Lokking on buying a sat nav that caters for caravan users,anyone got one or used one?which ones are any good?
caravan sat navs
- Thread starter Johnny5
- Start date
Hi Johnny 5
If you are looking for one that chooses the roads according to the vehicle I think you may be hard pressed to find one - I'm not sure they exist, but I may be wrong. Most sat nav companies buy their maps in from the same mapping companies, and the maps do not contain the information to enable them to decide whether a road is suitable for caravans.
Many of them let you choose the type of vehicle but it merely slows down the average speed, so you will notice it in the estimated time of arrival. On mine I choose the option for a bus (!) and this works out at about the right speed.
Hope this helps
Keith
If you are looking for one that chooses the roads according to the vehicle I think you may be hard pressed to find one - I'm not sure they exist, but I may be wrong. Most sat nav companies buy their maps in from the same mapping companies, and the maps do not contain the information to enable them to decide whether a road is suitable for caravans.
Many of them let you choose the type of vehicle but it merely slows down the average speed, so you will notice it in the estimated time of arrival. On mine I choose the option for a bus (!) and this works out at about the right speed.
Hope this helps
Keith
Hi,
I have a Garmin 1490T which works with the PC based Mapsource software. this allows you to preplan your caravan friendly route and then load it into the satnav. Although should you hit a diversion etc I don't rely on the satnav and then fall back onto my genarl knowledge of where I want to go and maps. i like the 1490T approach because it allows me the final choice of route. Going solo with a satnav I have been up lanes that have probably never seen a motor powered vehicle!!
I have a Garmin 1490T which works with the PC based Mapsource software. this allows you to preplan your caravan friendly route and then load it into the satnav. Although should you hit a diversion etc I don't rely on the satnav and then fall back onto my genarl knowledge of where I want to go and maps. i like the 1490T approach because it allows me the final choice of route. Going solo with a satnav I have been up lanes that have probably never seen a motor powered vehicle!!
Hi Johnny.There are a few on the market at the moment
The snooper S2000/S7000 truckmate series The TOM TOM GO 7000
& Pronav PNN-200 trucker & the Garmin Nuvi 465T although they are all in the
The snooper S2000/S7000 truckmate series The TOM TOM GO 7000
& Pronav PNN-200 trucker & the Garmin Nuvi 465T although they are all in the
look on the halfords website. http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/categorydisplay_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_categoryId_229906_langId_-1
Johnny
We bought a Pro-Nav off e-bay last year and really like it
Still check on Google mapping and street view but have found it to be really reliable.
Only quible is, as with a few other sat-navs it can get glare across the screen.
Tom
We bought a Pro-Nav off e-bay last year and really like it
Still check on Google mapping and street view but have found it to be really reliable.
Only quible is, as with a few other sat-navs it can get glare across the screen.
Tom
We have a Tom Tom 910 a few years old now but it is brilliant. We select the Fastest route with Motorways with the caravan and have not been let down yet all over Western and Eastern Europe. In our old Mio we always put Lorry in and had no problems either.
Here's some input input Johnny 5.
I've used a Garmin i3 and now a tom tom XL.
On both, I've set them to truck for vehicle preference and fastest route, so that they generally pick routes with no low bridges or steep hills or narrow roads. That is unless there is no alternative.
But as usual you do have to treat sat navs with some caution. Mine was having a hissy fit navigating me round the M6 A34 interchange at Brum yesterday. It just couldn't tell me where to go in enough time even when doing 20 mph on the roundabout. Got it right third time round!!
So treat nav's as an aid rather than an asset and do your home work on a paper map as well, because when the nav dies, you'll need the map!!
Atb Steve L.
I've used a Garmin i3 and now a tom tom XL.
On both, I've set them to truck for vehicle preference and fastest route, so that they generally pick routes with no low bridges or steep hills or narrow roads. That is unless there is no alternative.
But as usual you do have to treat sat navs with some caution. Mine was having a hissy fit navigating me round the M6 A34 interchange at Brum yesterday. It just couldn't tell me where to go in enough time even when doing 20 mph on the roundabout. Got it right third time round!!
