7" Avtec Satnav

[clonkel]

The van we are purchasing, Fiat Ducato, has an on-board sat nav. It is a new van and we get in a couple of weeks. The dealer is also offering an Avtec Satnav (caravan club edition).

Does anyone have experience of the factory fitted sat nav versus the Avtec one?

Thank you

 

[Langtoftlad]

I happily make do with a cheapie XGody TruckNav
Does everything the expensive premium branded ones do.
After all the data all comes from the same mapping.

 

[fred_jb]

We didn't get a factory fitted satnav in our latest van, but on previous experience I have found them to be not the greatest to use and a real pain to update.

What I now value over built-in satnav is a display that can support Android Auto and Apple Carplay. This means I can use my favourite satnav apps, namely Google Maps and Myroute Navigation running on my phone which is easily updated, but displayed on the larger vehicle display.

Before accepting a replacement of the factory system, especially if with an obscure brand, it is worth checking which best supports linking your phone. My van came with an Xzent unit which did not properly support Android Auto, so I replaced it with a Pioneer head unit which works perfectly.

 

[clonkel]

fred_jb

I would guess the factory fitted means that I can't put in the van dimensions. I will ask the dealer if it supports android auto. With the Pioneer Head Unit do you just attach to the dash and which app do you use that supports the vehicles dimensions

thank you very much

 

[fred_jb]

Thr Pioneer, and other head units will fit in the Fiat Ducato dash with the appropriate fitting kit for your model and year. Our van did not come with Fiat head unit from the factory and Etrusco fitted the Xzent unit. It is a 23 model and has a slightly larger than double DIN opening so needs a metal mounting frame to adapt for after market units and a model specific plastic surround to integrate it into the dash.

It seems to make a difference in what adapter cables and fitting kit you need depending on whether the base vehicle originally came with a Fiat unit or not.

You can also get adapters to allow the steering wheel phone and audio controls to be used with non Fiat head units, though they can be a bit fiddly to wire in. I think the company that does a lot of these is called Connect2 or something similar.

I don't know if the Fiat satnav supports vehicle dimensions, but someone on here will know. There are also a lot of threads with recommendations of which satnav app to use on your phone, but be aware that not all phone satnav apps can be viewed via Android Auto or Apple Carplay in which case you would have to mount the phone somewhere on the dashboard.

We mainly use Google maps, but you have be alert for its idea of a shortcut sending you up goat tracks or the like! If I want to pre-plan a route or ensure only suitable roads are used I would use Myroute Navigation, which can accept vehicle dimensions and has a very easy to use website for route planning.

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[Peterd82]

The Avtex sat-nav is a Garmin Camper which I find to be excellent and updates are straightforward. In my experence I would go for that over the built-in. Only downside is that you have to remove it from the screen for security and closing the Remis blinds.

 

[clonkel]

fred_jb Thank you

Peterd82 Has the Avtex been satisfactory on route planning?

thank you

 

[LesW]

I would never go for a built in factory satnav, however if the unit on offer is a Garmin based unit and he's giving it to you, go for it, there's nothing to lose.

 

[clonkel]

LesW unfortunately they are not giving it away but it is a reduced price. I would rather have something I can put the vehicle dimensions into.

 

[jerryz]

The Xgody units are used by a lot of delivery drivers and HGV guys ,, I think I may get the 9'' one with UK and EU maps for £65 for the big screen I also use my phone with waze, google crap maps and here we go

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[jerryz]

I happily make do with a cheapie XGody TruckNav
Does everything the expensive premium branded ones do.
After all the data all comes from the same mapping.

How long have you had it , is it glitchy or solid and are the maps it uses decent

 

[Jabstatt]

Put a pad on top of the dash so it can stay in place when you close the blinds!

Apple CarPlay from me on a pioneer with Connect2 interfaces. Works perfectly

Tony

 

[125BEER]

My Fiat has a Pioneer fitted ...absolutely useless satnav...gps and the DAB has given up......
I have contacted the dealer but still waiting.......
So I purchased a DOOGEE TABLET and it works perfectly.

Cheers

 

[clonkel]

With a tablet (non sim card one) would I be just using that as a screen for my phone with whichever is the chosen app?

If I do this then I will have to get a sim card on the phone with no roaming charges (Tesco etc.).

Am I missing something here because I have an iPad and a mobile?

Also, there is the phone signal issue

thanks

 

[Langtoftlad]

How long have you had it , is it glitchy or solid and are the maps it uses decent

About 5 years, had a smaller screen Nozatec before then.
No glitches. Maps updated twice a year via the Nozatec Facebook group.

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[fred_jb]

With a tablet (non sim card one) would I be just using that as a screen for my phone with whichever is the chosen app?

