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Sat Navs


Pete-B

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When we last used it our TomTom sat nav was about 10 years old and it has guided us thousands of km all around Europe over many years. It we were still touring we would still be using it as it never failed us in spite of the odd perambulation though a vinyard - never anything I could not get us out of!

 

Roads change but not a lot and if a new road is built and the sat nav thinks you are in a field it will soon end when the old road is rejoined. Signposts too can help and most countries seem to have them in varying quantities!

 

Narrow and unsurfaced roads - remember the sat nav is just a GUIDE - the driver makes the decision whether to follow it or not and choosing the shortest or most direct route via sat nav is inviting the suggestion of unsuitable roads.

 

Just ignore the suggested turn if you suspect it and the clever device will quickly re-route you.

 

On the plus side we discovered some truly beautiful places off the beaten track - a lot more fun than driving boring main roads!

 

 

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Agree with trackers comments : TomTom + common sense.,with the emphasis on the latter. You can see what a road looks like before you turn into it, and if it doesn't look suitable, just carry on and it will find you an alterative route very quickly. All reputable sat navs will be the same.

 

There are many reported instances of the campervan-specific ones still taking people down narrow tracks, under low bridges etc. They can rely only on published information, and if that isn't available you're no better off.

 

Sat navs are not magic instruments - but they are invaluable when used properly.

 

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Pete-B - 2021-10-15 5:02 PM

Hi,

Need to replace my old sat nav, which camper one would you recommend?

Thanks for any suggestions.

Most people seem to find that the sat-nav they already know becomes the one that works best for them, so sticking to that brand avoids needing to start off on a new learning curve.

 

Underlying all sat-navs is the digital mapping, usually provided by Teleatlas (now owned by TomTom) or Navteq, (now owned by Audi/BMW/Daimler under the brand name Here).

 

Systems with free map updates can be kept up to date at no extra cost: to update those without free updates the updates must be bought at additional cost.

 

Personally, I would not recommend any "Camper" version as the co-ordinates for the sites are prone to inaccuracy and, unless regularly updated, become out of date.

 

What you will find "best" depends on where you intend travelling but, especially if outside the UK, my preference is for sat-navs that allow the transfer of Points of Interest (PoIs) from a computer to (usually) a SD card in the sat-nav. that can then be used in planning routes.

 

There are literally thousands of downloadable PoIs on the internet - most free - for example, Archies Campings for campsites, but also for supermarkets, aires (and their various equivalents), parking places etc.

 

I prefer to have a facility for downloading the mapping to, and viewing it on, a computer, which also allows PoIs to be created, viewed, and stored on the computer and transferred to the sat-nav.

 

AFAIK, Garmin is the only sat-nav brand that facilitates all these functions, so Garmin is my preference. There are two free programs downloadable from Garmins website: MapSource and BaseCamp. The former runs on PCs only and is a "legacy" program (but does all I need), the latter is for PC or Mac, but I find it too much of a faff to use! :-D

 

Cherry on the cake? With either, if one right clicks a location on the map an option to "View satellite imagery on maps.google.com" pops up which, if selected, opens Google Maps in satellite view at that precise location, enabling the accuracy of PoIs to be checked and, where necessary, corrected.

 

So, Garmin is my preference. But, that's me! :-D

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There is a fair amount of recent online advice about this (examples here)

 

https://www.practicalmotorhome.com/awards/best-motorhome-sat-navs

 

https://www.wandering-bird.com/best-motorhome-sat-nav/

 

https://www.hortoncommon.co.uk/sat-navs-for-caravans-and-motorhomes/

 

As Brian has said, what will suit one person's requirements (and budget) won't suit another's.

 

(I'm used to Garmin products and I definitely want to be able to keep the device's software and European mapping up to date easily and at no cost. But I'm uninterested in 'camper' sat-navs or being able to input POIs, so an ordinary 'car' device has always been adequate for my needs.)

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Brian Kirby - 2021-10-16 12:55 PM

 

Cherry on the cake? With either, if one right clicks a location on the map an option to "View satellite imagery on maps.google.com" pops up which, if selected, opens Google Maps in satellite view at that precise location, enabling the accuracy of PoIs to be checked and, where necessary, corrected.

 

So, Garmin is my preference. But, that's me! :-D

 

That is indeed a nice feature and I suspect that many of us use sat view as a way of looking at prcise locations.

 

The only caveat - be aware that some sat imagery is quite a few years old and things can change locally very quickly so look at the image date if possible.

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If you have a spare tablet then Copilot offer a really excellent sat navigation as opposed to the dedicated offerings such as Garmin

 

I was advised about this when asking my son if he would obtain a replacement for my Gamin 730 ( he worked for Garmin at the time & could get a hefty staff discount). His response was download Copilot. I did, and 5 years later I'm still impressed - not least in the ability to load the Club poi's, Archie, French Aries and Municipals and so on.

