GPS for RV

We have been researching gps for our new MH and have found many mixed reviews on Garmin, Rand McNally and Magellan brands. We are interested in getting your input on ones that you are using or know about. Thanks

I used the Garmin dezl-560 for several years and was happy with it, but I like my current Garmin RV-770 a lot better. There are a lot of nice features for RVs, including a fairly large campground database, and "upcoming" gas stations, campgrounds and rest areas, to name a couple of things. The user interface is a bit better and the 7" touchscreen is great.

klscjms said:

We have been researching gps for our new MH and have found many mixed reviews on Garmin, Rand McNally and Magellan brands. We are interested in getting your input on ones that you are using or know about. Thanks

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Hi -- Without question the Garmin RV770 is a great unit.  Some months ago I was in your position and researching units and was disappointed at reviews etc.  But, the Garmin 770 reviews got better and I purchased one last summer and absolutely LOVE IT!.  So much so that I wrote a short recommendation that was posted here on the forum.  I've used it for 6,000+ miles now and it's great.  Blips now and then, but nothing serious.  One thing I think that has skewered the reviews and that some people don't take the time to update the software and maps BEFORE they plug it in to use.  One must absolutely take the 24 hours or so to update their new unit, otherwise, it will be hinky when in use.  Others here have also endorsed the RV770 -- and there may even be a new unit, which means the 770s can probably be found at a lower price now.  That's a bonus. 

It might be helpful to use the Forum's search function and locate previous posts and comments for the Garmin 770, or RV 770 and see what others have said.

Another vote for Garmin 770.

We bought our Garmin RV 770 NA LMT-S just prior to hauling our 5th wheel from New England to Texas.  As per recommendations we updated the maps prior to use, and it seemed to work well.  If I understand it correctly, it updates via wi-fi so periodic connection to a computer isn't required, as with other Garmin units.

You enter the dimensions of your rig and it will warn of inaccessible areas.  Another  feature that attracted me is that it can pair with a back-up camera, thus de-cluttering the dash by at least one screen.  It gave information about service areas so we could plan fuel stops and rest room breaks.

I doubt we'll ever learn all of its many features but we're happy with those that we do know how to use.                 

Garmin is the only way to go.  I have a RV660, an earlier version of the RV770, and love it.  I've used it on several cross country trip and it has never failed to get me where I want to go.

We bought a Garmin 770 dzel.  Very happy with it.  Like said, do the updates and new maps.  The dezl needs to be connected to a PC for that.  Though it's not a problem for me, I use the PC and Garmin's Basecamp for route planning, uploading the custon routes to the device.  I would likely go with the RV model in my next purchase.  We did 8k miles, last summer, across the US and back - not one problem.

klscjms,

While I happen to like most Garmin products, I will still suggest that you go to
https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?productID=570074&tab=manuals
and download and read as much of the manual as you can. 

Routing and navigating with all the Garmin over the road units is very similar. 
If your coach is not heavy or large, a RV-770 may be more than you need, and a passcar unit may do everything that you really need for a lot less cash out of pocket.  (By the same token, if you are tall and heavy, the 770 can save you a lot of grief.)

I will suggest that you put it in your car and learn to work it and what it is telling you before you use it in the coach.

Matt

I have two Garmin RV 760's, one in the MH and the other in the towed Equinox. I would get the RV 770. A friend has one and really likes it.

Matt_C said:

klscjms,

I will suggest that you put it in your car and learn to work it and what it is telling you before you use it in the coach.

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That right there is the number one tip for using a GPS, no matter the brand or model. 
My wife used to make fun of me for using the GPS to get places we've been to a hundred times.  Maybe, but now I really understand what my GPS is telling me, which can be a life saver in heavy traffic situations.

I use the Garmin Dezl 770 (which I bought used from a retired over the road truck driver about 2 years ago), which is the commercial truck close cousin to the RV 770, though the RV 770 being a bit newer has a few features that the Dezl 770 is missing.  Overall I like it and will probably keep it for a few years until something better comes along.  Speaking of which the Dezl 780 was introduced a few months ago, so given past trends I suspect we will be seeing a Garmin RV 780 shortly, so it might be worth waiting a month or two unless you need a new GPS immediately.

p.s. historically Garmin seems to do a lot of their product introductions in late March

Old_Crow said:

That right there is the number one tip for using a GPS, no matter the brand or model. 
My wife used to make fun of me for using the GPS to get places we've been to a hundred times.  Maybe, but now I really understand what my GPS is telling me, which can be a life saver in heavy traffic situations.

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)  I have my 770 in my pickup and use it daily.  Stay in touch with the unit.  Too many folks get a high-priced GPS device, never get really familiar with it, don't update it, then will not like or use it for what it can really do for them.

Updating only goes so far, map accuracy is a real problem with all of these GPS systems.      There are 2 of examples of this that I often run into with my Garmin Desl 770, which have not been corrected in the 2+ years I have owned the unit (at least not up to 3-4 months ago).

When driving west into Texas  from where I live in western Louisiana on US 190, for some unexplained reason the Garmin 770 wants me to get off US 190 just after crossing into Texas, take a detour down narrow state highways that add about 10 miles to my trip, then meet back up with US 190 30 miles later ( I always ignore it, and then my distance to destination instantly drops by about 10  miles).    This detour makes no sense, it adds miles, and minutes, and also tries to take me down narrow twisty state highways.

Another one I run into also in east Texas is that the Garmin thinks entry onto the westbound loop around Nacogdoches Texas is a clover leaf turn to the right, when in reality it is a left turn at a  traffic light when approaching from the south on US 59.  At some point in the past I think this was actually a clover leaf to the right, and Garmin has failed to update their map since this intersection was rebuilt several years ago.    I keep waiting for Garmin to fix these issues, and they just keep happening, perhaps if Garmin were to implement an easy way to report these major issues, something would happen, as I suspect dozens if not hundreds of Garmin uses run into these exact same map flaws every day.

