Help choosing satnav please...

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Hello all,

I'm looking for recommendations for a satnav to use with POI files, preferably around £100 but will spend more if necessary. Would like all Europe coverage with lifetime free map updates. I'd much prefer to be able to display only the POIs I want to see, which would mainly be the wild camping POIs, don't want to be bombarded or have screen cluttered up with anything & everything else. Would like vehicle speed to be displayed - they probably all do this but never had a satnav before! Would also like to be able to plan trips using it, based on POI locations, how amenable is using a satnav for this?

Preliminary look suggests Garmin Nuvi 54 LM might suit. Overall, would you recommend Garmin or TomTom, which is easier to use with POIs, any others? Grateful for any tips/advice...

Thanks,
David.
 
We've just upgraded to a Tomtom Go 500 as we wanted the European maps but there seems no way to download the wild camping POIs. Not impressed.

Ontheroadagain
 
A lot of users are complaining about some of the latest tomtom units not allowing you to install POIs, and tomtom support says there's no way you can update the unit to allow this.

I've been using Garmin units for many years and have always found them to be reliable and easy to use. I'm now using the Dezl 560 LMT which has the additional advantages of allowing the size of your vehicle to be entered, and input for a reversing camera. Take a look at the nüvi® 2595LMT which I think meets all your requirements. Amazon are selling it for £122.90 at the moment; you might find it cheaper elsewhere.
 
Tom Tom or Garmin or Snooper ( I ignore others)

Tom Tom maybe for about £125
I have a Tom tom (for Car)
But it sent me round in circles in Issoire France
Also sent me up a lane that ended in a field in Brittany.
Other problems of a similar nature (narrow roads unnecessarily)
Also no ability to size the vehicle.
I will use it for now but look forward to a proper satnav system for a motorhome

1 Lifetime map upgrades are worth it Say £40 a year x 3 = £120 more to spend
2 Ability to input you vehicles size ( if it is bigger than a car eg 6 metres long)
3 Lane guidance
4 Most important the ability to transfer you own POI (eg from KML)
check them out at eg Halfords
Make sure you can return if it does not suit
Snooper systems seem best for medium motorhomes up
But not cheap :camper: However YGWYPF
 
Steve121 said:
A lot of users are complaining about some of the latest tomtom units not allowing you to install POIs, and tomtom support says there's no way you can update the unit to allow this.
.
Click to expand...

I was aware of this and so bought second hand Tom Tom units, that allow downloading of information.
I have a TT930, upgraded by Fairytooth on this forum, with the Tom Tom Truck programme. This allows me to enter height, length, weight and width into the programme which should stop me from driving down roads not suitable for my vehicle.
Usually the TT units cost about half the price on ebay of a new one, or pay a bit more for some expert back up included(Fairytooth).

The GO930 is easy to use and programme, it can calculate a projected journey too.
It is invaluable when driving abroad and you don't know the local speed limit, because the current road speed limit is indicated on the screen, next to the speed the vehicle is doing at the time.
 
Steve121 said:
A lot of users are complaining about some of the latest tomtom units not allowing you to install POIs, and tomtom support says there's no way you can update the unit to allow this.

I've been using Garmin units for many years and have always found them to be reliable and easy to use. I'm now using the Dezl 560 LMT which has the additional advantages of allowing the size of your vehicle to be entered, and input for a reversing camera. Take a look at the nüvi® 2595LMT which I think meets all your requirements. Amazon are selling it for £122.90 at the moment; you might find it cheaper elsewhere.
Click to expand...
As above, nuvi :cool:
 
Help choosing satnav please

I purchased a Tom Tom Truck from Fairytooth on this site and it has been brilliant! He even put the Moroccan map on it for me. Bambi 2
 
You may notice I try to stay out of these debates because of my bias towards tomtoms. I have nothing against Garmins btw but have enjoyed the versatility of the Truck tomtom features installable on certain older models (GO730 for example) which are hard to beat.

Of course there is no such thing as the perfect satnav and as always it comes down to personal preference. Giving a newcomer satnav advice is like telling them which car to buy.

