Best Satnav option

[Sianryan]

Well i bit the bullet and bought my first van - a 2009 Bailey Senator California -so quite a big beast for someone who has never towed before! Now i want to make sure i can get to places safely and dont trust my cars inbuilt satnav (Audi Q5) as even in just the vehicle i sometimes wonder if i will make it down some of the roads it directs me too, would be deadly when towing! So, whats the best option for a satnav to be used with a caravan to make sure i dont end up on inappropriate roads please?

Thanks

 

[Billwizzer]

Sat nav for H.G.V is the best way to go I reckon, best be over careful than over sized .

 

[Parksy]

Hi Sianryan, congratulations on buying your first tourer
No doubt you will receive all kinds of good advice, but for towing I use a Garmin 760 LMT which has a car and caravan setting to keep you away from things like low bridges and will help you to find most caravan sites.
Prices for this model can vary, if you wanted to buy one keep a sharp eye on your local Aldi supermarket, that particular model satnav is often heavily discounted at Aldi Click Here to read more
Although I use a satnav I never fail to check an unfamiliar route using Google Earth on my computer beforehand. Google Earth can highlight places where the satnav might deviate from a wider or easier route and the street view on Google Earth can highlight signs to look for leading to site entrances because it can be easy to miss details when towing on unfamiliar roads.
As with any sat nav, always have a road map with you just in case, and a route print off from Google Earth can help with checking way points on longer journeys.

 

[Martin24]

I'm sorry if I'm repeating myself but I only ever use Mrs B and her trusty map.

 

[pensioner]

I asked a similar question, but on a particular make and model, ( which has gone back and waiting for a refund ) so I will be following this topic with interest.

 

[JonnyG]

I'm sorry if I'm repeating myself but I only ever use Mrs B and her trusty map.

nothing wrong with that after all a journey is an adventure and even sat navs aren't fool proof.. having said that , since last July my sat nav told me their were delays at dover ,yep should have checked the news but it was amazing how it got my into the port with very little queuing except the last mile that i only missed one crossing the 8am full of passengers who had missed 2. later on the same trip it told me to get off the A2 in Switzerland 10 miles before the san gartard tunnel due to several hours of tailbacks... on my return journey when trying to head cross country near saverne in france being told a major road was closed and able to avoid an awful de tour as it re routed me.. and when getting off the ferry on my return early August the massive delay upto the M25 Dartford crossing due to cows on the motorway and accidents, took me awaysfrom all the hold ups onto the M25 clockwise away from Dartford. still last year telling me several times to..get off the M1 at junction to go around hold ups .taking me on and off the M25 m11 a14 only later on most occasions finding out there were good reasons to do so.... yes a map is good a good sat nav is priceless

 

[Sianryan]

:cheer: Martin24: Unless Mrs B is for hire then not going to help in my case im afraid!

 

[ProfJohnL]

:cheer: Martin24: Unless Mrs B is for hire then not going to help in my case im afraid!

Have you asked Martin if hes open to offers?

 

[Martin24]

I can assure you all that she's very expensive to run and a top level sat nav would be much cheaper to run. Just ask our jeweller.

 

[otherclive]

I'm sorry if I'm repeating myself but I only ever use Mrs B and her trusty map.

nothing wrong with that after all a journey is an adventure and even sat navs aren't fool proof.. having said that , since last July my sat nav told me their were delays at dover ,yep should have checked the news but it was amazing how it got my into the port with very little queuing except the last mile that i only missed one crossing the 8am full of passengers who had missed 2. later on the same trip it told me to get off the A2 in Switzerland 10 miles before the san gartard tunnel due to several hours of tailbacks... on my return journey when trying to head cross country near saverne in france being told a major road was closed and able to avoid an awful de tour as it re routed me.. and when getting off the ferry on my return early August the massive delay upto the M25 Dartford crossing due to cows on the motorway and accidents, took me awaysfrom all the hold ups onto the M25 clockwise away from Dartford. still last year telling me several times to..get off the M1 at junction to go around hold ups .taking me on and off the M25 m11 a14 only later on most occasions finding out there were good reasons to do so.... yes a map is good a good sat nav is priceless

What satnav do you use. My Garmin is programmable on the PC and does show traffic hold ups, but I have always been cautious of allowing it to divert me from the programmed route when towing the caravan. That's because it may take me down an unsuitable road, so unless my "co-pilot" can confirm any detour I generally stay on the programmed route. Although in Uk whilst in transit I am sufficiently aware of the various routes around me on M and A roads, but it's the B and minor roads that I would need co-pilot authority to proceed along.

 

[Hutch]

I have an old Snooper 2000, I update the maps every 6 months , fully programable with 4 different size caravans/ trailers. I have it set for a unit 12 meters long, and 4000 kgs weight. It has CC, CandCC, ACSI Bord And Camper stop, all pre programed. It has performed excellent all over UK and Europe. But I still try and check on google earth if possible the route.
I did last year decide to ignore the route it planned as it was taking me about 30 miles away from and then back to the site in France. I should have taken the advised route as I had to climb an extremly steep and high mountain road for about 10 miles, the car struggled especially as the temp was in the 30+c. The route it planned was relativly gentle and very do able.

 

[pensioner]

The problem ( if you can call it that ) that I'm having is that certain outlets have certain models and you seldom find the same model in 2 outlets, plus there are so many to choose from it's mind boggling.

Plus if your silly enough to go on to the manufacturers website the prices are often 15 to 20 percent higher.

 

[JonnyG]

The problem ( if you can call it that ) that I'm having is that certain outlets have certain models and you seldom find the same model in 2 outlets, plus there are so many to choose from it's mind boggling.

