I was told this morning to get my Christmas wish list submitted to Santa. I really want an RV gps/navigation device, however I am not sure which one I want. Do any of you have any suggestions based on your experiences?
In my opinion, I have been a pretty good boy this year... lol
Some number of years ago I spent a lot to buy the new motorycycle specific Gramin Zumo 550, with 2 mounts, then added XM receiver antenna. It was really more than I wanted to spend, but now some 6 years later, I can say best money spent.
Don't scrimp, be good to yourself, and may you enjoy following the new GPS for many years.
I'm partial to Garmins because of their accuracy. I still have my 2720 and love it. Not really much of a Nuvi fan. That Rand McNally has my eye, though...
Rand McNally - RVND? 7720 LM (http://www.randmcnally.com/product/rvnd-7720-lm)
Lots of options out there. I like a BIG screen on the GPS and an assortment of "voices". The voices on most GPS units are at a frequency that my eardrums - worn down by years of small airplane flying - can't hear as well any more.
We are using Co-Pilot Truck which came on an SD chip we could just plug into our 7" Magellan GPS. I don't think they're doing that any longer but you can get it for both iPad and Android tablets and smartphones so you can have a 10" screen if you like. Cost is about $150 plus, of course, the device you put it on. But the screen is probably much better on the new tablets than on any of the GPS-specific over-the-counter devices.
And, let's face it, with applications like "AllStays" and "GasBuddy" most of us have at least a smartphone in our rigs now, anyway. Another plus to the Co-Pilot Truck is that they update it (maps, etc.). The truck version allows you to specify height and weight for routing.
http://www.copilotlive.com/us/store/truck.asp?gclid=CP_7wMmzhbsCFVFgMgod2zgAFg (http://www.copilotlive.com/us/store/truck.asp?gclid=CP_7wMmzhbsCFVFgMgod2zgAFg)
The SD-chip version of Co-Pilot Truck has a large assortment of voices; including several different accents and both male and female. I find the British female is the easiest for me to hear.
I do also have Co-Pilot (not the truck version) on my Samsung 7" tablet and use it in the Jeep when I need a GPS. (I also have an off-road GPS mapping app on the tablet.)
Most GPS units that offer traffic routing also give you (as an extra bonus) FREE ADS. I am not a big fan of ads on my GPS device so I opted out. I rarely drive in congested areas anyway. YMMV.
You do want to subscribe to map updates for whatever unit you get. I have a couple early GPS units that cannot find our daughter's house, for instance.
Craig
I have the Rand McNally, wouldn't buy again, love the lane advisory, maps not as accurate, and routing/ traffic not as accurate as google maps.
Why not iPad mini instead?
Just got the Magellan for RV mainly because I had some reward points to use up and that was on the list. I like the big screen and it's supposed to route according to the size of the rig. Will see how it does compared to my Garmin when I go to HWH in a couple of weeks. It does not have voice controls which I like very much on my Garmin. Will see if the big screen makes up for that.
Been using my iPad for the directions more and more.
Rand McNally now has an app for the iPad that is RV specific. Reviews say that it is a port of their hardware units onto the iPad. Mostly good reviews except for a few people who were not able to get it to work on their particular iPad... So what else is new? It is $99 and I plan on buying it once we get to some free Wi-Fi! I also have the copilot for iPad and while it is okay, it has led us on a few errant paths. Nice thing about the iPad... You're not limited to one publisher or your GPS software. Also, of course you get the other apps which help you locate Walmarts, campgrounds, etc.
Don
The one main complaint I have read about all the Rand McNally RV offerings is that their routing fails to avoid parkways in NY state (passenger-car only roads which often have no shoulders, minimal medians, and height clearances of less than 9 foot in places).
"Also, of course you get the other apps which help you locate Walmarts, campgrounds, etc." Why do you need an app to locate a Wal-Mart? Aren't all vehicles programmed to find them automatically? <grin>
I have the Rand McNally 7720 LM and I like it. Bit large and clunky looking but has not let me down so far. Never used it back east so don't know about the restrictions written about above. It is up-datable for life though.