So treat nav's as an aid rather than an asset and do your home work on a paper map as well, because when the nav dies, you'll need the map!!
Atb Steve L.
Selecting lorry/truck setting ect will Only adjust the estimated arrival time & journy times. fastest route wil usualy keep you off B & smaller roads but can still put you in awkward positions if your not carfull
As tony says, steve. neither of those sat navs have built in avoidance for low bridges, although you can download POI's to sound a warning of low bridges,ect, but this will only warn you, they will not divert around as they do not have that programming built in.....
Hi ME.
Sorry to contardict you, but I am speaking from actual experience of using both sat navs.
They are both updated every 6 months, so i guess the mapping info may be far superior to the original data.
Atb steve L.
Sorry to contardict you, but I am speaking from actual experience of using both sat navs.
They are both updated every 6 months, so i guess the mapping info may be far superior to the original data.
Atb steve L.
I should also add thta, I drive 25'000 miles per annum leisure.
Also when I'm working, I do another 45'000 miles on top of that.
I've used both navs for both aspects of driving and while the instantly noticable feature is an increase in time for the journey taking into account road speeds for trucks, ther are route differences as the truck/bus setting utilises more trunk roads where available and as a consequence of this avoidance of low bridges as trunk roads generally don't have bridges under 15ft 9" high.
Also as said before. One should not assume that tom is god! You do have to use your eyes and brain to determine if you are going down the road or is it a farm track (C class road), that your sat nav has decided is the shortest route.
While I can get to within 10 miles of 99% of destinations using my knowledge of the uk, I do double check on a map to see that I'm thinking of the right route.
I do jokingly call our sat nav's "pratt nav's", purely because they do make mistakes in the directions for instance and to be quite honest if you solely rely on sat nav then you could be called the joke word espicially if you turn into roads that blaitently are not correct. My TOM TOM has tried to send me the wrong way around roundabouts, but of coarse I don't believe it, would you?
An extreme example of people relying on electronics was when I crewed a yacht. It had every electronic gizmo you could think of. But when an electrical fire wiped out the toys, the skipper didn't have a clue what to do, as they didn't have a compass. I had one in my survival knife, which we used to limp back to port. I also made a depth sounder from a ball of string and a weight. The string was knotted every metre to show depth of water as the echo sounder wasn't working either.
So toys are good, but still use brain and eyesight too.
Atb Steve L.
Also when I'm working, I do another 45'000 miles on top of that.
I've used both navs for both aspects of driving and while the instantly noticable feature is an increase in time for the journey taking into account road speeds for trucks, ther are route differences as the truck/bus setting utilises more trunk roads where available and as a consequence of this avoidance of low bridges as trunk roads generally don't have bridges under 15ft 9" high.
Also as said before. One should not assume that tom is god! You do have to use your eyes and brain to determine if you are going down the road or is it a farm track (C class road), that your sat nav has decided is the shortest route.
While I can get to within 10 miles of 99% of destinations using my knowledge of the uk, I do double check on a map to see that I'm thinking of the right route.
I do jokingly call our sat nav's "pratt nav's", purely because they do make mistakes in the directions for instance and to be quite honest if you solely rely on sat nav then you could be called the joke word espicially if you turn into roads that blaitently are not correct. My TOM TOM has tried to send me the wrong way around roundabouts, but of coarse I don't believe it, would you?
An extreme example of people relying on electronics was when I crewed a yacht. It had every electronic gizmo you could think of. But when an electrical fire wiped out the toys, the skipper didn't have a clue what to do, as they didn't have a compass. I had one in my survival knife, which we used to limp back to port. I also made a depth sounder from a ball of string and a weight. The string was knotted every metre to show depth of water as the echo sounder wasn't working either.
So toys are good, but still use brain and eyesight too.
Atb Steve L.
