Caravan specific sat-nav

[Mark31415]

We currently use a tomtom, a road map and common sense but from time to time we still find ourselves faced with a width restriction, tight village corner or other such problem when avoiding big traffic jams or on the last bit of a run. Purpose made caravan satnavs are upwards of £300. It seems you can add the function to some specific tomtom models to take size, weight etc into consideration but not all.

I have found quite a few no-name satnavs on ebay which report to be able to route appropriately for car, van, truck, caravan, ambulance! etc but come in at £40 - £100 which could be just the job.

Example link to ebay

Anyone got any experience of these? Statements like "we update maps about every 6 months" are a tad vague. Or just more honest than we are used to.

I'm not expecting the full tomtom/garmin user experience but tryign to avoid drama on our impending Euro-tour.

Anyone got any real-life experience of these?

 

[otherclive]

I’d stay away from the cheapies as they probably dont even start off with a suitable set of maps. I use a Garmin which can be programmed on the PC using Basecamp. That allows me to input my exact route even down to ensuring that you are on the correct carriageway on m ways. Get that wrong when heading north and it will keep trying to put you onto the southbound way point if that’s the next one placed in error. Basecamp has options for RV and truck but I prefer to research my own route.

I supplement the Garmin with a phone mapping set up but this is very much a back up. When researching the route I find Streetview invaluable particularly when making our landing approach. And being a risk averse sort I carry maps and sometimes like when abroad printouts of the route from Google or Michelin.

Where my approach has a weakness is if I have to make a detour it doesn’t show me caravan friendly options which one of the custom made satnavs would do. So no matter what the Garmin tells me could be a good diversion to avoid a hold up I stick to the planned route unless events make it impossible. Fingers crossed it’s worked since I got my first satnav many years ago when self programming from the home PC was a rarity.

 

[Hutch]

I have an old (10 year) Snooper Truckmate which has proved to be great, but do not punch in the actual size of the tug and caravan . As it will take you down roads that wide, So I put into the Snooper Caravan and tug 15 meters and 4. 3 meters wide. And it worked well in the south of France detoured some bad roads which we done without the caravan.It has all the C&C , C&CM , Bord, Acsi and other caravan sites. I should think the new model is really good.
Hutch.

 

[Craigyoung]

We have the caravan motorhome tom tom sat nav , inputs your length width etc and its never taken us down a wrong road yet or to narrow a road , use it all the time and abroad and gives you seconds countdown to your final destination .
Like you say its £3oo plus but we were lucky as it was a joint Christmas present for us a few years ago . Well worth it .

 

[Dodger524]

None of the SatNavs "know" the width of a road. They are programmed to pick up legal width, height and weight restrictions together with speed limits only. They are a driving aid, nothing more.

I use a CoPilot caravan version into which I have programed dimensions and speeds etc. I find the best option is to choose the fastest route and then review final approaches to site on Google Earth in conjunction with the site's directions.

 

[Craigyoung]

None of the SatNavs "know" the width of a road.....
I find the best option is to choose the fastest route and then review final approaches to site on Google Earth ......

I never said that my satnav "knows" the width of the road , I just merely said that I've input my width length and height as its asked and the sat nav does the rest , I like you also look at the final approach roads before I leave for a site if I'm not familiar with it.

Edit ; quickest way is not always the best way as when we were at the Peak District a good few years ago (Castleton) and we were going for a drive without the caravan I put it on Carmode and it took us to the most thinnest of country lanes I have ever been through and gradient off banks, I wouldn't off gettin through with the caravan on the back !
So even when we are away now I keep it on caravan mode for the safest roads.

 

[otherclive]

None of the SatNavs "know" the width of a road.....
I find the best option is to choose the fastest route and then review final approaches to site on Google Earth ......

I never said that my satnav "knows" the width of the road , I just merely said that I've input my width length and height as its asked and the sat nav does the rest , I like you also look at the final approach roads before I leave for a site if I'm not familiar with it.

Edit ; quickest way is not always the best way as when we were at the Peak District a good few years ago (Castleton) and we were going for a drive without the caravan I put it on Carmode and it took us to the most thinnest of country lanes I have ever been through and gradient off banks, I wouldn't off gettin through with the caravan on the back !
So even when we are away now I keep it on caravan mode for the safest roads.

Craig
You are absolutely right about satnav shortcomings. In particular they can lead you up narrow country lanes which may be the shortest route and quickest too as in rural areas the satnav is computing the route based on all options being on roads subject to the 60 mph speed limit. So the shortest route wins irrespective of how narrow it is. I too use Google and maps to recce the area in particular the approach to a site and I always use the sites recommended route in.

