# Satnavs



## AdriaTwin (Sep 23, 2020)

Anyone got the TomTom Go Camper satnav ? Opinions please. Just got a bigger motorhome and don't want to be directed down singletrack roads ( except in Scotland where plenty of passing places). Any experiences?


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## mark61 (Sep 23, 2020)

Bought a new Go Premium x in July. Very similar to Go Camper I think.
Most frustrating device I have ever used, the touch screen is just so slow. Could be mine is faulty but getting on with TomTom customer service is equally as frustrating as the device. This is my third TomTom, first one bought in 05 or 06 and have always been happy with their products, not this one. 
I'd go visit a shop and try one first see how you like it.

The sat nav bit of it is fine, good clear screen, lots of info etc.


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## AdriaTwin (Sep 23, 2020)

Thanks mark. Its the ability to enter the dimensions of the van I`m curious about. When youve done  so, does it ignore narrow country lanes that a car would use ?


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## Tezza33 (Sep 23, 2020)

I don't think you will get a new satnav that doesn't send you down single-track roads, there is a lack of options these days and when you put your vehicle width in the settings and it knows your van is 2.3m wide it will send you down any road that is even fractionally wider so it doesn't ignore single track roads.
It is more useful for height restrictions to be honest.
You can of course plan your route on a laptop using tomtom mydrive and check the roads it picks for you then change individual roads if you don't like the look of them, then the route will be sent to your satnav, this useful for adding way points as well


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## trevskoda (Sep 23, 2020)

Get one for a truck.


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## Snapster (Sep 23, 2020)

Our van is over 3500kg so the sat nav was generally set up for a large vehicle and over 3m in height. Until it tried to take us on a 3 hour drive of over 70km when we were only 20km from home. 
Now, we only set it at +3500kg if we aren’t in a rush. 
It still tries to take us down narrow single track roads and a couple of times insisted we went through a 2.5m tunnel in France ( we didn’t!  )
I think they all do it. Ours is a Garmin dezl 770, but I drove a large van fitted with a new TomTom Camper a few weeks ago and it still took me down single track roads and thought we were driving through a field whilst driving through an established industrial estate.


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## mfw (Sep 23, 2020)

Got the tomtom truck satnav which is similar to the camper so size and weight can be put in - it will send you down narrow lanes though


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## SquirrellCook (Sep 23, 2020)

mfw said:


> Got the tomtom truck satnav which is similar to the camper so size and weight can be put in - it will send you down narrow lanes though


I had one that in truck mode it sent you under low bridges and narrow roads.  I bet someone thought that was funny!


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## jacquigem (Sep 23, 2020)

We have a Garmin with measurements programmed in . Took us down a canal tow path in France recently !


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## number14 (Sep 23, 2020)

I believe that all these satnavs just use a database of road signs to warn you of height or width limits, so, if there is no official width restriction sign, for example, they will still send you down a single track road. I have just changed from a 2.3m coachbuilt to a 2.1m PVC so I updated the satnav. Next thing it wanted to send me over a bridge with a 6'10" limit (ie 2.1m). Fortunately I knew the area so didn't get caught. I've now added a safety factor - 2.2m.


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## Tezza33 (Sep 23, 2020)

jacquigem said:


> We have a Garmin with measurements programmed in . Took us down a canal tow path in France recently !


It probably thought you wanted to dip your headlights


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## GeoffL (Sep 23, 2020)

FWIW, I replaced my Navigon dedicated unit with Co-Pilot Caravan Android app, which the software house then 'upgraded' to Co-Pilot GPS with motorhome/caravan options enabled. I've entered my motorhome length, width and height and (unlike the Navigon) it's not tried sending me under any height restriction so far. In general, it selects appropriate routes where a choice is available but will send me down narrow, single-track roads where there is a massive distance penalty to avoiding them or there is no other viable route. TBH, I thought that all half decent sat navs worked that way...


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## jacquigem (Sep 23, 2020)

Tezza33 said:


> It probably thought you wanted to dip your headlights


very nearly did !


