thewanderlustking Posted January 3, 2022 Share Posted January 3, 2022 (edited) I stumbled across some really interesting posts in this section, but found them to all cover just one aspect and are all a bit older. I am in a unique position, perhaps being a tech geek and having played with all of these. I have used Garmin standalone units for almost 2 decades now, and in dash combo/navigation units for a much shorter 5 yrs or so (about as long as they have been out). I have used smartphones since the iPhone 3. Probably before then, but the iPhone 3 was the first one (I had) to have mapping. Not sure how many times I have crossed the Unites States from cost to coast and top to bottom. More than a couple. I have driven through every State except Alaska and Hawaii over the years. All of this done in less than ideal rigs, read cars. So I am really looking forward to exploring the US with an RV! Anyways, that is my experience with using these items so lets get going! Long post, so If you just want to know the hands down winner with no real contenders, get a Garmin Standalone unit. If you want to know why I believe this, read further. Also, more goodies are buried in here! Garmin Standalone: For long distance travel I think it is impossible to beat a Garmin. I can't really address the whole Garmin VS TomTom fight as I have minimal experience with TomToms for navigation. I have had 2 or 3 that I tried to use and honestly disliked them so much I actually threw them out, and didn't give them a fair shakedown. Cost: The majority of (standalone) units on eBay are Garmin. Look for one with lifetime maps. The older ones would have LM at the end to signify this, but newer ones don't. If you know what you are doing you can manually transfer maps from a lifetime model to one that isn't. But as cheap as lifetime models are, this is no longer worth doing. With a 30 second look on ebay, I am finding LM models as cheaply as $29!!! Heck some new models are selling at $79. WHY Garmin Standalone though: You are on a long road trip and stop for gas in Kansas. Turn vehicle off. Get gas, stretch your legs etc. When you are ready to go you get back in, start up and pull out. If you were using a smartphone you are already in trouble. You probably checked some texts, and email, snapped some pictures of how cool your vintage rig looks in Kansas (and it truly is probably the most exciting thing around) and turned navigation off. If you remember to turn it back on, it might have been an after thought and whatever the case you have to restart it... On the other hand the Garmin has turned back on and resumed navigation. And it is telling you you have to turn right and not left out of the gas station.... Trust me this is a problem in Kansas. Everything looks the same. In the days of paper maps we made that mistake and drove for an hour before we realized we had gone the wrong direction.... Other Features: Really too many to list. But there are a handful of non-RV spec units with AV input so they can be used as backup cameras. Bluetooth for hands free, media control, all sorts of goodies. Hands free voice navigation is "ok" on older units but I am SURE has drastically improved with the newer ones. Route Planning: Almost all Garmin these days have route planning where you can hook it up to a laptop and plot a course, then load it into the garmin easily. Especially for long road trips with multiple waypoints, this is awesome. I don't think I have ever seen a Garmin that doesn't have a selection to "avoid highways". Basically, if there is a feature you want, there is likely a Garmin that has it. VERY IMPORTANT!!! You will want a unit that does full names. "Turn left in 150' on Lost Boulevard" instead of just "Turn left in 150'." I forget what this is called but when you start reading up on them it becomes fairly evident. You can save money on an older unit with a good set of features you think you want, but do your diligence and study/stare and compare. There is a lot to sift through. The money saved you will likely spend in time lost looking at everything, LOL! Smart Phone: Everyone has one these days, why not just use it? The biggest issue is battery usage. GPS sucks down battery and heats up phones. And Garmin units are actually smarter than most phones for navigation! Even an old unit. Siri doesn't know what divided roads are. There is left turn she tells everyone leaving my house to make, you can't make it as there is a medium there. And leaving out that way adds about half a mile of turns and roundabouts when going half a block down lets you make the correct turn. Even my oldest Garmin know this and realize you can't make a left turn across that medium. This is 2022 and my iPhone tried to send me this way yesterday. Restarting navigation like mentioned above is better than it used to be, but if you stoop it for some reason, it doesn't restart automatically. Smartphones have their place though. They are MUCH better for navigation around town to a new restaurant or trying to find Walmart. A few years back I got myself into a REALLY UNCOMFORTABLE situation. I was in the depths of Oregon's wilderness and I had been out of cell phone coverage for hours and had somehow taken a wrong turn on a side adventure. I couldn't use my phone to call and update people waiting for me. And I couldn't get any location information with my phone either as I was in deep forest. My Garmin though had awesome GPS lock and