Keith
Could not agree more about the iPad and the GPS possibilities. It is absolutely super in what it can do with a few major exceptions. You must have the more expensive 3G model for GPS to be built-in. The less expensive Wi-Fi model does not have it and unless you have iOS 5.1.1, you can't jailbreak it to use the very reasonable and excellent external bluetooth models like the Holux M1000. The 3G model does have a GPS in it's belly but the reception in big cities with tall buildings is marginal. The solution is to spend well over $100 and use a Bad Elf Pro external bluetooth GPS. Free app at the Apple Store for it. Excellent but expensive.
Unless you have an iPad already, the other possibility is to use an Android tablet. They are only a very tiny bit behind the iPad as long as you buy a top model. The big advantage here is that you don't have to jailbreak them to use third party accessories. Almost all the same navigational apps are also available for the Droid and at the same price.
Another big advantage to all these tablets is you can mirror the display to a big screen HDTV for trip planning to HD movies. The Droid has a different aspect ratio so displays movies on a HDTV without the bands at the top and bottom. No big thing but nice.
Also easy to add a mouse with cursor, bluetooth keyboard, etc to Droids and jailbroken iPads.
I used our iPad in several European countries a couple of months ago with excellent results. With the big tablet screen, the plain display of a Garmin or TomTom may not be as detailed as you might like. Sygic makes excellent GPS apps for both iOS and Droids with much more detail and also for many countries. They use TomTom maps so the accuracy is excellent and up to date. I used Navigon (Garmin), TomTom and Sygic in Europe, all excellent. I do like Sygic on the big tablet screen with it's really nice 3D view. All these apps have fast and FREE updates as long as you find a Wi-Fi hotspot.
Last but not least, the Apple wireless bluetooth keyboard is great to use with either an iPad or Droid. Light, good looking, long battery life and no latency when you press a key to get it going.
Pierce
I'll add my vote to a smart device; iPad/iTouch/iPhone or current Android. We tried using a highly=rated standalone GPS this Summer as our data costs in the US were too high, but after using our iPhones for half the trip in Canada, we hated the GPS's limits, and slowness.
If you have an all you can eat data plan, then there is nothing better than the integration, and choices available for an iOS device.
You could get by without cell service on the device, as we found enough WiFi, and downloaded maps when online. Still much better if you have cellular (although there are still a million places with no coverage in North America, so downloaded options are also handy.
Then add AirPlay into the mix, and there is no rationale for no going this route...
Dave
OH...
My trusty 5" Garmin NUVI with lifetime map updates has served us well. And we can move it from one vehicle to another. We never blindly follow it though, we still look at the paper maps. We like the big picture you get looking at our large print road atlas. The Garmin is more for real time detail. Sometimes these things want you to go where you know you shouldn't so don't.
We have found the travel planning app for the iPad from AAA to be very useful. Unlike the Garmin you can see where it is going to send you. Start from City A to City B. You get a big picture sort of thing. Then start getting more specific, some place in city B for example and several intermediate points in between. What does that look like? Then rearrange your waypoints, what does that do? How many miles, how much time from one spot to the next. Is that a reasonable drive for one day? It is really flexible. And then use it in real time. Where are you? What services are nearby? Shows where you are on a map just like the expensive GPS things but it is free. You don't even have to be a AAA member.
Since it is free there is not much risk in trying it out,
There probably is one for an android tablet as well.
If you don't have an iPad or an android tablet they are really nice. If you have an iphone then stay in the IOS world. If you have any one of the hundreds of android phones then maybe a good android tablet. There are way more apps for iPads and iPhones than for android devices. If you get one figure it out and use it for all it can do for you. I rarely use my PCs or iMac or laptop anymore. Almost everything I need to do can be done on a tablet. I like the way my iPhone and iPad work together. I suppose some of that is true for common branded android devices.
But i still go back to my Garmin to talk and show me through an unfamiliar city's highways, interchanges, exits and on ramps. I like knowing which lane to be in and what the signs are going to look like before I get there.
Have you been a really good boy? Maybe both. A little sweet talking never hurts.
Roger
Jo Ann is the navigator and I'm the driver most of the time. The navigator is in charge of the GPS, computer (Google Earth), and paper maps. Between the three, and looking out the windshield, the navigator can usually get the driver in the proper place. The driver watches for other vehicles and changes lanes when safe to do so. Yes, sometimes none of it works, and we discover that we can't get there from here, but then we just go somewhere else and eventually get to where we wanted to go. Prior to having the GPS and computer with us we navigated by the "one-past" method. We would go past where we were supposed to turn, then turn around somewhere and go back to where we were supposed to be.
