GPS

[Bobbo___Spike]

Previously owned a Garmin Nuvi 680. It served us well on a cross country trip in 2008. No longer working and we need to purchase a new GPS for another long trip to Alaska and would like some imput as to which GPS for RV's people recommend. We are considering the Garmin 760LMT or one from Rand McNally. We have a 40 foot diesel pusher.

[deandec]

"If I were driving to Alaska I'd want a regular GPS and not a smart phone or tablet to rely on."

I think you meant to indicate "not a broadband connection to rely on".

Several of us use the tablets or cell phones as a GPS with no broadband connection needed so cell towers are irrelevant to the GPS app.

With Co-Pilot or Sygic apps, our smart phone functions just like a Garmin in with on-board maps and gps antenna.

[msmith1199]

My reading? Yeah, I'll work on it.

[NMace]

http://www.att.com/maps/wireless-coverage.html

You really need to work on your reading comprehension, from my first post I acknowledged the shortcomings of cell devices. Version is not the only carrier. Where there are roads and intersections there is reception. You see, you don't have to make turns where there are no roads.

[jpmihalk]

To clarify my post, the CoPilot app running on either my iPad ot iPhone is not dependent on a cell signal. The iPad and iPhone have their own built in GPS chips and work off network.

[vic46]

msmith1199 wrote:
Look at the below link and look at the maps of Alaska and you tell me if "most" of Alaska is covered or not.

Cell phone coverage

Bet your didn't know the cell coverage changed to white to match the snow in Alaska!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:B;)

msmith1199, point well taken. There is lots of space that is less than 100 miles west of Red Deer (Central Alberta, half way between Edmonton and Cow Town) where there is no cell coverage, period.

[msmith1199]

Look at the below link and look at the maps of Alaska and you tell me if "most" of Alaska is covered or not.

Cell phone coverage

[NMace]

msmith1199 wrote:

NMace wrote:
Msmith,

Please allow me to expand on my responses:

I prefer Garmin, whichever Amazon has on sale with lifetime maps of the appropriate sized screen.

But there is a real application for the tablets, properly mounted (again Amazon).

I have found where you do not have cellular telephone service there are few highway intersections, and thus little to no need to turn or need direction. Cell service gaps are almost always in low population areas, with fewer people there are less roads, less roads equals fewer turns or highway changes. There are places in Canada where your next prompt is 800 miles away. Even with my limited capacity, I do not need constant reinforcement. I usually can remember a turn every 16 hours or so.

I apologize for asking you to interpret my shorthand.

Not debating any of that. Simply pointing out the OP of this thread is looking for something to take to Alaska. The cell service gaps you speak of with the less people and the less roads is almost the entire state of Alaska as well as huge parts of Canada on the way up there. If I were driving to Alaska I'd want a regular GPS and not a smart phone or tablet to rely on.

Please cite your source that the entire state of Alaska as well as huge parts of Canada are without cellular telephone service, that is certainly not reflected in the maps of coverage by the providers. Are you suggesting they are guilty of false advertising? I had no idea that are friends to the North are so deprived.

[msmith1199]

NMace wrote:
Msmith,

Please allow me to expand on my responses:

I prefer Garmin, whichever Amazon has on sale with lifetime maps of the appropriate sized screen.

But there is a real application for the tablets, properly mounted (again Amazon).

I have found where you do not have cellular telephone service there are few highway intersections, and thus little to no need to turn or need direction. Cell service gaps are almost always in low population areas, with fewer people there are less roads, less roads equals fewer turns or highway changes. There are places in Canada where your next prompt is 800 miles away. Even with my limited capacity, I do not need constant reinforcement. I usually can remember a turn every 16 hours or so.

I apologize for asking you to interpret my shorthand.

Not debating any of that. Simply pointing out the OP of this thread is looking for something to take to Alaska. The cell service gaps you speak of with the less people and the less roads is almost the entire state of Alaska as well as huge parts of Canada on the way up there. If I were driving to Alaska I'd want a regular GPS and not a smart phone or tablet to rely on.

[Stutch]

Bought the 760LMT a few weeks ago. I took the recommendation of a few on these boards not so much because they liked it as much as they were not happy with the Rand McNally compliment.

All in all it is your typical Garmin GPS with added POIs and profiles for your MH (width, height, weight, etc..) I also have a 40' DP.

