Garmin RV GPS

[terry.morrow]

Originally Posted by AWCHIEF

Not going to argue with you. I am glad yours does it. Mine does not. End of discussion for me.

You seem offended. I was trying to be helpful. Enjoy your iPad.

[D Air Cloud]

Originally Posted by m.hony

What is different about the GPS device the op asked about? How is it different than the Garmin I already have? Someone mentioned a motorcyle version. The difference I see on the motorcycle version is big buttons that can be used with a gloved hand. Maybe the RV one considers the length of the rig, like the feature on the regular Garmin to select big truck/bus or pedestrian. Maybe the RV one is preloaded with campground locations or gas stations that can accommodate long long trailers.

Some of the advertised abilities are:

- Customized RV routing, such as RV restrictions, bridge heights etc.

- RV parks and services directory

- Up ahead services, such as fuel stations, resturants etc.

- Warning icons, such as narrow road, sharp curve, steep downhell etc.

- Traffic data, such as traffic density, traffic incident etc.

- Weather forcast and weather radar displayed on the map.

My question is: Are the RV features of this GPS usefull to the RV'er? Or, is this GPS just an early work in progress.

[Ag&Au]

Originally Posted by panheaddale

Does anyone ever read what people say or do you just have to type so everyone can hear you? He didn't ask about ipads or google or anything else he asked about the garmin 760lmt. I was interested in the same unit and was hoping for some feedback to his answer. I don't want to sit here all night looking at post about everybodys idea of what we should use.

This is actually comical. Even after the above quoted post, there still has not been one single post that answers or even references the OP's questions. All these comments pro and con about different approaches has been hashed over many times before. Perhaps there are different best methods for different individuals and different circumstances.

Now, Does anyone wish to comment about the Garmin 760LMT?

I would to suggest that, if all the info you have to share is about how it is the wrong approach without ever even having seen one, you start your own thread.

Just a idea.

Ken

Edit: While I was typing this there was one post on subject. It was the OP attempting to once again get his questions answered

[D Air Cloud]

- Warning icons - should be steep downhill

(but, I guess if I was going down a steep mountain, with failed brakes, the first spelling could apply)

[Ag&Au]

Originally Posted by D Air Cloud

Some of the advertised abilities are:

- Customized RV routing, such as RV restrictions, bridge heights etc.

- RV parks and services directory

- Up ahead services, such as fuel stations, resturants etc.

- Warning icons, such as narrow road, sharp curve, steep downhell etc.

- Traffic data, such as traffic density, traffic incident etc.

- Weather forcast and weather radar displayed on the map.

My question is: Are the RV features of this GPS usefull to the RV'er? Or, is this GPS just an early work in progress.

I recently bought a Garmin 7 inch GPS that has some of these features.

This feature would be useful:

Warning icons, such as narrow road, sharp curve, steep downhill etc.

The RV Parks and service directory are good information. However it depends on how you use it. Personally I carry printed material for this information. I would probably occasionally refer to the GPS data if it was easy to access.

My GPS has the traffic data and I find it very helpful and mostly accurate.

My GPS also can locate Fuel, Food, Rest and Parking areas and several other things. I use that function often.

Garmin has a App called Smartphone Link. With it you can use your smartphone as a internet gateway to access information on the GPS screen. I paid an extra 9.99 to subscribe to a service that uses the smartphone to download the weather radar in your area and place it on the GPS screen superimposed on your route. I found that helpful a couple months ago traveling though Nebraska with Severe thunderstorms crossing our route.

I hope this helps some,

For reference, here is the model I have:

https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/on-t...rod112203.html

Ken

[Safari-Rick]

Like a lot of the guys, I've had my fair share of GPS systems. Garmin, Magellan, Rand Mac etc. But that all changed in 2012 when I went to the Jackson Rally. At the time I had the Garmin GPS (new) that I bought at Costco and used it in my truck as I didn't want to pay $2000 extra as a GPS accessory. It had been pretty accurate (for the car). My mistake was assuming it would be good for the TV.

After cutting through the mountains to get to SL Obispo/Pacific Ocean, and going on 1 lane back roads, white knuckling and praying that no other vehicle was coming in the opposite direction, I made the decision to get a RV GPS system after that experience.