The Garmin RV760 I bought early this year is working well. Some quirks that I had to work out but I like better than the Rand McNally I had for a while. It is also more versatile than my Nuvi. There are also lots of maps, POI's and stuff that is available off the web; diesel, campgrounds, Walmart, rest stops... The list is almost endless. I also like the "trip planner" for advance routing. I have also found Garmin customer service friendly and helpful.
Good luck in your search.
Bill
iXit, gas buddy, allstays rv, pilot/flying K, gas buddy, and on and on (weather, level, flashlight, aviation pas, games)
I run my dedicated Rand McNally unit in conjunction with Apple maps and goole maps on the IOS devices - but always follow google if there is a conflict
get a droid or ios device if possible
T-Mobile is currently running a promotion on iPads. Buy one from them or have one activated any get 200mb of data each month. IPads need some access to 3g or 4g cellular data in order for gps to work.
They are also selling iPads interest free with 24 months to pay.
Your iPad tethered to your iPhone or connected to a wifi hotspot will let your iPad work with GPS apps. MotionX GPS app works on an iPad connected with wifi. We use our iPads on the move connected to our Verizon MiFi device. Our experience is that Verizon is going to get you the best overall coverage. Of course not everywhere has cell service.
Apple is having a sale at their website on Friday. Target has good prices too. An iPad 4 is going to be cheaper than an iPad Air. A refurbished iPad 4 from Apple comes with a new case and a new battery and a full warranty at a big discount. Pretty cheap way to get into an iPad.
Roger
Does anyone use Streets and Trips software on their computer?
It has GPS with moving map, tip planning, and will talk to you also
Howdy Bill,
I have been using MS Streets and Trips for years. I usually update as new versions become available. I modified a Jotto Desk to mount in our center dash cupholder. I use one of our Laptops to run MS S&T and love having the big screen. Very seldom use the voice directions, although they work pretty well. IMHO, a very good and reasonable priced solution.
Good Luck, Dave A
There is a lot of discussion of the RM7720 on rv.net. It is well liked.
Roger,
What you say is true for a lot of the country but here in the west, cell coverage is very spotty to say the least. We only have a prepaid Verizon plan for our iPhone as we can't get coverage at home (with any provider) so don't have any data plan.
To maximize the GPS capabilities of an iPad, a 32GB model is the way to go. 16GB is quickly taken up by GPS apps that store all the maps on the tablet. It will work but really cuts down on the photos, music, etc. that most users will want to have. The prices for GPS apps are so inexpensive it's easy to buy a couple but then 16GB does not have much room after installation.
So, with a new 32GB iPad plus a Bad Elf Pro GPS, the investment is substantial. An Android tablet could cut the cost a bit as able to use a much less expensive and just as good Holux M1000 GPS. How good? I can get almost as high satellite strength inside our house as outside and San Francisco is good downtown but occasionally take a few seconds to calculate position (depending on satellite location at the time)
Bill, Streets and Trips used to be a terrible application but they have really improved the program even with detailed cities in Mexico and Canada included. For a PC, S&T is excellent and has a much lower learning curve and is easier to use than DeLorme's Street Atlas USA.
The huge advantage tablets have is you can use them for almost anything, even putting them face down and using the CPU as a regular computer with external keyboards, and displays. Then they go into a purse, small daypack and you can email, word process, spreadsheet, music, video, photo, read books, etc. All the RV apps are instantly available with the push of the home button. The battery life is also excellent. You can go all day without even using a 12V or 120V outlet. The external GPS products like Holux and Bad Elf go 16 to 23 hours on a single charge. Savings come back as you don't have to buy the next year's application for road changes or plug into a computer for updates like a stand alone GPS. Just hit the app update button at the Apple store (or Droid store) and it does it all automatically.
Once anyone uses a 7" or 10" tablet, it's hard to go back to anything else for traveling.
Pierce
"Then they go into a purse, small daypack and you can email, word process, spreadsheet, music, video, photo, read books, etc."
Great for you youngsters that still have 20/20.
Old F**ts have to use large to very large print, and LOTS of light!!
Bill,
I used to curse the phone companies when I tried to use a phone booth (what's a phone booth?) and found the phone companies were making the print smaller to save money. At night, every phone booth had even smaller print. Took me a while to figure that one out.
P
Here's my RV GPS system thrown together on the cheap, and I'll gladly show it if any of you are at time Chula Vista motorcade rally next week.