But I would recommend you check that the prospective satnav will accept 3rd party POIs before you buy it. The newest range of tomtoms for example(400,500,600 etc.) do not allow them and should be avoided if you want the Wildcamping POIs
 
fairytooth said:
You may notice I try to stay out of these debates because of my bias towards tomtoms. I have nothing against Garmins btw but have enjoyed the versatility of the Truck tomtom features installable on certain older models (GO730 for example) which are hard to beat.

Of course there is no such thing as the perfect satnav and as always it comes down to personal preference. Giving a newcomer satnav advice is like telling them which car to buy.

But I would recommend you check that the prospective satnav will accept 3rd party POIs before you buy it. The newest range of tomtoms for example(400,500,600 etc.) do not allow them and should be avoided if you want the Wildcamping POIs
Click to expand...

Cheers fairytooth I didn't know that , this is why i'm very choosy about buying gadgets , apart from not wanting to spend that is , what would you recommend for £100-150 , cheers Chris.
 
Just returned from a 3 week trip around France using our Garmin Nuvi 3590. The route choices it made were not the best on several occasions - I think it assumes that you will be doing the max allowable speed at all times. I wouldn't recommend it. Unfortunately, we bought it shortly before we bought the motorhome otherwise I would have definitely gone for a lorry/motorhome version with more customability.
 
Makzine said:
Not sure about loading the poi but we have one of these and would recommend them NozaTec 7" Car Truck Lorry Bus Caravan HGV LGV GPS Navigation Free Sunshade POI | eBay
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Probably a WinCE Version 5 software with an old copy of IGO Prima and out of date maps.

You really do get what you pay for. When you look at it sensibly someone has had to make the unit in the first place say £10 they then have to get the software sorted, pack it with all the cables and other bits and pieces and ship it to the far corners of the world. So a landed cost of say £25 tops. I wouldn't have thought they would have paid for the latest software. Then you have the VAT and the wages and taxes to add and you finish up at £100 for something that has cost at most £25 to make.

Now lets look on the bright side what can you buy for £25 now days ....

Suppose this is why so many people moan about being sent down dirt tracks. When the software and maps were made they didn't have motorways or tarmac roads . :lol-061:

..
 
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User1 said:
Probably a WinCE Version 5 software with an old copy of IGO Prima and out of date maps.

You really do get what you pay for. When you look at it sensibly someone has had to make the unit in the first place say £10 they then have to get the software sorted, pack it with all the cables and other bits and pieces and ship it to the far corners of the world. So a landed cost of say £25 tops. I wouldn't have thought they would have paid for the latest software. Then you have the VAT and the wages and taxes to add and you finish up at £100 for something that has cost at most £25 to make.

Now lets look on the bright side what can you buy for £25 now days ....

Suppose this is why so many people moan about being sent down dirt tracks. When the software and maps were made they didn't have motorways or tarmac roads . :lol-061:

..
Click to expand...

Even so 99% of the roads don't change from year to year and the ones that did probably changed after your update was issued. I use two Igo based units an they are as good as my TomTom which now only has 1/3 of Europe maps installed because they didn't fit enough memory to hold the updates. I suspect in a year or two I will only be able to get one or two countries installed at a time. Yes cheap ones are not as well made as the big brands but at £50 a pop you canafford to replace them. Igo software is OK, not the smartest butgets me acroos the continent OK even inbig cities.
 
Thanks for your replies, 3rd party POIs important for me so will be wary of newer models. Can't imagine why they'd do away with a useful feature like that or maybe someone forgot to design it in?
David
 
cost

User1 said:
Probably a WinCE Version 5 software with an old copy of IGO Prima and out of date maps.

You really do get what you pay for. When you look at it sensibly someone has had to make the unit in the first place say £10 they then have to get the software sorted, pack it with all the cables and other bits and pieces and ship it to the far corners of the world. So a landed cost of say £25 tops. I wouldn't have thought they would have paid for the latest software. Then you have the VAT and the wages and taxes to add and you finish up at £100 for something that has cost at most £25 to make.

Now lets look on the bright side what can you buy for £25 now days ....

Suppose this is why so many people moan about being sent down dirt tracks. When the software and maps were made they didn't have motorways or tarmac roads . :lol-061:

..
Click to expand...

How much did it cost to develop the item in the first place?
 
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