Rand McNally 7720 GPS

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Rand McNally 7720 GPS

September 28, 2014, 03:52:55 pm

I recently made a trip from Denver to San Diego to Charleston, SC and back to Denver and found some issues with the Rand McNally 7720 that I wonder if others have experienced. First, keep in mind that I checked for and downloaded any updates weekly on the trip.

First problem was the inaccuracy of the maps. As an example between Lawrenceberg and Savanna TN on US 64 for a number of miles the GPS indicated I should be on a two-lane highway about 1/2 to 1 mile north of the four-lane that had been constructed probably ten years earlier.

Second, because I was not where the GPS thought I should be I continually heard "Proceed to the indicated route" to the point where I finally shut the voice down.

These problems existed at a number of other locations along my route.

Third, especially in Texas but also in many other locations the indicated speed limit was very different from the actual posted limit, in some cases high and in some low.

It would seem reasonable to me that at least for the first problem a map maker such as Rand McNally should have the correct routes. As far as the second, one or two repetitions would seem enough, continual repetitions are nothing more that back seat driving and I had enough of that when I was married.

As far as the third issue, I would think it very difficult to keep up with the posted limits, especially in the western states where they have been raising the limits (Texas and Wyoming for example).

I am thinking about getting a second GPS but wonder if others (e.g. Garmin) are less prone to these kinds of issues.

Suggestions welcomed.

Re: Rand McNally 7720 GPS

Reply #1 – September 28, 2014, 04:00:22 pm

The latest models of Garmin GPS's are quite good. My three-year old 5-inch Garmin is much better than what you describe with your Rand McNally.

Re: Rand McNally 7720 GPS

Reply #2 – September 28, 2014, 06:02:33 pm

Agree, I have the NUVI 1350 Garmin, it has been very dependable, the Only gripe I could mention, it might take a longer route to use a larger highway sooner instead of sneaking along a side road. very easy to use. Surely newer models today as mine is about year old also includes the free lifetime updates.

Re: Rand McNally 7720 GPS

Reply #3 – September 28, 2014, 07:46:56 pm

My Garmin RV760LM has been mostly reliable and easy to use. Minor issues until first update but no biggie. Comes with lifetime updates. Would always recommend this unit.

Re: Rand McNally 7720 GPS

Reply #4 – September 28, 2014, 08:21:51 pm

My DW uses both when navigating!

Re: Rand McNally 7720 GPS

Reply #5 – September 28, 2014, 09:06:19 pm

I have found the map section of my iPad Air to be accurate. It has shown to be a better GPS then our Garmin.
Reese

Re: Rand McNally 7720 GPS

Reply #6 – September 28, 2014, 11:32:22 pm

I never have liked Garmin's stand alone GPS or their software Navigon, Viago or StreetPilot. Too many bad routes. Magellan was OK but I take our TomTom everywhere. I did buy a Garmin GLO GPS receiver and it works great for a bluetooth receiver on iPad and Android tablets. It receives all the Russian GLONASS satellites as well. The aviation model updates 10 times per second so moves the cursor on the map very smoothly. GLOs are one of the very few models that work on a non-jailbroken iPad (WiFi model). $99 for the GLO, $129 GLO aviation.

Pierce

Re: Rand McNally 7720 GPS

Reply #7 – September 28, 2014, 11:35:53 pm

I've been pleased with our Garmin RV760LMT. It is prudent to review the routes and location against an alternative source before fully relying on them. We found instructions to a couple of campgrounds were incorrect. The street addresses were correct, but the coordinates used to create routes were off by 20 to 40 miles.

Based on experience and alternative map sources (Google Maps and AAA paper maps), I sometimes "force" an alternative to the recommendation by RV760LMT by adding waypoints to the route.

Re: Rand McNally 7720 GPS

Reply #8 – September 28, 2014, 11:49:56 pm

JD, When going to a new area or address, I sometimes use google maps and get a good view of area from satellite, has helped when looking for address and access with the motor home.

Sorta like going over the IFR or VFR sectionals, get to know area before the surprise. Yes, I got lost once during a student cross country requirement, happened to fly over an intersection I knew, not lost any more, but have never gotten lost since

Got to love Loran C, Garmin GPS, never tried the synthetic vision yet that Garmin has.

Re: Rand McNally 7720 GPS

Reply #9 – September 29, 2014, 09:58:22 am

I have same Rand device - Same issues as you have.Â Garmin somewhat better.Â Sad to say, google maps has best traffic info (real time, group sourced from the cellular user network actual travel times) and now has lane guidance.Â Challenge is that you have to have an internet connection, so my primary is Goole Maps, backed up by the ever disappointing Rand.

