Navigating app

[Robpar7577]

Hi all I’m new to caravanning and was wondering if anyone was using and good apps to help with navigation not taking you down tiny roads or lanes ect many thanks

 

[Mr Plodd]

Can't beat a purpose built camping Satnav.

 

[JRT]

Hi all I’m new to caravanning and was wondering if anyone was using and good apps to help with navigation not taking you down tiny roads or lanes ect many thanks

We used a Garmin Camper for a couple of seasons and then got rid. The theory is if you put your outfit dimensions in you will not be led up unsuitable roads. We found this is not the case at all. It will avoid certain 'pinch points' but it will take you down unsuitable roads. Complete waste of money IMHO.

We now use a combination of Google maps via Android Auto, street view and a Collins Trucker Atlas.

 

[Jcloughie]

My advice is to get a decent phone and the Co-Pilot camper app, about £26 per year. It works well and is a lot lot cheaper than a purpose made unit.

I don’t know, but it may work on your cars screen with Apple or Google play.

John

 

[Buckman]

We have the TomTom Camper and it is brilliant as you can input the dimensions of your outfit and it avoids those roads and also warns you that a road many be unsuitable. We also get warnings if exceeding the speed limit, warnings of speed cameras etc.

You can also choose between Car Only, Car and Caravan or Motorhome. Previous destinations are retained and the unit can be voice activated. It has to be one of the best on offer for towing a caravan.

 

[JRT]

We have the TomTom Camper and it is brilliant as you can input the dimensions of your outfit and it avoids those roads and also warns you that a road many be unsuitable. We also get warnings if exceeding the speed limit, warnings of speed cameras etc.

You can also choose between Car Only, Car and Caravan or Motorhome. Previous destinations are retained and the unit can be voice activated. It has to be one of the best on offer for towing a caravan.

I must have a look at one of those as our Garmin version was hopeless.

 

[PTA]

We have the TomTom Camper and it is brilliant as you can input the dimensions of your outfit and it avoids those roads and also warns you that a road many be unsuitable. We also get warnings if exceeding the speed limit, warnings of speed cameras etc.

You can also choose between Car Only, Car and Caravan or Motorhome. Previous destinations are retained and the unit can be voice activated. It has to be one of the best on offer for towing a caravan.

Ditto.Highly recommended.

 

[Bluetonic]

google street view, a real map and a list of instructions on paper is my go to.
I then have Waze on in the car as a bit of guidance and it's only usually the last bit of the journey that tries to take you down silly roads , at that point the sat nav gets turned off

 

[otherclive]

I used to load way points from Basecamp on the PC into my Garmin satnav on my preferred route. If the site gave landing instructions I would load waypoints for them also. I would also look at Streetview for the final approach familiarisation. Like others I would also have a good map book and fortunately my wife is very good at navigating from a map..

 

[Hutch]

I used to have a Snooper 2000, Caravan dedicated Sat Nav, fantastic, Snooper stopped Updates, 5 years plus years ago. Change to another Snooper no where near as good.

 

[Dustydog]

We discussed this topic to death on holiday last week. Still no wiser.
Why can’t I download Google earth , maps , Waze or Apple guide roads etc to my Touaregs in built sat nav.
The VW dealer wants £500 for the software upgrade and £150 labour. Sent them to the Foreign Office.
Looks like the latest Tom Toms May fit the bill for a caravanner . Yes you can programme on a safe route for a tugger.
Why don’t the cars own sat nav allow reprogramming?

 

[otherclive]

We discussed this topic to death on holiday last week. Still no wiser.
Why can’t I download Google earth , maps , Waze or Apple guide roads etc to my Touaregs in built sat nav.
The VW dealer wants £500 for the software upgrade and £150 labour. Sent them to the Foreign Office.
Looks like the latest Tom Toms May fit the bill for a caravanner . Yes you can programme on a safe route for a tugger.
Why don’t the cars own sat nav allow reprogramming?

That’s very expensive for the updates. I’ve just booked a Kia in fir service and an extra is Nav and infotainment update at £40. But I do it myself for free as it’s a download on to a 64 gb usb stick that I then insert into the cars data socket on the dash.

 

[Jcloughie]

Years ago manufacturers installed satnavs which were restricted to their own software. They were even much poorer than commercial satnavs and rarely updated and that was a long process sometimes having to be done by a main dealer.

For example, my 2013 Volvo wanted about £400 to update to a poor and slow satnav. But around 2016 Volvo saw how things were moving and provided free updates.

My current car has built in Satnav. It does not look bad, but I don’t use it. AirPlay allows far better satnavs which are continually updated and with traffic re-routing to be used. As do most, if not all recent cars.

Smart phones or dedicated satnavs are the way to go with older cars.

John

 

[JRT]

The nav on my 2018 Kuga stopped allowing over the air updates after about two years, down to something to do with a known issue that required a dealer visit to sort. It also developed an annoying tendancy to call out 'take the first exit' at roundabouts when in fact the correct exit (as shown on the screen) was the second. Damn annoying when it did it on busy roads in an unfamiliar area.

I guess I could have got it sorted under warranty but by then I was using Google maps which is miles better so I didn't bother.

 

[Buckman]

We discussed this topic to death on holiday last week. Still no wiser.
Why can’t I download Google earth , maps , Waze or Apple guide roads etc to my Touaregs in built sat nav.
The VW dealer wants £500 for the software upgrade and £150 labour. Sent them to the Foreign Office.
Looks like the latest Tom Toms May fit the bill for a caravanner . Yes you can programme on a safe route for a tugger.
Why don’t the cars own sat nav allow reprogramming?

We were quoted about the same for the Jeep. Apparently the software does more than updating the Satnav as it has other stuff linked to it. In the Jeep even if not using the Satnav you get a warning if exceeding the speed limit by 5mph.

 

[Beachball]

My new car got a Satnav and so far been brilliant took me on a route from home to wales we were there in 3 hours and twenty mins so far the dealer has updated it for me so i have given them a great customer feedback

 

[otherclive]

We were quoted about the same for the Jeep. Apparently the software does more than updating the Satnav as it has other stuff linked to it. In the Jeep even if not using the Satnav you get a warning if exceeding the speed limit by 5mph.

Is that all speed limits or just the national 70 mph one, or caravan 60 mph as 5 mph over could get you a ticket in limits of 40 mph and below. Speed limit controllers are now fitted in new cars to meet the impending EU regs for speed control. Cars coming into UK are being fitted but it’s not clear yet what the Governments approach will be. I suspect it will be to have them activated.

 

[Buckman]

Is that all speed limits or just the national 70 mph one, or caravan 60 mph as 5 mph over could get you a ticket in limits of 40 mph and below. Speed limit controllers are now fitted in new cars to meet the impending EU regs for speed control. Cars coming into UK are being fitted but it’s not clear yet what the Governments approach will be. I suspect it will be to have them activated.

All national limits. The user has the choice of setting the warning for 1, 2 3, 4,5 etc miles above the speed limit for the warning. Ours is set to 5mph which realistically is about 3mph above the speed limit. The TT Satnav warns toy, when you are one or two miles over the speed limit. If on the motorway towing and you exceed 60mph you get a warning. If solo warnings at 70mph.