GPS - Montana Owners Club

mstreeter · 01-24-2011, 10:11 AM

Can anyone tell me a good GPS unit that will give me a safe route for my 5th wheel? Keeping on the main roads! I have a nuvi but it doesn't have the capabilities of routing only roads that will accomodate a large vehicle.
Thanks.

Sinterior · 01-24-2011, 12:15 PM

One I know of is the Garmin 465T, their first truckers GPS where you put your rigs specs in and save it. You can also use it in car mode, but have to use truck mode to use the specs you input.

ratfink11 · 01-24-2011, 01:15 PM

I contacted Garmin support the other day to ask about my Nuvi 350 and map upgrades. They said in the first quarter of this year, Garmin will be coming out with an RV model like the 465T for truckers.

trlrboy · 01-24-2011, 02:10 PM

I have the 465T. Works great in truck mode.

Fire5er · 01-25-2011, 04:17 AM

I sure wish they would provide an RV upgrade for the other Garmins. We have 2 Garmins and love both, but an RV upgrade would be worth th $100 upgrade price Garmin wants.

mstreeter · 01-25-2011, 05:12 AM

Thank you all for that input.
I will certainly be on the look out for the upgrade and the new RV Garmin. This is a great help.
Mike

Cyrus · 01-26-2011, 12:59 AM

As I posted on the MOC GPS page about adding the Low Clearance info as a POI on my Garmin 1390T, seems to work fine, not any low clearance bridges for me to check it out with ot traveling some distance. You have to sign up on the LOW CLEARANCE site and purchase the file (on sale $9.97 yr) which you download and install in the Garmin. You have to download the file for the height restriction you want. I would like to know if you can have multilple POI files stored in the Garmin?

trlrboy · 01-28-2011, 01:42 PM

If anyone wants a 465T trucker GPS from Garmin drop me a PM and I'll give you a great price. Only have 1.

sreigle · 02-04-2011, 08:02 AM

I have the POI alert on the low clearance poi's set to beep when within two miles. The problem is the gps does not understand I only want the beep when the low clearnace is within two miles ON my route. Instead, it beeps when the low clearance is within a two mile radius of my current location. I've had it go off on me a couple of times while towing, just to find the low clearance is off to the right a mile and a half on a road I'll never be on. Still, it's better than nothing.

exav8tr · 02-04-2011, 04:17 PM

My latest Magellan has given up the ghost so we are in the search for a new one. Although we have the unit built into the truck, it does not always show recently built POI's and it is a $200 upgradeable unit when GM decides to upgrade it. The 465T sound iike a great unit, but I'm not ready to completely rely on a unit for clearances. What about recent overpasses or bridges. I guess there are height requirements now so that is probably a moot point. When we travel we usually use the truckers atlas to do our prerouting and have always found it to be accurate.

My questions for the Garmin owners are these: How often can you download info and upgrade your units? Is a monthly upgrade possible, or is it cost prohibitive???

boylanag · 02-05-2011, 02:23 AM

Phil, I just got the "Lifetime" upgrade and it can be utilized 4 times a year. A one time $99 and it is cheaper than getting a new GPS, since the one I have should be just fine for a long time yet.

exav8tr · 02-05-2011, 04:00 AM

Jim, Thanks for the information on the Garmin. I have been thinking they are the leader and probably the one we will go with, just need to choose a model, I guess.......

bobsals · 02-05-2011, 05:07 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Cyrus

As I posted on the MOC GPS page about adding the Low Clearance info as a POI on my Garmin 1390T, seems to work fine, not any low clearance bridges for me to check it out with ot traveling some distance. You have to sign up on the LOW CLEARANCE site and purchase the file (on sale $9.97 yr) which you download and install in the Garmin. You have to download the file for the height restriction you want. I would like to know if you can have multilple POI files stored in the Garmin?

Yes you can have multiple POI's. Just include them all in the same folder when uploading to the unit.

Cyrus · 02-05-2011, 11:48 AM

Bob,
Thanks for that information on the POI.

sreigle · 02-06-2011, 10:38 AM

I bought the Garmin lifetime map update for something around $96 (from amazon.com). The new maps are available quarterly.

But you can get software and firmware updates for free if you registered your unit. I just go to Garmin's MyGarmin site, click the Dashboard tab, select my unit, and it shows me whether there are updates for the maps or software.

Captain Joe · 02-27-2011, 02:53 AM

I have purchased the 2011 Trailer Life Navigator software and a USB GPS antenna. I can plan my trips, find campgrounds and POIs, etc., then put the laptop into the truck and go. The software shows the rest areas and has Next Exit built into the database. The only thing it does not do it talk to you as you go down the road, which in my opinion is a good thing. I went with the laptop system because I can easily see the screen.

sreigle · 04-23-2011, 02:42 PM

Cyrus, yes, you can have multiple POI files loaded. I have several. However, POI Loader deletes all the extra poi files before it loads your new ones. So be sure your folder you load from has all the poi files you want loaded in it, even if you loaded them previously. It works fine that way. You want to delete one, just delete it from your source folder and run poi loader to reload the garmin.

I have one from the tv show diners, dives, and driveins. That way wherever we are I can quickly see whether any are close by. Also had one in there for west coast lighthouses back when we did the Pacific NW last year. Etc.

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