Positive: Garmin RV 760 LMT

[ChrisMSNT]

I wanted to follow up on my original thread for the new Garmin RV 760 (LMT - Lifetime Map Updates and traffic receiver). I've had mine for a few days and been able to use the navigation portion. So, I feel that I can do a review based on my knowledge and use thus far. I will be contacting Garmin with the shortcomings I’ve found thus far for product refinement and overall better experience for the community.

Purchased
· Garmin RV 760: https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/on-the-road/rv/rv-760lmt/prod135455.html
· Garmin ecoRoute HD: https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/prod38354.html
Unboxing: I purchased the RV 760 with the ecoRoute based off of the accessory list and compatibility. (More on this later) The products provide everything needed however I felt the documentation to be a bit light. None the less, they're very easy to figure out what goes where. The base has an adapter which house the camera input and audio output. Again, easily marked and identifiable.

Updating: To put things into perspective, I received this product 1 (one) day after they started shipping. Prior to receiving it, I knew I needed to update the firmware to accept the ecoRoute. The PC software is fairly straight forward after playing with it for a few times to understand what Garmin is attempting to do. However, what I was taken aback by was that when I plugged in my unit, it needed a 4.2 GB map update out of the box!! My expectations were that it would have the latest however that wasn't the case. (I apologize for anyone who was camping near me and I consumed their bandwidth that evening.) I installed the map update, firmware for ecoRoute, and a couple of other items.
Setup: This unit has two Transportation Modes: Automobile and RV. In order to leverage the RV mode, be prepared to have all the specs of your unit in order to create an RV Profile. Things such as width, overall length, height, and gross weight. Preferences such as audible cautions / advisories and speed limit changes can be enabled/disabled as well.
Usage: I’ve used a competitive RV product (Magellan RV9165T-LM) however I have not owned a modern automotive GPS due to using my cell phone as a GPS. Out of the box, the touch input was very light and responsive. A stark contrast to the competition! Typing in an address was fast. The GPS locking was fairly instantaneous. So, overall the interface and interaction with it was flawless.
However, upon using the RV component of finding a campground by name, it appeared to fall on its face. I attempted several times to type in a campgrounds by name and it took several minutes to respond and locate. To me, this was unacceptable. One of the selling points to our market, in my opinion, would be leveraging this type of data. I would have thought this would be thoroughly tested by Garmin. In fairness, I have not used all of the RV functions such as RV Services (mobile services, towing, truck stops, tires, and RV repairs).
One of the features which I REALLY like is the routing and lane position. For me, when I’m driving in unfamiliar areas, I always got stumped with previous GPS products where it tells you to take a ramp off only to find yourself having to swing through multiple lanes to make a swift left or right turn. This Garmin tells you that you should be in a certain lane or set of lanes and shows you visually. Even when getting off, it shows you what the sign looks like. (I was in Philly at the time of testing this and even the buildings in the background were correct!) Love it! (pic below)
Another piece of the interface is showing you the current speed zone and what speed you’re doing. I found this to be extremely accurate (unscientific, of course) within 1 or 2 MPH. If you’re going over the speed limit, it will show your speed in Red indicating that you’re exceeding the speed limit. I did find that highway speed and posted speed may differ (i.e. construction speed, etc.). Beware and don’t rely solely on it in my opinion.
Apps: This was new for me and I needed to warm up to the idea. Under the Apps icon resides such things as Help, Phone, Voice Command, Trip Planner, Traffic, Where I’ve Been, and Last Spot. I used the built in Bluetooth to connect my phone. It’s a standard setup; if you’ve done it before, it’s no different.
· Voice Command: The unit has Voice Command built in and turned on by default. So, any time the unit hears (or think it hears) “Voice Command” it will bring up the voice command menu of things you can say. The GREAT thing here is that you can customize the unit to listen for something different than “Voice Command”. You can control things by voice such as View Map, Find Place, Find Category, Find Intersection, Recently Found, Find Address, Find City, Saved Places, Volume, Brightness, and Exit. I was surprised that, out of the box, I was able to change the volume and brightness with fair accuracy.
· Trip Planner: Planning an itinerary is something I do for every trip. It allows me to “go” without having to think “where am I headed next?” Previously, I created a Word document for every trip with the campgrounds and dates I was staying. Now, I can input this into the GPS and leverage that data. Using this new feature, I needed to figure out how to properly use it when navigating. For example, I knew I had 2.5 hours to the next campgrounds however the arrival time showed me having an estimated arrival of 19 hours later. After playing around and tapping on the map screen where it showed Arrival, this dialog box can be changed to show different data points such as Arrive In, Destination Distance, Direction, Current Time, Elevation, Time to Via Point, Via Point Arrival Time, Via Point Distance, Sunrise/sunset Time, and Next Mile Marker. Thus, I selected Time to Via Point and it showed the appropriate amount of time left to drive to the next campgrounds.
· ecoRoute: This fell short as in the Dezl product. Garmin is marketing this as an RV product, compatible with the ecoRoute HD however it only works in Automobile mode! This stumped me at first because I updated the firmware, as the directions stated, before you could find this in the Apps section. I finally switched from an RV to Automobile and found it! I’ll definitely be contacting Garmin about this one.
· Traffic: This unit has a built in FM receiver for near real time traffic built into the power cord. You can change the settings to manually override your navigation or automatically reroute you. From what I saw in Philly, it was pretty good!
Conclusion: I’m tickled pink! Overall, I think it’s a solid product with some great features. There are a few minor shortcomings however nothing will be perfect. My wife is tired of me saying “I LOVE this thing” when we’re driving down the road. It really takes some stress off of me when driving and worrying about “how do I get there?” Again, I’ll be contacting Garmin with this review and hopefully get some things addressed. However, I’d say if you’re in the market for one…RUN and get this one. (I have zero affiliation with Garmin or any of the other legal mumbo jumbo.)

