Are you worried about getting your caravan stuck under a bridge or down a narrow country lane?
If you are towing a caravan, you need to plan your journey ahead of time, and a caravan sat nav is the perfect tool to help you do just that.
Planning your trip and having live alerts whilst on your journey can save you an enormous amount of stress and worry.
But which is the best caravan sat nav?
There are plenty to choose from – we’ve rounded up some of the popular models and done the research for you.
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Caravan Sat Nav Buying Guide
Before pursuing your caravan travel dreams, a caravan sat nav can be an essential purchase. Unlike a car, your caravan has specific weight, length and width specifications which means your travel route needs to be tailored to ensure you arrive at your destination in the fastest yet safest way possible. You don’t want to be stuck in the middle of a road because of barricades such as a low bridge or any unnecessarily steep and narrow roads!
Questions To Ask Before Buying A Caravan Sat Nav
Caravan sat navs can often be expensive, so it’s essential to consider different factors and options before making your purchase decision:
Can you input the details of your caravan?
It is arguably vital that your caravan sat nav allows you to enter the size and weight of your motorhome or caravan. This will enable the map system to program the most suitable route for your specific caravan.
Please, if possible, also enter your caravan’s weight. Although you might think it might not be irrelevant, some bridges in the UK still have a 3.5- tonne weight limit which can be too weak to support your caravan.
Do you need your caravan sat nav to work in Europe?
Think as to whether you’ll be taking your caravan across Europe. Even if you’re unsure at the moment, it’ll likely still be worth the extra cost of purchasing one with European maps, just in case you decide to go in the future.
Free lifetime map updates
With roads constantly changing, free lifetime map updates can be necessary for caravan travelling. You don’t want to be caught accidentally going down a one-way street that used to be two-way!
Traffic Updates
We’re so used to our phone’s sat-nav system automatically having live traffic updates. While most modern caravan sat navs also have this feature, it’s always advised to check before buying. Live updates can let your sat nav alert you if a faster route to your destination becomes available or if you want to make impromptu decisions during your journey.
Points of interest
Although likely, not necessary, thanks to our phones, you may prefer to have a point of interest feature built directly into your caravan sat nav. This could be more beneficial if have you the option to add stops to your journey as you go, e.g. for fuel or lunch, instead of separately working out how much extra time would be added to your journey using your phone.
Dual functionality as a reversing camera
Reverse camera technology is now widely adopted in modern caravan sat navs. On rural country roads, particularly narrow ones, a reversing camera on a sat nav comes in very handy!
Built-in wifi
In addition to having built-in reversing cameras, some modern caravan sat navs have their own built-in wifi system! These may be suited best if you’re planning extended holidays in their motorhome or caravan. With built-in wifi, your caravan sat nav would complete map updates without needing to be connected to another internet source.
Bluetooth
Having Bluetooth integrated into your caravan sat nav will allow you to connect your phone or any other Bluetooth device to it. Similarly to that of a car’s Bluetooth system, you’ll be able to receive directions out of your Bluetooth device and make calls. Some sat nav models with Bluetooth allow you to operate it using just your voice!
Custom Routes
If you’re someone who prefers to customise your route, perhaps opting to take a more scenic route instead of just motorways, having a caravan sat nav that allows for them should be a priority for you.
Our Top 5 Recommended Best Caravan Sat Navs
For each of our recommendations below, we’ve listed what we think are each sat nav’s key features so you can get an overview of each one. For full details of each sat nav, please be sure to click on the link we’ve provided to gain a complete insight into each one!
Garmin Camper 770 LMT-D
Voice Activation:
The sat nav’s voice-activated and Bluetooth hands-free voice calling and notifications is a handy feature if you prefer not to have distractions whilst driving.
Instantaneous notifications:
Once you have inputted the weight and size of your caravan or motorhome, the Garmin Camper continuously alerts you to road warnings and custom routing to ensure the route remains suitable.
