When you’re looking for the best motorhome sat-nav, you’ll want to get a device that will take your vehicle’s size into account and not lead you down any dangerous routes with overly narrow roads or impassable bridges.
So, how do you go about finding the right one for you? After all, there are a wide selection of models on the market, from a variety of different brands, including Garmin, TomTom and Avtex, amongst others. That’s where the Practical Motorhome Awards come in. We’ve picked out the models we consider to be the best sat navs for a motorhome, to help take the stress out of your decision-making process and subsequent navigation.
For the 2023 Awards, the Garmin Camper 780 has retained its position from 2022, with our judging panel still considering it the best motorhome sat nav on the market – a combination of it’s easy to view edge-to-edge display and the useful features it provides really impressed us.
In this guide, we’ll be taking a closer look at the Garmin Camper 780, as well as running through the other devices that impressed us.
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In a rush? We’ve made it easier for you to quickly select the right motorhome sat-nav for you – alternatively, scroll down to read what we thought of each device we shortlisted, as well as some of our other top picks.
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The best motorhome sat-navs are: Garmin Camper 780 Best motorhome sat-navs with a built-in dash cam: Aguri Motorhome Sat-Nav RV520 Best budget-friendly motorhome sat-nav: Best motorhome sat-nav for smaller vans: Best motorhome sat nav for all-terrain exploring: |
How we choose the best motorhome sat navs
Selecting the right sat nav can help to make your trips to your chosen motorhome site a much more pleasant experience. The best motorhome sat-navs will allow you to input the dimensions of your ‘van, allowing you to pick the route that will make your drive as stress-free as possible, avoiding any town centres, tight roads or similar in the process.
We’re well placed to be picking these out. We’re regularly reviewing the latest motorhomes, taking them out in real world conditions. This allows us to identify the products that help to make a driving experience that bit easier. You can find out more about our testing process on our About Us page.
What to look out for when you’re choosing the best sat nav for your motorhome
While getting from A to B safely will always be the priority, modern motorhome sat navs can provide other functions too, with some offering features such as live traffic updates or built-in dash cams. What would you like your sat nav to have?
Screen size is also something you should consider – we’ve picked out models that range from 5″ to 10″ – would you rather have a smaller screen or a larger one? Which would make your life easier?
What is the best motorhome sat nav?
Image courtesy of Garmin
Garmin Camper 780
Reasons to buy:
- Edge-to-edge display
- Garmin Drive ™ app flexibility
- Database of campsites
Last year’s winner of the best motorhome sat nav has retained its crown, impressing our judges for a second year in a row.
The primary duty of a motorhome sat nav will be making sure you and your vehicle get safely from A to B – that’s where the 6.95” Garmin Camper 780 comes in.
The sat-nav has plenty of helpful features, ranging from custom routing that takes your motorhome’s weight and size into account to warnings about upcoming steep grades or sharp curves. We think the latter feature is incredibly useful – it helps you avoid any unwanted surprises on the road.
We also like that coupling the device with your smartphone allows you to access useful features too, including hands-free calling and smart notifications. You can download the Garmin Drive™ app to unlock further benefits too, such as live traffic updates and weather news.
Finding a place to stop off is a simple affair, thanks to the ACSI and Campercontact database of motorhome campsites. Free stop-over places are also available from Trailer’s PARK, while you’ll be able to use TripAdvisor and Foursquare to make sure you don’t miss out on any local attractions that could be worth a visit.
What are the other best motorhome sat-navs?
There are plenty of other motorhome sat-navs out there – here are our pick of some of the best motorhome sat navs on the market. These products all made it onto our shortlist for the Practical Motorhome Awards 2023…
TomTom Go Camper Max
Reasons to buy:
- Clear display
- Ideal for scenic drives
This 7″ TomTom provides a clear HD screen. The best motorhome sat navs will take your vehicle’s dimensions and weight into account to give you a much smoother journey, and that’s something this product does too.
We also really like the Scenic routing feature, which will take you on a more picturesque drive. The voice controlled device comes with camper points of interest pre-installed, so you can get the most out of your time spent on the road.
TomTom traffic is a useful feature, giving you other routes to take to avoid sitting in long queues. You also get a free one year trial to speed camera alerts with it.
Garmin Camper 890
Reasons to buy:
- Multiple profiles can be set up – useful if you sometimes tow a trailer
- Live traffic updates
This Garmin is the only 8″ option to make it onto our best motorhome sat nav round-up and we think it’s a touchscreen device that is well worth considering.
You can set it up to take the size of your ‘van into account, and when you do, you have the further option of setting up and saving profiles – this is something that will come in useful if you sometimes tow a trailer or have more than one ‘van.
It also comes with a preloaded directory of sites too, which you can filter through by amenity for extra ease.
As with the other Garmin sat-navs that appear in our guide, you can pair it with the Garmin Drive™ app to access more useful features too, such as receiving live traffic updates.
Image courtesy of Ohrex
Ohrex N76 Sat-Nav
Reasons to buy:
- Budget-friendly
- 2D and 3D map views
- Provides free updates
This Ohrex is a budget-friendly option to consider. It comes pre-loaded with two million places of interest, and also offers free updates. The Ohrex has both 2D and 3D map views, so you can see your route in whichever way works for you. The Advanced Lane Guidance feature gives you notice when you’re about to change lanes or exit, and you’ll also receive information about any speed cameras and speed alerts.
