. That required the assistance of two floor jacks before I could even unhitch.

I have become so anal about making sure we have good egress from anywhere we pull off a main road that when planning the next day's fuel stops, I zoom in on the Google Map so I can see the parking lot of the station we are going to use, making sure I have good ingress and egress. It takes a little more time in the morning before taking off, but it will save a lot of time while on the road in the event we get stuck and have to unhitch.

I didn't realize that you can't back up either when you're four down. Something to look forward to when I get a new toad that can be four down. Thought that was going to give me a welcome change.

Why cant you back up, at least a few feet?

Paul & Ann said:

Why cant you back up, at least a few feet?

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Paul and Ann - I have an Acme EZ Tow dolly that has surge disc brakes. When the coach begins slowing down from applying the brakes, the hitch tells the braking system on the dolly to begin engaging. It will engage incrementally, depending on how fast I brake. If I slam on the brakes of the coach, the brakes of the dolly will nearly lock up. When I back up the coach, the hitch thinks I am slowing down and begins applying the brakes of the dolly because there is no forward momentum. I found out after using the dolly for 6,200 miles last year that if the car, dolly and coach are all in a perfectly straight line and I back up very slowly in a perfectly straight line, it will allow me to go about two feet before finally locking up. The dolly came with a lockout pin to be able to prevent the brakes from engaging, but the only way the pin can be installed is if the hitch is full forward, which essentially only occurs when you are moving forward. If you try to install the pin while standing still, the hitch is not in its most forward position because the last thing that happened was the coach and dolly stopped when the brakes were applied and the lockout pin will not go in place. My wife will absolutely not climb behind the wheel of the coach and I'm not going to ask her to stand between the back of coach and the dolly and try to insert the pin while I put the coach in drive.

Overall, I like the dolly, but this is the one design flaw that I don't like about it.