 

Have a look at their website

https://info.maps.trimble.com/en/en/ondemand

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I did a bit of non-scientific testing over the years: https://www.gjh.me.uk/mhnotes/satnav.htm

During the last 3 years, when we have been unable to use the van for varuious reasons, the Mio went wrong so we are just using the Garmin now and find it fine.

The point about co-ordinates in a post above is a good one. I tend to use Google Maps on the PC to find accurate co-ordinates in advance of leaving, especially as we normally camp at rallies/THSs where post codes are often supplied.

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I have an Aguri 740 Motorhome and caravan, Free updates for life, lots of campsites pre installed, built in dashcam, wifi, can also be used as an ipad type device or even a tv if needed,

Even though our MH is small compared to modern bemoths, the Aguri hasn't misdirected us yet.

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Cruisecontrol - 2021-10-16 4:53 PM

 

If you have a spare tablet then Copilot offer a really excellent sat navigation as opposed to the dedicated offerings such as Garmin

 

Do you use the free version? I'm not exactly sure about cost, but a hefty annual fee would certainly mount up over the years.

 

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I've used Copilot since I bought my van in 2016 and there was a one off lifetime update payment, can't remember how much but not much. It generally works well both in the UK and Europe. Have had a couple of duff turns but as I say for what I paid I can't complain. You can also add POI'S from CMC and CCC.
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I have only ever used Tomtom and have seen no reason to change. I have a GO 6000 which is now a little slow to boot and occasionally self-reboots, but I can live with that because the maps and routing are very good indeed.

 

However Brian's description of being able to download mapping on to a computer would make me think very seriously about getting a Garmin next time (Tomtom uses Linux so it's file system doesn't even show when connected to a computer - unlike the old days when it was possible to make many, ahem, tweaks...).

 

So is a Garmin operationally the same as a Tomtom - ie. once maps, safety cameras and POIs have been downloaded (via a computer at home) no Internet connection is then required? Does it, for example, provide for automatic re-routing due to changing (live) traffic situations?

 

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We used postcodes in our sat nav a lot in the UK and whilst they rarely took us right to the door they were generally good enough to get us close enough to be able to find where we wanted to be.

 

We used Aires almost exclusively when abroad and most of the Aires books lat and long cordinates were accurate, or at least accurate enough to get you close enough to be able to locate the Aire. Some of the Aires books had photos, 'All The Aires' books were best, which helped if the coordinates were a bit out.

 

Aires books and TomTom were all we used and it worked very well for a number of years in a number of countries. Part of the fun of meandering and exploring was looking at the Aires book and finding the interesting looking ones.

 

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I notice that - over the years - Pete had asked about sat-navs several times.

 

https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/search/query.asp?action=search&searchforumid=all&keywords=Sat+nav&author=Pete-b&days=&Submit=Search

 

It might be useful to know what make/model of sat-nav he currently has, how old it is and why he needs to replace it.

 

(If the Pete's present sat-nav is bust (or unreliable) continuing to use it with (probably) well out-of-date mapping won't be an option.)

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I've got a Garmin 780 and I would recommend it. It has pre-programmed the locations of all campsites and aires in Europe and you can search on a campsite name, or aire, and it will direct you there. Also ACSI sites can be searched separately if required. Likewise shopping centres, petrol stations and all manner of other places to go. TBH I'm not convinced it lists absolutely all campsites and I'm not convinced it knows when one has closed. But it does allow free updates over wifi of maps and software.

 

There's also a Garmin Drive app for your phone that will provide the satnav with live traffic info and reroute/notify accordingly.

 

Yes you need to be aware of road signs for details of upcoming low bridges or narrow streets, but this Garmin does a very good job of avoiding them. Only yesterday we were heading out of town towards the main road and the Garmin wanted us to take a left at the junction before the main road. I'd spotted this in advance but thought it was the satnav in error so I went ahead ignoring the satnav only to find there was a 3.5t tonne weight limit after the junction (my van's weighted at 3.8 and the Garmin knows this along with the vehicle dimensions). There've been a couple of other occasions where it seemingly was misbehaving only to find it was routing us according to the vehicle's weight or dimensions and the restrictions for the roads ahead. Sometimes the road signs only become apparent when it's too late. You can't reverse because you've got a stream of traffic behind you and the only other options are 'no entry' or break the rule of the road.

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Pete owns a 2020 Auto-Sleepers Warwick XL panel-van conversion and - from what I can glean from earlier postings - has used a TomTom ‘camper’ sat-nav in the past.