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## Phantom (Sep 23, 2020)

I think all sat navs just use the map data if available for road widths. Our Garmin 760 seems much better since the last two map updates, before updating we had some unwanted adventures even, like just 2" clearance to drystone walls on single track even though we had oversized the vehicle width. But all seems well now - well so far anyway.


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## trevskoda (Sep 23, 2020)

Buy one from ebay china and it may take you to woohan.


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## jagmanx (Sep 24, 2020)

Woo Who ?


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## Wooie1958 (Sep 24, 2020)

jacquigem said:


> We have a Garmin with measurements programmed in . Took us down a canal tow path in France recently !



That will be because the French probably regularly drive down it as well


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## mfw (Sep 24, 2020)

Only advantage with a dedicated camper satnav is the camper parking/campsite info FWIW


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## AdriaTwin (Sep 24, 2020)

Thank you for all the replies. The original question was anyone got a TomTom camper and experience of it. Seems not, so I'll have a look at other satnavs too. I'm a fan of tomtom's , had them without any problems for 12 years that's why I asked.


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## Robmac (Sep 24, 2020)

I would stick with TomTom. 

I have a Garmin at present and although they were making GPS units for marine use long before TomTom came along, I don't find mine as user friendly as the TomTom.

I think the mapping is still evolving but still has a long way to go, so best used in conjunction with a road atlas which kind of defeats the object. I often stop though if being directed down a dodgy looking road and have a glance at the atlas and then make a decision.


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## mfw (Sep 24, 2020)

AdriaTwin said:


> Thank you for all the replies. The original question was anyone got a TomTom camper and experience of it. Seems not, so I'll have a look at other satnavs too. I'm a fan of tomtom's , had them without any problems for 12 years that's why I asked.


Only problem you could have with tomtom is sometimes they lose all the maps if you allow update whilst away from home i would see if the camper satnav has that problem and if so you are aware of it


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## jagmanx (Sep 24, 2020)

I too like my TomTom. It is only a simple "Car" type but using the TomTom software (x2) I can import 3rd party POI's.
Before you splash out on whichever one you like you may wish to check on this.

Of course nowadays 3rd party POI's are easily used in Maps.me (or simiar)

I do however like the ability to add "My POI's" to any satnav I might use.

There are many satnav apps which work on a phone or tablet. A say 7in Tablet has other uses and not being a phone it will not ring whilst you are driving.
I do however belive lane guidance is better with a dedicated sat nav..
The advantage of a  tablet is that it likely to be easier/cheaper to keep the maps up to date.
I would not use anything that relies on a data connection whilst in use !....But that is me being old-fashioned.


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## jacquigem (Sep 24, 2020)

Wooie1958 said:


> That will be because the French probably regularly drive down it as well


Yes the Canal management people do , but only in a landrover type vehicle , Nothing coming the other way fortunately . We also missed the sign saying no access for other vehicles but the sat nav definately picked it out for us as the route to go . Just think you have to be very careful just following these things blindly


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## jagmanx (Sep 24, 2020)

Wooie1958 said:


> That will be because the French probably regularly drive down it as well


Yes , We did several "French Canal Holidays" Beaucoup d'Auto sur les chemin de remorquage.
BUT mainly very small and thin about 1.5 people wide. Perfect for canalside dwellers to go to local villages towns etc.
Even the tourist canals had a high degree of automation ..We hade a remote control which would empty  or fill locks and open the gates.


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## mark61 (Sep 24, 2020)

Robmac said:


> I would stick with TomTom.
> 
> I have a Garmin at present and although they were making GPS units for marine use long before TomTom came along, I don't find mine as user friendly as the TomTom.
> 
> I think the mapping is still evolving but still has a long way to go, so best used in conjunction with a road atlas which kind of defeats the object. I often stop though if being directed down a dodgy looking road and have a glance at the atlas and then make a decision.



The dodgier the road the better.  
Have always preferred TomTom to Garmin sat navs, I wouldn't say they are better, just nicer. The Garmin I had was camper version, but I never bothered with putting dimensions in, it's a feature I have zero interest in.