Like everyone else, looked at the forum for comments, other consumer reports/RV sites (including 18 wheeler truck GPS systems) and came to the conclusion that the Magellan RoadMate RV9145 "Designed exclusively for RVs was the way to go. It also provides Life Time Map upgrades. Support by Magellan is great. I called them on clarification on my new laptop and they were there. Oh, the RV9145 has that nice 7 inch screen which makes it easy to see vs a "cellphone".

The Roadmate has the Good Same Club POI's, fuel (gas/diesel), rest stops etc. First test was going to Zion, Bryce, Grand Canyon (North and South Rims) and points East !

Am totally happy with the directions it gave me not to mention the "long" Goose Neck mounting harness.

In short, for the money I spent, this is finally the one I've been looking for.

And that's my 2 cents worth !!!

Safari-Rick

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Hi, I have looked at them and think it is a great idea to have. They ask, [your input] Do you have a motorhome, trailer, of fifth wheel?. How long is your unit? How tall is your unit? How wide is your unit? Etc. I'm pretty sure that they won't take you under low bridges or keep asking [telling] you to make a "U" turn. I would like to hear [read] more about the OP's question.

For the record, I have a regular Garmin GPS and a dumb phone.

[RamblinManGa]

Originally Posted by panheaddale

Does anyone ever read what people say or do you just have to type so everyone can hear you? He didn't ask about ipads or google or anything else he asked about the garmin 760lmt. I was interested in the same unit and was hoping for some feedback to his answer. I don't want to sit here all night looking at post about everybodys idea of what we should use.

Hi again from AZ. . .one of those Garmin units I called junk (didn't give correct directions, 3 replacements to get one that lasted) WAS a 760LMT or I wouldn't have replied. And I think the iphone alternative is relevant to his question. Must be the loud pipes ! Regards, Craig

[Snedwid]

I also have the 7 inch Rand McNally RV unit for travel. The longer I have it the better I like it. Naturally, you still have to think when using it as it sometimes give wrong or dated info, but over all it is very useful. On the downside, screen glare can be bad, but a sunshade helps. Also the battery charging/discharging light is very small and subject to glare with the result that the battery can go dead at a bad time. The maps are updated, and you can notify RMcN of errors to get them corrected. If I had it to do over, I'd buy the same unit.

[polarlyse]

I read earlier in this thread a comment regarding east coast and propane restrictions. The only places I have ever ran into that have these are Baltimore and the Chesapeake Bay bridge & tunnel in Va. Never have seen them anywhere else. I don't need a GPS to remind me I can remember them. I use an old Tom-Tom and despite it's shortcomings it has worked well and has been reliable. Our AS trailers are not very high so I have yet to come to a situation regarding height restriction. If you have a larger and higher trailer or motor home I do think the newer ones that will advise where they are would be useful. Other than that I plan my route ahead using google maps and have my road atlas ( always nearby) and my GPS for on the road change in routes and I'm very comfortable as we travel the country. Now big rigs are a different story.

That's my story and I'm stickin too it.

See ya'll on the road sometime.

[switz]

I would like to know how specific the RV data can be for the Garmin RV 760LT. By that I mean, items like the total length of our rig, width, height weight etc. My 7" Rand McNally is sadly lacking on choices for my RV description.

I like Garmin GPS units and have used them for years. I have older marine (Salt Water) GPSMap 478 units mounted on my Honda motorcycles with XM radio aviation weather subscriptions for real time superimposed weather details (red/yellow/green/clear like on television) which allows be to see the road details to possible find an escape route from developing severe weather.

The Dodge truck came with the factory GPS, so between the two GPS units and hard copy atlas, I think we have a chance to avoid a long single lane road with a dead end.

[Melody Ranch]

Hey SWITZ....can you tell me more about the superimposed weather feature? Where to check it out?

