Best RV GPS

TucsonJim wrote:

Desert Captain wrote:
Jim, what was it you did not like about the Rand McNally 7720? :h After 4 months and a lot of use ours has been nothing but wonderful to use and incredibly accurate.

I tried using it on some trips to the White Mountains and Petrified NP. Even though I set it up to avoid dirt roads, it tried to route me down some very primitive dirt roads several times. On a trip to Big Lake, it kept trying to reroute me because it said I wasn't even on a road.

I also didn't like the warnings about "Curve Ahead". That was a real PITA in the mountains. Although I found out later you can cheat it to not do that by setting the message duration to zero.

The display was very dim in bright sunlight, even though I purchased the optional sunshade. There were times when the sun was in the wrong spot, and I couldn't see the display on the RM. Also, the mount was unstable, and the unit had a tendency to bounce on rough roads.

I've used Garmin ever since GPS navigation came out, I'm used to the operating system and never felt comfortable with RM.

I can't explain the problems you had as I travel many of the same areas with none of them. The "Curve Warning" can simply be turned off much like the speed warning. I find both useful particularly on unfamiliar roads. When I enter a destination if there are potential dirt roads ahead it asks if I want to drive them. A simple "no" eliminates that issue. Perhaps the overhang of my C keeps the screen more clearly visible than what you experienced, never even considered the sunscreen. I have mine suction cup mounted on the windshield and it rides steady, easy to read and adjust.

I think your last statement tells the tale. I too have used Garmin for years. I still have my old Garmin A50 (the very first hand held GPS from the mid 80's), and yep it still works and still sucks up batteries like a Hoover. :B I carry my trusty dusty Garmin 12 for hiking (a left over from my boating days). Our RM is only about 5 months old, maybe you got an earlier version but ours has worked flawlessly from day one. :h

For nearly 20 years I taught seminars on GPS' and designed and sold GPS systems for boats. I would always tell my students to find a system they were comfortable with as you will simply get more out of it and I stand by that advice. The ergonomics of any system are the key as most systems have comparable accuracy. Key/button size and screen view ability along with the (hopefully), user friendly/feature rich nature of any given system are what you shop for. For the record I had a bare bones Tom Tom that was pretty much junk on every level. Hard to go wrong with Garmin or Rand McNally but...

As always.... Opinions and YMMV.

:C