Re: Rand McNally 7720 GPS

Reply #10 – September 29, 2014, 10:41:49 am

We, the DW & I just completed a 12,000 mile, 5 month trip throughout the USA. Our son gave us an iPadAir to download the Rand RV GPS. It was great. Had some problems with addresses because my info was old. A lot of the speed limits were not correct in some states, I think that may be due to the recent changes. Quite often it would route us off the Interstate and onto some very beautiful 2 lane highways, no trucks and in a lot of cases better road than the interstate.

Reason for the iPad was screen size, 9.5 inch as opposed to 7 inch or 5 inch, these old eyes can see it better.

I really like the Rand App, yes there are some bugs but all in all I would buy it again if I had to. Just waiting for the updates.

And that IMHO

Norm

Re: Rand McNally 7720 GPS

Reply #11 – September 29, 2014, 11:10:22 am

Ken let us borrow his MiFi to send emails last year so we had to have one. Since we can't get reception at home or most of the campgrounds we go to, we didn't want to have a regular service but came up with a very economical alternative. A flashed Novatel 2200 for Verizon 3G prepaid with unlimited usage. A little over $90 with the first 2 months for free and then $30 for 3 months or $99 for a year. We don't abuse the "unlimited" part but it does work well. Have heard Verizon throttles cards that download too much. They work well for GPS traffic, Yelp restaurant reviews or campground reviews.

Check feedback for feedback before ordering one. Here is our supplier: Virgin Mobile MiFi 2200 Full Flashed to Verizon Unlimited 3G | eBay

Pierce

Re: Rand McNally 7720 GPS

Reply #12 – September 29, 2014, 01:08:21 pm

I'm a outdated old trucker.. If you get "miss directed" in a loaded diesel rig there can and usually are repercussions... Not saying I wont have a gps but I definitly will have the old style "map in the lap".

Re: Rand McNally 7720 GPS

Reply #13 – September 29, 2014, 04:23:12 pm

We don't own a dedicated GPS for the coach but we use the iPad with a number of GPS apps for navigation. We have Magellan, TomTom, CoPilot , Navigon and our latest acquisition Rand McNally as well as Apple Maps and Google. As chief navigator on our journeys I have to admit that even with all these tools I still don't always get us to our destination in the most efficient manner!

All of the apps seem to contain some errors and CoPilot has steered us down the wrong road on more than one occasion. I like Rand McNally but it has two major issues: when there is an update you CAN'T use the app till you update it and each update is around 1.7 GB of data.

Also, its functions like entering multi stop trips and recording gas mileage are great until you do the (forced) update and then they ALL DISAPPEAR!

Another issue I have with all the apps is the fact that none of them truly allow you to weigh all the alternative routes. When one app selects route A and another route B how does one decide between them? Not easy when in totally unfamiliar territory.

So far I haven't been able to rely on any of the apps to plan our trips the way we'd like. The work around is using several apps to check and double check routes and then using Google maps satellite view to see exactly how the roads are laid out. And hopefully my skills as navigator will improve enough so I won't have to spend quite as much time on route planning...

Tys

Re: Rand McNally 7720 GPS

Reply #14 – September 29, 2014, 06:30:14 pm

We have the Rand McNally 7725 which in general provides fairly accurate info. We haven't up-dated it, so I know there are in-accurate transmissions. My navigator backs it up with her i-phone which is surprisingly accurate. That uses Google maps I think. Have a great day ---- Fritz

Re: Rand McNally 7720 GPS

Reply #15 – September 29, 2014, 06:38:15 pm

Our trip planning starts weeks or months ahead of the trip with research ahead of time on many travel sites and even paper maps. The GPS is used to get us to GasBuddy diesel stations, Yelp restaurants and through big cities where it is easy to make the wrong turn. Nice to have it to get to campsites also. It's number one function is to accurately figure our arrival time once we start for our destination for the day. If we make reservations at a restaurant, all we have to do is plug in the address and then let them know our ETA. Most of the time we are without cell/data service so the GPS does a great job that way. I usually just start the engine, get air pressure and then decide which way to go depending on our mood that day.

While we very seldom plan an exact route, the GPS will change it's ETA if I suddenly decide to go a different way at an intersection. I have yet to see any GPS with the accurate arrival estimates that our TomTom provides. From home to any address in Los Angeles 600 miles away, it's usually within 5 minutes so can call friends to have dinner ready.

On the other hand, the iPad and Nook worked great for our dental and medical appointments in Puerto Penasco last year. With signs in another language or missing all together, the big high resolution screen with 3D buildings worked amazingly well and let me drive instead of looking at a crumpled paper map.