 

[Mark31415]

Co-pilot caravan edition looks promising. Is it as useable as a tomtom? I was considering installing it on an old 7" tablet and having it as a slightly bigger satnav as it would be too small on my phone.

Do you know if buying it gives you a login you can use on multiple devices or is it one license per device. eg, if I wanted it on my tablet and mobile, would I need to buy it twice?

 

[otherclive]

Co-pilot caravan edition looks promising. Is it as useable as a tomtom? I was considering installing it on an old 7" tablet and having it as a slightly bigger satnav as it would be too small on my phone.

Do you know if buying it gives you a login you can use on multiple devices or is it one license per device. eg, if I wanted it on my tablet and mobile, would I need to buy it twice?

Try this link which gives you all you want to know.

http://www.geomatic.com.cy/index.php?link=copilot_support.php

 

[Dodger524]

I find it as easy to use as any other satnav that I have owned, which included TomTom and Garman. The tablet or phone needs a GPS facility, not all iPads do.
I have it installed on my iPad and iPhone so no limitation there but since my phone is a 5s the screen is too small for comfort, at least for me. That's the reason I brought an old mini iPad as it has an 8 inch screen so it's nice and clear.
Apart from entering your rig's dimensions you can also set your road preferences and also your average speeds for each road type, something I guess you can do with all the latest satnavs.
You can also set different preference programs for different vehicles, again a useful feature.
Otherclive has given you a link, see what you think.

 

[RayS]

I had a 'caravan specif' unit for some years and found it untrustworthy both in route selection and in having updated maps despite updating frequently.
I now have a basic Gramin which is much better for updates but of course does not have caravan option or indeed traffic warnings.
Map updates are pretty good for UK but less so for Western Europe as a fully updated unit continues to tell me I am 'off road' on the main Zaragoza to Valencia autovia which has been fully open for around 6 years.
Also , on a simple 40 mile trip to Bristol Airport recently the unit instructed us to ' turn left' at a point where there had not been and was not a left hand turn - even a field gate - for some miles before and after the instruction.. and this on an A class road.

Fortunately my memory is still good even though my eyesight is less so and I can usually remember a route after driving it once, so not a major problem if acting as a navigator, but worrying when the driver is on her own.

 

[pind]

I use Sygic Truck GPS Navigation app, that has also Camper/RV option: http://www.sygic.com/truck-gps-navigation/caravan

 

[chrisbee1]

I have a Caravan Club version of Snooper programmed with the outfit dimensions and weight. It's generally pretty good but sometimes does strange things. Going to an alternative site in Austria it took me halfway up a mountain then down the other side on a narrow road. If I'd stayed on the autoroute till the next exit, about 6 kms, I could of seen the site when I'd turned off. Might have been slightly further but definitely quicker and much easier drive than the one snooper gave me.

 

[RayS]

Even with 'caravan specific' units it's a good idea to check the route before actually driving it - you can usually do this at least by looking at a the map display.. Sometimes they do odd things like taking you through town centres when a few more miles would have kept you on 4 lane.
With 'ordinary' devices, i try to plan and then store routes ahead of time, using Google Maps to sort out the route in general and then going step by step though it. I could wish Garmin made it a bit easier to use their 'Junction' feature though.
Also use Google earth to see the site entries and sometimes Street View to see exactly what the road signs have on them.
Much less stressful to do at home or on site than in the middle of the autoroute.

 

[otherclive]

Even with 'caravan specific' units it's a good idea to check the route before actually driving it - you can usually do this at least by looking at a the map display.. Sometimes they do odd things like taking you through town centres when a few more miles would have kept you on 4 lane.
With 'ordinary' devices, i try to plan and then store routes ahead of time, using Google Maps to sort out the route in general and then going step by step though it. I could wish Garmin made it a bit easier to use their 'Junction' feature though.
Also use Google earth to see the site entries and sometimes Street View to see exactly what the road signs have on them.
Much less stressful to do at home or on site than in the middle of the autoroute.

Have you tried pre programming the Garmin on a computer using Garmin Basecamp software? I find it very useful as you can waypoint to ensure you keep on the four lane rather than city Center. But as you I still use Streetview and Earth for familaring myself with the general route. Pity there’s not any easy way to insert the Basecamp POI into Google or Michelin maps. But I find it quicker to look st Basecamp and edit Google or Michelin accordingly.