How to choose the right sat nav for your campervan

Exploring the UK is so convenient with a campervan. Whatever the season you’ll always have a place to shelter if the weather turns bad. And you can say farewell to the traditional traffic jams on the way back from the beach – just park up, have a cuppa and wait for the traffic to clear.

However, to make the most of the experience you’ll need some essential items. In addition to campervan insurance to protect your home on wheels, you’ll need something to help take the pain out of navigation. And this is where a campervan sat nav will come in handy.

 

Why choose a campervan sat nav?

While car drivers often rely on car sat navs or phone apps for navigation, if you’re driving something larger like a campervan you’ll need something more suitable.

While all sat navs will provide you with up-to-the-minute route data, that’s no use if it sends you somewhere unsuitable for campervans.

Driving large vehicles like campervans and motorhomes creates difficulties that as a car driver you might not have considered.

Being taller, wider and longer than other road users can mean that some routes are unsuitable for you – and getting into an accident on a narrow country lane might mean you have to claim on your campervan insurance.

So get a sat nav that’ll take this into account in its calculations.

Scratched paintwork and reversing nightmares can all result from being directed onto narrow roads.

While weight limits and height restrictions on bridges might not always be a problem for the careful campervan driver, what if you’re towing a trailer or have a roof rack for your bikes?

Avoid those hazards by investing in a sat nav that’ll find the very best route so your campervan can make it there with no slip-ups!

What to look out for

You’ll be relying on this technological marvel to do a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to navigation so it makes sense not to scrimp on the investment.

Just one prang or wrong turning could soon wipe out any savings you may have made on a budget model. Just as with campervan insurance, you really get what you pay for.

When making your decision on what sat nav to choose, make sure to take the following into consideration:

• Height, width and weight – the ability to input this data is essential if you want to make sure you’re not sent down an unsuitable route.
• Live traffic alerts - being aware of problems on the road ahead will let you make travel decisions well in advance.
• European coverage – if you’re looking to tour Europe one day, you’ll want a sat nav that can manage this, or else you’ll end up paying out again later on.
• Reversing camera compatible – very handy if it turns into a rear-camera when reversing. It can really take the stress out of manoeuvring in busy areas.
• Points of interest – you may want your sat nav to alert you to nearby campsites as well as other facilities or activities on the way.
• Connectivity – if you’ve got a dashcam or phone you want to sync, then being Bluetooth compatible would be handy.
• Handsfree – some sat navs will let you connect to your phone for hands free calls and text messaging. Voice activation is worth considering to guard against distraction whilst driving.
• Built in Wi-Fi – rather than having to connect the satnav to your home computer inbuilt Wi-Fi will allow easy map and software updates.
• Screen size and resolution – everyone will have their own personal preference of screen size and resolution. While you don’t want to be squinting to see the route you also don’t want to have your view of the road ahead obstructed.

 

Best campervan sat navs

With the ever-changing nature of technology, choosing the right sat nav for your campervan can be tough.

However, there’s no reason to stress, there’s plenty of advice out there to guide you, such as Practical Motorhome magazine.

Here is a selection from some well-known sat nav manufacturers that are suited to campervans.

 

Tomtom Go Professional 6250

When many people think of sat nav they think of Tomtom and there’s good reason for that.

They create market-leading products and this one is no exception. This is aimed at lorry and van drivers but is also useful for campervan and motorhome drivers. The Go Professional lets you enter your vehicle dimensions for tailored routes.

Updates are easy with Wi-Fi connection while the sat nav also connects via Bluetooth to other devices for handsfree calling and text messaging.

 

Garmin Camper 770 LMT-D

Very strong in the sa tnav market, Garmin makes some great products.

There are so many to choose from but this one comes with a reversing camera, works in Europe, has traffic reports, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

As well as an easy to use touch-screen display it shows all the information you could possibly need such as speed limit, current speed, estimated time of arrival and up-ahead features. So you’re never surprised by what’s around the corner.

 

Aguri Motorhome & Caravan RV720 DVR

This sat nav has some marvellous features. Aguri's fully integrated 1080P High Definition DVR dash cam with 150 degree wide-angle lens will let you prove what really happened if you’re ever involved in a bump.

Any accident or event is recorded with precise timings and saved onto an 8GB card.

It also comes preloaded with the latest routing software, full UK and European mapping, Wi-Fi and a super bright 7-inch LCD screen.

 

Campervan insurance to protect your home on wheels

Whether driving in your campervan or hiking a long way from camp, navigation is key to a relaxing and successful trip.

But whatever happens during your adventure, the dedicated team at Motorhome Protect will be there to make sure you’re covered.

Cover from our panel of leading insurers can come with a range of benefits including:

• Cover for up to 365 days a year
• Cover for your campervan whilst you’re converting it
• Unlimited EU cover
• Up to £3,500 of cover for your camping personal effects
• Value up to £150,000

Get a quick quote for campervan insurance today.

Policy benefits and features may very between insurance schemes or cover selected and are subject to underwriting criteria. Information contained within this article is accurate at the time of publishing but may be subject to change.