Nextar C3 $199
My wife bought me the Nextar C3 from the JC Penney catalog last Christmas. We have had only one problem with it when it routed us a few blocks out of the way in the Desert area of California. Have used it numerous times since with no problems. We have even used it to locate tourist attractions and even a Church we were looking for. Have not used it much for locating gas stations or motels. The screen is a little smaller than some of the others, but has not been a problem for us. We are also supposed to be able to get updates from their web site, but so far there haven't been any. (Larry)

Garmin 2720
The first one that I bought in 2006 for $950 lasted 3 months after using it one time and then again on a long trip. It quit working at the Canadian line. Garmin replaced it with the 2720 and stated that the defective one had moving parts and moving parts do not take heat well on the dash. The 2720 is invaluable in large cities, such as Seattle, WA, Houston, TX, and Atlanta, GA. It once wanted me to turn left in Atlanta on to an overhead street, but when I ignored it, it recalculated. In Houston, I left on a trip at 4 am and they still had the interstate lane closed leading out of Houston that I wanted to go down. Without the 2720, I would have been lost and would not have known how to get out of Houston. In Seattle, it was perfect. In rural areas, it leaves a lot to be desired. I would not trust it in rural areas. It has put me down a dead end with woods between where it took me and the house where I needed to be. It did help me in my rural area to find a more direct route home. On the road it is irritating when trying to find a gas station or an eating place in the next city rather than giving me the ones in the city that I just left. The GSP keeps on trying to show me the ones in my rear view mirror. That may be ok for some folks but when I punch it for gas/food I need to know what is down the road. (John )

Garmin Nuvi 260
We bought a Garmin Nuvi 260 in El Paso and used it to find our way home to Vancouver Island. It picked the same route I would have picked and did a very good job of warning us well in advance of exits and changes in direction. Before we left El Paso we tested it by letting it find our way from a restaurant back to the RV Park we were in. No problem. One downfall came to light when we made a trip to BC's Okanagan. We came to a point that we were very familiar with where you can choose between a North and South route to Oliver, BC. The Garmin wanted us to take the North route while we chose the more scenic South route. The mileage difference is negligible. For the first ten miles of the route we took the Garmin kept telling me to turn around. It finally resigned itself to the fact that it was not going to win the argument and started correctly directing me the rest of the way on my chosen route. We winter in Mexico and the Garmin came with maps only for "North America". I guess Garmin does not consider Mexico to be in North America and charges over $100 for the additional Mexico map. I have not bought the extra map yet and have not decided if I am going to. Overall, I am happy with the purchase. You really have to shop for the best price though. In El Paso the same unit, depending where you shopped, ranged from a low of $220 to a high of $360. (Croft)

Garmin 2720
We have a Garmin StreetPilot 2720 GPS that has been very helpful in spite of its many shortcomings. I intend to update it soon. Friends in Atlanta took us on a dry run for an event that we would be attending at night, but wouldn’t you know it the police made us turn in a direction that we did NOT know how to get back on route. I said well we will just have to trust the Garmin. It did and it directed us back to our friend’s house at night very quickly. (Once it did want up to turn left onto a street that was OVERHEAD! We ignored it and it then rerouted us correctly). Without it we would have really been lost for a while. Then in Houston, TX we left there before daylight. All was well until we hit construction that closed off our route. Without the Garmin, I do not know how we would have gotten out of Houston very quickly. When we by passed the construction exit that was closed, the Garmin then re-routed us out of our mess. It seems to do its best work in LARGE cities. In rural areas is can be very BAD. A few times where we knew the route, we decided to follow it and it dead ended us! Our problems thankfully were all in a car and if it had been the motor home that would not have been good. We intend to update the GPS soon. If it is not better after the update, I will be sorely disappointed and looking for another companies product or use the software on the laptop if I can figure out a way for a platform in the motor home and car. (John)

Garmin 2720 and Co-Pilot
Garmin 2720 Had it about 1 1/2 years..........used frequently. My cost was about $650.....hurts when I see that a Nuvi can be had at Costco for about 300+. Have kept memory up to date..........any gps should be used along with your head, it's not infallable. Limitation for me is screen size..........79 year old eyes. Also have Copilot, dates back 2-3 years when we had a big class A, had laptop set where it was a great deal of help. Based on familiarity and ease of use............prefer Copilot. Current use............ navigating ....(because of space)..........Garmin 2720 trip planning.........Copilot. (Merrill)

