Best motorhome sat nav devices

You’ve got your motorhome, now you’re going to… get lost on narrow roads? Not if you have a sat nav! As any driver will know, a vehicle sat nav is an important piece of kit to get you from A to B, either as quickly as possible or on a detour route taking in lots of points of interest on the way - particularly for any holidaymakers hiring your vehicle who may not be familiar with the area. Sat navs are also especially essential for large vehicles like motorhomes too, as they’ll take vehicle weight into account, give live traffic updates and warn about upcoming steep grades or sharp bends.

Overwhelmed by the huge range of choice for motorhome sat navs? We’ve got you covered. Here are our expert picks for the best motorhome sat nav!

8 best motorhome sat navs in the UK

1. Garmin Camper 780

The Garmin Camper regularly comes top of motorhome sat nav lists, and for good reason. This 6.95 inch sat nav’s many handy features include custom routing for your motorhome’s size and weight, detailed maps of 46 European countries and a comprehensive database of motorhome campsites. The Bluetooth connection means you can use it for hands-free calling while downloading the app lets you access live traffic updates and weather news.

Key features:

• Easily find campsites or free stopovers

• Lifetime traffic and map updates

• Reversing camera

• Voice command

• No subscription required

Cost: £426 from Amazon; buy without the rear camera for £249, Argos

2. Garmin Camper 1090

A second appearance on our list for Garmin, this time for its flagship model the 1090. This high-end motorhome sat nav comes in extra-large (10 inches) size and as with the 780 includes preloaded maps for all European countries including the UK and Ireland. It has built-in wifi connectivity, custom routing for your motorhome’s size and weight, and hazard warnings for steep grades, sharp curves and weight limits.

Key features:

• Database of campsites and free stopover points, filtered as you like by amenities such as showers or electric hook-up

• Includes content from TripAdvisor, Foursquare and iOverlander

• Touch or voice-controlled

Price :£530

1. Aguri Motorhome & Caravan RV720

A great option for motorhomers without the budget for a Garmin, the Aguri 720 has everything you need for motorhome trips and includes a DVR dash cam with a 150-degree wide-angle lens. Working straight out of the box – no registration required – the Aguri finds the best routes for the weight, height and width of your motorhome. It includes free wireless updates and comes preloaded with the latest Speedshield speed camera alerts database.

Key features:

• Preloaded with over 30,000 caravan sites, campsites and motorhome stopover locations including The Caravan Club, Camping and Caravanning Club and Camperstop

• Junction view and Lane view: advanced visual warning of the next junction or major intersection

• Text to speech (TTS) directional voice alerts

• Speed trap database covering all of Europe, plus displays the speed limit of every road

Price: £219.99

4. TomTom Campervan and Caravan GO Camper

From a long-established sat nav manufacturer, this TomTom model is one of the most popular motorhome sat navs on the market. It offers customised routes for your motorhome, displayed on a 6-inch screen, and includes lifetime updates via wifi. Use it to plan routes, check live traffic and save favourites from your phone, tablet or PC.

Key features:

• Includes POIs: detailed points of interest dedicated for campers and caravans

• TomTom road trips: discover the world's best routes and personalise them for your own needs

• Preloaded database of caravan, motorhome and campervan campsites and stopovers from partners ACSI, ADAC, ANWB and more

• Voice control and TTS included

Price: **** £349

See also:TomTom Trucker, from £320

5. Ohrex N76 Sat Nav

Our most budget-friendly option, coming in at well under £100. The Ohrex 7-inch sat nav is a nifty piece of kit for the price, with GPS navigation for all large vehicles including motorhomes and trucks. It has both 2D and 3D map views, plus an Advanced Lane Guidance feature and notifications of speed cameras and speed alerts.

Key features

• Preloaded with UK and Europe maps

• Free lifetime updates

• Postcode POIs

• Turn-by-Turn Real Voice broadcast in over 40 languages

• Built-in FM transmitter

Price: £69.99

Alternative budget option:Navpal Bluetooth, from £72

6. Aonerex GPS Navigation System with Sunshade

Budget motorhomers, we have you covered! Our second budget pick is this Aonerex 7-inch model with optional sunshade – an easy to use sat nav with great reviews online. Like the others in our list, it comes loaded with maps for the UK, Ireland and mainland Europe, and includes camping stops as well as other POIs. Even better, it can be loaded with music, games and books to be used as a tablet when not on the road.

Key features:

• Optional sunshade, allowing you to see the screen clearly at all times of day or night

• Lifetime map updates included

• Voice navigation and multilingual voice guidance

• High-definition touch screen with 120-degree viewing angle

• Speed camera alerts

Price: £73.99

7. Snooper Ventura S6900

If a priority for your road trip is to always find a campsite or stopover for a safe overnight stay, the Snooper Venturer is a top pick. It has one of the biggest campsite and stopover directories of all the best sellers, including over 31,000 campsite POIs. The sat nav also comes with junction view and lane guidance, free lifetime digital traffic data, and free lifetime full Europe map updates.

