Sat Nav for Vanners

[mickk]

Hi all

Road Pro have a Sat Nav out for Lorry drivers & Cararvan users

large screen about £190.00

Mick K.

 

[Oldsalt49]

I usually use my missus and a good road atlas, but like my Tomtom she still sends me down the wrong road.

 

[nelmo]

I'd be suprised if it worked like you expected. Current systems aimed at lorries only allow for slower speeds and I believe there is one that allows for height restrictions - neither will help you avoid narrow lanes, which is the biggest problem with normal sat-navs for caravanners.

As far as I am aware, of the main companies that create the maps that all satnavs use (Navteq is one, there's a couple of others), none record road widths, which is what you need to route around narrow lanes.

This RoadPro might be something different but I would recommend not rushing out to buy it until you've seen a review confirming it works as you'd hope.

 

[Sedo]

Mick

As I've said in another post I've just swapped my Navman for a Pro-Nav which I bought off ebay.

It's virtually the same as you're qouting on the RoadPro.

You install the rig's length, width height etc. and works out the route.

I downloaded all the Caravan Club sites off the Club site and hey presto it gives you the route, and yes they have been better suited routes up to press.

You also don't get the dreaded do a u turn, it just diverts to a suitable route.

Hasn't given me any narrow roads up to press either, in fact on a recent trip to the Southport site, it took us right into the pitch, friends with their Tom Tom got a bit of wonky on in Southport.

Put it like this I'm well pleased overall.

Tom

 

[Oldsalt49]

Mick K,

I have a Tomtom and sometimes I have been sent down some rather frightening roads or lanes solo. I have not used it when caravanning yet. I think I would check the route out on google earth first and note any problem areas and avoid. My OH sits with an atlas and she want let me go down any roads that are white on the map. I think the trucker based satnav's would be a great help if we are able to trust in them.

 

[Woody3]

Have a look at the ProNav units sold by Maplin at

http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?moduleno=224464
or the Pro Nav manufacturers page at

http://www.pronav.co.uk/
You will see that they very specifically state that they are for HGV, LCV, and caravans. They also do a special for disabled drivers that show where parking is etc.

Note that the 'special facilites' can be turned off so that your ProNav will emulate a TT - if you must!

At last it looks as though a company is making satnavs do what they should have been doing for years.

 

[Steve L]

I have a TOM TOM and a Garmin i3.

Both of these are quite good and can easily be adapted for caravan use, if you select truck/bus in your vehicle options.

The most dangerous foible I came across was with the Tom Tom. The mapping clearly showed me to negotiate two roundabouts by stafford in an anti-clockwise direction. However plain common sense kicked in and I ignored Tom and did it my way. No wonder the nieve ones get caught out.

Of coarse there is no substitute for a good old fashioned road map. My misses once navigated me 528 miles through France to Cherbourg with a michelin map, avoiding toll roads and never got me lost once.

Also keeping navigation skills up is a good back up, should the batteries fail.