Pierce

Re: Rand McNally 7720 GPS

Reply #16 – September 29, 2014, 07:03:26 pm

We currently use the RM 7720 and it's OK. We previously had a Garmin and it was OK too. None are 100% in my experience. Must be prepared to use paper when questions arise - and they will. We have taken wrong turns with the RM and were routed down an ATV trail with the Garmin. Will continue to use the RM for a while and when, in a year or two, something better comes along, we will change. Thanks for the input. I always watch the GPS threads.

Re: Rand McNally 7720 GPS

Reply #17 – September 29, 2014, 07:15:37 pm

I am installing a GPS/stereo/xmradio in my "new" coach to replace the original am/fm stereo. I like the built in GPS that is easy to see from the drivers seat. I also use my iPad GPS for planning and when I stop along the way considering options. What I think is funny is the different routes that different GPS units give to the same destination. I have compared Garmin, tomtom, ipad maps, and Google maps and they seldom give the exact same route or predict the same time on long trips.

Re: Rand McNally 7720 GPS

Reply #18 – September 29, 2014, 11:46:28 pm

We mostly use our Ipads for mapping, big screen, easy to use.

Re: Rand McNally 7720 GPS

Reply #19 – September 30, 2014, 01:29:52 am

I would love a Rand McNally if I knew it would always be giving good routes that are up to date. I find Google Maps a little easier to handle because I can pull the route (with the mouse) to change it where I need to. I did screw up recently. On our recent trip into Placer County Fairgrounds. Google maps routed us through some tighter residential streets and a very tight barely 2 lane bridge over railroad tracks. The bridge had a sign saying no bigger than 35'. That's the first screenshot.

Looking north and driving a few miles out of the way gives nice easy roads and all highways in. Would have been much better. I tend to look at that satellite view at the beginning and end to make sure I'm okay. I'm not sure how I would get that comfort out of a GPS unit, but I'd love it if I could.

Re: Rand McNally 7720 GPS

Reply #20 – September 30, 2014, 10:34:33 am

Piku,

Just looked at the photos. They are about 45 minutes down the hill from our house. Do you live in Sacramento?

Pierce

Re: Rand McNally 7720 GPS

Reply #21 – September 30, 2014, 06:08:13 pm

We use a Garmin Nuvi. I have always maintained that you must use common sense while being "guided" by any GPS system. I have mostly always used common sense. When we left Buena Vista my "common sense" was missing. I followed my Garmin directions until we got to an 11' underpass.

. Got my "common sense" back in a hurry.

Roland

Re: Rand McNally 7720 GPS

Reply #22 – September 30, 2014, 06:48:05 pm

What I'd like most from a GPS is not the routing function so much but the lane information in a clear and easy to interpret way. When we are in traffic (typically Seattle Metro area but occasionally Portland and Spokane) with a toad it can be a real chore to figure out which lane to get into in order to make the proper exit.

This does not just apply to freeways but often to an overpass-approach to an on-ramp when you often don't know if you need to be in the left lane to go left or the right lane to go left. This is a real PITA with all the other things that one has to keep track of in traffic.

The GPS can help if the turn direction is well marked on the screen. Sometimes it's not. And the voice information can be a problem, too. I use Co-Pilot Truck most often and it's capable of knowing the size of the rig (although not specifically an RV) but it's not as good at lane directions as some of the others (I think... I've really never had a GPS with adequate lane instructions).

Does the Rand McNally unit give good lane information?

Craig

Re: Rand McNally 7720 GPS

Reply #23 – September 30, 2014, 08:13:38 pm

I use the Nuvi truck one (not sure the model) but the first thing I do before starting the drive is look at the Truck map and figure it out in my head(sometimes some turns etc are written down). I then know were we are going to turn etc as many times these stupid GPS's give you wrong info. I always update before a trip but it does not seem to make any difference.
Last year in Portugal my TomTom kept saying a direction and showing a straight road when we had to go around multiple roundabouts on this trip. Luckily being born in England I could figure out what really was needed, but we did (me) make a mess of it in Lisbon, but again you just go around the circle and try again. I love those things and do not know why N America does not get into the act asap. We are seeing many here in BC being installed finally.
JohnH

Re: Rand McNally 7720 GPS

Reply #24 – September 30, 2014, 09:20:43 pm

[quote

Does the Rand McNally unit give good lane information?

Craig
/quote]

I used the recently updated Rand McNally app on the iPad today going from Fall City, WA to a Chehalis park and noticed the lanes for exiting and entering freeways were clearly marked.

Tys

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