breadcrumbs so I was able to figure out exactly where I went off course and decided to just keep moving forward. I was in an area where if I had been relying on just a smartphone, I would have been in extreme trouble. In all my years of traveling, it is one time I was genuinely lost and scared. The Garmin was my lifeline. Combo Headunits: There are so so many options these days. And they are really awesome! From base cars now coming with radios that have Car Play and connect to your smart phone, to Android units that can do it all. I have an Android Eonon headunit in my daily driver and I LOVE IT! But for navigation, it falls flat. Lets quickly talk about other features. These android units have things like cheap TPMS units that for as low as $30 will get you 4 sensors and a dongle that plugs into a USB on the back of your radio. I am not sure about 6 sensors for our RV's, but they are probably out there. I use a standalone car 4 sensor setup on my Mini Cruiser with equalizers in the rear. Ignore that... These also all have backup camera input, but I don't really like that feature on out RV's. I will explain that in a bit. You can get upgraded remote GPS antennas. And cellular dongles. TONS of options. But for navigation you are stuck using whatever software and maps you load up and an operating system not optimized over decades solely for navigation. It is a Smartphone with a bigger display, that usually requires your smartphone to actually be useful. For music and media consumption though these can be pretty amazing units. I am ignoring the factory radios and non-android systems out there that look like the rest. If you are buying one I HIGHLY RECOMMEND to MAKE SURE you are getting an actual Android unit. The non-android units run oddball operating systems and will require sometimes specific and expensive accessories. Dual makes some that seem cheap enough and sell at Walmart that are NOT ANDROID and are essentially useless. (PS: If you are a nut-job like myself and decide to MegaSquirt your Toyota RV, an Android headunit can also run tuning software for the MS and a dashboard. On my conversion I want info but simplicity, so I am using a Perfect Tuning gauge in a pod instead. I will hook up a laptop for any real tuning.) Conclusions: The biggest problem that a smartphone or Combo heeadunit have though is they are many unrelated apps and systems functioning together. Using your phone while driving is distracting. Using a Combo unit while driving is also a bit distracting. Garimins all are essentially alike in their operation. After you have gotten used to using one, going to another is a very quick learning curve. They have optimized their systems so that they really aren't distracting to operate. Other than searching for specific places on the fly, if you need to do that use a smartphone. These days almost all of us have a Smartphone. That will do a lot of it. But a Combo Haedunit is just an extension of that phone (in most cases). A Standalone Garmin on the other hand is a lifeline. And they are cheap enough I usually travel with a backup Garmin unit. A garmin unit is in the line of sight while driving. An android head unit is going to be tucked down (if using factory location) and not really My Go To Accessories for my Garmin: 1) Weighted base. The genuine Garmin weighted base ids my all-time favorite mounting option. It just sits there on the dash. Suction cup mounts, Garmin or aftermarket, never seem to hold. A weighted base also means you can grab it and hide it in seconds if your location feels sketchy. 2) Steering wheel button. This is a simple "call button" to activate voice control on some of the Garmin units. Search "Garmin Nuvi Remote" to find them on eBay. It probably only works with the Nuvis. I see some other cool ones that have more functions and look like they work with newer units. But I like the simplicity of this. 3) Microphone. If you are using the call button voice remote above, you might need a microphone depending on how loud your cabin is. I have an exhaust leak to three so my cabin is pretty loud... I won't know until I get them sorted out how effective voice control is on mine. I will update when I get to that point. 4) Garmin brand power cords, don't go aftermarket. Most Garmin's will power up with a USB plugged in, but even if their factory cord also plugs into that USB port, they power up differently on an USB cable. Some will go into computer connection mode, some won't go full bright. Various random issues. So if you buy a used unit, make SURE it comes with the factory power cord or be prepared to get one. Rearview Monitor VS Backup Camera Input: There is a new piece of tech available to us, rearview mirror monitors. DO NOT bother with the small picture in mirror ones. You don't have any use for a rear mirror. The small picture are almost useless. The full screen ones are a little more expensive, but WELL worth it. Mine was $80-100 about two years ago. Where this differs from a backup camera input, is it is a full-time rearview monitor. My inexpensive camera also has a cool feature where when you put it in reverse, it pops up distance lines. Simply by connecting an input line to the reverse light in the back. All the units I have seen, also have dash cams built in and an SD card slot for storage. Mine can record in an accident (shock sensor) or full time. Not sure how that works, haven't hit any wall to try it out... I think it is