Steve I totaly agree with you BUT the lorry truck settings do not take in to consideration the length height or weight of the vehicle in planning a route.The fast / quickest settings do tend to use the m/way main roads there by in the main safer for larger vehicles.
as an extra. on a standard sat nav if due to missing a turn off & it has to plan a reroute it will do it regardless of road sizes/obstructions,& this is where many vanners/truckers come unstuck
This is what HGV friendly satnav's attempt to avoid
Steve contradict me all you like, when your wrong you are wrong no matter how you try to put it.
And telling me you do this miles or that makes no difference what so ever.
The Facts are both tom tom and garmin standard units do not take you around "low bridges" as you clearly said in your first post, and many A roads do indeed have bridges that are under 15'9.
As for updating your unit every 6 months!
Firstly Garmin is crap for doing this! and the only function available to anyone[bar the new 1690 model or new models out this year] is to update your map Yearly at a cost of about
And telling me you do this miles or that makes no difference what so ever.
The Facts are both tom tom and garmin standard units do not take you around "low bridges" as you clearly said in your first post, and many A roads do indeed have bridges that are under 15'9.
As for updating your unit every 6 months!
Firstly Garmin is crap for doing this! and the only function available to anyone[bar the new 1690 model or new models out this year] is to update your map Yearly at a cost of about
To be quite frank.
I'm not about to enter into arguments about satnav's there's enough road rage and other uncontrolled teprementals out in the motoring world.
All I can say is what I have works fine for me and has done for many years. So from a long term experiance point of view using those settings hasn't presented a problem yet and I've extensively travelled Wales and the Highlands without the need to turn back due to a mis direction from my sat nav's.
Probably this has happened because I read maps and read road signs and think ahead.
Sat navs are excellent tools but there is a good computer saying, "Garbage In Garbage Out".
Unless you put grid referrence co-ordinates into a sat nav (gps), post code references are only as good as the info given. You sometimes find people giving a slightly different post code to their alloted one, this is because they have found that sat navs get the user closer by using the modified post code.
One such example is Fforestfields camp site, where the campsite is some way from the owners farmhouse, and if one uses the farm post code you can get stuck in a narrow lane.
Atb Steve L.
I'm not about to enter into arguments about satnav's there's enough road rage and other uncontrolled teprementals out in the motoring world.
All I can say is what I have works fine for me and has done for many years. So from a long term experiance point of view using those settings hasn't presented a problem yet and I've extensively travelled Wales and the Highlands without the need to turn back due to a mis direction from my sat nav's.
Probably this has happened because I read maps and read road signs and think ahead.
Sat navs are excellent tools but there is a good computer saying, "Garbage In Garbage Out".
Unless you put grid referrence co-ordinates into a sat nav (gps), post code references are only as good as the info given. You sometimes find people giving a slightly different post code to their alloted one, this is because they have found that sat navs get the user closer by using the modified post code.
One such example is Fforestfields camp site, where the campsite is some way from the owners farmhouse, and if one uses the farm post code you can get stuck in a narrow lane.
Atb Steve L.
I really must invest in an echo sounder for use in my car, I could do with one to measure the depth of the potholes, or maybe I could make one like Steve did.
Steve, did you have a meter measure and a ball of string in your survival knife or did you measure each meter by navigating from the stars ?
Steve, did you have a meter measure and a ball of string in your survival knife or did you measure each meter by navigating from the stars ?
Not arguing with you steve.Arrogant i maybe, but this statement by you is incorrect.
"On both, I've set them to truck for vehicle preference and fastest route, so that they generally pick routes with no low bridges or steep hills or narrow roads. That is unless there is no alternative."
And lets be honest do we really want new be's to sat navs with all there ilks getting misleading advice?
because putting it politely, the sat navs you mention and indeed all run of the mill sat navs do not avoid low bridges, steep hills or narrow roads.
But As I stated earlier you can download POI,s that will warn you of these things, but still will not divert you around them.
For tom tom users, try "tom tom home" most of these POIs are free.
"On both, I've set them to truck for vehicle preference and fastest route, so that they generally pick routes with no low bridges or steep hills or narrow roads. That is unless there is no alternative."
