gps which one is best,second best

2oldman wrote:
My Garmin absolutely sucks. I have to baby-sit it every time I'm in a city because it will take me on roundabout routes that make no sense. In some cases this could be due to having a 4 year old map

Many Garmins include lifetime free map updates. My Garmin is 6 years old and I can still update it free. That said I have had nearly any GPS, or any map phone app give bad directions at times. I tend to know about where I am going. I never blindly follow a GPS route.

corvettekent wrote:
I can tell you that two years ago I bought a Garmin 770RV GPS and I'm not very happy with it.

I still like using my I Phone with the Waze app.

I use my phone in cities. Garmin when on the road. Too many areas lack cell signal on the road or in remote areas. Garmin keeps right on working.

My Garmin absolutely sucks. I have to baby-sit it every time I'm in a city because it will take me on roundabout routes that make no sense. In some cases this could be due to having a 4 year old map, but generally it doesn't even know where streets are that were there 40 years ago. And it doesn't do much better with businesses. I'm wondering if the maps are 50 years old.

Google/Verizon does that only occasionally.

My preference is for a stand-alone Garmin unit so that we don't have to be concerned with cellular coverage being available.

However my new mobile phone has huge storage capacity (250GB), so I can store entire map databases in it (i.e. all of North America) ... and not to ever have to access cellular tower provided data anywhere in the U.S. for RV navigation.

I have several apps in it that can operate entirely off this locally stored map data in conjunction with the phone's built-in GPS system ... just like a Garmin navigation unit does.

We also bring along a satellite device that can be linked to the phone (via Bluetooth) so we can send and receive text and ERS messages without cellular tower access ... in addition to hitting an SOS button on the device for emergency help/evacuation.

Loss of the cellular signal is a very minor issue (none if you know where you are going will have limited cellular service) and the GPS always has pre-loaded a portion of your trip. You would have to drive for hours without cellular service to run out of mapping information.

Bill.Satellite wrote:
The best would be your phone and Google Maps. 2nd best WAZE on your phone.

Until you are out of cell coverage. I know you can preload Google map segments, but that means you need to know ahead of time that you are going to lose coverage.

For a phone or tablet based system, CoPilot adds complete maps to the phone or tablet so cell coverage is not necessary.

I'm still using an older Garmin product (a NUVI 3580) that I prefer to most of the newer Garmin. It does not provide RV/Truck height & road warnings, but my trailer is small enough that that is not a problem.

If you like using your phone, you can load a free app such as Osmandor Locus and then download maps. Your phone almost certainly has a GPS chip and can work as a GPS from satellites even when it loses the cell signal.

That said, I still like some old Garmin units I have.

Use your Garmin along with the Rand McNally TRUCKERS ATLAS. If you are planning a trip compare the routes on the GPS with the Atlas to be sure all is well. Covers heights and truck routes. With this procedure you will not find yourself lost or at a low bridge.

The best would be your phone and Google Maps. 2nd best WAZE on your phone.

I've been using my Garmin RV660 for over 4 yrs and more than 30,000 towing mi. I LOVE it and recommend it. The RV780 is the current upgraded version.