cornwellkidd Posted February 17, 2019 Report Share Posted February 17, 2019 I am looking into upgrading our GPS to a Garmin RV760 ilm unit. Are anyone of you using it. Also looked at the Garmin RV 770 but the 760 has better ratings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk W Posted February 17, 2019 Report Share Posted February 17, 2019 We have been using our Garmin RV760 for about a year or so and have been very happy with it. Unless things have changed, the only difference in them is that the 770 has a bigger display. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NDBirdman Posted February 17, 2019 Report Share Posted February 17, 2019 I hear the 770 is a great unit. I have ran off the gps that came standard in my Ram.... only to get lost/routed the long way/pissed off. Used the google map, found it more reliable but yet... I will probably pick up the 770 before we take off again, I like a bigger screen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twotoes Posted February 17, 2019 Report Share Posted February 17, 2019 I purchased the 770 last spring when I got north. Used it to head south for the winter. Works as advertised. Not sure but I think the 770 replaced the 760. The only complaint is that the batteries only hold a charge for about an hour so I have to keep it plugged into the 12v plug on the dash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtyboots Posted February 17, 2019 Report Share Posted February 17, 2019 I've had the 760 for 2 years +/- and it works well. Takes a ton of data to download the 'free' map updates, but fixed that with the Verizon Unlimited Have to argue with it on occasion but, so far, I've won. I leave the unit plugged in and have not had any issue with that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rynosback Posted February 18, 2019 Report Share Posted February 18, 2019 I have been using the 760 for 3 1/2 years now. Would not change it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJohns Posted February 18, 2019 Report Share Posted February 18, 2019 I am fairly new at mapping. I have a kenwood with garmin radio in my truck. In other vehicles I use google maps on my tablet. The tablet seems just as good as garmin. What am I missing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ewacowboy Posted February 18, 2019 Report Share Posted February 18, 2019 We've been using the RV760 for a couple of years. It's bailed us out of a couple of low clearance and too tight areas. Wouldn't be without it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mptjelgin Posted February 18, 2019 Report Share Posted February 18, 2019 3 hours ago, Dan Johnson said: I am fairly new at mapping. I have a kenwood with garmin radio in my truck. In other vehicles I use google maps on my tablet. The tablet seems just as good as garmin. What am I missing? I don't think that you're missing anything if you are happy with what you've got. The Garmin RV units have some special capabilities regarding inputting the length and height of your trailer so the routing avoids low clearances and narrow/tight roads. The features are optimized for RV towing. I've used my RV760 for many years now and am happy with it, but there are several options for handling navigation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twotoes Posted February 18, 2019 Report Share Posted February 18, 2019 4 hours ago, Dan Johnson said: I am fairly new at mapping. I have a kenwood with garmin radio in my truck. In other vehicles I use google maps on my tablet. The tablet seems just as good as garmin. What am I missing? The Garmin will allow you to imput the hight, length etc. of your rig and map routes that avoid low clearance. Also the Garmin uses satellite while the tablet depends on the availability of cell service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RV_ Posted February 18, 2019 Report Share Posted February 18, 2019 (edited) I used the Garmin systems and would only caution that some small town/county/parish/state road folks don't always report when they add four inches of asphalt during road repairs. Just be aware and double check closer than 6" clearances over your height. I had my SH get out and spot me on close ones. Never had to back out but have seen RVrs in the video 11' 8" get their ACs sw2ept off and more. So please include your AC in your height measurements and spot under it if you have a Husband/wife/partner/passenger who can spot for you. The professional truck drivers in this video and the RVrs should have known better. Here is a link to more videos showing mostly RVs hitting bridges. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=rvs+hitting+low+bridges Edited February 18, 2019 by RV_ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rynosback Posted February 18, 2019 Report Share Posted February 18, 2019 2 hours ago, RV_ said: I used the Garmin systems and would only caution that some small town/county/parish/state road folks don't always report when they add four inches of asphalt during road repairs. Just be aware and double check closer than 6" clearances over your height. I had my SH get out and spot me on close ones. Never had to back out but have seen RVrs in the video 11' 8" get their ACs sw2ept off and more. So please include your AC in your height measurements and spot under it if you have a Husband/wife/partner/passenger who can spot for you. The professional truck drivers in this video and the RVrs should have known better. Here is a link to more videos showing mostly RVs hitting bridges. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=rvs+hitting+low+bridges I would think that would make the city/town liable for any damage if the actual clearance was less then posted. And your rig was under the posted clearance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJohns Posted February 18, 2019 Report Share Posted February 18, 2019 37 minutes ago, rynosback said: I would think that would make the city/town liable for any damage if the actual clearance was less then posted. And your rig was under the posted clearance. Has anyone actually found the measured vs posted clearance different and did they hit the bridge because of the difference? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mptjelgin Posted February 18, 2019 Report Share Posted February 18, 2019 I worked for a state DOT and can tell you that the policy was to post clearances that were a couple of inches less than the actual clearances. Obviously they wanted to err on the side of caution. I can imagine that there may have been a few cases where entities may have been lax on keeping clearance signs up to date, but I'd bet that the vast majority of signage is correct. And the overwhelming majority of bridge strikes are by loads that are simply over-height. As far as build-ups, adding significant thickness to a road during a typical road repair would be extremely rare, unless they were building an area that had settled back up to the original grade, which obviously wouldn't reduce the clearance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RV_ Posted February 19, 2019 Report Share Posted February 19, 2019 (edited) It's always anecdotal about paving accidents. More common are errors in the navigation system: "Off-the-shelf global positioning systems may be the cause, said Sean McNally, spokesman at the American Trucking Associations. "We're not seeing increases in truck sizes or weights," McNally said in dismissing other factors. "Sometimes trucks wander where they're not supposed to be. Reports say GPS units elsewhere have directed too-trusting drivers into sloughs, atop mountains, into oncoming traffic, and to the edge of cliffs. And apparently they keep sending big trucks to the unluckiest bridge of all. McNally said his group has backed the efforts of U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer (D.-N.Y.) to encourage commercial drivers to use specialized GPS units that factor in the specifics of the truck they're driving, including the height, weight and contents. In calling for further federal review, Schumer last year cited reports from police organizations that said GPS issues were at the root of more than 80 percent of bridge strikes in New York state." Source: https://www.cnbc.com/id/100928291 However instead of paying drivers to hit their bridges, states are now collecting damages from the drivers and insurance companies. From the above report: "So far, in fiscal year 2013, Indiana has recovered $4.1 million of $4.7 million statewide in claims it has billed insurance companies and individuals for repairs to damages caused by a crash that is documented by a police report, Riggs said. For a particularly bad strike to the Virginia Avenue Bridge on Feb. 22, INDOT submitted a damage claim of $107,462.24 and recovered $105,085.35, he said. McNally said the legal team at the trucking association confirmed that states and cities generally try to recover repair costs from the carriers." The notorious 11 foot 8 inch bridge in the video above now has a laser that measures oncoming vehicle heights and flashes a big warning sign and the people in trucks and RVs still keep hitting it. Knowing clearances can change and GPS units can be occasionally wrong, we should know our height with full tires all around, AND check close clearance bridges before damaging it and your rig. Edited February 19, 2019 by RV_ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RV_ Posted February 19, 2019 Report Share Posted February 19, 2019 Indeed John. "These criteria are set to provide at least a 1-foot differential between the maximum legal vehicle height and the roadway, with additional allowances for future resurfacing. These clearances apply to the entire roadway width (traveled way and shoulders)." Source: https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/geometric/pubs/mitigationstrategies/chapter3/3_verticalclearance.cfm More here: https://search.usa.gov/search/docs?utf8=%26%23%23x2713%3B&affiliate=dot-fhwa&dc=2561&query=Bridge+clearance+&commit.x=21&commit.y=10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rynosback Posted February 19, 2019 Report Share Posted February 19, 2019 5 hours ago, Dan Johnson said: Has anyone actually found the measured vs posted clearance different and did they hit the bridge because of the difference? Not sure, I know my rig is and every bridge I go under I can clear. So if I hit one, I will be going to the local government and state to make me whole. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rynosback Posted February 19, 2019 Report Share Posted February 19, 2019 I agree that they add in so many inches as a safety measure. Makes sense to me that they do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk W Posted February 19, 2019 Report Share Posted February 19, 2019 13 hours ago, Dan Johnson said: Has anyone actually found the measured vs posted clearance different and did they hit the bridge because of the difference? It is way more fun to find undocumented videos to post! The problem bridges seem to be those with uncommonly low clearance and drivers who fail to read the signs or to know the height of their loads. I wonder how many of those who post here have ever actually checked the height of their RV? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Second Chance Posted February 19, 2019 Report Share Posted February 19, 2019 On 2/17/2019 at 9:17 PM, rynosback said: I have been using the 760 for 3 1/2 years now. Would not change it. X2 ^^ for about 4.5 years, now. Has worked very well for us. I particularly like the voice activation and "Along Route" search functions. Prior to getting the new Verizon unlimited prepaid plan on the hotspot, I just waited until we were somewhere with free wi-fi to update the maps. I update the 760 for the truck and the Garmin for the car at the same time. (On a side note, I HATE the built-in nav in the truck!) Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hamrs_62 Posted February 19, 2019 Report Share Posted February 19, 2019 On 2/17/2019 at 10:26 AM, cornwellkidd said: I am looking into upgrading our GPS to a Garmin RV760 ilm unit. Are anyone of you using it. Also looked at the Garmin RV 770 but the 760 has better ratings. it works great, use it to find places to stay, I love ours, used it ti travel to nebraska, and last october to washington Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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