I have a Barnes and Noble HD+ tablet with 32GB of memory. These are basic but very serviceable Android tablets with high resolution 9" screens. They are dirt cheap, available at fire sale prices and even cheaper as returns.
I have a 64GB memory card in the slot.
Not needed, but I have rooted the device and am running the latest version of the Android operating system. This is easy to do.
For GPS, I use an external Bluetooth GPS device and the free Bluetooth GPS app. Although the battery will ,eep it going all day, I keep in plugged in to the RV.
I run two nav apps that are free and use downloaded maps and points of interest: OsmAnd and Navigate 6. Both work well.
For traffic info or to use Allstays I need internet access. If needed, I will turn my rooted Verizon Galaxy Note 2 with grandfathered unlimited 4G data into a WiFi hotspot.
BTW, I am typing this on just that setup.
Tom,
Looks like a poor mans or smart mans iPad. Good reviews. Any sources for the returns on the 9 inch model you have seen? Black Friday might be a good time to pick one up. I played with my daughters Asus Droid and it didn't seem much different than our iPad. Not much of a learning curve.
Thanks Tom, great tip.
Pierce
I use a 17" screen, mounted on a Toshiba Satellite lap sitting on the dash top that presents a moving map that is always centered on the screen.
It has voice and visual commands that I do not used because of hearing impairment and failing (old age) eyesight. It has auto reroute in case I make a wrong turn to get me back on course.
I renew every time a new version comes out ( used to be yearly ) $35.99 in stores $33.50 if I download
(which I do not)
The same Toshiba has lasted, so far. 9 years, I could replace it now for less that I paid 9 years ago.
But................
it will not
1. fit in my pocket
2. last long on battery. ( I installed a 450 watt inverter under the dash ) which will last longer than a tank of gas.
but.........
it will
1. Give me GPS speed
2. keep a record (lom) of my trip, including rest stops, fuels stops and where I went astray.
3. I can save the preplanned trips, and trips I planned but never made ( am I the only one who does that ???)
wish I could imbed icons etc.
Oh well, I guess technology left me in the dust.
PS: it took my two fingers 11 minutes to concoct this
It all depends on your needs. The HD+ has good specs! but the high resolution 9" display is a lot for the processor to handle. I went with rooting and a custom rom to lessen lag.
Also, the was intended to be primarily a reader, so it has no camera, no compass, no accelerometer, and no gps.
If it meets your needs, they are available on eBay as a manufacturer refurb for $129, the 32mb model.
Barnes Noble Nook HD 32GB Wi Fi 9" Tablet Slate Android BNTV600 CPO (http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/161124542453?lpid=82)
Tom,
They are down to $109 delivered, no tax today. I bought one to play with so will post after I receive and "root" (same as Apple "jailbreak") it and see how I like it. A camera would be nice for video conferencing but very minor. The ability to add a 64GB mini SD card to the slot more than makes up for any lack of camera. It gets excellent reviews, especially the screen brightness and resolution. At $109 plus a Holux M1000 bluetooth GPS for about $50 and then a few RV apps, the cost should be well under $200 unless you add the TomTom, Sygic or Garmin applications.
Barnes Noble Nook HD 32GB Wi Fi 9" Tablet Slate BNTV600 Android 9781400699162 | (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Barnes-Noble-NOOK-HD-32GB-Wi-Fi-9-Tablet-Slate-BNTV600-Android-/350911798176?pt=US_Tablets&hash=item51b3f91ba0)
I have owned the Holux M-1000, (three in fact as I lost two in the sofa or somewhere) and it works super with 16 hours of battery life.
To readers, this tablet also has full Wi-Fi capability for email, movies, photos, web browsing, etc.
Pierce
Excellent price find.
I assume you already know how to root it. I followed the directions on the XDA developers forum, using a specially prepared sd card to unlock, root, flash the recovery image, and flash the CM rom image. Currently running the latest CM 10.2 nightly build and it works very nicely.
Is anyone out there using the Rand Mcnally App for the iPad? If so can you tell me what your cell data cost are. I am thinging of getting the App but I'm thinking it may be about 6G a month. If that is correct it will cost aroung $60 a month to use it. If it is on 8 to 10 hours a day that could really add up.