When touring, I use my sat nav, phone on dash mount and tablet on another mount, . The tablet is very handy running whatever map app you want, usually maps.me for me, used in conjunction with sat nav. Proper map is only used when planning now, never need to pull over and look at it.
The TomTom app gives very much the same lane guidance as the TomTom device, in fact I think they are identical now, they didn't used to be.
The only trouble comes when each device gives me different instructions


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## Robmac (Sep 24, 2020)

mark61 said:


> The dodgier the road the better.



Yeah, but you've got a 4x4 Mark!


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## QFour (Sep 25, 2020)

Use a Tablet. I bought a Huawei then when you fall out with the software you can put something else on. I have IGO Nextgen ( Free ) Truck version and CoPilot also use it as a EReader, Internet and have a Speedo that sits over any other app and uses GPS so accurate. Have it mounted on the right side with power supply.


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## in h (Sep 25, 2020)

iGo is by far the best software. You can install it onto your own tablet (as I do) or buy it preinstalled on a cheap-as-chips Xgody device. £40 for a 7" one, £55 for a 9" one.


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## Debroos (Sep 25, 2020)

Can't beat a decent map!


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## in h (Sep 25, 2020)

Debroos said:


> Can't beat a decent map!


Oh you can. A good satnav knows the typical delay, day by day, hour by hour for each segment of road. It knows about current untypical traffic delays. It can calculate alternative routes going ways you'd never think of, taking into account how quickly you'd travel along each segment of road, and how long the journey would be.
Once you are driving, the satnav keeps track of where you are, re-evaluates the route and if traffic conditions change, suggests other routes. 
A satnav copes just fine if you decide to go a different way (or make a mistake) and just works out the best route from there.
Maps are great: I love them, but for planning a route, they're not a patch on a satnav. For giving driving directions, they're useless.


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## mark61 (Sep 25, 2020)

Love maps too, nothing better than getting a map out, having a look, have a ponder on direction, place names etc. All ends up on the sat nav though.

But, if you could only choose one, which would you choose?


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## Tezza33 (Sep 26, 2020)

mark61 said:


> But, if you could only choose one, which would you choose?


Satnav every time, I have a tomtom Go camper and a Go truck, lifetime updates on maps, software, speed cameras etc., the camper version doesn't need a computer to update but it is easy anyway, I can use 3rd party POI's but type Lidl, Aldi, Morrisons or any place you want to go to and it finds the nearest one.
Rhetorical question though, a satnav will work after you have planned the route on a 20yr old map so no need to buy new maps


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## mfw (Sep 26, 2020)

Tezza33 said:


> Satnav every time, I have a tomtom Go camper and a Go truck, lifetime updates on maps, software, speed cameras etc., the camper version doesn't need a computer to update but it is easy anyway, I can use 3rd party POI's but type Lidl, Aldi, Morrisons or any place you want to go to and it finds the nearest one.
> Rhetorical question though, a satnav will work after you have planned the route on a 20yr old map so no need to buy new maps


I have the tomtom truck and the garmin 770 camper both have their issues

My tomtom can lose maps on update and it is a real pain can take hours to reload - how have you managed to duck that issue my tomtom is 3yrs old tops


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## Tezza33 (Sep 26, 2020)

F





mfw said:


> I have the tomtom truck and the garmin 770 camper both have their issues
> 
> My tomtom can lose maps on update and it is a real pain can take hours to reload - how have you managed to duck that issue my tomtom is 3yrs old tops


I have never had that issue, I usually only update at home with 100Mgps broadband though, updating the maps is a large download


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## mfw (Sep 26, 2020)

Tezza33 said:


> F
> I have never had that issue, I usually only update at home with 100Mgps broadband though, updating the maps is a large download


As you know the update comes up on bottom of screen and if in spain or portugal and you accidentally touch that update you can lose the maps - at home you wont have a problem - if you are away from home it is a big problem


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## jacquigem (Sep 26, 2020)

Can you set sat nav to avoid canal tow paths ? Also we have had 3 in last 6 years. Usually last just more than the 12 months guarantee. Having said that we would not be without  one but dont believe everything they say .