Good example and a good reason use a truckers atlas and maybe some on-line free mapping apps.  I always check my routes with Google Maps.  Don't think I have ever, blindly, used the GPS device, standalone, for routing.  Always do my route planning with Garmin's BaseCamp and Google Maps.  Then I check the routes with the trucker's atlas.  Been all good, to this point.  I wish Google would offer some settings for large/heavy vehicles.

I've seen flaws like that (but rarely) since the Street Pilot days. Fortunately they're very rare.

phil-t said:

Good example and a good reason use a truckers atlas and maybe some on-line free mapping apps.  I always check my routes with Google Maps.  Don't think I have ever, blindly, used the GPS device, standalone, for routing.  Always do my route planning with Garmin's BaseCamp and Google Maps.  Then I check the routes with the trucker's atlas.  Been all good, to this point.  I wish Google would offer some settings for large/heavy vehicles.

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I love google maps but agree it is limited. I knew we had a low bridge in Greenville AL. But I couldn't recall how low until we got closer to it....The bridge was marked as 10 foot and we were running right at 11 feet. needless to say we had to go around it. Not a big deal since I was looking for the signs.

Of course I could have just stepped on the gas and made a convertible TT ;D

Larry N. said:

I've seen flaws like that (but rarely) since the Street Pilot days. Fortunately they're very rare.

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I wish they were rare, but in my experience using the Dezl 770 for about 10,000 miles on my coach traveling through much of 10 states, these sorts of things while perhaps not as common as they once were, still happen way too much.  Try navigating using a Dezl 770 from Acorn, Arkansas to Queen Wilhelmia State park, Arkansas a distance google maps claims is about 11 miles, and which the Garmin 770 claims is 64 miles, routing through parts of Oklahoma.  Or for more creative issues, more than once I have had the Garmin 770 try to route me off the highway to cut through rest areas, then back onto the highway (I have had this happen in Colorado, Wyoming and Arkansas) or just to stop at an interstate interchange and get right back on the on-ramp, bypassing the overpass (had it do this on I-10 in west Texas last year).

We've used Garmins for many years, both for vehicles and hiking.  The software has improved significantly over the last few years.  Our current one is the Nuvi 2757LM and we carry it back and forth between our various vehicles.  Definitely keep your maps updated or you will not be happy.  Many of the early navigational  glitches have been fixed.  I love the larger screen and the verbal directions are much better, such as "Turn right after Arby's" or "Stay in one of the two left lanes".  Even the visuals are better, such as the green overhead highway signage where a road splits.  The POI downloads are really useful, including the very large campground database that finds certain campgrounds we had trouble locating in early editions.  The POIs include favorites such as fuel stops, restaurant chains, state and national parks, and a multitude of other destinations or stops along your route.

Some of our previous cars did not have Garmin-based GPS systems and they were awful!  When I don't have the 2757 with me I actually use the Garmin-based GPS in our Jeep Grand Cherokee.  It's significantly better than the others.

ArdraF

Isaac-1 said:

I wish they were rare, but in my experience using the Dezl 770 for about 10,000 miles on my coach traveling through much of 10 states, these sorts of things while perhaps not as common as they once were, still happen way too much. 

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Apparently you are one of the people who have problems with their unit.  The #1 reason a unit acts whacky is because people don't go through the proper set-up PRIOR to turning the unit on.  Since you purchased your unit used, there is a possibility I think that the algorithms just aren't working correctly or the unit can't access data correctly because the unit was not properly updated before use, and no amount of updating is going to fix it now.  Or, you may just have a bad unit, but either way, I really don't think this is a function of Garmin maps, since like most GPS systems, Garmin used DeLorme maps (prior to purchasing DeLorme) and DeLorme has been the mapping standard since before GPSs were common.  We used to use DeLorme as a computer based travel planner - just like Mapquest, prior to Google etc.  Very, very, very few people have the problems you have detailed, and in most cases it is not a function of bad mapping.  My RV 770 can even route me through proper turns and directions WITHIN large, complicated shopping centers with dozens of side roads and businesses.  That's pretty darn good mapping.

You could always check the assumption that it's the maps by buying a new unit (that's returnable of course) and see if you get the same hinky results on your problematic routes. 

Isaac-1 said:

I wish they were rare, but in my experience using the Dezl 770 for about 10,000 miles on my coach traveling through much of 10 states, these sorts of things while perhaps not as common as they once were, still happen way too much.  Try navigating using a Dezl 770 from Acorn, Arkansas to Queen Wilhelmia State park, Arkansas a distance google maps claims is about 11 miles, and which the Garmin 770 claims is 64 miles, routing through parts of Oklahoma.  Or for more creative issues, more than once I have had the Garmin 770 try to route me off the highway to cut through rest areas, then back onto the highway (I have had this happen in Colorado, Wyoming and Arkansas) or just to stop at an interstate interchange and get right back on the on-ramp, bypassing the overpass (had it do this on I-10 in west Texas last year).

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There are a LOT of custon vehicle profile and routing profile changes that could be messed up.  Have you tried a factory reset and entering your own profile preferences?

Not to be the acorn in the squash, but I have been using the Rand Mcnally units for a number of years.  My new coach has Garmin built in, and ironically before we committed to buying I low balled an auction on new Rand (Tablet 70) and won.  Well, I committed so I bought, been using it in the car and it is pretty good.  Might use it for debates between the Garmin and the Rand, set same route and let them duke it out. 

Been using the Garmin Nuvis in both cars for many years, a couple upgrades along the way. 

No matter what you get, if it is RV centric it will have great features and some you say why.