Proprietary devices
Dedicated navigation systems really are the top of the desirability tree, but they don't come cheap. The Tom Tom Go system, shown here, costs £500 – not too bad, but it only comes with maps for the UK. If you plan on going abroad, mainland European maps are another £100 or so, and you'll need a spare memory cards for the maps you are not using. This pushes the price up to around £750 in all. That takes you closer to the price of the Magellan RoadMate 700
– pretty much the top of the tree in terms of what is available present. At £1149 it's no pocket-money purchase but
it has big advantages over cheaper systems. For a start, it has maps for the whole of western Europe loaded onto a hard disk inside the device. There are no memory cards to buy and no need to swap when you reach the edge of each map. You don't need to fire up your PC before you get going, either: everything is supplied, ready to go, out of the box.
If you want, you can expand the system to supply warnings of traffic problems and roadworks. Whether or not you can justify the cost, depends on how much touring you are likely to be doing.
Integrated in-vehicle navigation systems
If you are ordering a new motorcaravan, you will find
that in most cases you can specify a built-in satellite navigation system.
An in-vehicle system has
the advantage, in general,
of being simple to operate
Additionally, because it is
very securely fitted into your motorcaravan, it makes theft reasonably unlikely.
The reverse side of the coin is that such systems are generally very expensive, often knocking on the door
of £2000. Another factor is that, in general, you do not have the facility to add your own ‘points of interest' and
so on. Even the basic ‘separate' systems allow
users to add their contacts' addresses, from a mobile phone, as waypoints on a
map and so on, but built-in systems generally lack these useful features. Not only this but buying updated maps
can be a pretty expensive pastime, too.
Palmtop computer & PDA systems
Many manufacturers are now developing systems which
run on handheld computers, mounting on special arms or clips from the windscreen or dashboard of your vehicle. Mounting things in this way is a matter of trial and error and it's important to ensure that none of the wires or brackets interfere with your operation of the controls. Systems running on full-size computer laptops are also available but we advise against these as it's very difficult to securely mount a laptop computer
in the cab of a 'van
– and anything not securely fixed could be very dangerous in the event of a crash.
The £350 Mio 168 system shown here is especially good as it has a GPS receiver built into the handheld computer. Usually, handheld devices need a separate receiver, which means more wires and dashboard clutter. The Mio Map software is excellent.
Such PDA systems are great for motorcaravanners because the little computer can also be used for simple web browsing and receiving and sending email via your mobile phone. The biggest downside is that you need to buy a handful of memory cards on which to store the map information, and you'll need to swap cards when you reach the edge of maps.
You'll also need a PC handy, to copy the maps to the memory cards, from the CD-ROMs.
Mobile phone systems
Mobile phone-based navigation systems are now sneaking onto the market. One of the first is the Mobile Series from Route 66. For £269, you get a memory card pre-loaded with the map of your chosen country and a Bluetooth GPS receiver. If you have a phone which uses the Symbian operating system, you simply slam in the memory card and select ‘Route 66' from the menu.
Compared to others, setting up a phone-based system is a little fiddly. The small screen, and the phone keypad controls are a bit of a challenge, too. Still, this is the cheapest way into satellite navigation, so compromises are inevitable.
Compatible phones are now being given away as free upgrades from some operators when you extend your contract.
If you have a phone using Microsoft Smartphone software, Go to the website at www.alk.eu.com for details of the new CoPilot Live software. A full kit of the software and GPS receiver costs £220.
Which is best?
Unless you are viewing a second-hand vehicle which already has a manufacturer's system fitted, we would recommend against them. Any of the other systems
– those which can move from vehicle to vehicle – are superior in terms of flexibility and affordability.
Of the others, the mobile phone systems are worth considering if you already own a suitable handset, or are really tight for space. They work well, but their diminutive dimensions
and fiddly controls may become tiring in time.
The very best solution is a dedicated system, such as the Magellan RoadMate. The dedicated navigation systems are, as you might expect, the best for finding your way around but they do cost a lot of money. Full-timers may find these the best answer, but for those who only tour for a month or two a year,
the outlay may be off-putting.
Ultimately, the palmtop/PDA systems are the best fix-all solution. With prices starting at £350, they represent great value for money, and because they can be used for email and contact management, too, are great for keeping in touch when you are on the road.
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