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## Debroos (Sep 26, 2020)

in h said:


> Oh you can. A good satnav knows the typical delay, day by day, hour by hour for each segment of road. It knows about current untypical traffic delays. It can calculate alternative routes going ways you'd never think of, taking into account how quickly you'd travel along each segment of road, and how long the journey would be.
> Once you are driving, the satnav keeps track of where you are, re-evaluates the route and if traffic conditions change, suggests other routes.
> A satnav copes just fine if you decide to go a different way (or make a mistake) and just works out the best route from there.
> Maps are great: I love them, but for planning a route, they're not a patch on a satnav. For giving driving directions, they're useless.


Very true but less efficient when trying to send me down a coast path! 
The lanes in Cornwal are littered with huge council signs saying 'do not follow satnav'

Also I have on occasion compared the satnav route we are driving on with a map and often the sat nav has not picked the best route. Admittedly our sat nav is not very good. It doesn't even have the Irish Republic on it just Northern Ireland which looks like an island!
Having said all that sat navs are of course dead useful especially if driving alone. I still think maps have a place though especially when it comes to avoiding really narrow roads....


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## jagmanx (Sep 26, 2020)

Debroos said:


> Very true but less efficient when trying to send me down a coast path!
> The lanes in Cornwal are littered with huge council signs saying 'do not follow satnav'
> 
> Also I have on occasion compared the satnav route we are driving on with a map and often the sat nav has not picked the best route. Admittedly our sat nav is not very good. It doesn't even have the Irish Republic on it just Northern Ireland which looks like an island!
> Having said all that sat navs are of course dead useful especially if driving alone. I still think maps have a place though especially when it comes to avoiding really narrow roads....


True, But many "tablet/phone" maps will show a road number so if no road number beware ! They also give a guide as to road size a bit like proper maps as the thickness of the road!
I like the Zooming feature of "digital maps". If you have internet Google Street view is also useful and if a narrowish road you can judge the frequency of passing places etc.
Laptop or 10in Tablet for planning !!!


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## in h (Sep 26, 2020)

I was ve


Debroos said:


> Very true but less efficient when trying to send me down a coast path!
> The lanes in Cornwal are littered with huge council signs saying 'do not follow satnav'
> 
> Also I have on occasion compared the satnav route we are driving on with a map and often the sat nav has not picked the best route. Admittedly our sat nav is not very good. It doesn't even have the Irish Republic on it just Northern Ireland which looks like an island!
> Having said all that sat navs are of course dead useful especially if driving alone. I still think maps have a place though especially when it comes to avoiding really narrow roads....


I was particular to specify a "good" satnav. Rubbish like TomTom, Copilot and Sygic definitely don't count as "good" in my estimation.


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## Robmac (Sep 26, 2020)

I generally use a map to work out a route if I'm going somewhere unfamiliar.

I then put the destination in on the satnav, mainly so I can see the journey time/distance remaining. I often only really use the satnav in earnest for the last 10 miles or so of a journey when you get off of the main routes.


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## Robmac (Sep 26, 2020)

in h said:


> I was ve
> 
> I was particular to specify a "good" satnav. Rubbish like TomTom, Copilot and Sygic definitely don't count as "good" in my estimation.



TomTom set the standard in my opinion and as I said before are very user friendly.

What would you recommend as a good satnav? I have tried a couple of Chinese ones which have been excellent apart from longevity.


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## in h (Sep 26, 2020)

What do you think is good about TomTom? 
I can't see any redeeming features of the things. If you like them, anything I prefer is unlikely to suit you.


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## mark61 (Sep 26, 2020)

jacquigem said:


> Can you set sat nav to avoid canal tow paths ? Also we have had 3 in last 6 years. Usually last just more than the 12 months guarantee. Having said that we would not be without  one but dont believe everything they say .



Thats not good, what goes wrong with them? Bought new ones 05/06, 2012 and 2020. First two went the same way, touch screen just gets less and less responsive. 

If your sat nav  takes you down little roads, you've got it set right.   
Any excuse for a pic.


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## Robmac (Sep 26, 2020)

in h said:


> What do you think is good about TomTom?
> I can't see any redeeming features of the things. If you like them, anything I prefer is unlikely to suit you.



I don't have a TomTom at the moment I have a Garmin, but as I said I always found TomTom satnavs very user friendly in the past.

I liked features like 'avoid part of route' or 'alternative route' and the ease of finding said features. That doesn't mean that I am unwilling to try something new.


