Choosing the best caravan sat-nav can be a big decision – after all, you want one that will safely get you from A to B, without taking you on a route that leads to an impassable bridge or any unnecessarily steep and narrow roads.
Essentially, this is a gadget that will be on most people’s list of caravan essentials. However, picking out the right one can be easier said than done, with a wide variety of options on the market to choose from, made by well-known brands such as TomTom, Avtex and Garmin.
This is exactly what we’ve taken into account for the Practical Caravan Awards 2024, where we’ve picked out the best sat-nav for a caravan currently on the market. As well as this, we’ve also chosen some of the standout alternatives, so you can purchase the one that suits your requirements and take the stress out of towing.
This year, we’ve selected the Garmin Camper 795 as the best caravan sat nav on the market. We really like how it comes packed full of features to help you enjoy a hassle-free journey to your chosen caravan park, as well as providing useful extras to make exploring the surrounding area that bit easier.
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We’ve also provided a list of our standout caravan sat nav picks below, so you can quickly find the one for you – alternatively, you can read on to find out what we thought of each product. You can also take a look at our best caravan towing mirrors guide to see our top choices for another essential towing aid.
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The best caravan sat-navs are: Garmin Camper 795 The best caravan sat-nav with a built-in dash cam: |
The best caravan sat nav is:
Garmin Camper 795
Reason to buy:
- Loaded with features to aid with a hassle-free journey
Reason to avoid:
- Relatively pricey
The best caravan sat nav should offer a safe and stress-free route to get you and your tourer from A to B, and that’s what the Garmin Camper 795 can provide. It comes packed full of useful features, all delivered on its clear 7-inch touchscreen, helping to make the drive to the site a fine start to your holiday.
For example, it gives warnings of potential obstacles, such as steep grades or sharp bends, as well as any Environmental Zones you might enter on your journey.
Your arrival will be simpler, too, with BirdsEye Satellite Imagery providing an aerial view of the site. Then, once you’re settled, Local Spots and the Michelin Green Guide will help you find the right destinations and explore the surrounding area.
The best caravan sat navs – our pick of the rest:
These are the caravan sat navs that were shortlisted at the Practical Caravan Awards 2024 – you can also take a look at our caravan towing tips guide for advice on staying safe on the road.
Image courtesy of Avtex
Avtex Tourer Two
Reasons to buy:
- Free lifetime map updates
Reason to avoid:
- Garmin Camper 795 comes with more features for only a little more
Avtex is a well known name in the touring world – for instance, the brand features twice in our best caravan TV guide. The brand provides reliable products and we think the Tourer Two should be no different.
Free lifetime map updates prolong the lifespan of the 7” display, Garmin-powered sat nav. The device will be able to customise your route based on the size of your vehicle, while Active Lane Guidance and PhotoReal Junction View allows you to exit or interchange without concern.
The device can be updated via Wi-Fi, and provides warnings over any unexpected changes in the road too, be it steep grades or a narrow road. The sat-nav also has a pre-loaded database of Caravan and Motorhome Club Sites to stop off at, as well as 8,500 motorhome parking places across Western Europe.
TomTom Go Camper Max
Reason to buy:
- High resolution screen
- Scenic route options are a nice touch
Reason to avoid:
- Garmin Camper range comes with more features
Take the scenic route with last year’s winner of the best caravan sat nav category. The TomTom product gives you the option of avoiding congested main roads, instead letting you drive through the quieter, greener areas along the way. Their traffic features offer alternative routes and the live fuel prices information allows you to plan where to stop off to top up. This model has the most up-to-date TomTom World Maps and preloaded points of interest, nicely viewable on the 7” HD screen.
We really like the lane guidance aspect, which aids with merging and lane changing, and the specific routes for caravans and cars. TomTom also offers a 1 year trial of their Live Speed Camera alerts, helping you drive under the area’s speed limit so you can avoid fines and stay safe on the road.