When I first got it I took it out for a spin in my car. Was very surprised at the lack of data for bridge clearances. That's the main reason I bought it. Drove it over 4 lane roads and major routes and I got a message "Road not Verified" message, meaning you are on your own.

When looking at what it covers, I see only major highways and very busy secondary roads. Not worried about the bridge clearances on interstates!

I bought a list from LowClerances.com and that certainly augmented the 760LMT but no where near what I expect. So, bottom line, after much research the 760LMT+Lowclearances.com+Newmar Navigation+Rand McNally Motor Carriers Road Atlas+Garmin Base camp download (free)is the very best anyone can do!

Plan your routes, use Base Camp, Garmin and the Atlas for planning the point to point long haul parts, then rely in the Garmin and internal Navigation (if you have it) as well as reasonable judgement on secondary roads. Watch signs, subtract 6" from clearance posted signs for good measure.

Good luck, Mike

[NMace]

Msmith,

Please allow me to expand on my responses:

I prefer Garmin, whichever Amazon has on sale with lifetime maps of the appropriate sized screen.

But there is a real application for the tablets, properly mounted (again Amazon).

I have found where you do not have cellular telephone service there are few highway intersections, and thus little to no need to turn or need direction. Cell service gaps are almost always in low population areas, with fewer people there are less roads, less roads equals fewer turns or highway changes. There are places in Canada where your next prompt is 800 miles away. Even with my limited capacity, I do not need constant reinforcement. I usually can remember a turn every 16 hours or so.

I apologize for asking you to interpret my shorthand.

[jpmihalk]

Dale.Traveling wrote:
I'm going to be living on the edge this year and use a tablet with CoPilot GPS app. Aways wanted a bigger GPS for the coach but the high cost of a large screen wasn't something I could budget to replace something that was working. The tablet was a Christmas present and the app I think $9. Comes with maps so I don't need consistant internet service. If it doesn't work out I have a nice tablet to play with at the camp site.

X2

After having tried the dedicated RV specific Magellan, I decided to use my iPad Air (in my RV and iPhone 6 plus in my Jeep toad) with CoPilot. CoPilot has great POI and RV support and is much better for other ancillary lookups if needed. I had to buy a tablet mount but it was well worth it.

[DKeppner]

We have the Garmin RV760 and love the multiple profiles allowing us to switch from mh to toad and back again with the appropriate routing. The trip planner, traffic cams and even what lane to be in plus any weather alerts are major bonuses. The additional POI files you can load up makes it really helpful (love the odd-ball attractions POI).

[msmith1199]

NMace wrote:

msmith1199 wrote:

Tom/Barb wrote:
We Do. This
No more telling us to take a dirt road.

I use that also, but it requires a continuous internet connection to show maps as you move. The OP is going to Alaska.

I thought you could use a hot spot or whatever the little box my grand kids used to use to get movies on their smart phones is called. Of course going through Canada they will be without cell service at times, but there are not many intersections at those times.

You can have a hot spot and all the electronic gadgets in the world, but if you're driving in remote areas of Canada or Alaska you won't have cell tower coverage and then you have no maps on your phone. I think there may be some GPS programs available for smart phones where you can download maps for the area you are in and then it may work when you don't have cell coverage, but I am not familiar with any of those programs.

[Gjac]

deandec wrote:
I use Sygic on my three Android devices.

No broadband data required.

One reasonably low fee creates three GPS machines (2 phones 1 Tablet) with 5" or larger screens.

Co-Pilot App is quite often used as well by others.

My first Garmin cost $650 and was obsolete in 5 years.

My phone app updates frequently both maps and software at no charge.

Paid the $20 fee 4 years ago and have had reliable service ever since on several different Android devices.

Dean post makes the most sense to me. After researching what the next GPS unit would be and reading about the problems with the RV specific GPS's the Rand and Garmin and looking at another $400 unit that would be obsolete in 5 years I decided to by the Copilot app for $6.99 for my I phone. It is RV specific in that you can input height to avoid low bridges and also tunnels that do not allow propane. The phone has a built in GPS so it uses no data. I have been using it since Now 2014 and it was the best $6.99 I ever spent. The maps are constantly being up dated, every 2 years I will get a new free phone anyways with a 2 year contract so I don't have to worry about a malfunction in the GPS like batteries going dead or the charging connection not working, like on my previous Garmin's. When you think of the cost that most of us have spent over the last 10 years on the trucking or RV units these apps make a lot of sense.