If I do this then I will have to get a sim card on the phone with no roaming charges (Tesco etc.).

Am I missing something here because I have an iPad and a mobile?

Also, there is the phone signal issue

thanks

If you want to use an iPad to run your Nav app and it does not have a SIM slot, you can set up a wifi hotspot on your phone and connect the iPad to that. The iPad will then be sharing the mobile data available on your phone. In this case you install the Nav app on the iPad and run it there just using the Internet connection from your phone. Likely to be better than screen sharing if that is even possible.

And yes, you will need a SIM in the phone which allows an adequate amount of roaming data. Before we got Starlink I used the 30GB per month roaming.allowance on my 63GB (UK) iD SIM.

 

[clonkel]

you can set up a WIFI hotspot on your phone and connect the iPad to that

fred_jb Never considered it. Thank you

 

[fred_jb]

I should add that with some satnav apps such as Myroute Navigation, and quite a few others like TomTom Go, you can download sets of maps and any pre-planned routes to the device running the app, which means it will still work in areas where there is no mobile signal.

 

[Peterd82]

fred_jb Thank you

Peterd82 Has the Avtex been satisfactory on route planning?

thank you

Route planning has been fine unlike the built-in unit we have. It does allow you to put in weight and dimensions but of course this relies on accurate information in the first place and I’m not sure all the road information is that up to date.

 

[Brains]

The van we are purchasing, Fiat Ducato, has an on-board sat nav. It is a new van and we get in a couple of weeks. The dealer is also offering an Avtec Satnav (caravan club edition).

Does anyone have experience of the factory fitted sat nav versus the Avtec one?

Thank you

The life of a satnav is about 7 years.
Despite the 'lifetime' updates, at around 7-10 years old a SatNav becomes difficult to update, as it's no longer compatible with the latest technology.

In 7 years time who know what the SatNav will be telling you!
Road quality (potholes)?, Height barriers at car parks ?, Proper speeding and speed camera warnings?

Therefore I'd prefer to go for 'stick-on-the-screen' version.
We have the Avtex Camper Three Plus (also sold as the Garmin 795+ and RV795) which comes with a dashcam.
It's quite good, buy via the C&MHC and you get a discount.

We also have a Zenec built in head unit.
Totally useless. Waste of money.
We now only use it for the rear camera and the FM radio.
A unit that cost £1,200 on the options list and it gets £100 of use.

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[fred_jb]

The life of a satnav is about 7 years.
Despite the 'lifetime' updates, at around 7-10 years old a SatNav becomes difficult to update, as it's no longer compatible with the latest technology.

In 7 years time who know what the SatNav will be telling you!
Road quality (potholes)?, Height barriers at car parks ?, Proper speeding and speed camera warnings?

Therefore I'd prefer to go for 'stick-on-the-screen' version.
We have the Avtex Camper Three Plus (also sold as the Garmin 795+ and RV795) which comes with a dashcam.
It's quite good, buy via the C&MHC and you get a discount.

We also have a Zenec built in head unit.
Totally useless. Waste of money.
We now only use it for the rear camera and the FM radio.
A unit that cost £1,200 on the options list and it gets £100 of use.

Using phone apps rather than dedicated hardware units (stick on the screen types) also allows you to get the latest satnav capabilities, but by updating apps, or using new ones, on existing hardware (phone or tablet) without having to buy new hardware. I used to use Garmin and TomTom dedicated satnav units on my motorcycles but got fed up with their performance and memory limitations and inability to update to the latest maps after owning for a while, so have been using phone based satnav apps for a few years now and wouldn't go back.

 

[Brize]

Clonkel,
I may be going against the grain here, but I use the factory fitted 7" unit in my Ducato, with android auto. I am presuming this is the unit you are talking about (the 10" Ducato unit comes with integrated satnav, the 7" does not).

I was also sceptical to start with, but having changed the unit on a previous Ducato motorhome for a Pioneer, and found it useless, I decided to persevere.

I've now done 11,000 miles with it now, from Italy to Norway and all countries in between (and I'm writing this in Spain); it takes a little getting used to, but the android auto mapping works very well, and you get used to the apps you can use. I have found Sygic and Magic Earth to be best, and on the latter you can input dimensions and weight.

The unit is part of the Uconnect system, which is unique to Fiat (and Jeep - made by Fiat). The Uconnect system joins the head unit and dashboard together, and when fitting the Pioneer on the previous MoHo, some of the Uconnect functionality was lost.

My advice is to try it first before you start ripping things out or adding extra screens. Get used to the apps and how you programme them, the various settings, and try it for a while.

Happy to give more info if needed.

