Any Garmin RV760 LM Users?-have Question

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LivinLife56

LivinLife56

Active member
Joined
Jun 3, 2013
Posts
32
Location
Carlsbad, CA
Hi,
Anybody using this RV-specific unit that can help?

I've been traveling with the Garmin 760 LM GPS for several months now.
I gave up on the free Base Camp software they offer to create routes. Am using Microsoft Streets and Trips 2013 to generate my routes. I then transfer the .gpx file into the Garmin. All that is OK.

But, the Garmin wants to re-route me differently than my created route at times.
Also, if I deviate from the programmed route, Garmin will start giving me directions to U-turn to try and get me back on it's route. (Other unit I have for my car will just re-calculate the route from present position.)

Garmin will not let me create a route on certain roads no matter how many waypoints, etc I put in. And, it does not give any error msg so that I can try and figure out why. I don't know if it's following the RV restrictions or what, but these roads are entirely adequate for RV's, busses.

Anyone else having these issues, and how did you work around, or solve them?
Are there any GPS forums that may be useful? (I tried GPS Information.net and found it not useful for this particular unit. Nothing came up in a search.)

I want to like this unit, but I am getting so frustrated with it, that I may sell it and try a different brand. :-\

thanks,
Bill
 
  Garmin's docs are pretty useless. There's a Garmin group on Yahoo that may be helpful.

  Generally speaking, if you don't have enough routing points or routing waypoints on a planned route the device will just do what it wants. What's enough? I have no idea. I usually use more than eight to 10 routing points and it follows the planned route; if I have only a couple of points it ignores them or does something weird. So use more routing points.

  I find that if I miss a routing point it assumes I want to go on to the next one but if I miss a routing waypoint it's determined that I really want to back to that waypoint. So the difference is waypoint vs routing point.

  I think refusal to route roads is part of the activity profile and map errors or maybe some other restriction that isn't posted.
 
You may be trying to go on routes that your RV can't go on due to low bridges or something that is why it is trying to reroute you.
 
I've found the Garmins in general to be rather adamant about what it thinks is the proper route. And totally irrational about getting you back to that route if you deviate - it would rather take you down a goat trail for a dozen miles than go a bit out of the way and join up later. TomTom's routing is much more elastic and adapts easily to your current location, however you got there. But TomTom has other functions that are not as handy as Garmin, so it's not a clear winner either.

I'm using a Garmin Nuvi (the 2595) in the coach (I add my own custom POIs for campgrounds and RV services), a TomTom in one car and an OEM system in the other car (a Buick). Each has its strengths and weaknesses. Sure wish somebody could get it all right in one package!
 
canuckrv said:
You may be trying to go on routes that your RV can't go on due to low bridges or something that is why it is trying to reroute you.
Click to expand...

I've found with the 5" version that if it's marked no trucks, it'll never route you there until you change to car mode. In Yellowstone, for example, it refused to take me anywhere in the park until I told it I was in a car. I've seen other things like that, but not usually as extreme.
 
I have the RV 760 and find it tries to take me ways I don't want to go. Trying the suggested routing software got a lot too hard for my weak mind. I usually just set it to map and might use it when I get close to my destination. Some of the campground and fuel locations are however useful.

I use Street Atlas 2014 for my navigation. I have not found anything better. I have an Acer micro-desktop-computer in one of the overhead cabinets and a 17" monitor mounted just below the cabinet. The monitor is easy to see with a glance and does not interfere with my vision.

I usually upgrade the Street Atlas version every 3 years.
 
Thanks for the suggestions everyone.

I've joined the Yahoo group; waiting for membership approval. Hopefully I will learn more tips on how to best use this thing. I've flown behind Garmin GPS navigators in airplanes- thank God they are as good as they are. This unit is sad.
The TomTom in our car is sooo much better at re-routing itself.

I'm also loading the latest Garmin Firmware and NA maps as I write this. Maybe in combination, all of these things will result in a usable unit. At $400 it is painful at the moment.

Happy Travels,
Bill
 
Yeah, this is a good lesson in believing reviews. I think the folks that wrote the glowing reviews have not used this unit with anything other than very simple routing.

I played with base Camp some more last night thinking that it's made to play with the 760. Lot of work to just program a route with enough waypoints for it to follow. I now need to port it over to the 760 to see how it finally routes....

bill
 
Well, I've spent about 4 hrs this evening with Base Camp, recreating a week- long trip I just took. I'm liking certain features of Base Camp, like breaking the trip route into per day segments, instead of one continuous route. But it's much harder to use than S&T. Waypoints should be created ahead of time then added to the route as needed to get it to go where you intend. Else, you will get some out-of-the-way routings. A lot of this, as it turns out, is likely due to the RV parameters limiting which roads the Garmin logic will use.

The inability to route on certain roads, even with many waypoints, goes away if transportation mode is set to automobile instead of RV. Hmm, I've been traveling on quite a few roads not suitable for my RV parameters, it seems. :-\

I guess I will continue to live with the re-routing shortcomings. One work around I developed  on my last outing, when the unit became confused,  was to reload the trip and select the next destination(waypoint). This clears the unit from giving directions to u-turn, etc.

I hope this may help other users of the 760.
Bill
 
Bill, though I have not used that specific model of Garmin, I have used a number of other Garmin models as well as Basecamp extensively for my motorcycle travels.

Most Garmin's enable certain operating parameters such as avoiding seasonal roads, gravel roads, toll roads and more. Check your settings to see if its current configuration may be causing certain roads to be avoided.

Different maps installed in your GPS and your routing program also have a significant impact. If I create a route in Basecamp and then import it to my GPS, and each has a different version of maps, the route must be re-calcuated by the GPS, to conform to its maps.
 
Hi,

I think the RV operating parameters on this Garmin RV760 are overly restrictive. When using the RV parameters the unit will not accept routing on certain roads. I have actually travelled those roads in the RV and have had no issues (nor have the other RV-ers on those roads;-).

When using Basecamp, the RV760 is plugged into the laptop so that Basecamp uses the same map. I believe Basecamp is also using the RV760 for routing, so there should be no differences once on the GPS alone.

The shame of it is that it's supposed to be an RV-specific unit, but I have to turn off RV restrictions to route certain segments. :eek:

It does have other good features. I may have to live with the non-RV  routing and use some brainpower to utilize this thing.

thanks,
bill
 
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