Which SATNAV ?

[Neilfg]

Have the Copilot caravan and a Blaupunkt New York Truck Double DIN unit (this is excellent), the Copilot works well when we have used it usually when planning deciding where to but the built in Blaupunkt is excellent very easy to use and clear directions.

 

[Madmag]

Probably won't want to read the replies but here goes! Can anyone tell me what is so wrong with TomTom that it get such bad reports. We have the TomTom camper and caravan version. Used it for 2-3 years while towing a van, now use it for the motorhome. There have been a couple of occasions where I have used the map and'over-ruled' it but generally speaking it has got us safely from place to place.Am I being too trusting of it? Looked at all these versions likeCoPilot but didn't jump ship.

 

[Tricky 1969]

Hi @Madmag i started this thread as I'd read so many bad reviews for both Tom Tom and garmin that I didn't want to spend £300 plus on a satnav that didn't work for a MH, yours sounds like one of the older more reliable Tom Toms which by all accounts did what it was supposed to do. Thank you for your post most appreciated

 

[hilldweller]

Which copilot though...?
Regular UK+ because not going to Europe

BIG mistake, it's what motorhomes are made for.

 

[DJA]

Hi Madmag

A few years ago Tomtom were taken to court by Microsoft because of some of the software Tomtom were using. In the end it was agreed that they could continue to support the existing equipment. The net result was that Tomtom are now selling Nav4 based units which operating wise bear no similarity to the previous units.

Unfortuneately when they started selling the newer units they did not have some of the facilities of the previous models, probably because of a rush to get something out with new software. For example you could not add your own POI files plus many other things. Needless to say many who bought the new units had not checked anything before they purchased them and so were shocked to find how different and lacking in some facilities they were. They just assumed they would do what the old ones would.

Over time they have added functionallity, some new ones and some old ones, POI's for instance. This has taken rather a long time causing frustration and needless to say people complain that some old functions are still missing. Another complaint is updating problems which from experience is probably because of the huge map files, circa 6+gb for Europe, unless you have a fast broadband can take a long long time. At the moment they do not have a Camper and Caravan unit but they do sell the Truck version which enables you to input dimensions.

Personally I find the Tomtom Nav4 unit we have gives good routing and its traffic is probably better than Garmins, one of which I also have. It worked very well today directing us around traffic jams. I think the Garmin 660lmd-t Camper unit I have is generally better in many respects than the Tomtom except for the main thing we buy them for which is its routing. Driving from Kent to Moffat in Scotland it was okay except it did not know about a new section of the A1. When we got to Moffat it directed us around to the back doors of some houses and a dead end, which it didn't know qbout, trying to get to the C & CC Campsite. It directs me through a shopping parade locally and asks me to do a U turn on a dual carriageway rather than drive another 70 yards to a roundabout. The later problem is their correction of a problem that I told them about where it would not use the roundabout and the 4 lane road to and from it. They are not the only things locally it does that defy belief.

Doug

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[sdc77]

We used to use Co pilot and never had a problem with it. Currently have a Garmin 770 Camper and have never looked back. Love it and one day I will learn basecamp

 

[hilldweller]

They are not the only things locally it does that defy belief.

Doug

Yes but we have to assume they do it all of the time, it's just that out of our home zone we don't know just how bad things are.

 

[two]

Having owned several SatNavs, from popular to more obscure offerings, I feel that the software and data still has much room for improvement. My latest one (Pioneer) has a nice interface but is let down by the use of ‘Here’ data. On our first outing, it tried to take us through an arch less than 2m wide and only 2.6m high (in Ludlow). All are likely to get you to a destination, one way or another, but you’ll need to watch the chosen route very carefully and not rely on one religiously.

I have used four different Garmin GPS devices (for walking) and think they perform very well but it’s one of the few SatNav offerings that I haven’t tried, so cannot comment on them from experience. I would be tempted to try one next time, though. Sadly, this is one of those products that you’re unlikely to be able to assess until after you’ve parted with money.

 

[GJH]

Probably won't want to read the replies but here goes! Can anyone tell me what is so wrong with TomTom that it get such bad reports. We have the TomTom camper and caravan version. Used it for 2-3 years while towing a van, now use it for the motorhome. There have been a couple of occasions where I have used the map and'over-ruled' it but generally speaking it has got us safely from place to place.Am I being too trusting of it? Looked at all these versions likeCoPilot but didn't jump ship.

See posts #6 and #12 for personal experience.

Unfortuneately when they started selling the newer units they did not have some of the facilities of the previous models, probably because of a rush to get something out with new software. For example you could not add your own POI files plus many other things. Needless to say many who bought the new units had not checked anything before they purchased them and so were shocked to find how different and lacking in some facilities they were. They just assumed they would do what the old ones would.

Before I bought the Trucker 5000 I looked at TomTom's information on their web site (but unfortunately not their forums). They published information about the POI capabilities which they have admitted is misleading. They still publish that information on their web site. It is because of that admitted fault, and various others, that they initially swapped the device I bought for a different one and have now agreed to refund my money.

 

[DJA]

See posts #6 and #12 for personal experience.

Before I bought the Trucker 5000 I looked at TomTom's information on their web site (but unfortunately not their forums). They published information about the POI capabilities which they have admitted is misleading. They still publish that information on their web site. It is because of that admitted fault, and various others, that they initially swapped the device I bought for a different one and have now agreed to refund my money.

