GPS Systems

[The Lavin's]

Hi,
We are thinking about getting a GPS system for the motorhome. We were wondering what system you are using, and if it has every sent you down a road that was NOT RV friendly?

Thanks for any info.
Linda and Ed Lavin
2002 36' Journey DL

[The Lavin's]

Hi,
We are thinking about getting a GPS system for the motorhome. We were wondering what system you are using, and if it has every sent you down a road that was NOT RV friendly?

Thanks for any info.
Linda and Ed Lavin
2002 36' Journey DL

[ktnhog]

I have been using a Garmin Street Pilot III for a few years now (there is a newer model). In rental cars, and on my Harley, as well as the new WB 31C. It has helped me get from coast to coast a couple of times.

I would suggest always using a little common sense when following the dirctions. After all, it is just software. There are errors! All in all though, it is a very good tool to find your way. I have set up the address of a hotel in a place I have never been, and used the directions to find it in the dead of night!

Now with that said, I need to figure out how to make the unit a little more stable sitting on my dash with these rough roads!

Dan

["007"]

Your going to get alot of answers to this question heres one to get you started simple and inexpensive.
GPS

[lthrnk]

I have been using a Garmin C340 in the car for about 2 years, it is a great unit. I have the Delorme LT20 on a laptop in the MH. Great software, very interactive and will give you all sorts of info.

[AFChap]

Our coach was a dealer show coach, and came with an Alpine unit that runs off software on a DVD. It is a high-priced Winnebago option, and I would recommend you avoid Alpine and/or any other DVD based GPS. The biggest problem with DVD based units is the high price of software upgrades, that and the fact that Alpine sends us to Alpine dealers for the upgrade, and the dealers send us back to Alpine, and so far we still haven't found out where we can buy a software upgrade even if we wanted to pay the high price (and the software was over a year obsolete when we bought the coach!). It has in fact taken us into RV unfriendly territory, like lows weight restricted bridges and dead end streets. I always assume I know more than the GPS does, and if something looks in any way suspicious, I don't go there!!

We have a portable Garmin unit on the dash in the toad, and I sometimes use it in the MH when I find when checking out a new route or destination that the Alpine doesn't have as much road info as the much less expensive Garmin does.

Get a Garmin, and you will not regret it!

BUT, whatever you use, never totally trust the GPS. Keep your eyes open, and you are much more likely to stay out of difficult situations.

[Richard 34A]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by The Lavin's:
Hi,
We are thinking about getting a GPS system for the motorhome. We were wondering what system you are using, and if it has every sent you down a road that was NOT RV friendly?

Thanks for any info.
Linda and Ed Lavin
2002 36' Journey DL </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I have a Megellan 6000T portable GPS and love it, and would never travel without one. Missed your exit to another freeway? No problem... it will show you the next connecting route. If you go off course, it will initially tell you to 'make a legal u-turn when possible'. If you don't, it will re-calculate to your destination based on your current path (if possible).

You do have to review the route it calculates, as it does not readily know you're in a MH and is capable of putting you on narrow roads or dirt roads that you don't really want to travel on.

A GPS will not only show you where you are at, but will show you upcoming roads, roads that you just passed and show you your current heading (compass) and vehicle speed. It will also show you gas stations, food, etc., allowing you to locate the next Wal-mart or Camping World.

When I bought mine, I thought you had to pay a annual fee to some satellite company to be able to use it... no, simply charge the battery, type in your home address, let it get it's 'bearing' and your set.

Well worth the cost, as far as I'm concerned.

[John_Canfield]

They might *ALL* do that because most of them use a common map database supplier. We were just at a campground in New York state where the CG's website said to avoid the route that the GPS would typically route and gave an alternate path. (Sure enough, ours routed the way they said to avoid.)

When I plan our CG stops, I usually print out the website directions, the directions from Trailerlife Campground Navigator and compare that to the GPS route that was generated. This is about the only way you can avoid getting yourself in a really difficult situation.

We have used CoPilot and a laptop for two years and found it to be the best for us. It can route based on height restrictions (12'6" or 13') and even propane-restricted tunnels. I upgrade to the new version every year for about 50 bucks.

[DriVer]

We use the new DeLorme LT-20 GPS antenna and Street Atlas 2008. This package works very well however we also have a dash mounted computer work station and I have the luxury of a "Nagivator".

[RedT]

GPS systems have become so commonplace that the options seem to be endless. Stay with the major manufacturers - make a list of the requirements you deem necessary before you go shopping. Some things to consider:
Screen brightness
Volume
Power options - battery life
memory
portability
ease of operation

I've been using DeLorme's Street Atlas for the last 10 years - their's is a software application using the laptop screen for map display (large for MH use) In the toad I use the Garmin StreetPilot 2720 since the laptop is too cumbersome in the toad.