Avtex Tourer Two
Reasons to buy:
- Great for finding campsites
- Helpful navigation features
Whether you’re a seasoned tourer or a novice navigator, when looking for a sat-nav it’s best to keep an eye out for one that’s tailored to your needs. This Avtex X Garmin collaboration model builds you the best route based on your vehicle’s dimensions and gives you warnings about upcoming bridges and other hazards, all displayed on a 7” edge-to-edge screen. You can easily adapt your route as you go and be sure that you’re on the fastest route with the Garmin live traffic feature.
This Caravan and Motorhome Club edition has built-in Club campsites and points of interest as well maps of 45 European countries and 9000 ACSI campsites, so it’s easy to find a site on the go. We love that the free Smartphone Link app sends the sat nav real-time travel, weather and speed camera information. Another handy feature is Garmin’s trademarked Real Directions which use landmarks and traffic lights to help guide you.
Image courtesy of Garmin
Garmin Camper 1090
Reasons to buy:
- High resolution 10″ touchscreen display
- Can be coupled with Garmin Drive™ app
The 10” display of the Garmin Camper 1090 will ensure you have no problems seeing the onscreen information provided on this high resolution touchscreen device. Coupling the sat-nav with the Garmin Drive™ and your smart phone unlocks additional features too, including live fuel prices, traffic and weather updates. The device is also linked with TripAdvisor and Foursquare, so you can see the ratings fellow travellers have given spots along your route and easily navigate to these popular destinations.
You can also operate the device in portrait or landscape mode, to view it in the way that suits you best. It may be the most expensive sat nav on our list, but if you want a larger display while you’re driving, this could be the sat nav for you.
Image courtesy of Snooper
Snooper Ventura S6900
Reasons to buy:
- Free software updates
- LCD touch screen
Providing lane guidance, junction view and lifetime updates, the Ventura S6900 is an attractive sat-nav for motorhome users. The addition of a magnetic-powered mount will make the 7” LCD touch screen device easy to install in your motorhome’s cab too.
Free software updates ensure the sat-nav will have a long lifespan, while the device will take you on a safe route, calculated to your vehicle’s specifications, ensuring a smooth and enjoyable driving experience.
We like that you can adjust the size of the text too.
Aguri RV740
Reasons to buy:
- Built-in dash cam
- Junction view and Lane view are useful
- Free wireless updates
The RV740 comes with more than 30,000 sites and stopover locations preloaded, including campsites from The Caravan & Motorhome Club and the Camping and Caravanning Club.
We like that it includes a built-in dash cam, while both Junction view and Lane view will ensure you’re aware of the lane you should be in for upcoming junctions. Ready to use as soon as you open it, all you need to do is enter the relevant information about your motorhome and you’ll be ready to hit the road. Free wireless updates are a welcome addition too.
What other motorhome sat navs are there?
While the above models were all shortlisted, there are still plenty of good options to consider – we’re taking a look at some of them here…
Garmin Overlander
Reasons to buy:
- Designed to be reliable
Good for offline travel
Reasons to avoid:
- Better suited to off-roading
- Cheaper options available
Built for adventure, the Garmin Overlander is an all-terrain sat-nav with a 7” screen that can take you from town to city to desert.
We really like how much you can rely on this model when you’re stuck in a signal dead-spot. You can access Trailer’s PARK points of interest, iOverlander, Campercontact and ACSI without mobile signal, plus there’s 64GB of internal memory to download maps. For more challenging terrain, the Overlander has preloaded topography of Europe and beyond and comes in a military-standard thermal and shock-resistant case.
Like the Avtex, you can avoid surprises by inputting your vehicle’s dimensions and receiving customised routes that suit you best. We love that you can link the device to the Garmin Explore app to make the most of the extra features, including planning your trip on your phone or desktop and sending it to your sat nav.
Image courtesy of Aguri
Aguri Motorhome Sat-Nav RV520
Reasons to buy:
- Built-in dash cam
- 5″ display
- Lifetime map updates
Reasons to avoid:
- You may prefer a bigger display
The RV520 is a smaller version of the RV740 that made our shortlist for the best motorhome sat nav at the Practical Motorhome Awards 2023. It comes pre-loaded with UK and European mappings, allowing you to use it straight away. Entering the weight and dimensions of your vehicle will allow you to take routes that avoid any potential hazards including low bridges and narrow roads, making your drive a simpler experience.
We like that the 5” LCD device has over 30,000 stopovers programmed in, while the presence of Lane view and Junction view provides clear warnings as you come up to your exit. The built-in dash cam is a great weight off any driver’s mind, as is the built-in Wi-Fi, which will allow you to update without any hassle.
Image courtesy of Garmin
Garmin CamperVan GPS
Reasons to buy:
- Roadtrip Routes encourages exploration
- Ideal for smaller vans
- Campsite directory
Reasons to avoid:
- Not suitable for bigger motorhomes
Perfect for smaller vans, the Garmin Campervan GPS is a reliable device that we think will make touring even more enjoyable. Coming with a 6.95″ edge-to-edge display, we really think this is a device that makes exploring easy.
We like the addition of Trendy Places – this highlights the worthwhile locations to visit along the way, while the Michelin Green Guide is packed with detailed descriptions of attractions, so you can choose where you want to go.
Something else we like is the Roadtrip Routes feature – this reveals more ‘adventurous routes’, allowing you to enjoy a more spur of the moment tour. The inclusion of a campsites directory is always a welcome touch – it includes campervan campsites from ACSI, iOverlander and more.
Still looking for a way to improve your driving? Our guide to motorhome driving tips is sure to help, as Gentleman Jack talks you through his top tips to stay safe on the road.
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