Rand McNally 7720 RV GPS Performance

[jleamont]

Are you saying the 7720 couldn't find Myrtle Beach, SC? I have a 7720 works great, I just plugged in Myrtle Beach SC and it found it just fine.

Yep, I must have a bad one, and the company wont stand behind it. All I get from them is "keep updating it, it will get better" I guess Myrtle Beach SC did not exist when I last updated it a few months ago.

On a the trip prior it tried to take us down a dirt road, which I am not even sure it was a road.

given its dimensions it might make a decent wheel chock for a travel trailer.

[royclem]

I have the Tom, Tom Via 1605m RV have choice of truck routes RV routes or Car routes. You just put in the height, weight and width and it finds the best Route it also lets you make changes to your route and to add wayward points along the way. I like it. free updates for Life

[j0newman]

I've used the Rand McNally/Magellan for abot 4 months and find it servicable. It takes me the way I'd like to go more than 90% of the time but it has lapses. I haven't met one that doesn't. Google, Waze, and Garmin have all led me astray from time to time.

I've learned to look at the map and compare it to the GPS route before I leave. Fortunately, my better half is pretty diligent about this. And we travel with paper maps just in case the GPS gets confused.

[jleamont]

I've used the Rand McNally/Magellan for abot 4 months and find it servicable. It takes me the way I'd like to go more than 90% of the time but it has lapses. I haven't met one that doesn't. Google, Waze, and Garmin have all led me astray from time to time.

I've learned to look at the map and compare it to the GPS route before I leave. Fortunately, my better half is pretty diligent about this. And we travel with paper maps just in case the GPS gets confused.

Same here, my wife also loves paper maps. I use it as a back up tool but no back up leaves me feeling uncomfortable, especially in something that big.

I have been considering buying the FMCA road atlas, in fact if the store was up I probably would have by now.

[bandorr2000]

My wife debated our various Garmins so much that I have nicknamed her the " Nagivator" - LOL

[bobndorine2]

I have the Rand McNally and have learned never to use the route that it gives me. Like everyone says, it takes you on dead end streets, etc. Someone should mention to them that it's junk and shouldn't be sold until they fix their software.

[lmsooter]

I have the Garmin RV 760 LMT. We left central Texas the end of May and are in Indiana now with many stops along the way. My Garmin has guided me faithfully to every campground location except the current one - the problem was caused by an error in a campground database from the POI Factory.

When I selected the same campground from the Passport America database, it was right on.

Today it successfully got us into and out of downtown Chicago (in the toad of course) without any problems.

But I still look at a map and compare it to the route on the GPS.

[wildebill308]

I have given up on stand alone GPS units. I have CO PILOT on my phone and on my tablet. You can download the maps when on WIFI so you don't use a lot of data. I also double check with paper maps. I have been quite happy and I have a bigger screen on my tablet then you can get with the stand alone units. I could run it on my 17 in laptop but I think it would be to cumbersome.

Bill

[corvettom9]

I have two of these, one is on an SD card installed in my motor home radio, and the other is the free standing unit purchased from Good Sam. Both are updated, and a little different in display, but both work great. Be sure to load in your RV data and ask for the fastest route. If you load in your RV data, it won't take you where you can't go. I have also been surprised as to the accuracy in showing road work.

[jleamont]

I have the Rand McNally and have learned never to use the route that it gives me. Like everyone says, it takes you on dead end streets, etc. Someone should mention to them that it's junk and shouldn't be sold until they fix their software.

I called them twice, both times they were rude and would not help other than "you should update it again".

it doesnt need a map update, it needs better logic or the existing logic repaired. I had a simillar problem with a Garmen, they took it back and fixed it, no problems since (its a Nuvi760 Car model) no good in an RV application. Garmin was very understanding and helpful.