[OldCoot]

Sounds like a great unit. A lot of the features you mention are in my nuvi 2460LMT. The map updates are a PITA with the time factor. The campground feature would be nice which is the only thing you mentioned that is not on my 2460 as modified. As for the trip planner, that would be nice as on mine you have to use Garmin's BaseCamp freeware and the rv mode has to be purchased and is called Route1. If I were in the market for a new gps, I would definitely purchase the 760 even tho' it is just about twice the price of the 2460. The lane change and speed is on the 2460 also. Bottom line, I would still buy the 760 if I was in the market.

Thanks for a great review, I really appreciate it as I would imagine others do also.

[Oakman]

Excellent review Chris. Be sure to keep us abreast of any other great features or shortfalls of the unit as you find them. I still have this GPS on my wishlist for my birthday in Sep.

[copsuno]

I also echo the appreciation for the review. I have small boat anchor called a Rand Mcnally 7710 which is the most worthless piece of junk made. I am in market for a decent rv gps. Your review sounds like it is what I am looking for. Could you advise the cost of your unit? I see on Amazon the truck version is $399. I was in DC a few weeks ago and stayed at Capitol KOA, in Millersville, Md you might try it next time as it was quiet and comfortable. Thanks again for your review and safe travels to you.

[ChrisMSNT]

The Amazon price for the RV 760 is $399 as well. You might be able to get it for cheaper possibly with a coupon. I got mine cheaper via my company's buying program.

[grayfox]

Originally Posted by ChrisMSNT

The Amazon price for the RV 760 is $399 as well. You might be able to get it for cheaper possibly with a coupon. I got mine cheaper via my company's buying program.

As in many new products such as GPS units. Announcement pricing tends to be a full retail price. As more units become available on store shelves and on the internet prices tend to be very competitive over short periods of time. Not only do prices tend to come down, but the bugs get worked out of the new technology. I think I'll buy in a few months from now. Just a thought.

[ChrisMSNT]

Update on ecoRoute from Garmin: I spoke with support yesterday and he had to do a bit of digging to find the support FAQ below. Long and short is that the ecoRoute HD does work with the RV 760, however you need to use it in Automobile mode rather than RV. The curious thing about it, is that I enabled it in Auto mode, switched to RV mode and drove. Upon reaching my destination, ecoRoute popped up telling me how many miles traveled, MPG, and all that.

So, I've requested that they file this as a software bug and requested that they allow the ecoRoute app in RV mode. It's a safety issue as well as a time issue having to do multiple manual steps before hitting the road. That escalation is TBD but my understanding is that they have the support statement below and do not intend to address or "fix" it. :-( However, this is minor, in my mind to the overall experience I've had with the unit thus far!

https://support.garmin.com/support/s...b-000000000000}

[best1syn2oil]

I want to thank all of you for the great information on the Garmin unit here. We will be getting one soon!

[George Rundt]

Originally Posted by copsuno

I also echo the appreciation for the review. I have small boat anchor called a Rand Mcnally 7710 which is the most worthless piece of junk made. I am in market for a decent rv gps. Your review sounds like it is what I am looking for. Could you advise the cost of your unit? I see on Amazon the truck version is $399. I was in DC a few weeks ago and stayed at Capitol KOA, in Millersville, Md you might try it next time as it was quiet and comfortable. Thanks again for your review and safe travels to you.