One source that will give you lots of information is http://www.newegg.com

[GG1]

I started out with Lowrance and returned it 4 times due to extremely poor routing with miserable customer support, then tried Magellan which was good but I did not like the screen, then went to a Garmin 2720 its 99% accurate. As stated previously always check the route first if you you drive with a motorhome and compare it to a regular map. Once in a while they will send you on a route that is ok for a car or small truck but not good for something the size of a bus. There are a few Gps's for sale in the classified section of this forum.

[jcar6109]

I have a Garmin 60CX that I just received as an anniversary gift from the company that I work for. I am a new user of GPS and get frustrated easily at electronic devices. I am still trying to figure out how to use it. I don't know how this unit compares to all the others talked about here.
The best GPS device I ever had was my wife and a few state maps.

Another new trick for the old dog.

[GG1]

jcar6109

GPS-$700.00 WIFE&MAP-3 million

[jcar6109]

GG1 Good point. When will I ever learn?

[Petro]

Linda & Ed;
We have a system like DriVer's. As 007 said, reviewing the route is necessary to avoid potential problems. We are on our 4th upgrade with Street Atlas and we like it. DW is navigator and I have only wanted to throw her out twice. Both times she did not believe the GPS.

Don

[Nonno]

We use the Magellan 6000T.
My guess is that mostly all GPS's work well in pinpointing "where" you want to go. It's the "how" you get there that may get you in trouble.
Once you decide which one to get, I'd recommend you put it in your toad and try it in areas you're famililar with. The 6000T (and probably most others) can calculate your route for Shortest Time, Shortest Distance, Most use of freeway and Least use of freeway. You might be surprised on how it has you get to your destination.

[David K]

I have the Magellan Roadmate 700. I have upgraded the software once (this year -- was easy to do). I have mounted a permanent mount in my MH and then I have the weighted mount that I move around between my three other vehicles. I mounted the external antenna up on the roof of the MH on the air horn plate and I have good stallite acquisition from that position. Look around and you can usually get a factory rehabed one -- same warranty. I liked the Magellan as that is the brand you find in the Hertz cars you rent. Good data base -- has the same problems as mentioned here -- may take you on a road not for a motor home. I will usually cross trace the route with an atlas to see where I am headed. I do like the verbal directions for turns as you are driving and with the latest software it also states the name of the road you are turning on as well as the direction to turn.

[traveler of california]

I use a portable Lowrance Iway and move it between my car and MoHo. I really like it and it is a great aid to any traveller. It has not led me to any difficult situations but it is not perfect as I think there will be errors in any database for the GPS systems.

Nick, Journey '01

[MrTransistor]

Hi All,

Check a product by Garmin called a GPS18-USB. It comes with a North American street map and a program called ˜nRoute'. Updates to nRoute are free to download from the Garmin web site as they become available.

Some great things about GPS18 and nRoute are that the GPS18 plugs into a USB port on your laptop and you get the full resolution of your laptop for a moving map display with voice guidance. You can also; tell it you're a ˜BUS', to avoid dirt roads, no u-turns, what your normal driving speeds on certain types of roads are, and several other options to get you the best routes for your type of vehicle and driving style.

Any size area can be marked as ˜avoid' if say, you hate driving through downtown Hicksville. I've found it to be more accurate than my instincts on several occasions. One of the best places to buy is REI when they have one of there 25% off sales. List price is $130.00 so it can be had for $100.00 on sale.

nRoute also works with just about any other Garmin GPS you may have. But you do need that first copy of nRoute to get started.

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=139&pID=6445

[Freddy]

GPS! I've had three and like Jcar6109 wrote above, they can't beat my wife and her maps!

About the only thing I use any of them for now is for address location. They are also good for helping you know ahead of time which side of the interstate a particular exit is on.

I do not rely on them for routing unless it is to get me quickly back to where I should be after taking a detour, etc.

I've also learned that using address location can be problematic. There are a lot of misspelled street names in the db. I have DeLorme for use with the laptop and a Garmin dash mounted system. Those streets that I have found misspelled are in both mapping dbs.

When I'm in my son's driveway the dashmounted GPS tells me that I am one street over from him. It "recalculates" the route and tells me to "take the highlighted route." The highlighted route includes a street that does not exist. His street is also misspelled in both dbs.

I've noticed too that upcoming road names do not always match those on the GPS. I live in a very rural area, and my dash GPS points out all of the "turn rows" in the farm land, but doesn't show quite a few parish (counties for you who do not live in Louisiana) roads.

Over the years I've sent both companies spelling corrections as I've discovered them but my e-mails have gone unacknowledged, and the street names are still spelled incorrectly.

One final comment. Screen size should be a consideration when selecting a GPS system. If you'd like to get a large overview of the area you're in, then the small screens just won't do on a scale that you can really use.

Using perfect 20/20 hindsight, I'd stick with my DeLorme and laptop, and use the $300+ bucks for the Garmin on fuel!