 

The equivalent current TomTom product is the “Go Camper”

 

https://www.tomtom.com/en_gb/navigation/camper-gps-sat-nav/go-camper/

 

that’s reviewed here

 

https://caravansatnav.com/tomtom-go-camper-review-test.php

 

Both of my last two motorhomes have been wider and higher than a Warwick XL (and no shorter) and being able to input their dimensions into a sat-nav has never attracted me. And - as I said above - ‘camper’ features (eg. campsite data) haven’t been of interest to me. I’ve relied on a Garmin nuvi 2559LM ‘car’ sat-nav (now discontinued) that has sufficient capabilities for my requirements without features that I don’t want.

 

If Pete is TomTom familiar and has found having a ‘camper’ sat-nav beneficial, updating to a “Go Camper” would make some sense.

 

 

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Use a Tomtom on my motorbike, had it for years touring Europe also used it in the car, big downside was no free update.

Bought a Garmin for the car with updates via the computer, took some time getting used to it, still can be a bit confusing as too many colours and white change of direction arrows, some good features and excellent search facility.

Got a Tomtom camper for the MH, excellent for driving, clear to read and follow, downside is the search facility, looking for a POI can be frustrating as eventually find it in the units memory.

Feel better than using phone or car unit as size and weight restrictions can effect routes.

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Brian Kirby - 2021-10-16 12:55 PM

 

Pete-B - 2021-10-15 5:02 PM

Hi,

Need to replace my old sat nav, which camper one would you recommend?

Thanks for any suggestions.

Most people seem to find that the sat-nav they already know becomes the one that works best for them, so sticking to that brand avoids needing to start off on a new learning curve.

 

Underlying all sat-navs is the digital mapping, usually provided by Teleatlas (now owned by TomTom) or Navteq, (now owned by Audi/BMW/Daimler under the brand name Here).

 

Systems with free map updates can be kept up to date at no extra cost: to update those without free updates the updates must be bought at additional cost.

 

Personally, I would not recommend any "Camper" version as the co-ordinates for the sites are prone to inaccuracy and, unless regularly updated, become out of date.

 

What you will find "best" depends on where you intend travelling but, especially if outside the UK, my preference is for sat-navs that allow the transfer of Points of Interest (PoIs) from a computer to (usually) a SD card in the sat-nav. that can then be used in planning routes.

 

There are literally thousands of downloadable PoIs on the internet - most free - for example, Archies Campings for campsites, but also for supermarkets, aires (and their various equivalents), parking places etc.

 

I prefer to have a facility for downloading the mapping to, and viewing it on, a computer, which also allows PoIs to be created, viewed, and stored on the computer and transferred to the sat-nav.

 

AFAIK, Garmin is the only sat-nav brand that facilitates all these functions, so Garmin is my preference. There are two free programs downloadable from Garmins website: MapSource and BaseCamp. The former runs on PCs only and is a "legacy" program (but does all I need), the latter is for PC or Mac, but I find it too much of a faff to use! :-D

 

Cherry on the cake? With either, if one right clicks a location on the map an option to "View satellite imagery on maps.google.com" pops up which, if selected, opens Google Maps in satellite view at that precise location, enabling the accuracy of PoIs to be checked and, where necessary, corrected.

 

So, Garmin is my preference. But, that's me! :-D

 

Not advocating for Google maps versus solutions such as Garmin in terms of navigation but a really useful feature of Google maps is the ability to create your own custom maps on the PC via your gmail account and these will then sync with your phone. Even if google maps is not your primary GPS solution it is handy to be able to be able to search for and save POIs etc on your PC and have them on your phone seconds later. I've separate maps for most of my holidays with campsites, tourist attractions, shops etc all saved in their own maps, typically with a chronological name - "2019 France". Just make sure you're using the same @gmail address in your browser and phone.

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Just a warning about using realtime Google maps directions - Not trustworthy!

 

We were returning from the Wye Valley to Romney Marsh last Saturday 16th October, and as a check for traffic problems or roadworks we put the route into Google maps.

 

It informed us that the M4 was shut between J14 & J13, so we amended our route on our ancient Garmin Sat Nag using info from an ancient AA Atlas we carry, to avoid the posted diversions.

 

We stopped at Costco in Reading, & checked Google maps again on two separate Samsung Android mobiles. It told us the M25 was shut anti clockwise between J8 Reigate and J6 Godstone and that the diversion was going north inside the M25 to Caterham.

Now because of LEZ we can't go inside the M25 in our Benimar without paying a hefty fee, so we spent quite some time looking how we could drop south to avoid the closure. We also checked Highways England, AA, and Google News but could find no mention of this closure?

 

What to do?

 

I decided to press on and see what the M25 gantry messages had to say, and if necessary dive off south at Leatherhead towards Dorking, Horley etc.

 

Nothing on the gantries, or traffic England. Google maps still showing closure.