I hear ya brother, I bought one to trying to see if I can find a sucker on EBAY to get rid of it.

[George Rundt]

Just bought the RV 760. Compared to my RAND McNally well, there is on comparison. The 760 is all I ever wanted for my RV and the Rand McNally 7715LM failed to be. The 7715 routed poorly sometimes took me way out of the way without reason, through housing developments just crazy. The interface was terrible and super hard to use.

[DRM796]

I would be interested in an update from Chris after some time. I loved my Rand Mcnally 7710 the first season but the second season it starting freezing and nothing has fixed it. Really hesitant to pull the trigger on another $300 - $400 purchase.

[copsuno]

Originally Posted by DRM796

I would be interested in an update from Chris after some time. I loved my Rand Mcnally 7710 the first season but the second season it starting freezing and nothing has fixed it. Really hesitant to pull the trigger on another $300 - $400 purchase.

I never made second season. Sent 7710 back twice for same freeze ups. Sent 5 emails to black hole email on their site. Finally two months ago packaged mine up and sent to corp office with note that a respectable company would do the right thing. Got call and was offered refund or new 7720. Took 7720 like it so far. Good Sam trip routing uses RM MAPPING and your trip downloads direct to GPS.

[DRM796]

Originally Posted by copsuno

I never made second season. Sent 7710 back twice for same freeze ups. Sent 5 emails to black hole email on their site. Finally two months ago packaged mine up and sent to corp office with note that a respectable company would do the right thing. Got call and was offered refund or new 7720. Took 7720 like it so far. Good Sam trip routing uses RM MAPPING and your trip downloads direct to GPS.

Nicely done. I'll have to regroup gather up my patience and give it a go.

Thanks for the info

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by ChrisMSNT

https://support.garmin.com/support/s...b-000000000000}

This link no longer exists.

What was the gist of their answer?

[ChrisMSNT]

I'm returning back to this thread. Hopefully it's been helpful for some! To follow up on some items here..... I still enjoy this device! One of the things which I have found is changing a destination while moving takes a few minutes to adjust / calculate the route. I just upgraded the firmware so I'll see if that makes a difference.

From the dead link perspective, it was about the RV 760 using the EcoRoute dongle. The support article states that, although it can be used with the RV 760, it needs to be in Automotive mode not RV mode. https://support.garmin.com/support/s...00000000000%7D

That's not a deal breaker for me and I've used it on highway trips to calculate MPG and such.

[ependydad]

I just got mine today! Caught a deal from a private seller. We used it in auto mode today just fooling around with it. I haven't updated maps or firmware or anything- but I'll do that eventually.

I'm curious to see how we like it.

[Rolling Magic]

Originally Posted by ependydad

I just got mine today! Caught a deal from a private seller. We used it in auto mode today just fooling around with it. I haven't updated maps or firmware or anything- but I'll do that eventually. I'm curious to see how we like it.

Anxiously waiting for a report.

[Oakman]

Originally Posted by ependydad

I just got mine today! Caught a deal from a private seller. We used it in auto mode today just fooling around with it. I haven't updated maps or firmware or anything- but I'll do that eventually.

I'm curious to see how we like it.

I'll be looking for your impressions of this GPS too. Since you bought from a private seller is this a used unit?

[Herk7769]

LOVE mine.

I swapped the vertical from my old NuVi for the tall one that came with this one to lower it on the dash. The tall one works great with the NuVi in the DW's Buick.

The lower location did not block my view as much as the tall one did, but I discovered a problem on my first bumpy road. The release button is on the bottom and the bumps caused it to hit the dash and disconnect.

I sliced some clear vinyl tubing and attached it one either side of the release button and solved that problem.

I like the way the "upcoming turn" data is displayed and particularly like the lane view so I am sure which lane I am supposed to be working towards. Since I drive in the right lane normally, I have been unpleasantly surprised when in heavy traffic when the NuVi's turn arrow appears and it indicates a left turn so close to the turn.

The "Fast Menu" on the right pull out lets me see how far to the next gas stations and rests stops; very cool feature. You can set it to display those icons real time on the route.

So many cool features! ...

[BarryD0706]

You guys be careful not to trust the Garmin too much. Read this post which refers to the DEZL (which I'm quite sure shares the same database as what you're using): http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...tml#post495048

It sounds like you need to install the Allstays Low Clearance data into it (?) at least. (I just checked that data online and it doesn't have one that I know about in my area.)