And lets be honest do we really want new be's to sat navs with all there ilks getting misleading advice?
because putting it politely, the sat navs you mention and indeed all run of the mill sat navs do not avoid low bridges, steep hills or narrow roads.
But As I stated earlier you can download POI,s that will warn you of these things, but still will not divert you around them.
For tom tom users, try "tom tom home" most of these POIs are free.
Navman in general is crap,mine went out the window going over the cat and fiddle along with the freakin windscreen.These efforts blow my brains taking you the wrong way all the time.We were having a bad day though!
I didn't use the stars Drserento, just my brain. If you have a boat that need's 2 Mtrs of water to float in, then you need to measure the depth of water some how. The average chart table is about 1 Mtr long, hence the measurement method. Then if you have three knots in the water your boat floats!!
The point I'm making is, do not rely solely on electronic gizmo's that inevitably go west when you need them most. Keep your map reading skills up because you'll need them one day.
In our household, we have laptops, Iphones, sat nav's and good old maps well this years model from a pound shop. All the toys are good in their own right, but you can't beat using the brain and a paper map.
If you aren't proficient at map reading try using it in conjunction with your sat nav. it's not the perfect way to learn but it does beat joining the Scouts at 45 when the rest of the troop are 30 years younger.
I'm trying desperately to keep this subject light hearted and in formative, but there are some who seem to want to duck below the line.
ATB TTFN
Steve L.
The point I'm making is, do not rely solely on electronic gizmo's that inevitably go west when you need them most. Keep your map reading skills up because you'll need them one day.
In our household, we have laptops, Iphones, sat nav's and good old maps well this years model from a pound shop. All the toys are good in their own right, but you can't beat using the brain and a paper map.
If you aren't proficient at map reading try using it in conjunction with your sat nav. it's not the perfect way to learn but it does beat joining the Scouts at 45 when the rest of the troop are 30 years younger.
I'm trying desperately to keep this subject light hearted and in formative, but there are some who seem to want to duck below the line.
ATB TTFN
Steve L.
Steve in leo,
I find your last post most offensive as I myself am over your stated age and have been a member of the scouting association for many years as a scout leader.
I would suggest that you stick to the subject of the forum without finding the need to have a go at us members of society that contribute in a constructive and useful way to the education of young people keen to learn a variety of skills.
young people of today have a very bad press, comments such as your do little to help!!
I find your last post most offensive as I myself am over your stated age and have been a member of the scouting association for many years as a scout leader.
I would suggest that you stick to the subject of the forum without finding the need to have a go at us members of society that contribute in a constructive and useful way to the education of young people keen to learn a variety of skills.
young people of today have a very bad press, comments such as your do little to help!!
"informative" I think everybody is trying to do that steve,it seems being corrected in the name of being informative is something you seem to have trouble with accepting.
Now on the subject of sat navs having problems and then its a good idea to have a map as back up, nice idea, good idea, but still it has its flaws. we have expensive very good scale truckers maps, and guess what, they have faults with some of their bridge heights being wrong, and in the wrong way too. old 52 through Grantham springs to mind the book says 13"6, and the bridge is actually 11"6" ! Its a fault in the 2007 and not corrected in the 2010 version!
So regardless of whether one is capable of reading a map or not,problems can still arise.
Now on the subject of sat navs having problems and then its a good idea to have a map as back up, nice idea, good idea, but still it has its flaws. we have expensive very good scale truckers maps, and guess what, they have faults with some of their bridge heights being wrong, and in the wrong way too. old 52 through Grantham springs to mind the book says 13"6, and the bridge is actually 11"6" ! Its a fault in the 2007 and not corrected in the 2010 version!
So regardless of whether one is capable of reading a map or not,problems can still arise.
Appologies there tony,
I was simply trying to point out that all the gizmo's under the sun are useless if people don't use their brains and evaluate situations. Also reliance on electronics makes people lazy. Using good traditional map reading and orienteering skills does no body any harm.
Steve L.
Facebook
Twitter