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## GeoffL (Sep 26, 2020)

in h said:


> What do you think is good about TomTom?
> I can't see any redeeming features of the things. If you like them, anything I prefer is unlikely to suit you.


Like @Robmac, I'm interested in which brands you consider to be significantly better than TomTom and (more importantly) Copilot. I hope you're not going to say 'Navigon', because a dedicated Navigon unit twice attempted to send my 3m high motorhome down 2.5m clearance underpasses!

BTW, beware of any claims by TomTom offering 'free lifetime updates' as the life concerned is that of the model of satnav and not of the purchaser; and TomTom decide when that life ends. A friend got caught out by a bargain older model TomTom with that offer only to find that the free map updates were no longer available a few months after purchase.


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## mark61 (Sep 26, 2020)

Robmac said:


> TomTom set the standard in my opinion and as I said before are very user friendly.
> 
> What would you recommend as a good satnav? I have tried a couple of Chinese ones which have been excellent apart from longevity.



As a stand alone device, I would say TomTom have always made the nicest devices. They seem well made, good display and the fastest and easiest to use menu, as you say very user friendly.
On my tablet, I have more sat nav and map apps than I care to remember. TomTom still rates very high as an app even with the fees. iGO is very good too, as are plenty of the completely free ones. 
If I could only have one sat nav app on tablet, it would be iGo, perhaps because I have a TomTom device too.


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## Robmac (Sep 26, 2020)

mark61 said:


> As a stand alone device, I would say TomTom have always made the nicest devices. They seem well made, good display and the fastest and easiest to use menu, as you say very user friendly.
> On my tablet, I have more sat nav and map apps than I care to remember. TomTom still rates very high as an app even with the fees. iGO is very good too, as are plenty of the completely free ones.
> If I could only have one sat nav app on tablet, it would be iGo, perhaps because I have a TomTom device too.



I was down your way on Wednesday Mark and as I drove by the Mother Red Cap which looked busy I did wonder is Mark in there.

Just to keep on topic, obviously I was using my satnav to navigate Holloway road!


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## mfw (Sep 26, 2020)

All sat navs have their problems - it is only a tool to help navigate certainly easier than map reading - loss of internet signal for notebooks or phone - road delays is nice to be aware of as well


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## mark61 (Sep 26, 2020)

Robmac said:


> I was down your way on Wednesday Mark and as I drove by the Mother Red Cap which looked busy I did wonder is Mark in there.
> 
> Just to keep on topic, obviously I was using my satnav to navigate Holloway road!



Could have called in for a cuppa. 
Wasn't there on Wednesday, but yes, no more blacked out windows at the cap, like a fish bowl now. I think they are limited to 30 now, and I'm the only one that can count past ten, and that's only because it's still sandal season.


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## jacquigem (Sep 26, 2020)

mark61 said:


> Thats not good, what goes wrong with them? Bought new ones 05/06, 2012 and 2020. First two went the same way, touch screen just gets less and less responsive.
> 
> If your sat nav  takes you down little roads, you've got it set right.
> Any excuse for a pic.
> ...


i think the first one Tom Tom ,developed vertical lines then screen froze .Novotek (?) screen froze ,one in between  cant remember but screen freezing again I think. Now on Garmin , so far so good but early days. Tow path not quite so bad I'm glad to say . As I say useful but can be misleading and would always consult a map before starting off and dont be afraid to overule the machine.


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## Red Dwarf (Sep 26, 2020)

I’ve got a big screen £30 Chinese cheapie, does the job fine. But there again, I am somewhat prudent in my spending habits....


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## jacquigem (Sep 26, 2020)

The Novatek was I think Chinese and similar money . Worked ok till screen started to freeze and needed constant resetting , hope yours is better .


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## SquirrellCook (Sep 26, 2020)

We have a garmin camper thing, this morning trying to visit south stack lighthouse the horrible thing took us through town. The back streets, we fitted but it was tight. Waiting whilst Anita was doing the chip run, I checked the setup. All correct.


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## in h (Sep 26, 2020)

jagmanx said:


> Laptop or 10in Tablet for planning !!!


I use a 10" tablet as a satnav.


