Car Satnav or Caravan Satnav?
Hi All,
My wife is trying to encourage me to consider purchasing a AVTEX TOURER ONE CARAVAN AND MOTORHOME CLUB EDITION SAT NAV for £349. Perhaps it's because we ended up on some very narrow roads on the way from the Midlands to the New Forest CC site last August. My outfit combined is about 28 metres long and van weighs around 1500 kg. Any thoughts please? Thanks. Stephen
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Stephen
The Tom Tom Truck sat nav would be about £60 cheaper. It can be set up for various vehicle types and you can enter the outfit size details as well. However and ordinary everyday sat nav could also work well but with the proviso that you check the route against a map. You mention the New Forest site but none of the roads around there are major roads so some can't be avoided completely. I always like to have a look at Google Earth and Streetview especially for the final bit of the route.
David
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Hi Kofi65, I do not own an Avtex Sat Nav myself so I cannot comment on how good they are. My current car has a built in Sat Nav that I use to give me general directions to any site but I will always plan our route using Google maps first. I go over the whole route and make a note of all junctions/roads that I want to take that differ from the Google directions. This is passed over to my trusted navigator (OH) along with a map book.
This method has served us well over the years, it is also best to follow the directions given by the site for the final approach.
I hope this is of some help.
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Also be aware. If using a club site it is important you read the directions in the club directory for the site. Sometimes it will say Do Not use the post code in your sat nav but to follow the written directions.
I found out the hard way a while back when the cars sat-nav took me down a country lane which started to look decided too narrow for my liking. Fortunately there was a gate to a field set back from the lane.
Turning around a 24ft caravan attached to a Landrover Freelander in a single track lane was great fun
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My outfit combined is about 28 metres long and van weighs around 1500 kg
Wow that hat really is a looooong outfit
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Thanks neveramsure. I certainly agree with your advice about careful planning. I must admit that most of the time I rely solely on my car satnav when travelling to sites and perhaps a bit of the old fashioned map reading and good planning would help. Thanks again. Stephen
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Before I bought my standard Garmin last tear I researched this whole question. The standard Garmin is significantly cheaper than the Club/Avtex version and, as with other SatNavs, you can download Archie's POIs which will take you to the front gate of almost any site in Europe however small (this has been covered in other posts but happy to provide further details). We have yet to find a site that is not listed.
The other point is that it seems unlikely that the maps that are used will allow you to choose roads based on outfit size. In my experience the "Fastest" option will avoid minor roads anyway.
Sat Navs are still relatively new and on occasions give strange results. Coming back through France my Garmin directed me straight through the middle of Chartres rather than around the almost obligatory bypass. Also, for some reason, the obvious route from the south to Rouen which all the Brits. use was not indicated as a route option. Always best to check the map in conjunction with the SatNav.
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Yes, plus Archie's POIs.
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Hi Kofi65, I have the Avtex Garmin and have used it now for a couple of years. I have travelled to Germany and Holland twice with it and have had no problems whatsoever.
I tried it out on the same route last year going to a supermarket from our site, first in car mode and the next time using the outfit mode and it took me 2 different ways to the same destination. The first took me through a small town and the outfit mode took me around the town to come in a different way. So, all in all I can recommend the Avtex.
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I have a Garmin 2569 which costs less than half the cost of the Avtex. Only got me into trouble once and that was nothing to do with the satnav, the French campsite had changed it's entrance and I hadn't done an update.
Everything the CC recommends seems to be overpriced so I wouldn't even consider one
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If you have a smart phone take a look at Co Pilot on the app store.
I have used their standard sat nav and found it just as good as the clubs version of Snooper.
The Co pilot standard version does allow you to select either walking car or indeed m/home, they have also introduced a full caravan version which when my Snooper 'dies' I will take a good look at. (Cost around £50)
The Co pilot does need to be connected (I think) to the internet however as I have my phone connected 24/7 it is not a problem.
So a good smart phone and the Co pilot would be far cheaper than the Snooper or Avtex.
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What happens in dead spots with that?
I have the caravan Garmin and originally thought I could relax on the maps and the Club directions! WRONG you always need the Club directions for their sites. My worst mistake was St Davids' site. But it also tries to take me up a 1 mile stretch of road very near home that is single track with only 2 passing place AND that would add four miles to the journey!
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One I wouldn't recommend is Snooper. It has given us some strange suggestions over the last three years. I always check its routes against a map and overrule it around 3 times in 10.
i have also used a Tom Tom sat nav via my phone. But it paused whenever an incoming call was received. Not great if you are in the middle of a busy section.
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If you search the archives here and the MMM forums , there is plenty of discussion regarding the current Tomtoms, which replaced the previous models.
Basicaly the new Tomtom is considered a very poor replacement , and certainly no use for caravaners and mhomes, The routing, even for cars raised a few eyebrows !
Having purchased a Tomtom, and being stuck with it, I have learnt to program stops in a route so that the TT routes me that way, I check the route and save it as a route. Unfortunately, if TT senses a traffic jam or similar, it may alter the route to get you to the stop, via unsuitable roads.
luckily my wife enjoys navigation and is on the case most of the time, so makes life easier for me to drive.
rgds
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The Co pilot does need to be connected (I think) to the internet however as I have my phone connected 24/7 it is not a problem.
You only need access to the internet for updates and live traffic indications. The only problem I have come across with the truck version is it does not like/will not navigate you when you actually want to enter truck restricted areas. That is a drawback I live with to avoid low bridges, weight limits and unsuitable roads which it is very good at avoiding. When I have to go into a restricted area to access a night stop I check the route out carefully using other means or if I am really desperate i.e lost, I will use my sat nav on my phone (OsmAnd) set to car.
peedee
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I [really the wife] can’t justify a specialised unit when between us we manage to get around OK using TomTom which I admit is not perfect. Comparing it’s route to AA map book we ‘travel via points on map’ [sat nav screen] if we don’t want to use roads sat nav chooses. Wife keeps the map book handy plus club sites book if there are special instructions on site approach. Good luck whatever you choose.
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If you do have an iPhone search for 'Copilot caravan' on the App Store.
It allows you to put all your rig details in, height, width, length and weight and then uses this information to send you the best route.
Around £60 if memory serves me correctly?
Robin
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We have a Garmin Dezl, it is a lorry sat nav, I can set it for car, lorry or caravan/motorhome mode.
unlike my old TomTom it doesn't try to take us down narrow roads or under low bridges
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Many thanks for all your advice on choosing between a car satnav or a caravan one. Based on your advice I have chosen the sensible and cost effective one of keeping my car satnav but using google maps to make any necessary adjustments to the route including following advice from the CC. Thanks again for your advice.
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