Sat - Nav

[Michael_374349176]

I am thinking of joining the 21st century and purchasing a "Sat-Nav". Can anyone suggest one which will sort out routes for use when towing a caravan? We will also want to use it for touring Europe, and have the option of avoiding toll roads/bridges.

Any help and advice would be much appreciated.

Michael - Derbyshire

 

[Chris_Hyde_Cheshire.]

Michael, I use TomTom I find them very good and you can set the vehicle preferences (e.g.- Large van / Lorry).

You can also set it to avoid toll roads etc etc.

As I have two I was considering selling one of them if you are interested....

Chris.

 

[Eileen_374583499]

Michael, I use TomTom I find them very good and you can set the vehicle preferences (e.g.- Large van / Lorry).

You can also set it to avoid toll roads etc etc.

As I have two I was considering selling one of them if you are interested....

Chris.

Hi Chris, Which Tom Tom do you have, as I have the 910 and have checked it for this function, doesnt seem to have it. My TomTom is about 5 years old

Eileen, Notts

 

[Philspadders]

do you have a nokia smart phone with built in gps receiver? if you do download ovimaps.. its free, full voice guidance mapping and navigation software.

 

[Reg]

I've used a Medion 460 for several years and found the routing to be good but the text on the screen small. The map updates were about

 

[Philspadders]

in the settings on the tomtom make sure that all back roads and minor roads are deselected.

 

[keith5]

From my own experience of using Sat Navs, I would NOT .....EVER....buy another SatNav from TomTom.

Good Satnavs, BUT.....Their after sales service is totally appalling. Once you have bought a satnav from them, they don't want to know about any problems, and I for one, will not be putting any further money their way!!

I now use a Garmin Nuvi, and it knocks the spots off the Tomtom in every respect.

On the subject of Satnavs:

If you are ever unfortunate enought to need your Satnav repairing......DO NOT send it to an outfit called Satnavman in Sheffield (Richard Yates).

Many have............and never seen their unit again. I had to involve the police last year when he was considered, by them, to have stolen my unit, after I sent him

 

[Chris_Hyde_Cheshire.]

Hi Chris, Which Tom Tom do you have, as I have the 910 and have checked it for this function, doesnt seem to have it. My TomTom is about 5 years old

Eileen, Notts

Hi Eileen, I have a GO510 and a Go710. Can you not just go into vehicle settings and go through the options there?

Chris.

 

[TD42]

Michael,your specific question was "sort out routes when towing"

there a 4-5 units out there that are designed for that purpose such as the snooper7000 truckmate or the pronav pnn200 BUT a normal sat nav WILL not,even if it has so called car.bike,lorry,settings.these only adjust the estimated time of arrival. fastest route option usually keeps to motorways,A roads ect so in effect usually avoids unsuitable roads BUT NOT allways.

google HGV sutable sat nav which wil come up with a few

one more tip.if you miss a turning do not follow the reroute as it will more than likely take you down unsuitable roads try to turn back & pick up wher you lost the original route

 

[Steve L]

Having been driving for 33 years, I've graduated from maps to route masters and then to satvans with Garmin i3 and Tomtom XL.

To be quite honest because of my extensive knowledge of the uk roads, I usually only resort to Tom for the last 5 miles or so.

Tomtom do have a terrible after sales service and basically only offer updates to replace an obviously faulty mapping system installed in the first place, but at a cost of

 

[Dustydog]

Just remember who's the boss. YOU not the sat nav.

Always check your map before departure and note the safest route you want.

I mainly use my sat nav for distance travelled, miles to go, eta and actual true road speed. The writing could be bigger.

Mine is a 6 year old Tom Tom One.

Cheers

Dustydog

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Michael,

I echo all the above and will add one important point. Sat Nav's even the ones with so called HGV routing, can get the route wrong. The rules of the road always apply over and above any instruction you receive from a Sat Nav.

If it tries to take you down a road with "Narrow road" signs, believe the signs and not the sat nav.

Like Steve I tend to only make real use of a sat nav in unfamiliar towns and cities, where their "get in lane" instructions can be really useful.

 

[VIP640]

Michael, the Snooper is good and lets be honest, anything even a Tom Tom has to be better than arguing with the wife over which lane to get in when you are in a strange town in France, the kids are playing up and the van is on the back...

 

[JohnGriffiths]

Do all Tom-Toms now have settings for vehicle size or avoiding certain roads? My 3 year old TT One V2 doesn't and I have experienced the same issues as Reg. It really is just a useful addition to, rather than a replacement for an atlas.

 

[Reg]

Can't find it on my Tom Tom XXL.

 

[Reg]

Although I have found a setting for unpaved roads.

 

[JohnGriffiths]

I've had a message come up after planning a route that says the route involves unpaved roads and do I wish to use them. But its not a separate setting. But I've also had it direct me across a field without that prompt coming up!!

 

[John_374564913]

I have the Mercedes Sat-Nac fitted in my car at the factory I have just completed a 3,000 mile trip to eastern europe using only the sat nav for guidance and must say never put a foot wrong.

Even when entering the camp-site in Germany it avoided the low bridge into the camp-site.

When there was a traffic accident in Austria it took me of the motorway and guided me through the mountain roads without fault

personally I cannot fault them.

I have never had experience of an add on sat-nav so cannot comment

 

[Reg]

Got to confess that my "German" made Medion sat nav was far better at routing than the Tom Tom. If only they made the text bigger and updated the maps.

Common complaint with Medion it seems that the back-up service doesn't appear to exist.

Do you know who the inbuilt sat nav you have is actually made by John?

 

[RayS]

I have the Mercedes Sat-Nac fitted in my car at the factory I have just completed a 3,000 mile trip to eastern europe using only the sat nav for guidance and must say never put a foot wrong.

Even when entering the camp-site in Germany it avoided the low bridge into the camp-site.

When there was a traffic accident in Austria it took me of the motorway and guided me through the mountain roads without fault

personally I cannot fault them.

I have never had experience of an add on sat-nav so cannot comment

Fohn, I think you've been fortunate. The fitted satnav in my EClass (just a year old) does not show parts of autovia in spain which have been open several years to my certain knowledge. I complained loudly and it was so-called 'updated' at the last service so we'll se how much better it is early next year

 

[Michael_374349176]

Well, that's certainly a lot of information! It seems that, when towing, there is still a lot to recommend a good paper map.

Maybe I'll just get one and just use it for towns and cities.

I do have a good navigator sat at the side of me. She has just directed me on a 4,400 miles or so trip around France with the aid of a trusty Michelin 1-200,000 atlas. The problems that we experienced were mainly when travelling solo to visit towns and cities (Perpignan and Taragonna for example).

It is then that the atlas fails and I thought that a sat-nav would help.

Anyway thanks to everyone for their comments/advice

Michael - Derbyshire

 

[John_374564913]

I don't know who makes it all I have is the model type which might give you a clue

(NTG4) navigation system

regards

John