RV gps

Brakeman48 · 06-05-2021, 04:29 PM

My Rand McNally GPS has a bad file and is five years old so looking for a replacement.
The new one HAS to be able to display SPEED since when it is sunny out and I look down at the dash display all I see is black until my eyes adjust which is to long not looking at the road. If only Thor had put a white background with black numbers. End of rant!
What brand GPS are you using that you find reliable for RV travel?

Thanks!

Bob Denman · 06-05-2021, 05:25 PM

Take a look at the RV-specific units from Garmin...

lwmcguire · 06-05-2021, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brakeman48

My Rand McNally GPS has a bad file and is five years old so looking for a replacement.
The new one HAS to be able to display SPEED since when it is sunny out and I look down at the dash display all I see is black until my eyes adjust which is to long not looking at the road. If only Thor had put a white background with black numbers. End of rant!
What brand GPS are you using that you find reliable for RV travel?

Thanks!

Have you updated the drive? Mine had a bad file as well and the new firmware fixed that and of course I updated the maps as well

If you haven't updated for 5 years you have several files and will probably take 1/2 hour or so to get all the updates

**EA37TS** · 06-05-2021, 09:39 PM

X2 on the Garmin. My Rand, IMO was garbage and dangerous even though it was an RV unit.

CactusJuice · 06-05-2021, 09:54 PM

I have the Garmin RV890. It does have speed, both limit and actual, and the display is bright enough that I can see it easily even "snow blind" from looking out.

TripleGGG · 06-05-2021, 11:34 PM

I have the Garmin RV890 also and love it. Have had zero issues and the screen size is perfect. I have no problem seeing all the detail and info with my progressive lenses.

Chateau_Nomad · 06-06-2021, 04:53 AM

Ditto on the Garmin. Shows actual speed AND a little speed limit sign down in the left corner. Free lifetime map updates is a bonus.
Same problem here... I cannot read ANYTHING in the instrument display... Ford E series. YES! Black with white background would be great!

WearyTraveler · 06-07-2021, 10:35 AM

I normally just used my iPhone and maps. But I just bought a garmin 785 - with camera. Today is its maiden voyage. I chose this model because it has a front facing camera.

sportcoupe · 06-07-2021, 11:23 AM

I have the new 10" Garmin RV 1090. Pricy but my company is a partner with Garmin and I received 35% off.

My old eyes loves the extra large 10" screen and this thing is a full computer. It does it all.

Hugh.vines@att.net · 06-07-2021, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sportcoupe

I have the new 10" Garmin RV 1090. Pricy but my company is a partner with Garmin and I received 35% off.

My old eyes loves the extra large 10" screen and this thing is a full computer. It does it all.

Where did you mount it

Bob Denman · 06-07-2021, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WearyTraveler

I normally just used my iPhone and maps. But I just bought a garmin 785 - with camera. Today is its maiden voyage. I chose this model because it has a front facing camera.

Good luck!
I hope that it records nothing but good times...

MLP · 06-07-2021, 04:03 PM

Garmin. All are not perfect. You have to know where you are going. For some reason it can try to send you down a two lane road to your destination when you are on a highway that goes directly there. Just happened to me for the second time last week. Highway 58 going from Barstow to Bakersfield. In Tehachapi it tried to send me down a street that reconnected to highway 58 two miles down the road. It may be that it was just looking a a shorter drive distance. I also use Waze on my cell phone at the same time. I have a rubber pad that does not allow movement and a cell phone holder. I plug in the cell phone into the power port. Great for police, accidents, construction, cars/trucks on the side of the road, debris in the road, etc..

WearyTraveler · 06-08-2021, 01:18 PM

I bought the friction mount for the 875. Sucks…. With the 2 humps on my dash, it won’t sit flat - so I move it forward a bit. It keeps sliding around and I have to keep reaching over and straightening. I’m going to have to use duct tape to keep it in position. I’m thinking about returning it and buying one of those extended suction cup holders…

WearyTraveler · 06-08-2021, 01:38 PM

Also - the 875 doesn’t have an option for a toad. I had to configure my setup as an RV towing a trailer.

Jones47172 · 06-09-2021, 10:03 PM

Garmin 890

Mgtv53 · 06-09-2021, 10:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brakeman48

My Rand McNally GPS has a bad file and is five years old so looking for a replacement.
The new one HAS to be able to display SPEED since when it is sunny out and I look down at the dash display all I see is black until my eyes adjust which is to long not looking at the road. If only Thor had put a white background with black numbers. End of rant!
What brand GPS are you using that you find reliable for RV travel?

Thanks!

Garmin’s 785 is excellent unite in my opinion it also have build in dash camera, I have the 780 I like it, but I wish I got the 785

Wandering · 07-03-2021, 05:50 PM

I got a Garmin 785, and may replace it. It routs okay, although sometimes a little unexpectedly, but its positioning accuracy is terrible. It's showed me being on the road next to the one I was on more than once - and this parallel road was not just a frontage road, it was almost 100 feet away. I've never had a GPS of any brand (I've had Magellan, Rand, and other Garmins) that didn't do a LOT better. Also, the unit tells you where you can get fuel ahead, but even in RV mode with 64 foot long specified, it says you can get gas at small stations with tight turns that just aren't close to possible with the RV. If it would only show those that can handle large rigs, it would be much better. I'm thinking about scrapping this to get a truck GPS.

But that said, I've used it for two years, and other than wrong turns because of adjacent road issues, it's never steered me wrong.

**EA37TS** · 07-03-2021, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wandering

I got a Garmin 785, and may replace it. It routs okay, although sometimes a little unexpectedly, but its positioning accuracy is terrible. It's showed me being on the road next to the one I was on more than once - and this parallel road was not just a frontage road, it was almost 100 feet away. I've never had a GPS of any brand (I've had Magellan, Rand, and other Garmins) that didn't do a LOT better. Also, the unit tells you where you can get fuel ahead, but even in RV mode with 64 foot long specified, it says you can get gas at small stations with tight turns that just aren't close to possible with the RV. If it would only show those that can handle large rigs, it would be much better. I'm thinking about scrapping this to get a truck GPS.

But that said, I've used it for two years, and other than wrong turns because of adjacent road issues, it's never steered me wrong.

If you find any app or GPS that will list gas stations based on your RV's dimensions and characteristics please post the name of the device or app. I believe nothing of that nature yet exists.

sportcoupe · 07-03-2021, 07:52 PM

Set the Garmin POI to "truck stop", not "gas station". That was you are assured enough room for your rig.

Beau388 · 07-03-2021, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EA37TS

If you find any app or GPS that will list gas stations based on your RV's dimensions and characteristics please post the name of the device or app. I believe nothing of that nature yet exists.

No, I don't know an APP but Trucker Path comes the closest. I have and old Garmin 3590LMT (2012). I use the POI Factory to load all the trucks stops I can find on a memory card (independent and 5 majors) and set the alert to maximum (about 19 miles). Before I start for the day, I search for truck stops along my path. I check with Gas Buddy for price and if it looks good add it to the trip. Since we seldom travel more the 400 miles a day in the summer and 325 miles a day in the winter, one fuel stop per day is sufficient.

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