Sat nav for 7.5

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Muddy unicorn

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I know this has been asked before but I couldn’t find a recent thread so there may be more options available now. Does anyone have any recommendations for a good sat nav for a 7.5 lorry - I’m constantly anxious that Apple Maps/Waze are going to take me down a completely unsuitable route 😬
 
I hope you find one! I only tow a trailer, but am always worried that I may be faced with a horrible hill start or something when on a route I don't know. I wish the supermarkets would give all their drivers an equivalent sat nav as our very rural narrow lanes often have these food delivery vans whizzing along, saving themselves all of 2 minutes from taking the main road route. I want them to meet the pig transporter or feed merchant one day, and find themselves having to reverse half a mile - might make them change their minds!
 
I still don't think there is anything 100% reliable. Best thing to do is Google your journey and run thru the directions.
Some satnavs do allow you to input vehicle dimensions, which should sort out the errors.......should
 
I found Tom Tom worse than useless. Every time I wanted to go somewhere the software needed an update. Post codes cover large areas and it couldn’t find farms eg fun rides. Ok in a city where there are plenty of road signs but no good at all in the country. Didn’t know about local lanes so sent you miles around. If anyone wants a second hand one let me know.
 
I feel your pain and was hoping there would be a reply recommending some amazing new software/product. How disappointing.

If Google maps wasn't so obsessed with taking you down silly little 'short cuts' like residential streets etc it wouldn't be as bad. Main roads and bypasses were built for a reason Google Maps!
 
I bought a second hand Garmin DezlCam - had it 18 months and it's been great so far. It takes me on big roads as much as possible - no silly shortcuts. The dashcam part is really good too.
 
I have been sent down double parked residential streets and towards low bridges so many times. I can't believe there isn't anything good out there.

I use Google maps and examine the whole route, plus I've overlayed the map with the low bridge map.

It does put me off going anywhere new though.
 
I always check my routes in advance too, but Google maps has a habit of taking you a different way from the one you carefully poured over and tried to memorise the evening before. Presumably because today's route is quicker due to current traffic. Then my current phone (Google Pixel, hate it, can't wait for contract to be up so I can go back to my beloved galaxies) randomly stops talking to me and I'm done for..
 
Lucky Snowball said:
I found Tom Tom worse than useless. Every time I wanted to go somewhere the software needed an update. Post codes cover large areas and it couldn’t find farms eg fun rides. Ok in a city where there are plenty of road signs but no good at all in the country. Didn’t know about local lanes so sent you miles around. If anyone wants a second hand one let me know.
Click to expand...
What would I know?
3000 km a week in an artic and it's never let me down yet.
 
Tom Tom Truck, I moved from a 6.5 to a 7.5 this year and didn’t want to rely on imaps being quite a bit longer so had one for a present, it’s great and the touch screen means you can drop a pin onto your desired location. I always look at Google maps route and check so I have a rough idea of where I’m going, I also keep a paper map in the box
 
I just use my normal sat nav but look at google maps to check and generally work on the basis if there are bus stops it should be okay. Obviously a lot of lanes won’t have busy stops but if there’s a farm or similar they generally get big lorries in. Not fail safe but seems to work.
 
I never found one that was 100 and I tried a few inc the truck based ones. I have a 4.5t and use Google maps. I look at the route beforehand and do a terrain view to check for any restrictions. It can try and send you down narrow roads but the sat nav’s all did that too. It’s tricky if you get a route change part way through due to traffic but otherwise works well.

If I had to choose, I’d go for the Tom Tom for ease of use and you can input your exact dimensions. I’d still double check the route against Google maps though.
 
I’ve given myself a Christmas present of a garmin truck sat nav - partly because my husband always used to use garmin on his bike. I realise that a road bike and 7.5 lorry are rather different sizes (!) but he used to research everything he bought to an almost obsessive degree and if garmin passed his bike test then that’s a good sign!
 
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I use the CoPilot app on my phone (not the AI tool called Copilot). You get a month free then it's £8 a month. I cancel it when the lorry is off the road and sign up again when I need to go somewhere.

The only slight annoyance with it is that I set my vehicle height, length, weight etc but it is a little bit too careful and avoids 7.5t routes which I can take.
 
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