New SatNav or something else?

Our 8-9yr old Garmin is goosed and is refusing to play with us.

We don’t use it much in the UK but we use it an awful lot when we go abroad in our van for 2-3 weeks most years. Given how good Google maps is I’m not sure I need another Sat Nav device BUT a Sat Nav is an incredibly useful, easy to see speedo km/h when abroad. It’s much easier to look  to the bottom corner of the windscreen rather than the dim binnacle especially on a sunny day

So what are my options? Do I just get another basic Garmin and have the screen set with the biggest speedo setting or are there other devices/tools out there that can be used in the same way?

BTW, we don’t have a high output 12v to keep a phoned charged when using Google Maps.

apple carplay or android auto head unit depending on your allegiance…

I was just going to say that I use my phone and Google Maps.

BTW, we don’t have a high output 12v to keep a phoned charged when using Google Maps.

My phone is plugged into the cigarette lighter, through a Bluetooth transmitter. It stays charged.

a ciggy lighter socket pumps out way more power than a phone needs – typically its on a 20amp fuse which means it is pushing up to 240W of power – most fast phone cargers are in the region of 20w

My phone is plugged into the cigarette lighter, through a Bluetooth transmitter. It stays charged.

Yeah, a phone with the screen on running Google maps will happily sit there on the weediest of chargers. I have mine plugged into the USB port on the stereo, which is a whole 0.5A.

So, as above, phone + Google Maps, it’s what we use in Europe and it’s fine.

I find it remarkable that anyone pays for satnavs in vehicles nowadays, Google maps is so good, as is Apple Maps, Waze etc. Get a decent mount, plug phone into USB or cig lighter and crack on. If you have a head unit for Apply Car Play or Android Auto then even better.

You can also download Google maps for the area you are using, in case you have any data worries.

Just use Google maps.. Shows speed in the corner.

Dedicated sat navs seem pretty redundant these days.

We’re i nsimilar situation – Garmin ‘Camper’ satnav unit is 10+ years old and borked.

Planning to run Googlemaps on my phone. Smaller screen (iPhone 11 Pro so not tiny) so goign to try on an older Nokia 3.2 with a huge screen, but might be a tad old Android OS to be usable. Currently looking at a Carplay/AndroidAuto-capable double-DIN headunit too though…

thanks

ideally there would be an app that is just a large speedo

ideally there would be an app that is just a large speedo

Are you aware of the app store? There are hundreds of Apps that do exactly this.

[blockquote]ideally there would be an app that is just a large speedo[/blockquote]

Like this? https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.coolniks.niksgps

Don’t know if this would be of any use,  We’ve been messing with “Magic Earth” for a bit. Used it in both Uk and Europe. Seems ok, free to use  and can enter vehicle dimensions. Been using it with a7.5m 4.8t motorhome.

Are you aware of the app store? There are hundreds of Apps that do exactly this.

Of course I am but I don’t want to install 100s of Apps and test them in the field. Recommendations from here are usually reliable

In a camper, I’d probably pay for the tomtom app on a phone. You can then set the vehicle type (dimensions & weights & speed limits) in mydrive and it will accurately avoid places where a camper can’t go. The ability to prep a route on mydrive and send it to the tomtom app with these constraints, puts it ahead of google maps which I’ve always found clunky for route preparation in anything other than a normal car. Lane guidance with tomtom is truly superb. There’s a reason they scan roads themselves and don’t just rely on streetview captures.

In a camper, I’d probably pay for the tomtom app on a phone. You can then set the vehicle type (dimensions & weights & speed limits) in mydrive and it will accurately avoid places where a camper can’t go. The ability to prep a route on mydrive and send it to the tomtom app with these constraints, puts it ahead of google maps which I’ve always found clunky for route preparation in anything other than a normal car. Lane guidance with tomtom is truly superb. There’s a reason they scan roads themselves and don’t just rely on streetview captures.

That’s useful feedback on TomTom and might nudge me towards downloading their app – it’s only a couple of quid on an ongoing monthly from memory. We too found TomTom guidance to be a step up from both Googlemaps and Garmin in the past (had a tiny little TomTom One).

one gotcha is that in the app you can only set max speed. but in mydrive you can fettle with the vehicle in many ways

mydrive:

app:

I’m a stuck record on this, but you get what you pay for when it comes to mapping and traffic data in my humble opinion. I find TomTom out classes everyone else. The cost per year for the TomTom phone app is peanuts in the grand scheme of things (£30 for a family I think).

Google Maps is great until you’re away from signal and trying to change your route.

I find TomTom out classes everyone else.

I’ve seen this elsewhere – or maybe I read an earlier post if yours 🙂 – and I downloaded it for a trip to Italy cos I was fretting about getting to and from the airport, but tbh I didn’t see any benefit over Google etc.  I was hoping for detailed/accurate junction information, but it was no better(*).  I cancelled my subscription before the trial was up, and they sent me a discount price of 10 quid for the first year, so I kept it, but I can’t see myself continuing to pay 30 quid a year.

(*) We had the rental car’s own satnav and 2 phones, one with Google, one with TomTom.  Navigation overkill, you say? 🙂

If I absolutely had to have a dedicated device that some scrote might want to swap for a brick, it would be a TomTom no question.  My previous car had Garmin satnav integrated in the head unit, it was gash (just like every other OEM satnav I’ve encountered).

If I absolutely had to have a dedicated offline phone app for routing, it would be CoPilot.  But, why would I want to?

Android Auto / Google Maps just works, I’ve been using it for years ahead of integrated systems costing four figures.  I’ve had dalliances with Waze but keep coming back to Google Maps.  It’s not perfect, it sometimes wants to send me somewhere random to shave six seconds off my journey, but it is hands down the least imperfect solution I’ve ever used.

Does your van not have a speedometer?  Genuinely, I’m not really understanding this use case.  Put your phone/tablet where you’d put the Garmin, look at your dashboard to work out how fast you’re going.