Magellan 850
I had bought a Magellan 850 and on my first trip it lied to me 3 times. I knew where I was getting off interstate 95 and after I got off checked on a map and there was no way I was getting to my destination if I had taken any of the 3 exits the Magellan wanted me to take. I also found out it is not RV friendly. It will route you through areas that are almost impossible to get through. I think they need to make an updated model for truckers and RVers. What do you think???? I have sold my Magellan since then, I use my Trailer Life Campground Navigator and Map Quest now……… (Rudy)

Garmin Street Pilot 2720
We are fulltime RVers and used the GPS system prior to owning our RV for navigation on our boat. It was easy transition. We find the Garmin Street Pilot 2720 to be very good support. We also use software for Streets & Trips (not the GPS part) to locate RV parks and set up trips for future adventures. (Ray and Marsha)

Microsoft Streets
I don’t use a hand held/dash mounted gps but I do use my laptop with Microsoft Streets and Trips with the gps adaptor. Well, my wife Linda uses it while I drive. We find that this works well and it gives you a large screen to see the surrounding area/city etc. I realize that this is a fairly cumbersome item but Linda likes it and she is the navigator! The only problem with this is that the reflection sometimes makes it hard for her to view. Other than that the little lady in the computer tells me where to go…(don’t they all?) and I just follow directions. We like this system but it probably isn’t for everyone. (Wayne)

Becker
We just purchased our first one this Christmas and it was a base model. We got it from Office Depot and with a rebate it was $129.00 The brandname is Becker and it appears to be made in Germany. It seems to get us down the road OK. However it sometimes chooses some strange routes. But overall I'm quite pleased. My wife is less pleased because of the routing but maybe the parameters on route selection need to be changed. We have not tried to update the map itself but it needs to be done as the map appears to be a couple of years old. The lady talking has a nice English accent and the graphics seem fine. (Don)

Garmin
Garmin (I think the 7900) the big screen. I am not crazy about it. (Betsy)

Co-Pilot
Hi, We use CoPilot Live Laptop 10 by ALK Technologies. This program runs on our dell notebook computer which we have with us anyway for internet access. (Colin)

Garmin Street Pilot c330
I recently bought a Garmin Street Pilot c330. On the box it reads, "Car navigation made easy." This unit: is portable (car to motorhome or motorhome to car), preloadedwith detailed maps, has touch screen display, has voice prompts, and vivid graphics. Why do I like it? I can use it with ease, it is portable, small, and it is accurate.(Peggy)

Co-Pilot
The GPS that I use is a Co-Pilot, downloads on to my laptop, I like as it has a large screen, sits on the RV dash. cost is a little over $300. This has all the options, and I use it with out the voice, as it tends to drive you nuts. Another one I just discovered is by Microsoft (what else), at Costco, around $100. looks like it does everything, maybe a look see. I RV in a 40 footer with a tow car. The co-pilot has gotten me out of a lot of lost spots, as I did not believe it and got creative, a NO NO when you do not know the area. I immediately re-routs you to correct your error. (Jim)

Garmin GPS 60CS
I don't think there is any answer to the question "What is the best GPS?" It's like asking "Should I go diesel or gas?" There's a lot of opinions out there. It really depends on what you want to do. If you only want to use the GPS in the car some of the stand alone units will fit the bill. If you want to use the GPS outside of the vehicle for hiking or exploring then a handheld will fit the bill. Also for us that need some visual enhancements you can connect some of the units to your laptop and make use of you mapping software such as Microsoft Streets n Trips or Street Atlas. You have a larger screen for viewing and possibly more information available. I personally use a Garmin GPS 60CS (a handheld unit) and link it up to a laptop in the truck. For software I use either Streets n Trips or Garmins software "nRoute". Both of these packages provide audible directions so you don't have to be looking at the screen for directions.(Jim)

DeLorme Street Atlas USA Software and Earthmate GPS LT-20
We have the DeLorme Street Atlas USA Software and Earthmate GPS LT-20 device. We have used it for several years on our laptop which we always have with us when we travel. I plot our course before we start, but you can append the course along the way as well. It is amazing how accurate the information is. The DeLorme software has a view that changes the screen colors so you can see them while driving. It is fun to watch the GPS as we drive. You can zoom in to see actual streets, or zoom out to see just freeway and curves coming up on the roadway. We have a neat laptop holder (http://www.mobilelaptopmount.com/indexBB.htm) that we bolted to our center wooden console (cup holder, etc.) in our motorhome. The platform (a plexiglass shelf unit) will turn for my husband to view while driving, or for me to view too. I got the combination DeLorme Software and GPS boxed together for under $100.00, watch the ads for sales! We just love this software and GPS! Hope this helps someone else.(Jean)

