Satnav

[john_5040735]

Hi folks - am interested in possibly buying a Satnav system (Tom Tom, Garmin etc) but have heard horror stories over the years about caravans being navigated down difficult to access streets/lanes etc. I would be interested in any comments from people who use Satnav whilst towing - positive/negative - and/or any advice as to a good system.

Have already enquired of Tom Tom support, but their response was that their units do not come with any "caravan friendly" settings and could not therefore guarantee that I wouldn't be navigated down "caravan unfriendly roads/streets".

Advice/comments much appreciated.

John

 

[giovanni_5060838]

Really you should use a map in conjuction with a sat nav.

The pros are you do not need to keep looking at a map book,or

hoping you don't miss a signpost, they will get you to the door

step of your destination, but you should always check the route

it gives to see if its ideal for you.

MAPPING. navteq is better than atlas ? garmin and a few others

use navteq. tom tom and via michelin use Atlas... or something?

Just look out for the speical deals, tom tom one has been very

cheap lately. my garmon 510 delux [europe mappimg, and traffic

info] was

 

[Lol1]

I wouldn't be without mine, John. True, they can lead you down some narrow and twisty roads, but a lot of sites are found down these narrow and twisty roads! As Giovanni says, using a paper map can help to an extent (even they can't differentiate between caravan friendly and unfriendly roads) so calling the site prior to leaving or checking on their web site for travel info, is a good move.

Go for the Sat Nav, you'll find it very useful.

 

[seth1]

hi john,we,ve just bought our first satnav after losts of "should we,or not".its on a AA system.i mainly got it for the safty camara options.ive always prefared maps and i think i still do.we went to bude -cornwall three weeks ago and used it.now i know budes of the beaten track abit but it took us down tracks just wide enough for the van.a bit scary.probably my fault for not adjusting the settings.also used it on a route i know well,and again took us the longest way round.but i dont think you,d ever get lost with one. worth the money for the camaras alone seth

 

[MAM]

Hi John,

I recently bought a Tom Tom to help be navigate to a campsite near Paris. I found it very usuful - my wife (the navigator) found it to be brilliant. On previous journeys I had woken her up as we approached the Periphery (Parisien M25) and said "which way now - quick" - not a great way to wake up. Wouldn't be without it now. It did try to take me down a track about 4 miles from the site but the beauty of these devices is that if you drive past the turning, it simply recalculates the next best route.

 

[Glenn_5132962]

I've got a tomtom one & find it superb. It once took us down a narrow track with the van on which was quite scary but the trick is to cross reference the route with a map before you start.

Its brilliant for holidays as it comes with built in Points of interest such as zoo's, castles, Campsites, Tourist Info offices, banks, car parks etc etc. You can also down load all the Caravan Club sites into it.

Also you can subscribe to it's traffic system so it will tell you of any delays on your planned route giving length of Jam in miles & length of delay in minutes. It then offers to navigate around the problem. I would not be without it now.

 

[cris_408518]

Garmin has the best mapping(navteq) and prompts are better than Tom Tom but TomTom tend to have more gimmicks.

Despite various settings, satnav only alters re the types of average speed verious vehicles travle at and do not alter route for re road width or suitability no mater what any one might tell you.

Fastest route refers to the speed limits on road so if a city ring road has 60 or 70mph limit your satnav may take you out to the ring road rather than send you the shortest quickest route.

It comes down to planning and using your knowlege and mapping with a satnav.

For all things satnav go to www.pocketgpsworld.com and the forums cover all you will ever want to know and join up if you want to down load safety cam database.

I use a pocket sized Garmin and it goes everywhere, I wouldn't be without it as a traveller and it sports over a 100000 points of interest in europe from fuel stops to restauarants and swimming pools etc plus talking books and MP3 and photo Gallery.

Providing it can get a satellite lock, Satnav is never lost even if you are. If you go out in the forest or hills walking or Cycling even with basic mapping the satnav will know where you are. Sol if you lose your bearings turn the satnav on and you will know where to go.

There is no need to lose the car in a strange city , just log where your parked and wander around all day and then whip out the satnav to find where you are and where your car is ;-)

 

[Robert_374242026]

Hi John, we have had two systems ,one was the Dayton which in my opinion the best but the price then was

 

[cris_408518]

ps.

I've found that Garmin Navteq takes you to the port ferry destination lanes at most ports in UK and Europe which is most handy.

Garmin Navteq mapping has just been updated for UK and most of Europe so is very good.

 

[JimP]

I had this problem at the weekend when we went away, the Navman tried to send us down a road that was nothing more than a farm track, plus there was ford sign too! instead of listening to the satnav we carried on, ignoring the please do a U turn message, until it picked up an alternative route, OK we had to travel an extra couple of miles to get to where we wanted to but we got there and didn't have to take the van through a ford!

Just because the satnav tells you to take a certain road you dont have to as there are always alternative better routes!

 

[Robert_374242026]

Just a amusing expireance in Germany's Little Switzaland couple of weeks ago.Put into TOM TOM 700 back to camp near Dresden.it took us through some lovely countryside and then we became aware that not many people around,carried on then a small White car overtook us so carried on.By now the "road" has now turned into loose gravel and still Tom TOM said carry on.we now are going along a path in the forest, still T T say's carry on, us thinking it might suddenly change to a "road",we now have got to a fork in the path's so which on shall we take as both are for 4 wheel jobs .Then as we are deceiding the white car comes back down our path and it turns out he is the national park ranger !, I think he told us in fourteen languages but not in English the way back.

 

[john_5040735]

Additional question for Glenn. How do you download CC sites to TomTom?

Have purchased TomTom 910 today. So far quite impressed. The only thing I cannot fathom is how to view/edit routes on my PC. I have calculated the route whilst in the car, but when I load the TomTom programme and view satnav via PC it still wants to find the GPS signal. Maybe this is normal!!

Thanks anyway to all who offered advice.

John

 

[runnerphil]

try this site for poi's

http://www.poidownload.co.uk/

 

[john_5040735]

Thanks baldylocks - very useful site, have already downloaded some interesting POI's

John