 

[clonkel]

Brize thank you. It started because the dealer offered the Avtec which made me wonder about the on board system. I assumed this was car standard rather than being for a pvc.
It could therefore be the 10 inch although I don't remember it being that size. If it is the 10" then maybe I don't get the option to use it to display phone apps?
I will drop the dealer an email.
Thank you

 

[fred_jb]

Brize thank you. It started because the dealer offered the Avtec which made me wonder about the on board system. I assumed this was car standard rather than being for a pvc.
It could therefore be the 10 inch although I don't remember it being that size. If it is the 10" then maybe I don't get the option to use it to display phone apps?
I will drop the dealer an email.
Thank you

With a new vehicle I would be very surprised if the built-in unit does not support both Android Auto and Apple Carplay.

 

[Brize]

If it is the 10" it will do everything the 7" does, plus having integrated satnav.

One update I forgot: Sygic now do a camper version where you can input dimensions/weight. I haven't used it, I just use the ordinary car version. Not all satnav apps are playable on android auto/carplay.

Tread carefully before you remove the Uconnect system - it controls many things on your dash.

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[Peterd82]

With a new vehicle I would be very surprised if the built-in unit does not support both Android Auto and Apple Carplay.

The Xzent in our Auto-Trail has the useless Android Link rather than proper Android Auto. Fortunately it does have Carplay.

 

[fred_jb]

The Xzent in our Auto-Trail has the useless Android Link rather than proper Android Auto. Fortunately it does have Carplay.

Yes, mine had that too which is why I replaced it. However I was referring to the built-in OEM units fitted at the factory, in the OP's case the Fiat Uconnect screen, and the likelihood of them supporting Android and Apple.

 

[Hoovie]

The Avtex sat-nav is a Garmin Camper which I find to be excellent and updates are straightforward. In my experence I would go for that over the built-in. Only downside is that you have to remove it from the screen for security and closing the Remis blinds.

I am assuming when you say about removing to close the Remis blinds, you are talking about when using the Suction screen mount that comes with the Garmin?
If you don't have a Rear Mirror but have the attachment fixing on the screen, you can get the standard Mirror and Arm, remove the actual mirror, then detach the Garmin holder from the Garmin suction mount and fit that onto the Mirror Arm - it is a perfect fit.

Once done, you can leave the Garmin attached and in place when closing the Remis Blinds. It is a very worthwhile adaption IMO
This is what the OEM Mirror Arm looks like with the Garmin screen holder attached

Sat Nav by David, on Flickr

And with the screen clipped on

Sat Nav by David, on Flickr


Ref the comments on the Xgody SatNav unit... I know that is a popular unit with many folk. I tried one and I did not like it.
I've had various Sat Nav units built-in in various cars, integrated into aftermarket head units and also standalone units. In usability terms, I would put the Xgody at the bottom of the list and the Garmin at the top. I have Sat Nav built into my current Head Unit but still always use the Garmin Camper by preference. In my car, I have Android Auto on the head unit and in that vehicle I use Google Maps for Navigation and that is pretty nice. Not as good as the Garmin interface IMO, but good enough not to bother removing the Garmin in the Motorhome to use in the car on a journey.

 

[Kups]

We have the Avtex Camper 3 which when linked to the Drive App by Bluetooth to a phone gives you all the real time traffic as in Android Auto. It's a good combination and reliable in heavy traffic.
For mounting I've always used the Brodit system and mounted the unit on the central dashboard air vent. Simple and sturdy powering the unit either from the cigarette plug or on a hard wired cable. No problem with the blinds. Needs a bit of DIY to fit but simple enough. https://www.brodit.co.uk/

 

[Just us on Tour]

The van we are purchasing, Fiat Ducato, has an on-board sat nav. It is a new van and we get in a couple of weeks. The dealer is also offering an Avtec Satnav (caravan club edition).

Does anyone have experience of the factory fitted sat nav versus the Avtec one?

Thank you

Hi Conkel
Do you know which head unit you have fitted in the Fiat ? Some MH manufacturers fit a MH specific unit . We have experience of both the Xzent units and the Avtex C&MHC after market . The Xzent are very poor and the Sat nav is not good in our opinion. The C&MHC Avtex tourer 3 uses the Garmin Sat nav system and it is very good . It’s not totally bomb proof but much improved over the factory Xzent unit . My only issue was where it mounts on the screen it was too far away for me to see lol . So I just upgraded my in dash system for a Kenwood MH specific unit with a floating 10 inch display . It’s runs the same Garmin software as the Avtex .
The sound quality of the music is much better and the Sat nav on the 10 inch screen is very clear indeed. It was a very worth while upgrade . Do you know which head unit is in the Fiat of your MH ?