Magellan
Hello, I purchased a Magellan several months ago. Knowing nothing about them it actually worked quickly and well for me. However, new out of the box it did not bring up the persons address or area they lived in. The area was built 4 years ago. So for the amount of money I spent it was inadequate for what I needed. Plus, Magellan wanted another $100 to update the maps. New out of the box? And needing an "update" already? I don't think so. I returned it and used an old fold out map that worked very well thank you! Even Mapquest had the area I needed and its free. Thanks so much for your informative and heads up newsletters. God Bless,(Marie)

Delorme
Folks - not sure what you are looking for re: GPS's, but, I have been using Delorme on my laptop for several years. Use it primarily for travel and route planning. Save most of my routes (probably have 30 or so, coast to coast). Use the GPS infrequently. Only if in a strange city or lost at night trying to find a campground. It will also give verbal turn directions (great). Current 2007 version has great features. Very easy to use. I purchased a plug in voltage converter for my dash accessory outlet on the RV, to provide 110V AC to the laptop. Works fine. Beats running the generator for AC. One thing you have to be aware of with any of these products, is that the route it chooses for you, may not be optimal. That is why I like to plot my route, review it, and make changes based on knowledge or past experience. Have never taken a route cold turkey without first reviewing it. Only disclaimer here is when I get lost after dark. Then I plug in the GPS and do what Delorme tells me. Might not be my first choice in ways to get to point B, but I get there!! Also, if you make a wrong turn, Delorme directs you on the best way to continue based on where the wrong turn has taken you. No need to take any special actions. It is SOP.(John)

Garmin Street Pilot 340 GPS
Forgot to mention in my note that I have a Garmin Street Pilot 340 GPS. I bought it online from BuyDig.com for $441.--No tax or shipping, I like garmin as I have had two of their GPS's in my airplane and think they are tops. Long time use in the plane with no trouble. The 340 is a perfect unit for me, talks accurately even in very unlikely places. Also software can be updated free on their website.(Tom)

CoPilot Live Laptop 10
Hi, Larry. I install it on the notebook. Plug in the receiver to a USB port. I type in an address that I want to go to and start driving. The program talks to me with directions. It has built in rerouting if you make a wrong turn. I can print maps and itineraries from the program. I planned a complete 3 month round trip out west using the program. It tells you distance and time to each of the stops in your trip, so we knew how far we could go in a day. Also has routing info and clearance for RV's. The program will also compute total cost for fuel. You can also set a verbal and audio warning when you go over a set speed limit. We also have a wide screen notebook so the next turns are easy to see. It does have a passenger mode which allows the passenger to see where you are at any given time in several different views including 3D. After a trip, I send in my GPS tracks file to ALK Technologies to continually improve the routing. I do not know how many people use the program but we are always impressed with the detail that the program has. It even showed a tiny little cemetery in North Carolina. I forgot to mention that it also has (POI's) points of interests that you can program to be notified of. You can also pinpoint any spot you want and add it to your itinerary. I have used several versions since 2000 and they are always improving. www.alk.com/copilot(Colin)

Cobra NavOne GPS 4500
Just a note to tell you about our experience with Cobra NavOne GPS 4500. We used it on our trip from Central Michigan to Mission, TX just last week. For the most part it is wonderful. It has a 5" screen easy to see, and is easy to stick by suction cup on windshield or side window. The biggest problem I found is getting it programmed to take the route we want to take. I found it easiest to put in daily schedules by entering "city centers". I'm sure some of the problem is with me not knowing everything about it yet. We loved the way it automatically zooms in on interchanges and tells you what lane to be in. It took a lot of pressure off me as navigator for my husband driving our motor home.(Jeanne)

Larry
Came across this site as I was doing research on the laptop GPS software and thought it might be of interest. GPS Devices -- Wize. People Know. http://wize.com/gps-devices(Dave)

MS Streets and Trips
We travel all of North America about 5 months out of the year. I have every route-planning software package known to man and have found MS Streets and Trips to be superior in most respects for our needs. (I had to develop my own software to print the route in the form I prefer.)(Malcolm)