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## in h (Sep 26, 2020)

jacquigem said:


> The Novatek was I think Chinese and similar money . Worked ok till screen started to freeze and needed constant resetting , hope yours is better .


The freeze/reset issue would have been either memory errors or a power supply issue. Both easily sorted.
However, almost all Nozatec satnavs suffer from the GPS week number rollover problem, so they really need a firmware update.
For a 7" unit, the good news is that the update is available for free and is easy to do. The bad news is that you have to back iGo up first: the firmware update wipes the device. Then again, a "backup" is available to reset it to good working order.
For a 5" unit, I don't know of a working firmware update.


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## in h (Sep 26, 2020)

mfw said:


> All sat navs have their problems - it is only a tool to help navigate certainly easier than map reading - loss of internet signal for notebooks or phone - road delays is nice to be aware of as well


Good satnavs all have the maps stored locally. They only use internet for live traffic info.


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## jagmanx (Sep 26, 2020)

in h said:


> I use a 10" tablet as a satnav.


Ok nice large scren..Which app please ?


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## jacquigem (Sep 26, 2020)

in h said:


> The freeze/reset issue would have been either memory errors or a power supply issue. Both easily sorted.
> However, almost all Nozatec satnavs suffer from the GPS week number rollover problem, so they really need a firmware update.
> For a 7" unit, the good news is that the update is available for free and is easy to do. The bad news is that you have to back iGo up first: the firmware update wipes the device. Then again, a "backup" is available to reset it to good working order.
> For a 5" unit, I don't know of a working firmware update.


Yes I seem to recall memory issues . I am afraid the cure sounds far to complicated for us . I did get as far as sticking a needle in a hole in the side of the satnav that worked for a while hoping for better luck with the Garmin !


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## in h (Sep 26, 2020)

jagmanx said:


> Ok nice large scren..Which app please ?


iGo Nextgen. By far the best, I reckon.
It also has Sygic Truck, Maps.me and Here, as well as Google maps, but the one I use is iGo


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## in h (Sep 26, 2020)

jacquigem said:


> Yes I seem to recall memory issues . I am afraid the cure sounds far to complicated for us . I did get as far as sticking a needle in a hole in the side of the satnav that worked for a while hoping for better luck with the Garmin !


The reset button never fixes a problem.
Fixing memory issues is a very simple task. You simply delete the unnecessary stuff, such as POIs for countries you don't visit.


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## jagmanx (Sep 27, 2020)

in h said:


> iGo Nextgen. By far the best, I reckon.
> It also has Sygic Truck, Maps.me and Here, as well as Google maps, but the one I use is iGo


Thanks
Yes I use maps.me ang google extensively  so thanks for alerting me to IGo.
I will try it


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## Robmac (Sep 27, 2020)

in h said:


> I use a 10" tablet as a satnav.



Can I ask where you position it when driving?


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## Adam (Sep 27, 2020)

AdriaTwin said:


> Anyone got the TomTom Go Camper satnav ? Opinions please. Just got a bigger motorhome and don't want to be directed down singletrack roads ( except in Scotland where plenty of passing places). Any experiences?


I have the Go Camper. Went to Cornwall, wasn't much help as all the roads are narrow.
Went to Barmouth recently and the SatNav took me down a single track road so fiddled with my van sizes increasing all dimensions setting it higher and wider a touch and it did take me a new way home


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## mfw (Sep 27, 2020)

Robmac said:


> Can I ask where you position it when driving?


A lot of vans have the clipboard bit in centre of dash probably fits it there


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## Scabbydog (Sep 27, 2020)

I have the Tom Tom camper sat nav. I like the large screen and information etc but this last week I found that when planning routes it will tell you that the route is not suitable for your vehicle, but does not offer an alternative. I just went for it anyway and had no problems but it was a bit unsettling. Updating the unit is easy over wifi which is a bonus.


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## Scabbydog (Sep 27, 2020)

Adam said:


> I have the Go Camper. Went to Cornwall, wasn't much help as all the roads are narrow.
> Went to Barmouth recently and the SatNav took me down a single track road so fiddled with my van sizes increasing all dimensions setting it higher and wider a touch and it did take me a new way home


Every sat nav that I have had has taken me home on a different route. Why do they do that?