Thanks
Norm,
Go to the Apple iTunes store, purchase (create an account if you don't have one) and download a GPS app like TomTom, Sygic, Garmin, Rand McNally or one of the free GPS apps. Read the reviews and view the examples for each one. Then purchase a GPS receiver like a Bad Elf Pro from Amazon or Ebay. It must be compatible with your non-jailbroken iPad. About $130 or so. The Apple iTunes Store has a free app for the Bad Elf that allows a wireless connection between your iPad and the GPS receiver. All the maps are stored on your iPad so no internet connection is ever needed. I have used this combination in Europe, Mexico and here in the U.S. You will need about 6GB space on your iPad. Rand McNally RV app gets good reviews on the iTunes Store ($99.99).
View GPS devices at Amazon: Amazon.com: bad elf pro (http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=bad%20elf%20pro&sprefix=bad+elf+p%2Caps&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Abad%20elf%20pro)
PM with any questions.
Pierce
I am also looking at the Rand McNally app for the iPad. I don't believe there will be a cellular data implication unless you're using live traffic feed or somesuch. The maps are stored on the device (they had better be... download is 3 1/2 GB!) and therefore should not need a sailor connection just to navigate.
Don
Norm,
I woke up in the middle of the night and realized you probably have a 3G iPad. In that case, you have an onboard GPS plus phone. The two are separate and you don't need the data plan to run a GPS application. Just go to the settings icon, tap it and go to general, look for location services and turn it on. That enables the internal GPS without the phone/data plan being involved. If in doubt, go to the closest Apple store and they will show you how to maximize your navigational experience while minimizing your phone bill.
Having said that, you may want to check your iPad for temperature as keeping the screen on all the time with the GPS running can really raise the temperature. I fried my iPhone logic board by using a suction mount on the windshield and driving with the sun on it. The factory replaced it but recommended keeping it out of the sun with the GPS on.
With an external GPS, I can run all day navigating with the iPad and just charge it at night. The external GPS only needs charging every couple of days. I do carry a 12V car plug also. The internal GPS has limited reception in cities with tall buildings, especially if parked for a while then trying to get a reliable signal when starting again. That's where the external really shines.
Sorry for not realizing you had a 3G model. Kept thinking about ours all the time.
Pierce
Good Morning Pierce;
Thanks for the info. I called RM this morning and they said pretty much the same thing. They also said if I didn't have the GPS chip in the iPad that YES it will suck up cell data like mad. Our son works for Apple and I sent him an e-mail this morning asking for conformation on the GPS chip. We have 2 iPads, the original and the iPan2, both came from him, the iPad2 is 16g and it still has 11.6g of space left, I think I will be able to use it. The App is about 3.5G, so there should be plenty of space. We also have a Mac Book Air so we don't have to rely on the iPad for internet service.
And this is for Michelle;
RM says they have addressed the issue of the NY parkways. It was supposedly done earlier this year. I am sure you will check it out when you come back up next year. Or for that matter when DW & I head west nest spring. BTW she had her shoulder replacement on Nov 20, she is doing great, better than expected.
Norm
Norm,
Your son should be able to get your non-3G iPad 2 back to iOS 5.1.1 and then jailbreak it so you can use any generic GPS device. Ask him about then downloading XBMC. Your MacBook Air (by far the best laptop on the market in my opinion) can also use XBMC. Beats AppleTV for movies and TV unless copyrighted material is streamed.
If you have any problem mirroring the display to a HDTV via HDMI cable and getting a really good image especially the small letters and numbers, use a HDMI to VGA adapter (less than $10 delivered) and plug into the PC input (VGA) on the HDTV. This made a huge difference on ours. Lot of people with the same problem on Apple forums. No problem with a PC or iPad/Android but desktop or laptop Mac do have a problem this way. AppleTV cures the problem but the latency kills using it for your monitor when using the mouse.
Pierce
I purchased a Rand McNally in 2012. Liked the size and what it was designed to do , but poorly made. Had to replace it after 3 months. In the beginning of this year, my second one went bad. CW gave me a full Credit which of course I put to use for other stuff. My new coach has a built in NAV.
I could not recommend the Rand McNally. Tech support/Customer Service kind of sucks too.
I use Dual GPS for my IPad2. The Apple store has an App for it.
I have not decided what navigation program to buy yet, but I'm leaning towards Garmin.
What does Rand McNally do that Garmin does not? I don't travelled the north east part of this great country, 99.5% out here in the west.