Avtex Tourer Three - poor routing
Hi,
We purchased a Tourer 3 SatNav at the recent NEC show and had been very happy with it. However, whilst returning from a trip on Sunday evening the unit tried to take us down a narrow road, clearly marked as with a width restriction of 6'6". This was very disappointing.
Our unit is all setup with the dimensions of car and caravan, which has a width of 7'7" (a 2017 Coachman 575) so the unit should surely never have suggested we take a 6'6" road.
The road in question is very old and not new. it is Blind Lane in Mundon, Essex - What3words location ///clinking.mimed.operation
We ignored the suggestion and continued straight along the route we know to be fine.
I am somewhat of the view that this unit could be considered unfit for purpose - offering no more than google maps?
Comments
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It can only be as good as the information fed into it. Nothing is foolproof and common sense should always prevail.
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The only problems I have had with Co-Pilot Truck is if I don't take any notice of the directions. e.g. ignoring the 3.5 ton limits for trucks because my motorhome is not really a truck. This is usually the last few miles to a site. It then tries very hard to take me in directions I do not want to go. Recently I was stuck in a 2 hour traffic jam. I could quite clearly see another route to hopefully "bypass" the problem but because of a weight limit on one section of the "bypass" it just would not route me that way. In the end I ignored the restriction but I had no sat nav direction for some of the route. As it turned out the gain was marginal.
peedee
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Ensure the unit is set to 'fastest route' not 'shortest route'...shortest route will try and save you a few yards if it can even at the expense of struggling down narrow(er) roads.
what we don't know with these devices is the hierarchy of instructions....does 'shortest ' mean shortest at the expense of all other commands, like road size?
with 'fastest route' most units will prioritise major roads over others...
as others have said, always check the route...but this can be a long and tedious process over a 300 mile trip using roads your not familiar with...
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A good rule of thumb is that if there is grass growing down the middle the directions should be ignored.
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We also bought a tourer 3 after disappointing results from Google maps and Tom Tom, but on a recent trip to the New Forest we were taken off a major road and onto minor roads for no good reason. Also on one occasion it informed us a road was closed and was going to re rout but when we got to the closed road it directed down the closed road . After a week of trying it every time we went out in the car we would agree it is not fit for purpose. The tourer 3 dose not give you the option to choose between shortest or fastest route. We are going to Scotland in the autumn and do not trust any sat nav,we have bought a new road atlas.
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If you already have a TomTom - and it has Wifi connectivity - the solution is quite simple and no need for any of the so-called 'dedicated' caravan sat navs. Use the TomTom 'My Drive' App on your computer and plan your route using that. Check any dodgy bits on Google Maps Street View and amend if necessary. When you are satisfied that the route is suitable for your unit - save it in 'My Routes' - sync with your TomTom and it will save that route on your device. The satnav will take you down exactly that route without any daft, last minute deviations. Takes a bit of time to set up beforehand but well worth it for the peace of mind it gives.
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