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## mark61 (Sep 27, 2020)

Robmac said:


> Can I ask where you position it when driving?



Thats the bit that I'm not 100% happy with mine, but the tablet has 11" screen so I'll live with it for now. Might go mad one day and buy tablet with smaller screen just for sat nav and map apps.
Until then, I have two positions that are liveable with.

Dash mount goes fits on tray above the radio, the tablet then fits right in front of the radio. Fits fine, easy to reach, can't see radio or any of the buttons for radio and phone, doesn't matter as everything is repeated on steering wheel. Radio display is also used for rear camera, so thats blocked as well.

Or, and this is where tablet sits most of the time.
Dash mount sits on dash on passenger side. Works well there, doesn't block anything, but I can't reach it from drivers seat. Well not unless I use cruise control,


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## knowledgeseeker (Sep 27, 2020)

This is a very live topic for us. We are just back from a long trip around Portugal and using the Crafter in-built sat nav and Gmaps we ended up in some very hairy situations - 7m van with no motorways/no toll roads selected. Extremely tight, narrow roads through villages/towns (even when we could see afterwards that there were by-passes!) sometimes it took three attempts to get round uphill hairpins, luckily being Portugal traffic was very light. 

As we want to tow a trailer from now on route planning will be crucial.


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## knowledgeseeker (Sep 27, 2020)

Incidentally, we also found the phone when using Gmaps regularly overheated, combination of the sun through the windshield and heavy power use. Would think that could be a problem with using tablets?


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## mark61 (Sep 27, 2020)

knowledgeseeker said:


> Incidentally, we also found the phone when using Gmaps regularly overheated, combination of the sun through the windshield and heavy power use. Would think that could be a problem with using tablets?



Overheating is a problem for all devices I've had which are mounted on windscreen or top of dash. My TomToms overheat in hot countries. Latest one sits right on top of a vent, so air con cools it down.


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## alwaysared (Sep 27, 2020)

Robmac said:


> TomTom set the standard in my opinion and as I said before are very user friendly.
> 
> What would you recommend as a good satnav? I have tried a couple of Chinese ones which have been excellent apart from longevity.



Maybe they do in Campers but I wouldn't trust TomTom after buying a TomTom Rider to replace my aging Zumo 660 for a trip to France on the motorbike, we went to a B&B called the Rider's Rest which was owned by a biker who did tours around the area where you could follow him or if you wanted to be on your own he would load them onto your satnav for you. On the first morning when everyone was waiting for him to upload their route there was only me and another guy who had TomTom's and the owner just laughed and said "Good luck with the TomTom" and he wasn't wrong   I set of on my route following another guy who was doing the same route and we came to a T Junction, he went left and my TomTom told me to turn right The TomTom actually ruined that trip for us . I use BaseCamp and a website called myrouteapp.com to plan trips on the bike then upload them to my satnav and there was no way I could get the TomTom to stick to my planned route or announce individual waypoints, it would only announce all of them or non of them. So after six months of talking to TomTom support, who kept promising to call me back but never did and then told me I was only meant to use street addresses or postcodes I went on wikipedia and got the CEO's email address and emailed him, a couple of hours later TomTom called me and offered me a full refund even though I didn't buy it from them directly, I went out and got a new Zumo and everything is as I'd expect a motorbike satnav to be  but I still regret selling the Zumo 660, which is still the best biker satnav made imho.

Regards,
Del


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## molly 2 (Sep 27, 2020)

I love mr aguri  ,but it still  has its. Little  joke


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## jagmanx (Sep 27, 2020)

For me a 10in tablet would feel to big  & clumsy whilst driving. A 6 or 7in  display is enough and easier to mount and angle..i prefer rh bottom corner angled slightly up and inwards.


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## in h (Sep 27, 2020)

Robmac said:


> Can I ask where you position it when driving?


It sits just above the stereo at the top of the dash. Mounted on two small hooks made of Sugru, held in place by two magnetic mobile phone holders.


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## in h (Sep 27, 2020)

knowledgeseeker said:


> Incidentally, we also found the phone when using Gmaps regularly overheated, combination of the sun through the windshield and heavy power use. Would think that could be a problem with using tablets?


