Best GPS?

[Blazing_Zippers]

Hey folks. We just drove the truck from North Idaho to Florida and back. We helped family repair storm damage, eat fried chicken, and went to the Cape for the Falcon Heavy launch. The final evening meal was shrimp, wrapped with bacon, dipped in butter. Huh? Huh? I still lost over 5 pounds.
We have/had an old Garmin GPS that went crazy as we entered Georgia. It finally was removed from service and thrown away. Now, we're shopping a new GPS to use with the truck/fifth wheel combination.
My question is; what is the "best" GPS? After reading the online comments, there are lots to be desired with what is on the market.

[Us_out_West]

JKJavelin wrote:
I just retired 2 days ago and 2 management guys chipped in and bought me a Rand McNally RVND 7 RV GPS. You load your dimensions of your rig into it and supposedly avoids routes that you'd get into trouble with. I just charged it and and loaded updates and I'll be trying it out in about 2 days... retirement trip--coming up.
JK

Our Rand 7710 has been everything we wanted since we bought it in 2011...and more. If it ever crapped out I would get another in a heart beat!!

[JKJavelin]

I just retired 2 days ago and 2 management guys chipped in and bought me a Rand McNally RVND 7 RV GPS. You load your dimensions of your rig into it and supposedly avoids routes that you'd get into trouble with. I just charged it and and loaded updates and I'll be trying it out in about 2 days... retirement trip--coming up.
JK

[Jbrowland]

I usually also use my phone and the free and exceptional WAZE app. Nothing beats it. It shows all of the detail/traffic and more than stand alone GPS's. Very good app WHEN cell service is available. It also saves/pre-loads large sections of map so that you can still navigate most of the time when cell coverage goes away. Of course, there are still places/times when the cell service isn't doing it. I then use an old Garmin for emergencies and of course an Atlas or map.

Maybe stand alone GPS software is now better since I purchased my old Garmin but I have never been 100% happy with the Garmin. Even friends with newer units, for example, the units specifically for trucks/rv's, have complained that they are wrong, don't update the maps fast enough, the traffic services aren't reliable or in real time, and they are also sometimes wrong about bridge heights or don't include some etc...

I don't know. I do just fine with a map and my WAZE app.

[mycamperfriend]

It's probably no the "best" one but the TomTom VIA 1535TM does a fine job. Hope this helps.

[valhalla360]

PawPaw_n_Gram wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:
If you are in a deadzone for cell service, good chance you are in a dead zone for traffic.

We have a nuvi and yes, it does lose traffic info in remote areas fairly regularly.

Garmin’s traffic info comes from FM radio signals, not cell phone signals. My Rand/McNally does require cell network connectivity)

Yes, there are huge areas of the country not covered by the FM networks.

Personally I find Garmin’s traffic info in metropolitan areas often superior to Google Maps.

Of course, where you really need the traffic conditions is typically in urban areas where you have both cell and FM coverage.

Also, the NUVI frequently has no traffic data off the freeways while google maps covers just about every road.

Have to disagree on the quality. We usually pull out the phone when the NUVI says there is delay ahead to see exactly what is happening and it is usually more accurate.

[djsamuel]

I replaced my Garmin Nuvi with a Garmin Drivesmart 50 LMT. It has the lifetime map updates and live traffic. It is cheaper than the RV specific GPS systems, which also look good. I like that this GPS changes to a split screen when approaching exits to give you a visual image of where you need to go and the fact that it tells you graphically what lane you need to be in. I don't depend on it to give me a route. I use Google to roughly figure it out and then use Garmin Basecamp to come up with the route and send it to the GPS. Works great. I use my cell phone GPS a lot, but for longer trips I much prefer the Garmin.

[jkwilson]

If the question had been rephrased to “What is the best RV navigation system?” My answer would be “Your brain, aided by a dedicated GPS, a phone or two monitoring traffic and road issues ahead, and a person in the passenger seat helping make sense out of the information.”

I start my day with a few minutes looking at a paper map, then enter the destination into the GPS and see what route it suggests, check state DOT sites for construction and closures, make changes as required, then hit the road. When the GPS tells me to do something I don’t expect by using a different road name than I expect, I usually already know what road I’m looking for and am not surprised.

[PawPaw_n_Gram]

valhalla360 wrote:
If you are in a deadzone for cell service, good chance you are in a dead zone for traffic.

We have a nuvi and yes, it does lose traffic info in remote areas fairly regularly.

Garmin’s traffic info comes from FM radio signals, not cell phone signals. My Rand/McNally does require cell network connectivity)

Yes, there are huge areas of the country not covered by the FM networks.

Personally I find Garmin’s traffic info in metropolitan areas often superior to Google Maps.

[PawPaw_n_Gram]

Any GPS can be a great one.

A GPS is a tool with great potential, and great possible dangers.

Like any precision tool, a GPS is only as good as the amount of time you are willing to put into learning how to use it. The details matter.

Anyone who expects a GPS to be a turn it on and go tool will have trouble. And no sympathy from me.

[dkreuzen]

I have used Garmin units for the last 16 years. I upgraded from the RV760 to the RV770 last year when it came out (3/2017). Once the original firmware got updated it has become the best GPS I have ever had. It's screen is clear, the touch screen is responsive and there are many new features. Garmin GPS units that come with Lifetime Maps get you about 3-4 updates a year. Garmin and most other brands use NAVTEQ maps so if there is an error on a map it is probably on all the other brand GPS's too.

[valhalla360]

DrewE wrote:

Dedicated GPSs (with traffic) do have realtime data, via sideband signals sent over the FM broadcast band--or at least that's where mine gets traffic data from. It's only available in urban areas, so presumably cell service would be reliably available there as well.

If you are in a deadzone for cell service, good chance you are in a dead zone for traffic.

We have a nuvi and yes, it does lose traffic info in remote areas fairly regularly.

[Itching2go]

We've used our Garmin RV 760 for several years now, and it's done well for us. If/when it ***** out, I'd likely look to the RV 770 as a replacement. Just be sure you get the RV specific unit and not the trucker's version as the truck version will try to route you on truck routes only in metro areas. We had one for awhile several years back, and it would sometimes send us on some fairly circuitous routes. As for the RV 760/770, we particularly like the low clearance protections, the size of the screen, and the lane guidance, both verbal and on the screen. With the unit mounted on the dash within easy eye sight, this last is of particular value, especially on travel days like yesterday when we had to navigate through Dallas/Ft. Worth.

To be fair though, keep your expectations realistic when it comes to any GPS unit. None are perfect, and all will occasionally send you on a less than best route. You need to use common sense. There have been times when we've used google maps or other smart phone based apps as a back up or sanity check to a route that the Garmin is sending us. In the vast majority of cases, the Garmin was spot on. But, there are always those exceptions.

[tdiller]

fj12ryder wrote:
But doesn't WAZE require real time data from people who are supposed to be driving their cars? I don't think that's such a great idea. Not a lot of difference between texting, and entering traffic conditions while driving.

The real time data you are talking about is when folks input locations of police officers or road hazards. The rest of the time your speed is being sent automatically. If it doe snot match or is not near what the posted speed is then the app assumes a traffic issue if it is bad enough and reported by enough users. I once was in a traffic jam that waze had not yet reported and on my screen came a pop up asking if I was in traffic because my speed was so far below posted speeds. You don;t have to input information and can just use it as a gps.

[Chuck_thehammer]

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"BEST"... made by Man.. really ?

Garmin Dezl 770 trucker... with poi factory RV POI. download to 770...