[panheaddale]

Originally Posted by RamblinManGa

Hi again from AZ. . .one of those Garmin units I called junk (didn't give correct directions, 3 replacements to get one that lasted) WAS a 760LMT or I wouldn't have replied. And I think the iphone alternative is relevant to his question. Must be the loud pipes ! Regards, Craig

The I phone was not relevant to the question. He was wanting feedback about the 760 LMT. If he wanted an iphone ,ipad or any other apple product I feel pretty confident he would have asked about it. The OP may be like me and not want or need the tablets and smart phones and all the other technical gadgets that most people think they can't live without anymore. I for one am still a dinosaur with regards to my cell phone and plan on staying that way. Now if anyone has pertinent information regarding the OP question I am sure he and myself along with a few others would like to hear the pluses and minuses about this or any other rv specific GPS systems. If not then please don't post here because it is a waste of time to go through info not specific to the question. If you want to post about ipad, iphone or whatever else then there are plenty of post you can go hang out on. Thanks Dale

[Skater]

Originally Posted by andreasduess

I don't really see the point of standalone GPS units anymore. Pick up a google Nexus tablet and in addition to a wide choice of Nav apps, you will also get a fully blown tablet for email, web browsing, movie watching...

Haha.... I've been doing this with my phone in my car, and frankly it's nowhere near as good as a standalone GPS unit.

1. Google Maps nav flickers maddeningly, to the point where it's unusable on my phone (Galaxy S3). Waze works fine, however.

2. Both require data connections. Waze chokes if you don't have a data connection and have to re-route (rerouting is done by server apparently); I haven't experienced that with Google yet but as I said it's completely unusable.

3. Both will destroy your battery unless you keep it plugged in. No problem, except plugging it in will also make it get very warm, which is hard on the batteries. And if you don't have a good cord, your phone will still lose charge over time.

4. On a recent 1300 mile trip, my phone locked up twice - requiring a reset both times to get going again. Not only was it unusable for navigation, it was also useless for all of the normal things a phone can do, like making calls. Nothing like realizing your GPS stopped working 10 or 15 minutes ago. I assume it overheated... see #3.

I'll continue to use the phone for trips in my car, but for the truck, we'll stick with a real GPS unit, especially with the connectivity issue. Currently we have an older Magellan unit that works pretty well, but we're kicking around the idea of upgrading it - it's now at least three years out of date and there have been several road changes that affect us. (Yes, we can buy new maps, but given the cost of those versus a new unit with better features, it's not worth it.) I'm curious to hear what others say about the unit that is the subject of this thread.

[daveswenson]

I like the features that a dedicated RV GPS provide. My Rand McNally helps me find campgrounds, truck stops rest stops, and keeps me out of trouble since it knows the height, weight, length, propane capacity etc of my rig.

[pvmsteve]

I have the Garmin and so far I like it a lot. The support bracket is the best I've seen for a moho. The 7" screen is real nice. The directions have been spot on. the battery life is about 30 min when not powered. The blue tooth feature works well on ours. I have used the apps on my iphone but I like the GPS better because of the large screen and the mounting capabilities of this unit. I really like the lane designation and the speed alert.

[m.hony]

We use the built-in navigation in the truck and a Garmin. They both have the same incorrect maps. The iPhone sometimes does better, but I don't have an unlimited data plan. I don't have a data plan for my iPad, either. A good memory is the best thing- remember that GPS took us some terrible way last year and don't ever do that again. Sometimes I think about going back to a Rand McNally road atlas. I have had the DeLorme GPS software for a laptop and a Magellan Roadmate 760 (the GPS unit in Robin Williams's RV). They had the same incorrect maps as what I am using now.

[switz]

That is one great thing about my Garmin GPS units, they are consistent. The same map and direction errors are on all the different models I have that are still operational...

The marine model GPSMap 178, 278, 378 and 478 models could interface to the XM-30 external antenna that could also support an aviation weather radar subscription (seems like $209 quarterly for my two units). That information was a transparent overlay that allowed the viewer to still see the road information below the weather depiction. That allows me to discern an alternative route while riding the motorcycle to avoid the hail or worse....

Those models also supported a fathometer when used on a boat as well as set and drift for water navigation. The speed could be displayed in knots or miles per hour.

[BigPineJandK]

Can you please tell me - does or is your unit capable of being heard through the audio system on your TV... I have trouble hearing and am looking for a unit that will speak through the truck speakers and I can adjust the volume... Thanks JV

[switz]

The Garmin marine units I use on the motorcycles have a stereo sound out capability. I just needed a typical headphone plug coming from the motorcycle audio system.

If your vehicle has the ability to connect an external audio source using a stereo headphone plug, then the sound from these type of Garmin GPS units would play over the vehicles speakers.

I am not familiar with the more modern Garmin units if they have the capability for an audio out jack.