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quoteFind your way home? Or, more likely, an almost infinite number of chosen destinations, including places to camp? Satellite navigation delivers all this, and more
Way finders
Looking for a sat nav for your motorhome or caravanning trips? Some expert motorhomers would say that it’s an essential motorhoming accessory!
Of course we’re talking about aftermarket non-fixed sat navs here, not the ones you get built into your motorhome or towcar dashboard.
A caravan or motorhome-specific sat nav will allow you to programme in your vehicle’s dimensions (length, width and, critically, height) and more, so that routes can be offered that avoid narrow lanes, low bridges and other possible hazards.
You’ll also find motorhome-specific sat navs have larger screens, starting from 7in, that are more suited to a larger cab environment of a motorhome, for example, or even larger tow cars.
Then again, if you have a smaller, lower campervan you might find a standard sat nav does the job for you (but you might want to look out for the facility to add campsite information).
Or should you add an app to your phone?
Increasingly, people are relying on their mobile phones for mapping information. Or, you could add a more suitable travel app (assuming you have the memory space).
TomTom, for example, offers the GO Navigation app – with a seven-day free trial at the time of writing and subsequent subscription prices from £3.99 a month/£19.99 yearly – you can download to your smartphone.
Do note, however, UK law prohibits the use of a hand-held device by a driver, even if offline or in flight mode. Should you break the law, you could get up to six penalty points and a £200 fine, or an extra three penalty points if you don’t have a full view of the road and traffic ahead or proper control of the vehicle when using a hand-held device.
As the RAC puts it: “If you wish to use an app for directions you should fix the phone to the windscreen or dashboard, so it’s in clear view while driving (but not obstructing your view), without requiring you to hold or interact with it.”
Top caravan and motorhome sat nav tips
- A sat nav should not obstruct your key dashboard instruments, other controls, rear-view mirrors, operation of airbags and, of course, your field of vision.
- If you want a better bargain, look out for ex-display and refurbished examples.
- As ever, we suggest you don’t put your address in the “home” setting. If a criminal gets hold of such information it could prove costly!
- No matter how good a caravan or motorhome sat nav you get, we still recommend you take a road atlas along for the ride, too. Just for reassurance.
- Conceal your sat nav system, when not in use – lock it in the glove box if possible. Theft of such items has gone down since their early days, thankfully. Nevertheless, you don’t want to tempt a thief and it likely won’t be covered for theft or damage by your motorhome insurance if it’s not stored out of sight in a locked compartment.
Star Player #1
TomTom GO Camper Max
Scenic routing, specific camper routing and camper POIs (Points of Interest, including campsites) make this such a suitable unit for motorhome or caravan use. The live fuel price info facility and Low Emission Zone warnings will come in very handy, too.
Plus, you can now create a profile for each vehicle you drive that might have different dimension. The Camper setting allows you to input your leisure vehicle’s dimensions (length, width, height), weights and maximum speeds so you can receive suitable routes to your chosen destinations. Also new are enhanced visual clues if you’re driving without sound.
Key features Voice control commands, traffic updates via Wi-Fi, live fuel prices and weather information, 32GB internal memory, free lifetime maps, seven-inch high-definition touchscreen
Screen size 7in
Expect to pay £349
Star Player #2
Garmin Camper 795
A top seller in Halfords, one of the UK’s largest retailers of sat navs. Spec’-wise, it has it all, plus BirdsEye satellite imagery which gives aerial views of the locality – ideal for finding campsites, for example.
You can save dimensions detail for your motorhome as well as your car and caravan.
A relatively new feature will tell you of any Environment Zones on any chosen journey. Michelin’s Green Guide is also among the pre-loads here, giving you details of all manner of tourist attractions.
Add the Garmin Drive app and you’ll also be able to see texts and other notifications from your phone.
This sat nav can also be paired with Garmin’s BC50 or BC 40 wireless reversing cameras and/or Garmin’s dashcams.
Worth considering also is the CamperCam 795, which includes a dashcam and typically costs around £100 more.
Key features Voice assist, can update via Wi-Fi, live traffic and weather information, live fuel prices, hands-free calling, 8in and 10in screen versions also available.
