Sat Navs and fitted sheets ... !!

[Parksy]

Hi there, me again with yet more questions (sorry

) - could anyone recommend a Sat Nav system that won't cost more than £200 suitable for caravanning or will the standard ones used in cars suffice (my worry is getting caught down a narrow country lane and no-where to turn etc.). Been looking at Snoopersat - any good?

Also, what do people use as a fitted sheet on the two seats at front of caravan when making up to double bed - will a double fitted sheet be big enough, or king size? Just asking as my 15 year old is nearing 6 foot and his sleeping bag probably won't do, so going to get him a double quilt for the caravan.

As usual, any advice much appreciated! Thanks - Lisa

 

[Robtel]

Hi Lisa,
You might get a better response if you posted queries like this on the "equipment and accessories" section.
The section you are in is mainly used for introductory posts and does not always attract a lot of attention.

 

[Parksy]

This topic was moved from the New Members message board

 

[soldlisa04]

Thanks Parksy! Lisa.

 

[Damian]

It does not matter which sat nav you get unless you spend a lot of money on one which has truck routing, they will all take you down unsuitable roads at times.
It is up to you if you religiously follow the sat nav, but it is very unwise to do so.
My sat nav has taken me down some very interesting roads,,,,,,,,,,and some very interesting sites that I would not wish to repeat, and they can bring out some very blue language at times!!!.
Always use the site instructions for the final bit, they know what works and what does not.

As for sheets, it depends how generous the bed size is when made up, some are wider than a standard double, some not as wide.
Make the bed up and try a standard sheet, if too small, get a king size.

 

[soldlisa04]

Thanks Damian - will shop around for decent Tom Tom or Garmin and print off site instructions to take.

Will also make up bed at weekend (provided door isn't frozen shut) and try a double fitted sheet across the cushions. Cheers.

 

[Parksy]

Top Tip:
When we used to make the bed up we placed a duvet underneath the sheet which kept us nice and warm and evened out any bumpy bits.
As Damian said, never rely on the sat nav because it's almost certain to route you along unsuitable roads. With our TomTom we can pre-set waypoints but to be honest it's simpler to print off directions from one of the mapping websites and to use sat nav as a back up. Google street view often allows you to have a look at the road near to your destination which is good for noting landmarks just before the sites.

 

[colin-yorkshire1]

hi lisa,
Further to Damians post, all sat,navs will take you down unsuitable routes at times it depends on the settings that the machine uses to calculate the route some have more variations than others so while it may be fine to use the fastest route solo it will take short cuts down country lanes and back alleys, with a van on the back it is better to tick box things like use mororways ect, it takes longer but detours caused by wrong turns will still lead to some of these at times.
while sat navs that are designed for HGV's will pick out some better routes they are not really suitable for use with caravans because they are by nature for HGV's so will aviod low bridges, hills, and speed restricted roads ect, all of which may well passable with a van and of course when used solo can be a next to usless also they can be a quite bit more expensive than a ordinary one,
regarding garmin sav navs while they are a decent bit of kit they are a bit pricey and the map updates cost a small fortune look for one that does free map updates my garmin is 4years old and the new maps for 2012 cost £54 for a one off update nearly the same cost as buying a new cheaper model of the net,
theres nothing more frustrating than going somewhere and finding the sat-nav telling you that your going through a field instaed of some new road layout while all the time repeating "recalculating" because the maps out of date,
colin

 

[colin-yorkshire1]

PS. parksy's comment about "google street view" is a very good one looking at the roads leading up to a site are very usefull noting things like landmarks or a particular tree opposite the turn can make a big difference,

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello solidas,
Before we had Satnavs we used paper maps, which if you remember only showed the location of roads, unless you used an ordanace survey map, they didnt indicate what width of the road was, so we had to use our eyes to 'read' the road ahead and to take notice of the signs concerning narrow roads etc. The signs havn't changed, but what has changed is the blind faith that some people have in the ability of satnavs to give directions.

I like satnavs because they track your current position and can give you timely warnings of any necessary changes, and for some jouneys they can be more than adequate, but when it comes to towing or driving larger vehicels, it pays to plan your route in advance, and the tranfer your prefered rouute to the sat nav. I have always considered satnavs to be an aid to driving, not the final arbiter of which route to use.

Satnavs are not an excuse to throw away proper journey planning and road carft.

 

[soldlisa04]

Points to ponder indeed - I like the idea of viewing on google street maps, and will probably invest in decent map too. Lots to think about.

Good idea about the duvet under sheet for added padding! Will have to try this out when we spend the night on the drive (if I can persuade my son to leave his Xbox for the night lol).

Cheers.

 

[Sproket]

Although we have a tomtom satnav I also carry one of these in the van, & when you have to get off the motorway due to a holdup or accident, you can at least get your bearings, before deciding to go blind & just following the satnav...
( having had to do this a few times due to accidents on the motorways )

What I like about this map is the scale of 1.5 miles to the 1"

Some maps qoute ( Britain's clearest mapping at 3.2 miles to 1 inch ) that's ok if you dont have the van on the back.

 

[Parksy]

A duvet underneath and a duvet on top, it was so cosy and warm on cold nights and I had to steel myself to get out to make the early morning cuppa.
If your son is sleeping on the front bed you might have some difficulty in winkling him out so that you can sit down to breakfast