Garmin RV 770 routing through the boonies

[snowpeke]

I just received a new Garmin RV 770 set up for a 30 foot 5th wheel and took it on a maiden voyage. Kept it on the 5th wheel mode for a trip to town 15 miles away and wanted me to turn on a back road that I would not take my car on ( low branches, dirt, sharp turns and a narrow bridge). Also routed me on a city street when the way to go is on state highway. What am I doing wrong?

[fj12ryder]

I rarely have an issue with my Garamin, but I preplan and check the route using Google maps if necessary. I've used maps but no longer have inclination to mess with them. Used correctly the GPS will work very well.

We did a 6,000 mile trip last year, used the GPS all along the way, and had no issues. But I planned out the route in Basecamp and uploaded all the routes to the Garmin, then rechecked them to make sure they were correct. Peggy is a worse navigator than any GPS so I have to make sure I get it right the first time. 🙂

[jplante4]

I've pretty much given up using GPS for routing and use it for a preview of traffic. I recently got some Benchmark maps for some the the western states we'll be going to later this year and I can't believe the level of detail.

I use RV Trip Planning to plan the general route then I study google maps or paper maps to get a mental pic of where I'm going. The DW uses her TomTom and every once in a while says "TomTom says to go left" and my reply is "Is that the same TomTom that took us down a 13 percent downgrade in the Catskills?"

[Bill_Satellite]

toedtoes wrote:
Problem with "avoid dirt roads" is that it then can't give you directions to your campground because the access road is dirt.

For me, the dirt roads weren't the problem - it was the instruction to go "off-road". There should never be a reason for a GPS to take you off-road (seriously, there was NO ROAD). Add that there was a perfectly acceptable paved road and state Highway that would get me there that the GPS never identified suggests that the GPS has no clue what a road is.

I don't see that as a problem. By the time I get that close to a campground with a dirt road entrance, I already know where I am going. Additionally, if the campground requires me to go miles down various dirt roads, I AM NOT GOING!

[toedtoes]

Lantley wrote:

toedtoes wrote:
Problem with "avoid dirt roads" is that it then can't give you directions to your campground because the access road is dirt.

For me, the dirt roads weren't the problem - it was the instruction to go "off-road". There should never be a reason for a GPS to take you off-road (seriously, there was NO ROAD). Add that there was a perfectly acceptable paved road and state Highway that would get me there that the GPS never identified suggests that the GPS has no clue what a road is.

If you are in the desert, forest or off road situation,. Off Road maybe a viable option.
Again GPS and computers do not think. They are programmed!

It was not a viable option - even with a 4wd vehicle, it was not viable. There was no way through this section of "off-road".

But my issue is that they identified this way as the ONLY way to get to my destination, when there was a paved road and a state highway just a forest road away. And that it knew it was going to take me off-road for a good 60 miles and did not acknowledge that there were other routes (let alone that the other routes were ALL paved roads).

I did send them an email detailing what the GPS did and they never responded.

I now have a nice Thomas Guide type book that stays in the RV for double checking and identifying real roads if I find myself having another GPS Adventure.

[time2roll]

What did Garmin say when you contacted them?

Nothing really new as all the above posts confirm. Navigation is just a tool not the end all commander on how to drive. I find navigation to be very helpful in finding fuel on route and alerting me that my exit is coming up soon. BTW it will never get angry when you take your own route.

[Lantley]

toedtoes wrote:
Problem with "avoid dirt roads" is that it then can't give you directions to your campground because the access road is dirt.

For me, the dirt roads weren't the problem - it was the instruction to go "off-road". There should never be a reason for a GPS to take you off-road (seriously, there was NO ROAD). Add that there was a perfectly acceptable paved road and state Highway that would get me there that the GPS never identified suggests that the GPS has no clue what a road is.

If you are in the desert, forest or off road situation,. Off Road maybe a viable option.
Again GPS and computers do not think. They are programmed!

[toedtoes]

Problem with "avoid dirt roads" is that it then can't give you directions to your campground because the access road is dirt.

For me, the dirt roads weren't the problem - it was the instruction to go "off-road". There should never be a reason for a GPS to take you off-road (seriously, there was NO ROAD). Add that there was a perfectly acceptable paved road and state Highway that would get me there that the GPS never identified suggests that the GPS has no clue what a road is.

[Bill_Satellite]

Be sure to go into the routing option and check the box to avoid Dirt Roads. This should help.

[bighatnohorse]

downtheroad wrote:
Go into the settings menu. You can program it to avoid dirt roads, avoid toll roads, avoid U-Turns, etc.

X2
Settings. . .look for Avoidance, then check "Dirt Roads".
That should keep you on the pavement.

[GordonThree]

SAR Tracker wrote:
A gps is only a single tool in your navigation toolbox. Don't throw ALL your trust into only one tool. Get familiar with maps of the area, as well.

amen to this

[jerseyjim]

Get a map book, combine it with , say, Bing maps (laptop) and go from there. IMO, these GPS systems are a PITA too many times. One..I used to have (Tom-Tom) didn't know about a shopping center that had been in existence for TWO YEARS!

Another wanted me to get off the highway to put me on a dirt road leading to a military facility ! I was just glad I know where I was.

Using a map book/Bing Maps...I traveled from NJ to Mesa Arizona (snowbird destination) and didn't miss a beat. Also used was the KOA directory and the GoodSam Travel Guide listing all the campgrounds along the way for overnights.(Altho I have used WalMarts for overnights, (twice) I was never comfortable...so much prefer a cg))

Problem today, as I see it, is that folks put too much trust in "gadgets" and the younger generation just do not know HOW to read a map. "Old" tech is sometimes alot batter than "new" tech.

Just me

[Ralph_Cramden]

Garmins database sucks as it relates to RVs once you get away from Interstates and highly traveled state secondary routes. It's almost worthless. You need to use it in combination with Google maps, a truckers atlas, and other means of research unless you want to find yourself up against a torn out bridge, a closed and gated road, or a low clearance overpass. It also shows some campgrounds miles away from where they actually are. The Garmin RV specific GPS is like intercourse with a condom or taking a shower fully clothed.

When they first announced the RVLMT 760 I pre ordered and paid the premium of $400. What a piece of garbage. I would sell it cheap, and it's still like new, if I could find it. I may have had a few too many one night and tossed it into the woods or something.

[SAR_Tracker]

A gps is only a single tool in your navigation toolbox. Don't throw ALL your trust into only one tool. Get familiar with maps of the area, as well.

[Lantley]

You need to ensure are the settings are correct do not just take it out of the box and plug it in. If you have not disabled dirt roads, shortest distance etc. it will not eliminate these routes on its own.
THE GPS is only as good as the data/commands it is given.