Rv GPS

ktmrfs wrote:
Does it have flaws???? Yes, the same as many GPS units. info on things like clearance etc. is derived from usually state supplied data. Which in some cases is bad. For example there is a tunnel on US 101 in oregon with a listed clearance of 10'6". However that is the corner of a round top in the bike lane, with 14"6" in the trafffic lane. So GIGO.

You know, I never took the data supplier into account. That makes sense that the GPS runs off the suppliers data input. Maybe I was too quick to judge the flaws of the Garmin.

The one thing I LOVE about the TomTom is it allows average users to correct the data from the device and it's uploaded to a server - from there, it's quickly approved by TomTom as being valid and available via USB update.

Whatever - Los Angeles is undergoing major freeway closures (the 405 for one) which is the main artery from the valley into the westside - which has always changing freeway onramp and offramp closures - the TomTom has been utterly flawless here!

Granted, I'm driving using the AUTO mode, but I am duly impressed at the accuracy of the closure and other road data.

I have a big flat dashboard on my Land Rover, so I'm going to put the Garmin to test again in a side by side with the TomTom on my next trips around town and on my next camping trip.

Thanks all for pointing out some of the benefits to the Garmin to me. Whichever unit I choose to use primarily, I'll always have a new backup unit in the event of breakage or theft.

WoodGlue

A few more comments about our Garmin RV760:

Another nice thing we like about the garmin RV760 is the dashboard. We can have it set up to show the route along with:
distance to next fuel station (I like this one)
distance to next rest stop (DW likes that one)
distance to next campground
Time to destination

The "where to" lets you add custom items to the where to so we have programed in things like:
grocery stores, banks, post office, pharmacies, rest areas, laundry services, hospitals, museums and a few others.
Then it's a quick one button selection to find these common points for us rather than a more detailed search.
Couple that with the bluetooth link and the weather, traffic, and road cameras it's great. And the bluetooth traffic is much better than the supplied traffic. covers way more areas and is much quicker to update.

For us a GPS is as much a "phone book" to find things along the way as it is a map. yes we definitely use routing, but the other stuff is what makes a GPS more valuable for us.

ktmrfs wrote:
We have the Garmin RV760, Used it this summer for about 2 months all over ID, WA, MT and Oregon. Overall, it does everything I expected and then some. the RV campground and services list is outstanding. Glad I waited till it came out and am happy with it.

Does it have flaws???? Yes, the same as many GPS units. info on things like clearance etc. is derived from usually state supplied data. Which in some cases is bad. For example there is a tunnel on US 101 in oregon with a listed clearance of 10'6". However that is the corner of a round top in the bike lane, with 14"6" in the trafffic lane. So GIGO.

Also wish it would let you put in trailer length and TV length rather than overall. there are some cases where max length is based on trailer length not overall length (E.g. Lolo pass in mt/id with a 45' max trailer length)

At least the Garmin will tell you what the restriction is if it tries to reroute you, so you can check what's going on.

So, it's a tool, and for us a valuable tool, but we still use a map and other road data.

x2, here. I bought the Garmin RV760 in August and my comments are essentially the same. Good unit, and really like the large screen. The ability to have it connect via bluetooth to my iPhone so I can display weather radar along the route is really nice. And the extra real estate on the screen allows a simultaneous display of freeway exits and lanes alongside the route is great. I also like the 'plain english' that the voice uses to give you instructions. Examples include things like, "Stay in either of the right two lanes". Much better than my older Garmin.

As mentioned above, though, while the routing will get you where you're going, one should always use a map for purposes of a 'sanity check'. From my observations, if running this unit in the RV mode, it will route you on roads for which it has RV information. Problem with this is that in some cases, this might not be the most direct route if it doesn't have that information. Had that happen to me on a trip in early September to Sleeping Bear Dunes (Platte River campground). In this case, I knew that the best route was to take the Platte River road, while Garming wanted to route me on a much smaller road winding along a lake front. I would have gotten their via this route, but it certainly wasn't the shortest or fastest.

All in all, I would definitely recommend this unit.

We have the Garmin RV760, Used it this summer for about 2 months all over ID, WA, MT and Oregon. Overall, it does everything I expected and then some. the RV campground and services list is outstanding. Glad I waited till it came out and am happy with it.

Does it have flaws???? Yes, the same as many GPS units. info on things like clearance etc. is derived from usually state supplied data. Which in some cases is bad. For example there is a tunnel on US 101 in oregon with a listed clearance of 10'6". However that is the corner of a round top in the bike lane, with 14"6" in the trafffic lane. So GIGO.

Also wish it would let you put in trailer length and TV length rather than overall. there are some cases where max length is based on trailer length not overall length (E.g. Lolo pass in mt/id with a 45' max trailer length)

At least the Garmin will tell you what the restriction is if it tries to reroute you, so you can check what's going on.

So, it's a tool, and for us a valuable tool, but we still use a map and other road data.

I am moving this thread to the Technology Corner forum so perhaps the OP may receive additional information and comments.

I have two Magellans, one a 7" and one 5". I regret them both.

Too many mis-directions, too many crazy, out-of-the-way routes, and despite a recent update, they STILL don't have the long-completed I-69 road in Indiana and they STILL don't have the subdivision I live in, which has been here at least 7 years. Every single mapping program I've looked at on my Kindle or iPhone has both.

Map updates are useless if they don't actually update the maps.

I really love my TomTom VIA RV 1605 - It's very RV specific!

It takes height, width, length and axles into consideration as parameters.

I also have the new Garmin RV specific GPS and it sucks! Led me under 2 overpasses below the specifics height that I wanted. I was in RV mode (without the RV) testing the unit and would call this a fatal flaw!

WoodGlue

All kinds of info on GPS's...just did a search and found these;

http://forums.woodalls.com/Index.cfm/fuseaction/search/parms/sw%7BRV%20gps%7D%7Ckm%7Bexact%7D%7Ckl%7Bm%7D%7Cfm%7B%7D%7Cpd%7B365%7D%7Cma%7B%7D/sr/1.cfm

I have the Garmin, no complains, love it.

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