GPS for motorhomes

[Chasn]

Having used several GPS apps for both cars and motorhomes I am struggling to find one that works well with an easy to follow software.
Google Maps is OK but is no good when offline. Copilot used to be good many years ago, then failed to have a proper track up option, now has track up but has lost easy to use software making route changes on the move almost impossible. Sygic is slow to update and has other issues. Waze is very basic lacking the features described below.
Being able to store routes, enter waypoints in decimal degrees, using POIs, route preference settings are all important choices.
A good car app which has settings for avoiding minor roads might be better than a dedicated motorhome app which usually costs more.
I would be interested to know what others have ended up with.

 

[TJBi]

Having used several GPS apps for both cars and motorhomes I am struggling to find one that works well with an easy to follow software.
Google Maps is OK but is no good when offline. Copilot used to be good many years ago, then failed to have a proper track up option, now has track up but has lost easy to use software making route changes on the move almost impossible. Sygic is slow to update and has other issues. Waze is very basic lacking the features described below.
Being able to store routes, enter waypoints in decimal degrees, using POIs, route preference settings are all important choices.
A good car app which has settings for avoiding minor roads might be better than a dedicated motorhome app which usually costs more.
I would be interested to know what others have ended up with.

CoPilot

 

[Fisherman]

Tom Tom go is excellent, it operates the same as a normal Tom Tom satnav. You can download maps for most places in the world. So no internet required. You can store all your routes into favourites, updates are free, and £19.99 a year. It has a really good search engine, and you can enter coordinates. You can get the HGV version but it’s £79.99 a year. I use the normal version. You can download the app on Apple, or on android.

 

[trevskoda]

Osm android works of line from satalites, or second to that is magic earth.
I bought a old 4g ph android 7 on for £11 to use for car and van as backup, works better than a new satnave i bought of ebay

 

[Tezza33]

Tom Tom go is excellent, it operates the same as a normal Tom Tom satnav. You can download maps for most places in the world. So no internet required. You can store all your routes into favourites, updates are free, and £19.99 a year. It has a really good search engine, and you can enter coordinates. You can get the HGV version but it’s £79.99 a year. I use the normal version. You can download the app on Apple, or on android.

If you plan your route on TomTom mydriveconnect you can plan it as a motorhome including width and height restrictions, bit of a faff when travelling but useful if you like to plan early, not like me

 

[marchie]

Garmin 780 Camper - allows the entry of the M/home dimensions (though still takes you down (usually approach) roads where the clearance each side is the width of a gnat's knacker); it also has the ability to display the separate BC40 Bluetooth camera at number plate level for reversing, and the camera can then be removed for storage in the driver's door pocket. The camera has adjustable grids for kerb and offside parking alignment, plus accurate distance grids from, IIRC, 3 feet down to about 1 foot.

Steve

 

[trevskoda]

Garmin 780 Camper - allows the entry of the M/home dimensions (though still takes you down (usually approach) roads where the clearance each side is the width of a gnat's knacker); it also has the ability to display the separate BC40 Bluetooth camera at number plate level for reversing, and the camera can then be removed for storage in the driver's door pocket. The camera has adjustable grids for kerb and offside parking alignment, plus accurate distance grids from, IIRC, 3 feet down to about 1 foot.

Steve

My £25 unit from ebay does all that plus plays music etc, still find my ph with osm android works just as easy and free.

 

[marchie]

My £25 unit from ebay does all that plus plays music etc, still find my ph with osm android works just as easy and free.

Including the parking grids and the low level camera, Trev? Including the storing of locations as Favourites?