Yes, it's a problem. In the past, I put a sheet of paper behind it as a sunshade.
I now have a pair of 12v fans on the dash. They swivel, so can point towards the back of the satnav (where they cool it well) or slightly turned towards the occupants (where they cool people and satnav) or towards the windscreen (where they help the demisters)
If you leave the device in hot sun, it gets too hot to touch and it slows down but it still seems to work, unlike the in-dash satnav I used to have, which used to crash when it overheated.


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## Snoopy (Sep 27, 2020)

AdriaTwin said:


> Anyone got the TomTom Go Camper satnav ? Opinions please. Just got a bigger motorhome and don't want to be directed down singletrack roads ( except in Scotland where plenty of passing places). Any experiences?


I've got the Garmin 6" version and had no real problems. Like all you get the odd quirk, but when set for towing the caravan or moho it routes well.


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## Crystalight (Sep 28, 2020)

AdriaTwin said:


> Thank you for all the replies. The original question was anyone got a TomTom camper and experience of it. Seems not, so I'll have a look at other satnavs too. I'm a fan of tomtom's , had them without any problems for 12 years that's why I asked.


I have only just seen your post, we have a large campervan and bought the TomTom Camper a couple of years ago now because you can put in the size of the vehicle, kept it updated and had no problems. We have found it reliable and not encountered any mishaps (yet) I think that sometimes it does not use the most direct route, having experienced that in our local area but when away from home you are not aware of any shortcuts anyway so it is not a problem!


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## in h (Sep 28, 2020)

mfw said:


> A lot of vans have the clipboard bit in centre of dash probably fits it there


That's what I'd use if there was one, but this van is well over 20 years old. Don't think they were a thing in those days.


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## mark61 (Sep 28, 2020)

Sometimes here, sometimes right in front of radio display. Even in this position it's not much further away than the TomTom on screen mount.
Passenger can muck about with it here very easily.


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## Nosmo king (Oct 4, 2020)

SquirrellCook said:


> I had one that in truck mode it sent you under low bridges and narrow roads.  I bet someone thought that was funny!


I’ve got the Tom Tom 6200 and I set mine up as a bus, works well


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## badgerdid (Oct 4, 2020)

I have the tomtom camper and find it’s great, don’t forget a lot of the roads leading to many campsites because there buried out the way are small thin roads and it won’t have any choice to send you down it to reach the campsite.


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## mfw (Oct 5, 2020)

Probably find all satnavs work out if a route is wide enough for your vehicle - with no consideration for if another vehicle is coming the other way - if a road looks too tight play it safe and find an alternative route - easier said than done i know


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## Deleted member 61691 (Oct 5, 2020)

Dont discount the Xgody X4 or X5 just because they are made in China , ( 9" screen , free updates , vehicle size and weight etc ) and all for £50 !


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## Tezza33 (Oct 5, 2020)

mfw said:


> Probably find all satnavs work out if a route is wide enough for your vehicle - with no consideration for if another vehicle is coming the other way - if a road looks too tight play it safe and find an alternative route - easier said than done i know


Absolutely right, if it is wide enough it will send you along it


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## Tookey (Oct 5, 2020)

hg41hs said:


> Dont discount the Xgody X4 or X5 just because they are made in China , ( 9" screen , free updates , vehicle size and weight etc ) and all for £50 !


Do you have one?


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## wildebus (Oct 5, 2020)

Tookey said:


> Do you have one?


if you are looking for a SatNav and like the look of the Xgody, I think I have one available?  bought it as it was meant to be great but I much preferred the Garmin to be honest.

Also .... this may be of interest ... IIRC it also has a wireless reversing camera with it   (I saw the camera kit this morning in my shed as it happens)


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## Tookey (Oct 6, 2020)

wildebus said:


> if you are looking for a SatNav and like the look of the Xgody, I think I have one available?  bought it as it was meant to be great but I much preferred the Garmin to be honest.
> 
> Also .... this may be of interest ... IIRC it also has a wireless reversing camera with it   (I saw the camera kit this morning in my shed as it happens)


I will PM later


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