Microsoft Streets and Delorme mapping software
I've used Microsoft Streets and Delorme mapping software, with and without a GPS, for several years now. NOTHING compares with the GPS. The Garmin 7200 is a wonderful addition to our travel equipment. We use it in the motorhome and in the tow car (it fits great into the cup holder of a 2002 Honda CRV). There are few things more fear inducing than being in a strange city, at night, in a car, and lost. No mapping software compares. We don't know how we did with out our girl (she speaks to us in an Australian voice). We've used her for 11,000 miles of navigating in the past year, and will continue to use her for many years and miles to come. It's a little pricey, but given the money we've spent on motorhomes, gas and camping, it's an expenditure that is worth its weight!(Rhonda)

CoPilot 4 Live Laptop
Hi Larry! Tania and used CoPilot 4 Live Laptop and have found it to be a very good tool (with the expected glitches now and then). We sold it on E-Bay last year and are currently in the market for new laptop routing/navigation/GPS software. The following software programs are in the process of being reviewed and compared: CoPilot GPS: ALK Technologies DeLorme - Mapping, GPS, and GIS Technologies - We Bring Technology Down to Ear Garmin GPS 18 Streets & Trips 2005 with GPS Locator Looked for Rand McNally's StreetFinder and TripMaker Deluxe (carried by Camping World) but couldn't find it listed on Rand McNally's site. We'll send a review when we are done. (Tania and Dave)

Garmin Nuvi 350
We just purchased a Garmin Nuvi 350 which is a portable unit that can be switched between the motorhome and car, it runs off a 12 volt adapter, not replacable batteries. It has an easily viewable screen with straightforward instructions and a clear voice to give you the directions. One drawback (unless I haven't found a setting to change it) is that it is setup for a car. An example: We recently overshot an address and received instant recalibration, however we were directed into a maze of tiny streets that a car would have to negotiate slowly, definitelyy not an RV with a car attached. I suggest you check out that detail before purchasing.(Alexander)

Garmin eTrex Vista and CoPilot Live Laptop Version 8
I've use both my Garmin eTrex Vista handheld unit on the windshield with the Ram suction cup mount along with our laptop loaded with CoPilot Live Laptop Version 8. Both have advantages. The handheld is really good in close streets, but it does not calculate routes for you. It's great while you're walking through the city streets, you can always find your parked vehicle if you put it in as a waypoint. It contains roads for the USA including Alaska, but does not contain Canada. My CoPilot is great for towing our large 5th wheeler, especially when my DW misses telling me about a turn coming up, the CoPilot speaks up to remind her. I like the options on restrictions such as height restrictions that you can put in. CoPilot contains the roads for the USA including Alaska, but again does not contain Canada. Does anyone know where I can buy the data road disc for Canada for both units??? Other than both units not having Canada in their databases, I am please with both of them.... (Byron)

Question
Does anyone know of a way to upload Microsoft Streets and Trips routes to my Garmon I3 Street Pilot? (Malcolm)

cnet.com
Check out this page that has done reviews on several different GPS systems GPS Reviews(Larry)

Garmin Nuvi 350
Nothing but trouble since buying. Directs to roads that are blocked so you can't reach them. Suddenly informs you "a better route is available" in the middle of nowhere with only one highway present. Tells you to turn as you are actually going thru an intersection. Directs to roads that a 4 wheeler couldn't handle and also have gates across them. Even if set to "bus", directs into cul de sacs, narrow laneways and impossible for motorhome to navigate roads. Screen suddenly "whites out" and is impossible to read. Returned to Garmin who sent it back as "within parameters"all further correspondence to them ignored. Avoid like the plague! (Al)
Update from Al
Here is what is new. The pivot points for the unit snapped so now it can't be mounted properly, the suction cup (no matter how well we clean the windows) won't hold unless completely soaked in water, then on removal an ugly black baked on ring is left. In addition to the letters I sent to Garmin which went unanswered, I also asked the help of "the Action Line" in Highways magazine: A month after they contacted Garmin they had no reply, a follow up letter was sent a few days ago and eureka! I got a phone call from Garmin. It wasn't anything to get excited about, the gentleman couldn't explain where all the correspondence went to (he said he had one page) and he informed me he doubted any other Garemin would be the different as they ude the same mapping system. He also told me that even though the unit shows choices such as "Bus" the GPS isn't set up to respond to that and will still direct you to narrow roads, low bridges and other things that RV people are anxious to avoid. In other words pay strict attention if you are driving an RV. He could not explain why this appeared to be built in, but did not actually operate. After I updated him on the broken mounts etc, he took the information and ''will get back to me' I am awaiting developments.
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