Steve

 

[Drover]

I use a X-Gody 886.
Best one I have ever had.
Does so much stuff ,more than I can remember....it has trouble with width in some towns in eu countries but all makes do i cluding Garmin.
Ps..it's cheap to buy

 

[alwaysared]

Some people are having great success with Magic Earth

Magic Earth sat nav app (Android and iOS)

I recently saw this mentioned elsewhere as another sat nav app that allows vehicle dimensions to be entered and used to determine safe route planning. I've used this for a drive today and I'm quite impressed. It uses OpenStreetMap mapping, which can be downloaded for use offline, traffic...

wildcamping.co.uk

Regards,
Del

 

[Chasn]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I will check them out. One feature that I find particularly useful is copying the Search for Sites positions in decimal degrees as waypoints. Some GPS apps don't seem to cope with Lat/Longs. For precise navigation it would be good if all apps worked with What3Words.
Recently whilst using Copilot I needed to create a diversion whilst on the move. The Copilot setup was far from intuitive and I ended up having to cancel and create a new route via a different waypoint to overcome the problem. The app was at times extremely slow. The frustration caused me to start looking for an alternative app.
We all have slightly different priorities. As a result not one app has stood out above the others in all respects.

 

[alwaysared]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I will check them out. One feature that I find particularly useful is copying the Search for Sites positions in decimal degrees as waypoints. Some GPS apps don't seem to cope with Lat/Longs. For precise navigation it would be good if all apps worked with What3Words.
Recently whilst using Copilot I needed to create a diversion whilst on the move. The Copilot setup was far from intuitive and I ended up having to cancel and create a new route via a different waypoint to overcome the problem. The app was at times extremely slow. The frustration caused me to start looking for an alternative app.
We all have slightly different priorities. As a result not one app has stood out above the others in all respects.

You can workaround and get them to work with What3Words, just put the What3Words in the What3Words app then choose "navigate" and choose the app you want to use from the list of available apps

Regards,
Del

 

[TJBi]

<snip> One feature that I find particularly useful is copying the Search for Sites positions in decimal degrees as waypoints. Some GPS apps don't seem to cope with Lat/Longs. For precise navigation it would be good if all apps worked with What3Words.
<snip>

A feature that I find particularly useful is the ability when using the WildCamping Location App to send the POI coordinates to one of a selection of navigation apps. The CCI Android and web apps offer similar functionality.
I find that decimal Lat/Longs are very precise and see no need for any proprietary system.

 

[trevskoda]

Including the parking grids and the low level camera, Trev? Including the storing of locations as Favourites?

Steve

Yes and it takes a usb pen drive with any infor you want on it, things like this are getting cheaper prop because new veh come with this as standard.

 

[trevskoda]

Some people are having great success with Magic Earth

Magic Earth sat nav app (Android and iOS)

I recently saw this mentioned elsewhere as another sat nav app that allows vehicle dimensions to be entered and used to determine safe route planning. I've used this for a drive today and I'm quite impressed. It uses OpenStreetMap mapping, which can be downloaded for use offline, traffic...

wildcamping.co.uk

Regards,
Del

Not as good as osm android by miles.

 

[alwaysared]

Not as good as osm android by miles.

I wouldn't know, but people seem to like it and I believe it uses OSM maps so I would've thought it had similarities

Regards,
Del

 

[marchie]

Not as good as osm android by miles.

'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder' springs to mind, as does the old first Rule of TQM, 'Quality is about conformance to requirements'. Without some sort of explanation/justification, 'not as good as osm android by miles' has no value for someone who is trying to make a comparison between competing products!

Steve

 

[trevskoda]

I wouldn't know, but people seem to like it and I believe it uses OSM maps so I would've thought it had similarities

Regards,
Del

Tried it and once we went of main roads into the country it just showed a arrow on a blank page, hence not much use.

 

[trevskoda]

'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder' springs to mind, as does the old first Rule of TQM, 'Quality is about conformance to requirements'. Without some sort of explanation/justification, 'not as good as osm android by miles' has no value for someone who is trying to make a comparison between competing products!

Steve

2 mins loads it to phone for trial before splashing out dosh.
Also handy to have in ones pocket in a strange town or place like a forest if lost.

 

[TJBi]

2 mins loads it to phone for trial before splashing out dosh.
Also handy to have in ones pocket in a strange town or place like a forest if lost.

For the latter two, I use Organic Maps; with a bit of luck, it will have a POI for the park-up that I used, so easy to know where I need to get back to.