Our first 8000 miles with a Garmin RV890

[agesilaus]

OK we're back at home base for a few weeks after our spring loop. We added a Garmin RV890 to our truck and so far this is my opinion of the system:
Overall I give it a B+
1)It has almost never led us astray, or down a goat path even tho we traveled down some very secondary roads. It does have one quirk, once you tell it you are pulling an RV it will send you down routes that it thinks are RV safe for your unit. That's good but if it was a bit easier to switch back to truck only mode it would be nice. Now it requires some menu diving to pull it off.
It did once seem to forget where it was going and I had to re-enter the destination.
2) it is mostly non irritating, meaning when you get off the track it wants you to take it does not bombard you with "OFF TRACK" audio. Mostly it adapts the track to your new route but once it kept insisting on it's route. And I have to admit that I came back by it's preferred route and it was faster...heh.
3) It does a fair job, I give it a C, of finding locations you tell it to search for. It's campground database is notably less complete than Campgroundreviews. And if you type in the actual address of the desired CG it sometimes identifies it as a cg. So there is some indexing issues with their database. This is a minor irritation.
It is much weaker finding aother spots like Auto Parts stores and so on.
4) It has great depth, you can modify the screen appearances for example. If you are thinking about buying one of these watch this
TechRV series on the RV890
5) It can be a boondockers buddy, it include the iOverland app that contains many western boondocking spots. It is weaker in the east of course. I find that the included app is much easier to use than the web based iOverlander site.
6) It contains quite a bit of info on places in its database, phone numbers for example and some mini reviews. It contains the Forsquare app which show some restaurants and other places.

All in all I'm quite satisfied with the unit, shop around we got it for $300 off one Amazon vendor, which is a considerable discount off the list price.
I have resisted switching to a dedicated nav system, we used the PC based DeLorme and Microsoft software for a long time. Finally using the DeLorme since it was somewhat less out of date. But it was leading us astray once or twice a day, leading to searches for a place to make a U-Turn with a 30 ft trauiler. And it's extremely irritatating "OFF ROUTE!!!" audio blasts finally broke my resistance down.
I still use RVTW for route planning and will continue to do so.

[dodge_guy]

Where did you travel with it?
I went out east from northern IL, WV, VA, MD, DE. I tried CoPilot for the first time and it was the worst GPS I have used, Apple maps is second to last as its not configurable to RV size. Mine sent me down a road I wouldve questioned just towing a PuP. I`m usually good about checking the route before I leave in the morning, but I missed this section. WV 60 (Midland Trail) through Gauley Bridge WV. Never again. Ill be getting one of the Garmin RV units this winter.

[down_home]

dedmiston wrote:
I work in Tech, and there's no such thing as "lifetime" anymore. One of the basic elements with every new project is to define the "estimated end of life" for the service. Nobody tells their consumers when they forecast their end of life to be, but that doesn't mean there won't be a sunsetting for the service regardless of what Marketing claims.

We bought a Rand McNutty at Camping World. it froze in Mirtle Beach, next year. $449.00 I think, or close. The new one was supposed to have lifetime updates..well it don't! We bought it at Camping World in Myrtle Beach? for about the same price. Ones sold the next week had the lifetime updates. It does have speed and traffic cameras and radar etc. Come in handy with Roscoe P Coletrain,my wife, practicing for NASCAR behind the wheel. She doesn't read here so I'm safe unless some of you tell her.

[agesilaus]

Well one thing is the "U turn" setting, if you turn that off then it will run you thru a lot of turns to get headed back. And that seems to set off as a default. Also it has a shortest/quickest setting which affects this.

[thewheelman56]

One of the most frustrating things about all the Garmin devices I've had is that they will route you along a zig-zag path with 40 turns to save you 1/10 mile. Is there any way to program my new 890 for "as few turns as possible"?

I have given up on Google Maps, Waze and others as they don't know I'm driving a 34 ft RV, pulling a car.

From what trip planning programs/apps can I import to the 890?

How do I tell it that I want to go a certain route, not the one it suggests?

[dodge_guy]

Good review. As far as lifetime updates......my old (2004) Garmin has the lifetime updates. I just updated it last month.
If they are going to cancel the lifetime updates then I won’t be purchasing a newer RV version. I am trying Co-Pilot on our up coming trip. If it works out I’ll stick with that it the other RV GPS app (forget the name).

[thomasmnile]

philh wrote:
something I'm not clear on, is the GPs lifetime free maps?

The Garmin unit I had, "lifertime" was 4 updates. Over 10 years ago, apparently it updates til the storage media is full; I'm guessing it doesn't do a lot of overwrite. No more RV or truck so no problem. On board Nav system in our Highlander uses an SD card, which I'm sure Toyota will be happy to sell me when an update is needed.

[dedmiston]

I work in Tech, and there's no such thing as "lifetime" anymore. One of the basic elements with every new project is to define the "estimated end of life" for the service. Nobody tells their consumers when they forecast their end of life to be, but that doesn't mean there won't be a sunsetting for the service regardless of what Marketing claims.

[agesilaus]

philh wrote:
something I'm not clear on, is the GPs lifetime free maps?

Theoretically tho I've seen others complaining about other models 'lifetime coming' to an end.

[philh]

something I'm not clear on, is the GPs lifetime free maps?

[garmp]

Just had ours a month & after 1600 miles it functions well. Switching from car to RV is simple and shows the different routes. Have an issue with the voice it uses and cannot change it. Downloaded as per service techs and no go. After several calls to service, I found out that others have had the same issue. They didn't like Zoe's voice either. Tech support is working on it. I told them that for what I paid for it, it should work as advertised. Told tech support that I'm leaving mid July on an extended trip, and would like to have that voice changed before then. He told me that if they cannot duplicate the problem to analyze and correct it, he would send out a replacement unit.

We'll see what happens.

[philh]

Just got the 890, and already in love with it. Haven't figured out how I'm going to BT a phone to it, because generally my phone is playing podcasts and my wife is playing games unless she's driving.

[Sagebrush]

I use Garmin GPS units in everything I drive and ride, but I plan my route using Google maps and then load it through Base Camp to the GPS.

Thats the only way I'm confident that I won't be routed where I don't want to be! So many times I've been routed onto roads that were really a bad idea.

With my motorcycle I love the rubber banding of the routes the newer units have. I trip plan fairly quick sitting on the bike, but I still prefer preloading my routes for just about any trip to unfamiliar areas.

[Grit_dog]

Aside from boondocking spots which sounds like a great feature, what advantage is this over a plain old smart phone? I’d take easy boondocking over “let’s see what’s up this forest road.”

I’ve admittedly not used any of these in vehicle GPS and my off-road gps is ancient but it still tracks fine in the back country. Even though I can’t upload trails and topo on it anymore.

My FIL was wanting to get a gps for their new car this year and I can’t see wha advantages it has over my (also almost obsolete) IPhone.

[bgum]

Good review. Should be helpful for someone considering a purchase.