quietly recording and when it registers an event it saves before and after that. Backup input going into a Garmin or dash unit is only on when in reverse. An in-dash unit is not properly positioned for "ergonomic or organic" viewing. A Garmin siting on the dash would be better. The rearview mirror is still the best location though. I think I might set my Garmin's AV input up with a forward facing camera in the rear house. SO when I hear a crash I can actually flip a switch and look in the back. Suggestion is too hard wire in your backup camera though. They have wireless ones, but I have watched them blip in and out. The connection isn't as quick or solid. I will probably use one of those for my interior camera though as I won't be utilizing it constantly or often. My Personal ICE and Navigation Setup: I don't have a recommendation for a specific Garmin unit. So many to choose from... Our windshields are a bit small, so the biggest size one probably wouldn't be ideal. Currently I have a Garmin Nuvi 5000 sitting on my dash. It is a 5.2" screen and the perfect size for me. Even for older units, it is not the cheapest option out there. All the bits for it were expensive. I wanted the reverse AV input, so I had to get the right cradle for it that actually has the jack for it. And that feature sits unused, for now... I don't think this unit has lifetime maps either. (Paying for Garmin maps is dumb, don't do it. Either buy a "LM" model to begin with, or buy one after and figure out how to hack the maps into the other.) I have a box of other Garmin units for backups and whatnot. I need to go through those. Currently, I have some random Toyota headunit from a Camry or something in there. Came with the truck. It doesn't work all the time and when it does, it seems to drain the battery. I am sure I could fix it, but its only saving grace is that it suits the overall vintage feel of the cabin. Prior owner put a blade fuse inline and stuck it where you can quickly pull it out to prevent this. Even sitting there idling, the CD player skips. I just found/ordered a Blaupunkt Thummer III steering wheel remote. Seriously cool '90's bit of tech right there! I have wanted one since they came out, but couldn't afford any of the Blaupunkt radios that actually supported them. I think it is a newer version of the RC10 remote. Or perhaps older. It was $4 new in the vintage box, and $27 to ship it from the UK. Seems like all the cheap vintage Blaupunkt radios come from across the way. I put a bunch of radios on my watch list and now have an inbox full of offers on them. Haven't pulled the trigger on one of those yet as I gotta do some digging to make sure the Thummer works with the ones I am willing to pay the asking price for. I plan on changing out the speakers for Blau's. And maybe a Blaupunkt amp and subs. Lots of smaller options including some underseat ones. If I even bother. One reason I am changing the radio (other than it sucks) is to get an aux input for my SiriusSM Onyx. I have another car docking setup for the Yota so I can quickly transfer it from the wife's Subaru when we go traveling. I also want to go from the two din unit down to a single so I have room for the air suspension controls. (Future plans.) Overall, I am trying to keep most of the vintage feel to the cabin with the green backlight whenever possible. Simple is key. Exceptions made for my rearview monitor. But the Garmin looks right in place. My Perfect tuning gauge looks a little out of place, but it sits in an old school style gauge pod to redeem itself. There is an option to change the Carbo Fiber gauge face out to a black aluminum one, I will likely do that. I have not seen any trip time in the Yota yet, but most of this is stuff I have used over the years and selected because it is familiar and comfortable. Anyways, thought I would share my opinions and give some insight into why I made those choices. And hopefully steer anyone away from thinking that a smartphone is a good primary navigation choice. Edited January 3, 2022 by thewanderlustking Clarity and spelling, the usual... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
extech Posted January 3, 2022 Share Posted January 3, 2022 just a heads up. in cali no devices allowed on dash except in left lower corner. many people ignore this, but it is an excuse to pull you over if they need one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thewanderlustking Posted January 3, 2022 Author Share Posted January 3, 2022 VERY IMPORTANT TO KNOW! Thanks Extech! In translation, stay outta Cali! HAHA! They probably did that specifically to combat the boy racer pods. My old travel vehicle was a 1977 Rabbit. I had an epic mount for my GPS. The rearview mirrors on those clip into the ceiling. You can pull them off with a hard tug. I had a sandwich plate cut that slid between the ceiling and the mirror with a GPS mount screwed to it. This mounted the GPS unit above the rearview mirror out of sight. I ran the cable through the headliner too. This was my favorite setup of all time.... I haven't started at the Toyota rearview closely enough to figure out if this is a possibility, but there also is a hard surface to mount it too up there if I decided to go with that location at some point. The dash is a touch busy I guess. I think the 5" Garmin screen is really the limit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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