Screen size 7in
Expect to pay £389.99
Star Player #3
Avtex Tourer Three Plus
As recommended by Prima Leisure, the retail accessories arm of leading caravan and motorhome manufacturer, Bailey.
The Avtex Tourer Three Plus has the additional benefit of a dashcam – ideal for recording your amazing caravan and motorhome journeys but also of benefit if you’re unlucky enough to be involved in an accident whilst driving.
Campsite information is courtesy of the Club, plus some 9,000 ACSI-inspected sites throughout Europe, plus 8,500 free-to-use overnight locations throughout Western Europe, plus 17,000 NKC customer-rated camping locations across 38 countries.
It’s been developed in conjunction with Garmin, hence the facility to also add its BC50 reversing camera, as well as features such as Garmin Voice Assist, which means you can operated the unit hands-free.
Key features Integrated 1080px HD dashcam, supplied with 16GB micro SD card, BirdsEye satellite imagery, Trendy Places local beauty spots and scenic routes information,
Screen size 7in
Expect to pay £499.99
www.avtex.co.uk and www.primaleisure.com
Star Player #4
Aguri Motorhome & Caravan RV760
A relative newcomer, but this caravan and motorhome sat nav is packed with the latest features, including some 30,000 UK and European campsites and stopovers are listed, too, courtesy of Camperstop and others. Plus you can also add your own Points of Interest.
It also has internet connectivity with Google Search (used in conjunction with your phone).
Key features UK-designed with full UK phone and online back-up, powered magnetic mounting system, free lifetime map and speed trap updates, reversing camera compatible, supplied with carry case
Screen size 7in
Expect to pay £379.99
Star Player #5
Garmin Drive 52 EU
If you’ve got a small campervan that happily squeezes under car park barriers you might prefer to keep your sat nav as basic as possible. The good news is you can get units for £100 or less, even from recognised brands. Like this 52 EU from Garmin.
It has a 5in screen (which seems rather small by current expectations), and covers all of Europe as well as the UK. There’s also an Up Ahead feature that tells you when you’re coming to towns, food stops, fuel stations etc. There are also alerts for speed limits, schools, speed cameras etc, plus millions of POIs (courtesy of Foursquare).
If you want something more bespoke for a campervan then check out Garmin’s CamperVan sat nav, priced at £259.
Key features Lifetime map updates, safety camera updates, spoken turn-by-turn directions
Screen size 5in
Expect to pay £119
Over to you…
Got any advice on caravan and motorhome-friendly satellite navigation you’d like to pass on to fellow leisure vehicle owners or a caravan or motorhome sat nav or app you can’t live without? Please feel free to add a comment below.
Remember, the systems work on the sizes relating to your unit or vehicle, so if those sizes enable access along a road, it will guide you along it, no matter how narrow that may be.
Always consult a map.
The sat navs recommended here are all horrifically expensive. I’m surprised, therefore, not to see the Tom Tom Camper Tour in the list for those of us who just want a basic but reliable motorhome sat nav. Well recommended elsewhere.
Thanks for mentioning Paul
No to any of the above Sat Navs.
For me I chose a C & M Systems Sat Nav. I have no connection to this business only that I purchased their Motor Caravan Sat Nav with built in front dash camera and am delighted with it.
Visit their website :- cmnav.co .uk
Check out what you get for the price.
The aftersales from the proprietor is absolutely first class.
Thanks for sharing Chris
Have owned and used a Tomtom Camper for years would not trust the in car system I have fitted.the only issue is where I can place it in my latest car (Lexus)
I’ve now had the Aguri for a couple of years and find it really good, also with the built in dash cam is helpful.
Very informative. Explains everything I need toknow
I would expect the Discovery to support Apple Car-Play and the Android equivalent. Your phone is lying out of sight and connected to the car which displays on its screen any navigation app that supports this. Unfortunately this article doesn’t cover whether any of the apps it mentions support this.
I have a built in sat-nav system in my Discovery Sport LCD screen in the dash. I tow a caravan, and would like a sat-nav that takes this into account but don’t want another device stuck to my windscreen, when I have it nicely built into the dash (as do more and more cars these days).
I wish manufacturers would produce/sell a sat-nav as downloadable software you could place onto a flash drive and plug into the in-car system rather than having another external device. Does anyone know if there is such a solution out there? Do Land Rover produce anything anyone know?