We sailed through the closed section on the M25 with very little traffic ( I assume many had followed the diversion!)

We took screenshots on Google maps of us in the closed section at 60mph!

 

I checked when we arrived home some 2.5 hrs later on my Samsung and on my PC ... still showing M25 shut!!

I tried to find a way of reporting this to Google maps, and failed - as usual it is virtually impossible to email or talk to anyone. (So I sent it as feedback, but have heard nothing in reply)

My daughter also had a problem a few weeks ago with the same thing.

 

Had we changed our route to miss this fictitious closure, it would have added at least 60-90 minutes to our journey!

 

It's rather like an alarm clock that fails to work on one occasion .... you can never rely on it again! Throw it in the bin!

 

Don't ever solely rely on your SatNav, especially Google maps!

 

Jeremy

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laimeduck - 2021-10-19 12:50 PM

 

Don't ever solely rely on your SatNav, especially Google maps!

 

 

We too have had, and still get, these alarms on our various Toyota inbuilt car sat navs.

 

We too ignore them and have yet to be caught out - yet!!

 

We too have always treated the sat nav as an aid not a bible!!

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Tracker - 2021-10-16 4:15 PM

Brian Kirby - 2021-10-16 12:55 PM

Cherry on the cake? With either, if one right clicks a location on the map an option to "View satellite imagery on maps.google.com" pops up which, if selected, opens Google Maps in satellite view at that precise location, enabling the accuracy of PoIs to be checked and, where necessary, corrected.

So, Garmin is my preference. But, that's me! :-D

That is indeed a nice feature and I suspect that many of us use sat view as a way of looking at prcise locations.

The only caveat - be aware that some sat imagery is quite a few years old and things can change locally very quickly so look at the image date if possible.

All very true, but then even with up to 4 free map iterations to download each year, the maps themselves are all prone to being out of date in some locations. After all, a map is a lagging indicator, so until the feature exists, and if a road has been opened, it will not appear on the map, even an electronic map. Perhaps more important, features such as weight and width limits change from time to time, as (though much less frequently) do height limits, but above all speed limits - and even the direction of flow in the odd one way street!

 

I know many rely on sat nav indicated speed limits but this is, IMO, extremely unwise. I've lost count of the number of 70kph limits (usually on approach to towns etc.) I've encountered in France, that have not been mapped. The reason seems to be that expecting traffic to slow from 90kph directly to 50kph on approach to a built-up area merely results in many drivers entering to 50kph zone way over speed. So, interpose a 70 to cushion the transition. Then, there is Italy!!! Oh yes!

 

Post codes can work in UK. Ours is fine, just 4 semi-detached houses on one post code! However, in rural areas a postcode can encompass a very large area and playing "spot the destination" on a busy road while followed by an increasingly impatient string of drivers just gets motorhomers a bad name! :-D So, I just prefer accurate POIs over hunt the thimble games.

 

Even when the campsite operator (including the UK clubs, and extending also to ACSI) has provided the coordinates, they are frequently of marginal accuracy, because they are either at the reception office (often at some distance form the nearest public road, or in the middle of the site. I just got fed up with driving around looking for places, when properly used GPS coordinates are accurate to within about two metres.

 

On one "memorable" occasion we were looking for a site down a road and could see it, but there was a fair sized brook between road and site. It transpired that the entrance was down another road altogether and the coordinates were for the the pitch used by whoever had submitted them, which happened to be closer to the back road than the main road and the sat nav, being a mere machine, had entirely logically selected the road closest to the coordinates!

 

So, I just check where the coordinates are and, if necessary, alter them to a position just inside the site access road so that I'm told which way I need to turn - just before I'm told that I've arrived. :-) I do the same for supermarkets, filling stations, parking places, aires etc. that I intend using, and then store them on the computer so that they are always used to update the sat nav POIs. This database has expanded over the years and now includes just over 60,000 POIs of all kinds arranged into 12 directories. These POIs are built into our routes before we leave home, and any we haven't visited before are checked and adjusted if necessary while planning. Having the Garmin mapping (updated whenever the device is updated) visible at home, on a decent sized screen, with the ability to switch from map to satellite view, just make the check a matter of a couple of minutes.

 

For real accuracy I insert a POI into the Garmin map (or select an unverified POI from one of the directories on the PC), open Google Earth, and copy the POI coordinates onto the Google Earth search bar (top left of the screen) when GE obligingly places a map tack at that location and zooms to it. It it's wrong, I put a "placemark" in the correct location in Google Earth and then copy its coordinates back to the Garmin POI. So, no wandering around looking for whatever, just guidance to within a few feet of it. If it isn't visible at that range, someone's nicked it! :-D It takes just a few minutes while planning, and far less time than wandering around in the van looking for the actual way in!

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