[rfsod48]

We used our RM this past weekend for the first time on a 500 mile trip that I am very familiar with and it performed perfectly. I updated it before we left and we had no problems. It got road repair correct. I will be using it again in a few weeks and will see what happens. I tried to use copilot but found it to be a pain and basically a waste of money. Your experiences may vary but this has been mine.

[tbutler]

I've just invested in a new Garmin GPS, standard car model, nuvi 2757, seven inch diagonal screen, $110 at Wal-Mart. We used a smaller model in the car and moved it to the motor home for years before I saw this one in Wal-Mart. I figured for $110, what could I loose? It works somewhat differently than the other model we had but similar enough that I'm figuring it out. It is a matter of different menu structure that involves a bit of learning curve. None are perfect but if you get familiar enough with any model you learn its quirks. Louise keeps the truckers atlas handy and always checks routes as we go. Once in a while I miss a turn because I don't know if it's this road or the next! Over time I've learned to rely on it for most travel. I love the GPS speed indication and rely on it almost totally. It is really nice in Canada where we are now, one setting and we're on KPH for distance and speed. I can match the signs for speed and distance without doing all the math in my head.

I looked at the Truckers and RV models and really don't have much use for either. Reviews indicate that the special features don't work as well as most people expect. I have set the nuvi 2757 for "bus" so it is figuring on a large vehicle. It can be set to avoid tunnels, unpaved roads, toll roads, etc. If I don't like a route I simply follow directions from Louise. The GPS adjusts and routes us from that point on a route that usually matches what Louise wants. I'll frequently program the trip in stages. From here to the next town or the next city or where we plan to spend the night. That way I have a miles to go indication for our destination for the night or our next stopping spot.

I've added the POI files for low clearances and have it on the computer as well as both GPS models, lifetime subscription from Route 1. That allows me to check for low clearances as I plan a route for our travel. I haven't had an alert come up on the GPS yet but have only been using it for a month or so. If I'm planning properly I shouldn't ever get an alert but then an alert is better than the alternative.

Both models have lifetime maps. I recently updated the older model and it took a long time. After it was done it occurred to me that I have it set to send Garmin feedback on use. That would include the times when I'm driving on a new route that the GPS doesn't have and it shows me driving through fields and lakes, etc. They will then research the anomalies and add those routes as people submit their data. That means I am uploading data to them which is often much slower than downloading. The map update on the new unit zipped through very quickly. So far, neither model requires additional memory but that is a minor cost these days.

I used the older unit on a trip to New Zealand and Australia, I think the micro SD chip cost me $139.00 and covered both countries. It was clearly the best money I ever spent. I zipped through several hundred roundabouts as if I were a native. If there was a problem it was my mistake, not the GPS.

I have some issues with Garmin support and their interface with computers but the GPS itself works great in my opinion. I use a Garmin GPS when flying, hiking and when playing golf. And I still enjoy using paper maps but their ability to zoom in on specific locations is very limited!

[dickandlois]

Tom,

Your current trip could provided some interesting up dates to your GPS data.

Kind of wondering if other users will get the additional road data also.

Rich.

[modemem]

I've been using the RVND 7710 from RM for about 4 years and it has been a valuable companion. It started freezing up anytime the 12 adapter was plugged into the USB port. Running on the battery it still works great but of course the battery is only good for about 3 hours. The USB port seems to be the week point on the RVND 7710 and 7720.

Now have a Garmin 2757 as a backup but it is a "car" unit not equipped with setpoints for height, weight, etc.

[evolvingpowercat]

I have the Rand McNally Good Sam GPS. I also have to use Google as a backup to see what a "good" route is to compare to what the Rand McNally recommends as have had "gotchas" on about 10 % of trips I have used it on.