Plus if your silly enough to go on to the manufacturers website the prices are often 15 to 20 percent higher.

hi pensioner, can i ask what model of sat nav you had and why you sent it back? i assume a priority for you is that it has a caravan option? and i don't mean just a button that gives you the options of car walk caravan,ect .but one that you can put your dimensions into ? or is that not a priority.

 

[Sianryan]

I dont have a co-pilot, well not one that can read a map as she is of the four-legged variety so although i can check prior to departure, i need something pretty reliable once on the road as ive no other real input!

 

[emmerson]

Whilst I accept that sat-nav is a great aid to travel, it is not the be-all, end-all! We all covered many thousands of miles before they were invented, using common sense and maps.
I do have one, in fact I'm now on my third one, and do find it helpful for lone travel, but otherwise rely on Herself and a map.
Back a few years ago my Anne-nav plotted us around Paris, with caravan, using only a map, and we never put a wheel wrong. She does use the sat-nav as back-up now, as her old eyes aren't as quick as they used to be!

 

[Martin24]

Hope she's cheaper to run than mine :woohoo:

 

[emmerson]

Are any of them cheap to run, Martin?
She's quite fast too. 0 - jewelers in 0.3 seconds on birthdays!

 

[Martin24]

I think mine primes the jewellers before I make my trip in.

 

[Thingy]

Just a little tip and one I always use, especially if a site gives a DO NOT APPROACH FROM warning,

GOOGLEMAPS is your friend.

Mostly the journeys down on A roads are pretty straight forward, but if you arent sure, it doesnt hurt to use googlemaps to check the lanes for the approach. As you know, you can zoom right in to "walk the route".

Just my tip for the day B)

 

[pensioner]

JonnyG,,
the sat nav I bought was the one advertised in Practical Caravan, a full page spread. It has lots of good features as well as a camera but I felt it just wasn't up to my needs.

 

[RayS]

No easy answer. i've had a satnav 'specifically for caravans' and constantly updated ( better not mention the brand) that still did not know the Zaragoza to Valencia autovia had been completed many years previously and directed us through a town centre which had been pedestrianised at least 7 years previously. Wonderful.
Now replaced with basic Garmin but plan and enter my routes at home or site using Google earth to check the junctions etc. Even ths lets you down, e.g the view of the junction M5 to Cribbs Causeway in Bristol is way out of date.

General advice is to plan and enter a route but if you come to a junction where satnav says one way and signed HGV rpute says another, ignore the satnav.

 

[Hutch]

Just got an Email today from Snooper, £100 trade in for my old 2000, new one would come with all the ACSI, Cand CC , C anMH, camper Halt, Bord, etc. I shall see the price, But I dought I will change. Just pre look at Google maps.

 

[Hutch]

Just looked at the website the new S8100 7 " screen, come with Freeview TV built in, at £399•99 but I would get £100 off. No thanks wait for this one to break down. Always have the map and the car satnav, the phone and the Tablet, to back up.

 

[Dodger524]

I use the CoPilot app on an iPad. Fully programable with your rig details and at £50 is very good value if you already have a tablet to instal it on.

https://copilotgps.com/en-gb/caravan-navigation/

 

[JonnyG]

I'm sorry if I'm repeating myself but I only ever use Mrs B and her trusty map.

nothing wrong with that after all a journey is an adventure and even sat navs aren't fool proof.. having said that , since last July my sat nav told me their were delays at dover ,yep should have checked the news but it was amazing how it got my into the port with very little queuing except the last mile that i only missed one crossing the 8am full of passengers who had missed 2. later on the same trip it told me to get off the A2 in Switzerland 10 miles before the san gartard tunnel due to several hours of tailbacks... on my return journey when trying to head cross country near saverne in france being told a major road was closed and able to avoid an awful de tour as it re routed me.. and when getting off the ferry on my return early August the massive delay upto the M25 Dartford crossing due to cows on the motorway and accidents, took me awaysfrom all the hold ups onto the M25 clockwise away from Dartford. still last year telling me several times to..get off the M1 at junction to go around hold ups .taking me on and off the M25 m11 a14 only later on most occasions finding out there were good reasons to do so.... yes a map is good a good sat nav is priceless

What satnav do you use. My Garmin is programmable on the PC and does show traffic hold ups, but I have always been cautious of allowing it to divert me from the programmed route when towing the caravan. That's because it may take me down an unsuitable road, so unless my "co-pilot" can confirm any detour I generally stay on the programmed route. Although in Uk whilst in transit I am sufficiently aware of the various routes around me on M and A roads, but it's the B and minor roads that I would need co-pilot authority to proceed along.

forgive the extremely late response, otherclive" i somehow missed your post . i too have co pilot on my phone had it about 6 years, and for the last 2 years have also had the "new tom tom" phone app,although on my samsung the tom tom started to play up if i downloaded western europe .for now it only has the uk and works fine . As daft as it may sound if co pilot went 3D like so many have i'd not have bothered with Tom Tom.. but having both does have advantages when planning a route as you have 3 optional routes with each and they don't always tally with each other so giving you more options...Tom Tom is actually better set up for rerouting .As you drive along a double green arrow appears on the side showing you,that you have 2 options and telling you the time difference although not ideal for towing as unlike co pilot it doesn't have the options of hgv, caravan, car bike ,motorcycle, walk .. like you i know my way around but i dont know what lies a head ie heavy traffic long road work delays, accidents ect and for me thats where a decent sat nav comes into its own and for that it has to have good live services .Tom Tom i believe has the best live services/ rerouting .that's not to say co pilot live services and rerouting isn't OK , i believe Tom Tom has more data and a prompter service ,or at least it did have..