If you’re a full time RVer – we highly recommend an RV GPS, specifically the Garmin RV 785 & Traffic GPS. We are really happy with how well it has worked for us since we hit the road full time in November 2020. In that time we have traveled through 14 states and driven over 7,000 miles.
The GPS allows you to put in your rig specs, height, width, weight, what you’re towing, etc. After you’ve put those specs in, it will tell you which routes you can go with your setup.
Main features:
– A dash cam which records your trips. You are limited to how much your micro SD card can hold. We have a 256GB card and that gives us about 108 minutes of footage.
– Traffic and construction on your route.
– Forward collision notice – if someone cuts in front, it will pop up a warning.
– Shows if your wheels have gone over the line.
– Will show you which lane you need to be in when you exit.
A few other features:
– Attractions – things like gas stations, rest stops, etc
– Break reminders – it will even suggest places to stop
– Trip planning
On our shakedown trip, we learned an important lesson. We had put in our specs and hit the road. The GPS was taking us through really odd spots – small towns, over bridges that maybe couldn’t take our weight. But we thought, well, maybe there’s some construction or something. But we kept going, just trusting the GPS.
Then we see a sign for a 10’ tunnel. I’m like, GPS! We’re 13.5’! Thankfully, there was a driveway right before the tunnel so we could turn around. It was a one lane tunnel, so it took forever to get turned around since we would let traffic through, then wait to do more of the backing up. It didn’t record Bret’s responses to the situation since we didn’t have our SD card yet. But let’s just say Bret was not happy and his language was colorful.
Once we got turned around, I took down the GPS to figure out what had happened. I checked all the settings, but then I saw on the main screen, the icon was just the vehicle and did not include our rig. So, lesson learned, you HAVE to make sure you’ve selected the option that includes your rig. It is now part of our checklist in two different places to make sure it’s selected.
Overall, it’s an amazing GPS. We’ve been on the road for over 8 months and use it on every move. The only problems have been user error and the holder dropped once, but I think that was more because of heat.
If you use our link, to buy the Garmin RV 785 & Traffic GPS, we will receive a small percentage, at no additional cost to you. We only recommend things that we have personally used and like. Have you used this GPS? What were your experiences?? Let us know in the comments below.
We have used RV Trip Wizard to plan every trip since we got on the road in November 2020. We love RV Life so much that we have partnered with them. If you’re looking for a planner for your RV trip, this is what we use!