Pros:

• I like its user interface and features to find attractions, Wal-mart, campgrounds, etc. along my route. Its easy to tell it your RV length, weight, and height so it can use that information for routing. Its easy to toggle the routing filters between routing for RV and routing for your towed vehicle.
• Operating time on the battery is OK, you can pre-route at home or in the RV on battery, and leave it on while taking driving breaks even if your 12V outlet goes off with key off in your RV or towed vehicle.
• If you keep it up date, it also does a pretty good job of warning about road construction sites so you can consider routing around them when planning a trip.
• It has real time traffic if you set up your phone as a wifi hotspot for it to use to access the internet while traveling.
• It does well for setting up multi-stop trips where you want it to route you to several mid-way stops on the way to your final destination.

Cons:

• I too have had several trips where it had problems with the route it recommended not making the best sense, where I had traveled before with other GPS (Garmin, Magellan, auto in-dash) did not. That is AFTER setting it to "use fastest route", "allow freeways", and "allow dirt roads".
• It has some problems with its database and thinks many paved secondary county roads are dirt when they are not. This causes big problems routing to many campgrounds. It often warns incorrectly that paved county roads have a dirt section when they do not.
• It says some secondary county roads on-route to campgrounds are unpaved when they are 100% paved. If you set it to prohibit dirt roads this causes big problems with the routes it generates. I have to set it to "avoid" un-paved roads rather than setting it to "prohibit" un-paved roads
• You can not set it to prefer freeways without it generating just plain stupid routes, some 150 miles or more longer than the fastest route.
• It also does strange things like giving one route in the A to Z direction and a different route between the same endpoints in the other direction.
• The PC software used to keep the Rand McNally GPS up to date for road construction, road closures, etc. can mess up causing a 1 hour plus call to their support desk so they can correct the problem in your PC remotely.

The CONS are still happening after applying their major update that came out this year in 2015.

Bottom line, I also wish I had spent the extra $ 100 to get a Garmin.

[sasmit8]

I have the Rand McNally. It is one of the first ones they made. Again we purchased it way ahead of a trip.

When we finally took the trip, it worked for about an hour then said dead battery.This happened even though it was plugged in to the 12 volt charger. This happens on every trip.

We got the same response from customer service to late nothing can be done.

Very disappointed with the unit and the Company.

[obedb]

I use a map when I have not been there before. Directions from men are usually better than from ladies but not in all cases. Trusting GPS based systems while driving large vehicles can be dicey at times. I am against the grain so I expect some flames, but my Air Force father taught me to read maps when I was in the third grade. I have expanded on those skills over the years. Would not have a GPS system in any of my vehicles, period!!! What did we do twenty years ago??

[tbutler]

Tom,

Your current trip could provided some interesting up dates to your GPS data.

Kind of wondering if other users will get the additional road data also.

Rich.

When I update my units (one in car, other in motor home) this fall, variance from the GPS maps will be sent to Garmin. This data goes to the mapping unit which will compare my variances with those reported by others who are updating their units. Then they will need to verify the route changes. If your GPS is set to record and report changes to its maker, you are like a scout, gathering data and returning it to headquarters. I suspect it takes a while for these to show up in the updates. Keep in mind that our data goes to Garmin and only those who use Garmin maps would see those updates. I don't think that the companies share their map information. Rand McNally will have to get their update information from their users!

We traveled many roads that are taken by few people so I would guess that the report we submit will be pretty valuable. When they get around to incorporating that into the maps will be anybodies guess. Few travelers on those roads also means low demand for the data so it may get low priority compared to routes in cities with 100's of users a day and dozens of reports of variance from users where I might be the only one reporting variances for some of the routes we were on.

We've traveled over 10,000 miles, 19 states and 5 provinces of Canada so far this summer. We'll add at least six more states before settling down in Edinburg, Texas for the winter. We're being good little scouts for Garmin!

[wildebill308]

As good scouts you probably have scouted out Pharr places. I was in Pharr, TX this February. May be down that way again after the FMCA rally in Cornrow in October.

Bill

[elkhartjim]

Bill,

Conroe?

[manholt]

ObedB

I'm with you! Do not like or have any use for a GPS.

Bill.

Where the BLANK is Cornrow, TX.???

Carl.