Garmin Camper 895
Reason to buy:
- A clear eight-inch touchscreen
- Provides useful recommendations for attractions to visit
Reason to avoid:
- Expensive
The impressive new Camper range from Garmin also includes an eight-inch touchscreen version, ideal for caravanners who want a device that’s that bit bigger.
What we particularly like about this caravan sat nav is how it does so much more than get you and your tourer safely to your campsite – it almost becomes like a tour guide instead, providing recommendations for stops along the way, while its Tripadvisor ratings for restaurants and attractions will make finding destinations to explore a simple process.
Caravanners who love touring abroad will be spoilt for choice too, with full maps of Europe provided, along with free downloads for other parts of the world. Then there’s the custom route planning, warnings about upcoming Environmental Zones, Birdseye Satellite Imagery – the list goes on.
What other caravan sat navs are there?
There are plenty of other excellent caravan sat navs on the market – here are a couple of our top picks…
Image courtesy of Aguri
Aguri Sat-Nav RV520
Reasons to buy:
- Built-in dash cam
- Free wireless map and speed trap updates
Reason to avoid:
- Display may be too small for you
- Doesn’t offer suggested locations to stop off at like Garmin Camper range
The 5-inch Aguri RV520 is ideal for anyone who wants a smaller display in their car. We like how it comes pre-loaded with UK and European maps, allowing you to set off on tour straight away.
Input your caravan’s dimensions and the sat nav will give you a route which allows you to avoid obstacles such as low bridges, while it will also give you advanced warning of any upcoming junctions, as well as the lane to take. The addition of free wireless map and speed trap updates for life make this feel like a long-term choice too.
Something that we think could make this stand out from the rest in our best caravan sat nav guide is the built-in dash cam that the RV520 comes with. This provides a 130° viewing angle and will give you that extra peace of mind when on the road, as well as allowing you to save on having to spend out on another device for your car. Combine that with the live traffic updates and the result is a sat nav that we consider to be a strong performer.
Image courtesy of Snooper
Snooper Ventura S5100
Reasons to buy:
- Option to create bespoke routes
- Budget-friendly option
Reason to avoid:
- Five-inch display could be too small
- Doesn’t come with a built-in dash cam like the same sized Aguri
Like the Aguri above, the Ventura S5100 is another caravan sat nav with a five-inch display, but this time, it doesn’t offer a built-in dash cam. However, we like how it lets you take control of your journey, giving you the option of creating and saving bespoke routes to the device, as well as allowing you to set up multiple stops on the way to your destination.
We also think the option of switching to car mode is a useful feature, ideal for caravanners who are setting off on a day trip from their campsite. Free lifetime updates should give this a good lifespan too, we reckon. Another handy feature is the clear indication as to which lane you should be in when you approach a junction. If you’re looking for a budget option, this could be worth considering.
What to consider when you’re choosing the best caravan sat nav
Having a good caravan sat nav will make your towing experience a much more straightforward part of the tour. The best caravan sat-navs come packed with useful features that help to create a stress-free journey, allowing you to input the size and weight of your tourer so you don’t end up facing obstacles such as narrow roads.
However, modern caravan sat navs can do much more than get you from A to B, coming with other useful functions, ranging from built-in dash cams to providing weather updates. Some of them can even offer suggestions for where to visit in the area, as is the case with our pick for the best on the market this year, the Garmin Camper 795.
What are the features that are important to you?
You should also factor in the screen size too. Would you rather have a bigger display? Or do you prefer a smaller screen for your car?
How we choose the best caravan sat navs
Choose the right sat nav and you’re going to be able to enjoy a more pleasant towing experience. Buying one of the best caravan sat-nav will let you submit your caravan’s dimensions and you’ll then find yourself given a route that avoids those sharp bends, low bridges or steep gradients that can swiftly add stress to any tour.
We’re in a good position to compile this list. Our regular reviews of the latest caravans on the market see us test them in real-world conditions, allowing us to select the products that will help to make towing an easier experience. Head to our About Us page to find out more about our testing process.
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