Garmin RV890 or Cell Phone for Navigation?
Вставка
- Опубліковано 1 тра 2021
- I have had a number of people ask “Why buy a GPS system when your phone has maps and GPS built in?” I also had someone ask “Why didn’t you just buy the truck that has GPS built in?”
ONE GREAT QUESTION and ONE SILLY QUESTION (hey… I don’t pull punches) :-)
To answer both questions… here goes. I’ll answer the easy one first. To add the RV GPS unit from the factory would have been a bit over $1000 as opposed to the Garmin which was $499. Also we originally thought that we could just use our phone so why have it installed. AND trading the truck in for a truck with GPS is way out of the question. (hey, we’re on a retirement budget!)
NOW, what GPS instead of phone. fIrst of all most phone route GPS apps don’t take in the dimensions, weight and restrictions (such as traveling with propane) that the Garmin 890 RV has built in. In reading the reviews of the ones that do, they are not that accurate with the data. I felt it would be more cost effective in purchasing a $500 GPS as opposed to replacing two air conditioners and a roof that got peeled back from a low bridge. :-/ Yeah, I know I’m being a bit dramatic. Another reason is I guarantee that when we are trying to maneuver through a tight city environment, one of our kids will decide to call us and then the phone GPS switches to the phone!... How likely is this? It has already happened 5 times in the last two summers… that’s 5 times too many. Imagine if you will Siri leading you on a city tour of Tacoma Washington in search of a gas station that sells diesel… then the phone rings with your daughter asking “Just wondered where you guys are” - Not to mention the Garmin 890RV has a ton of other awesome features designed for the RV traveler. I haven’t found anyone who gives any sort of a discount on this item, however you can order on from all of the major online stores.
Here are a few links for you to compare:
AMAZON - $499.99:
www.amazon.com/Garmin-Navigat...
Walmart - $499.99:
www.walmart.com/ip/Garmin-RV-...
Best Buy - $499.99:
www.bestbuy.com/site/garmin-u...
GOOGLE Comparison of 25 different online stores:
www.google.com/shopping/produ...
Hope this information was helpful and you enjoyed this part of our adventure with us.
Safe Travels!
Steve, Dawn, Atka and Sierra
Very helpful! We got one for Xmas and will be heading south in a week! I’ve watched other videos but yours was super helpful!
We just got one and we're getting ready to head out on our first trip with it this next week. Looks like a great GPS.
Safe travels.
Way to go. I have one also.
Great, I just pick up the RV785 but I haven't had a chance to use it yet.
The problem I'm having and attempting to work out with Garmin and/or RV TripWizard, is to have the unit receive a pre-planned trip (.GPX file) and display that trip properly to navigate from stop-to-stop. If you do pre-planned stops, are you having THIS problem??
I haven’t used that feature yet. I haven’t been anyplace with reliable wifi to try to get something ported in from trip wizard. The problems I have had have worked themselves out when I updated the firmware. I’ll try to check out the feature your talking about when I get a chance.
I just got a Gramin 890 for my Winnebago Solis and am trying to figure out how to mount it on the dash. It looks as if you used the screw in mount on the plastic dash. What screws or bolts did you use and how strong is that hold? thanks
I used the screws that came with the Garmin. I installed it at the end of April and it’s holding strong. Their was a rubber insert in the tray area on my dash that I removed and I then mounted it on the plastic dash. If I ever decide to remove the Garmin Mount I have the option of putting the rubber insert back so it will cover the holes from the mount.
@@ourroadtocamelot Thanks for the quick reply; it was very helpful
Techno RV is offering a $100 discount right now
That’s awesome. I,m guessing end of season and clearing out their overstock. Great for the consumer though!
Does it have a tracker?
The Garmin does use gps tracking if that’s what you mean. I haven’t tried it yet but I believe you can punch in exact gps coordinates as well.
What is firmware and how do you download it...thanks
Go into the settings menu on the device. There is a setting on the device to check for updates. You need to have a good wifi connection. Then follow the prompts to update.
We have a GPS in the truck and I heard not as reliable as a dash mount GPS. Good show. This is what we will invest into. What is the warranty?
The basic warranty is 90 days however it can vary from state to state and if you plan to use it on a boat (marine). Here is the link to the warranty page for Garmin. www.garmin.com/en-US/legal/consumer-limited-warranty/
I just got mine for 399.99
Best Buy $399
I will be doing a follow up video on the Garmin in October highlighting our summer travel experiences using the RV890. Should be good! Stay tuned 😄