Built-in wi-fi:
The built-in wifi helps facilitate the live road alerts and keep your caravan sat nav constantly updated with the latest map updates.
European maps:
Preloaded in this Garmin sat-nav are maps detailing all of Europe, spanning across 45 different countries and with a directory of more than 9000 campsites!
Tailored routes:
This sat nav allows you to input the specifications of your caravan, which will then find the best route for you while warning of hazards and caravan-related restrictions such as bridge heights, sharp curves and more to make sure you are 100% safe while getting to your caravan destination.
Points of interest:
The Garmin Camper 770 comes preloaded with available facilities such as whether a place has electric hook-ups, has on-site shops and is pet-friendly.
Garmin Camper 780 Advanced 6.95 Inch Sat Nav
European maps:
Comparable to the 770, the Garmin Camper 780 model is also fully preloaded with Europe mapping.
Custom and tailored routes:
The 780’s custom routing considers the size and weight of your camper or caravan to find the best route for your vehicle. This information will provide road warnings to keep you aware of steep grades, sharp curves, weight limits and more.
Bluetooth compatibility:
The Garmin Camper 780 can be paired with a compatible smartphone. This will allow hands-free calling and smart notifications, including voice-activated navigation – perfect for when you are driving.
Points of interest:
The Camper 780 sat-nav includes an extensive database of motorhome campsites from ACSI and Campercontact and free stopover places from Trailer’s PARK. You can filter by price, amenities and more.
The sat-nav will also show rest areas and other amenities coming up on your route. Search for them by simply using your finger to pan across the map. Access more information and find local points of interest from TripAdvisor, Foursquare and more.
Reversing cameras:
The Camper 780 is compatible with Garmin’s BC 30 and BC 40 reversing cameras, so you can make sure you’re reversing your caravan safely.
TomTom GO Camper Sat Nav
Built-in Wi-fi:
The GO Camper’s built-in wifi lets you get the latest maps and live updates on traffic during your journey.
Points of interest:
The GO Camper has 113+ million points of interest built-in to the device, all specially selected for caravans and campers.
Custom routes and instantaneous updates:
TomTom’s “My Drive” allows you to plan out routes, check for live traffic, and save favourite destinations from either your smartphone, tablet or PC.
Aguri Motorhome & Caravan AGR520 DVR 5″
Large selection of caravan sites:
The AGR520 has over 30,000 motorhome stopover locations, campsites and caravan sites already preloaded.
Text to speech voice alerts:
The sat nav’s text to speech voice alerts means you won’t be distracted by constantly having to look at the screen whilst driving.
Built-in dash cam:
The AGR520 comes with a DVR dash cam built-in with a 130-degree wide-angle lens. Should you require evidence of any accidents, this can help to protect your no claims bonus.
Alternative Choice- Caravan Sat Nav App such as “Co-Pilot.”
Offline navigation:
CoPilot’s reliable offline navigation allows you to pre-program your route so you won’t be left struggling to maintain a signal to find which direction you’re heading in during your journey.
Better value for money:
Some caravan specific sat nav devices can cost considerably more than a sat nav app alternative.
Customised routes:
Prevent any problems with low bridges or narrow roads by entering your vehicle height, weight and length. CoPilot will then calculate a safe and practical route for you.
Points of interest:
Easily find campsites, fuel, hotels, restaurants and more. Yelp is even integrated into the app, so you can see reviews of a point of interest before visiting it!
Conclusion On Caravan Sat Navs
Despite being quite expensive accessory, purchasing a caravan specific sat nav or app alternative is, in our opinion, essential.
The expense is certainly worth it for peace of mind – enabling you to enjoy your caravan holiday without drama.
The vast majority of the sat navs we’ve listed above contain similar features, which would all be excellent choices for a caravan sat nav.
However, they do still differ, so we advise you to follow the links we’ve provided for full details on each one to see. This will allow you to choose the sat nav best suited for your caravan and future journeys.