Key features:

• Designed specifically for caravans and motorhomes

• Calculates safe routes based on your vehicle’s width, length, height and weight

• Clear 7-inch LCD touchscreen is one of the largest displays on the market

• Preloaded My Speed software

• Built-in TMC traffic information system to avoid congestion and incidents

Price: £319

See also:Snooper VENTURA SC5900 DVR G2 (£299.99), with integrated dashcam

8. Avtex Tourer Two Caravan and Motorhome Sat Nav

The Avtex’s Garmin mapping will see you safely through the UK and Europe, using custom camper routing adjusted to the size and weight of your motorhome. It’s voice operable with Bluetooth technology and includes road warnings for bridge heights, weight limits, sharp curves and steep grades among other potential hazards. This is a good pick for Caravan and Motorhome Club (CMC) members as it includes data allowing users to search for CMC campsites along their route.

Key features:

• Detailed maps of 45 European countries, with free lifetime map updates

• Directory of more than 9,000 ACSI campsites

• Shows campsites, food and fuel stations along your route

• Includes Garmin live traffic via DAB, with one-minute update cycles

• Garmin Real Directions guides using landmarks and traffic lights

Price: £340.90

Types of motorhome sat nav

Sat navs come in three main formats – dash-mounted integrated GPS and multimedia system. All have their own pros and cons – our overview can help you decide:

Dash-mounted sat nav

These types of sat navs sit on the dashboard of your motorhome, like a traditional car sat-nav but configured for your motorhome’s size and weight. They usually have Bluetooth and live updates, and can sometimes be linked to a reversing camera and/or integrated dashcam. As they’re standalone rather than built-in, they’re very easy to install and start using.

Key features

• The easiest type of motorhome sat nav to source and use

• Preloaded data

• Uses satellite connection – no internet connection required

• Most have preloaded stops, POIs and campsites/motorhome stopovers

• Free lifetime updates on most models

Considerations

• Map updates can be expensive if not offered free with purchase

• May need a mount to sit safely on your dash

• Care is needed so that the sat nav doesn’t block the driver’s view

• Should be removed while you’re not in the motorhome, to deter thieves (for tips on RV security, see ourmotorhome security guide)

Integrated GPS sat navs

Integrated GPS sat navs fit into your motorhome’s dash. They’re a neat and safe option, most with free lifetime updates. Like dash-mounted sat navs, many come with the ability to connect to your motorhome’s Bluetooth, sound system and reversing camera.

Key features

• Neat and tidy sat nav built into your motorhome’s dash

• Uses the engine’s 12V system to stay charged

Considerations

• More expensive than standalone sat navs

• Difficult to fit retrospectively

• May need specialist help to fit

Multimedia system sat navs

The third type of sat nav is the multimedia model. This combines the sat-nav capability of the device with multimedia options like music and telephone via smartphone apps like Apple Carplay and Android Auto. They’re easy to fit, including retro-fit, and are more budget-friendly than built-in GPS.

Key features

• Fits safely into a double DIN slot on the dash

• Combines all your media needs in one device

• Constantly updated info

• Easy to install

Considerations

• Relies on connectivity, so not great for remote trips

• Uses smartphone data

• Apps needed to use the mapping fully – not all maps support Car Play or Android Auto

What to consider when choosing the best motorhome sat nav

Overall, motorhome sat navs are fairly simple pieces of equipment to install and use. There are a few considerations to take into account for these sat navs, however, and some to take into account overall.

Once again, we have you covered! Here’s what you need to know about choosing the best motorhome sat nav to suit your needs:

Motorhome specific

Don’t use a sat nav you already have in your car, thinking it’ll be okay for mapping a route in a motorhome. Any sat nav you buy should be specific to motorhomes so that you can enter the weight, height and width of your vehicle. This will ensure the sat nav calculates the best route, avoiding narrow roads, small bridges and any other road feature that won’t work.

Screen size

Sat nav screens tend to range from 5 to 10 inches. It’s personal preference which size of screen you want – some motorhomers go for a compact sat nav that looks tidier in their vehicle, while for others the size of the screen is a major factor in which sat nav to choose. Remember that bigger screens could hinder your view if using a dash-mounted sat nav.

Updates

While you can get on reasonably well with a sat nav that has preloaded maps, driving a motorhome safely and effectively relies on you having the latest info for your route. Be sure to get a sat nav with live map updates, so that issues like congestion or road changes are flagged.

Connectivity

A sat-nav with built-in wifi can use the internet without having to connect to another device, like your phone’s hotspot. If your sat nav has Bluetooth, you’ll be able to connect your phone to make calls.

Camera

A sat-nav with reversing camera feature is extremely useful for large vehicles like motorhomes, helping the driver park safely in tight spaces. Some sat navs also come with dashboard cameras.

Campsites and stopovers

You could research possible campsites on your phone while stopped, or even do it before setting off on your trip. But if you’re buying a sat nav anyway, why not get one with campsite and motorhome stopover information already built-in? Many models allow users to filter these listings to find a stopover point with the amenities they need, e.g. a chemical disposal point. This will be a great selling (or renting) point for potential hirers, too!

Points of Interest function

Again, you could look these up on your phone, but if you’re buying a sat nav anyway, why not get one with this feature already added? A Points of Interest or POI function on sat navs will flag lots of essential stops on your route, such as petrol stations, ATMs or places to eat.

Try out motorhome sat navs before you buy

Want to try out motorhome sat navs before you buy your own? Many of our motorhomes for hire in the UK come with sat navs already installed – simply choose one you like the look of and hone your sat nav skills out on the road! You can make your sat nav and other costs back too when it’s time to rent out your own motorhome.

Just getting started with all things RV? See ourtips on motorhome conversions for ideas on where to begin.

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