Best Navigation system for RV'ers?

[nadsab]

What's the best?

We generally travel in and through remote areas such as state and national forest campgrounds and rec areas.

Plus I like to do some hiking on foot trails...

[WyoTraveler]

We have a new Garmin GPS. Don't use it. We use maps on smart phone. Better GPS.

[kirklandsc]

I just have a cheap Garmin Nuvi. A gps is a tool that should be used along with common sense and research. I always try to research my entire route online on Google maps before I go. I will use street view in any tricky sections and make notes of mileage and where I need turn. I have saved a lot of missed turns and u-turns by doing so.

[pnichols]

nadsab,

By the way ... you have an excellent RV for the type of camping you prefer!

We use a late model high end five inch Garmin vehicle navigator on the dash of our RV. I say "late model high end" because they do make continual improvements in their line and lower models in their line do have irritating usability negatives because of technology differences. We have had earlier, lesser, models and our latest one really is a breath of fresh air to use. We keep it updated continually and it's solid state memory can hold all of North America plus hundreds of thousands of custom POI's on tap. The particular model we have can now be bought for way less than we paid for it last fall.

That being said, we also use several (an entire book is required for each state) outstanding map books along with the Garmin. These map books show extreme detail, especially outside cities in the countryside for each state - including obscure camp grounds and points of interest. We rockhound a lot in remote places beyond campgrounds - we often camp way out there too - so we use all three on concert ... the Garmin, the map books, and ultra-detailed specialized rockhound map guides.

Other posters above have mentioned that most vehicle navigators probably won't work for pedestrian use due to battery life ... which is true for most models. However, our Garmin vehicle navigator does have a superb instant-on/instant-off sleep feature that extends it's battery life to many days ... supposedly so you can merely switch it on to check you position then switch it back off to proceed when walking/hiking. We haven't used it this way yet, though.

Here's a link to those great map books - like anything worth it's salt they're not inexpensive:

http://www.benchmarkmaps.com/

[Harvard]

Coalminer UG wrote:
I prefer a good up to date map to compliment any GPS system.
I have seen to many times where people have used just GPS and got them selves in deep trouble.

albert-chretien-body-found
"Sheriff's Deputy David Prall told The Associated Press that the battery on the GPS — which steered the couple in the wrong direction in the first place — probably burnt out and his path began to angle too far north."

[Coalminer_UG]

I prefer a good up to date map to compliment any GPS system.
I have seen to many times where people have used just GPS and got them selves in deep trouble.

[nadsab]

OK if I use our laptop, what would be a good GPS card for use with Street Alas, Strips & Treets or Coopilot? We have a USB 3 port and an SD port on laptop...

[Monaco_Montclai]

We have a me g lion 1700, with lane assit, a whole lot cheaper this way. Happy-camping

[Matt_Colie]

Nadsab,

While you may not realize it, you have asked a bunch of different questions.

People that know I have had a job description that said "Navigator" often ask this sort of thing of me.

Navigation has two primary parts.
1 - Knowing where you are.
2 - Determining how to get to where you want to end up.

Most any modern GPS can answer the first question.
If you plan to go hiking in remote areas, any decent handheld will be satisfactory. To this end, you should read reviews and go to real stores and fondle the units. You can also download and read the manual and see if it makes sense to you.

The problem with trying to use a vehicle GPS for this is the short battery life and often batteries are not field replaceable.

The problem with trying to use a hand held unit for street navigation or planning is that they do not easily do many of the required functions and the small screen makes for a difficult time at planning.

As to the second question, a laptop or tablet with an attached GPS running one of the good navigators (Street Alas, Strips & Treets or Coopilot) will both report your position and be of amazing assistance in planning your route to any destination. The map quality of all of these is a continuing issue. If someone says one's maps are more accurate than another's, say "thank you" and go on your way. The best part of these is the road map with a "You are here" arrow.

The computer navigators can also download overlays that contain information that you will hard pressed to otherwise acquire. These are all very powerful packages. They make it very simple to lay out a route and then adjust it for stops, divergences or timing.

Carry a computer also can give you access to on-line data that may affect your route. Or, if your route gets affected by something, changes are simple and transparent.

Remember, Thinking is the least expensive and most reliable thing you can do. Borrow what you can, read all you can. Do not be afraid to admit you made a mistake. (You can always try to sell it off on EB.)

Good Luck

Matt