Hi Graham

What misleading information are they still publishing on their website.?

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[GJH]

Hi Graham

What misleading information are they still publishing on their website.?

On the Trucker 5000 page, under Facilities. There is a section "Community Points of Interests Upload your favourite community Points of Interests to your TomTom Trucker." which is accompanied by a graphic which gives the impression that POIs can be accompanied by icons.
When I bought my device the graphic was the first one below. After they had admitted that, taken together with the text, it was misleading they changed it to the second one but made no changes to the text to make it clear how restricted the POI support really is.

 

[DJA]

HI Graham

I have found the webpage that you talking about. They have got the wrong image. The actual facts are as follows.

On the old TT's you had what they called 'Favourites', now known as 'My Places', which were points of interest that you have not put in a specific category but keep on the unit under Favourites. The first graphic you display is what you see on todays TT's as each House looking Icon shows one of your Favourites (My Places) position. This map view has I think been been available since the new Nav4 units were launched. So it would appear to me the following statement is largely correct in refering to Favourites which they have stated elsewhere they now call My Places.


The second image is also current and was introduced sometime after in an update and is the view you get when you are searching for poi's , either those inbuilt the map or your added POI files. It shows you on the map where the POi's found in a search are located. Once you have selected the POI you want and asked it to create a route they are no longer displayed on the map. Its a pity they have used the same icon positions which they must have collated into a POI file..

People complain that you cannot display POI's on the map permanently with their own specific icons. To honest I used to feel it just cluttered up the map if you were not careful. Now you can stop driving and search within a specific POI file, ie Lidl's, defining where on the map you want the search to be done ie Near Destintion, Within a City or Town, Along Route or Near Me and have the result of the search shown on the map for you to select the one you want. Its never bothered me I can't see them all the time.

What you cannot do at the moment on the new TT Units, as you could on previous TT's, is create a POI Category and add POI's to such Categories. Now that is something I do miss and as far as I know you cannot do it on a Garmin unit either. It is a faf having to do this work via other software.

Doug

 

[GJH]

HI Graham

I have found the webpage that you talking about. They have got the wrong image. The actual facts are as follows.

On the old TT's you had what they called 'Favourites', now known as 'My Places', which were points of interest that you have not put in a specific category but keep on the unit under Favourites. The first graphic you display is what you see on todays TT's as each House looking Icon shows one of your Favourites (My Places) position. This map view has I think been been available since the new Nav4 units were launched. So it would appear to me the following statement is largely correct in refering to Favourites which they have stated elsewhere they now call My Places.


The second image is also current and was introduced sometime after in an update and is the view you get when you are searching for poi's , either those inbuilt the map or your added POI files. It shows you on the map where the POi's found in a search are located. Once you have selected the POI you want and asked it to create a route they are no longer displayed on the map. Its a pity they have used the same icon positions which they must have collated into a POI file..

People complain that you cannot display POI's on the map permanently with their own specific icons. To honest I used to feel it just cluttered up the map if you were not careful. Now you can stop driving and search within a specific POI file, ie Lidl's, defining where on the map you want the search to be done ie Near Destintion, Within a City or Town, Along Route or Near Me and have the result of the search shown on the map for you to select the one you want. Its never bothered me I can't see them all the time.

What you cannot do at the moment on the new TT Units, as you could on previous TT's, is create a POI Category and add POI's to such Categories. Now that is something I do miss and as far as I know you cannot do it on a Garmin unit either. It is a faf having to do this work via other software.

Doug

I know what TomTom Nav4 (and Nav 3 with their pathetic updating software) devices can and (more specifically) can not do Doug I've had a lot of grief with it over the last 6 months or so
My point made above is that TomTom continues to publish misleading information as to what that is, even though TomTom is aware it is misleading.

I was misled by their Trucker 5000 page and, after I had e-mailed the CEO back in March, was contacted by a Manager in UK Customer Care Team based here in their global headquarters in Amsterdam. He agreed with me that the picture and description of community POI support on the web site was misleading but all TomTom has done is to change the graphic slightly, not to make it clear what the device limitations are.

 

[DJA]

Can I just say Graham that i agreed with you that the Webpage was not correct.

All I have tried to do is to explain for the benefit of others what the 2 pictures were representative of and also some other things that you can and cannot do with the new TT.s in comparison to the old ones.

If you took it as a lecture for you then I am sorry as that was not the intent.

 

[Tricky 1969]

Well I have taken the advice kindly given on here, I have purchased CoPilot and its seems so far to be excellent and these arrived in the post this morning too.

Thank you all again for your help, its most appreciated

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Forestboy]

Thats all you need.
Anymore is just information overload.

 

[Tricky 1969]

Thats all you need.
Anymore is just information overload.

Agreed, now to sort out getting side and front view cameras fitted (LHD)

 

[Forestboy]

Agreed, now to sort out getting side and front view cameras fitted (LHD)

Just my opinion but I'd drive it for a while and get used to it before you do that they really aren't necessary.

 

[Tricky 1969]

Just my opinion but I'd drive it for a while and get used to it before you do that they really aren't necessary.

I have had a few occasions when turning left I have had no view down the road to my right, even when trying to position the MH correctly. I have a system (old but still boxed which came with the van) I think it can take multiple cameras so hopefully not to much expense