I'm a Garmin fan, had 2 so far. My current one the Nuvi 65 doesn't have all the extras the Smart 55 has like handsfree. The best price for the 55 seems to be Argos or Halfords. Using the Garmin Express updates is simple enough if you remember.

The main issue is most satnavs are geared for cars. Paying for lorry versions or caravan ones is silly money. When I tow with Matilda I'm more concerned with hills, something missing with most versions.

We've used this since our Citroen built in satnav started playing up 6 years ago, although more expensive than a std s/n it plans the route taking into consideration the width, height, length, and weight of the outfit.

https://buy.garmin.com/en-GB/GB/p/524489
available here
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Garmin-010-0153...h/dp/B00Z06RPFW

or the newer larger and updated version for the same price with the voucher
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Garmin-770LMT-D...=gateway&sr=8-3

One thing you could consider is purchasing an update for your VW satnav via ebay or similar. - clearly you should take steps to ensure you are buying an update suitable for your model, but there are plenty around at reasonable prices.

HTH

Dave

Hi Randa

I updated my 2012 Skoda satnav with a new disc from Satnavdisc.com
It cost me £25.00 and it took about 75 mins to download in the car.
Easy peezy.
Have a good look on a VW Tiguan owners forum and see what they have to say, you may find an easy fix and then can update.
That £25.00 included all of Europe as well as UK.
Best regards,

Mike.

Out of the two separates I’d go TomTom but the new vans at work and my new car both have CarPlay and it really is very good with a choice of free nav apps like Waze and Googlemaps and now supports TomTom as well. so if you’re thinking of a new head unit one that supports CarPlay and Android Auto is worth thinking about.

We have Garmin Camper 760 LMT-D, which we got from Aldi for about £200. Love the size of the screen and it even has all the ASCI campsites on it. Only downside is, it will still take you down narrow roads, so to overcome that, we have extended the length of the outfit and weight to 22 tonnes!!
Chris

Copilot on an Android or Apple phone/tablet. There is a truck/caravan version for something like £26 a year and it does seem to notice that some roads are not suitable. I also have a TomTom that I paid a small fortune for and while it is fantastic for a car, not so good when towing, plus it takes for ever to actually start up.

I agree with Ross. We have been using co pilot this year and it hasn't got us lost or taken us down a silly road yet. It's very cheap compared to tomtom....updates are very expensive. Plus, tomtom was forever sending us to silly places.
Co pilot settings are easy and we're set as a campervan so it avoids narrow roads or gives warnings before you set off.
The best things is that you can have a free trial period so you can test it before you pay. It works offline too. The screen is very clear and reassuring when on motorways with complicated junctions.

We use Here WeGo app for Android. It is a free app and allows maps to be downloaded at home for free. It runs offline in the car so does not need data.
A Bonus is the ACSI app interfaces directly with it you just click on the CAR symbol and then Route planner and the route options are displayed. You choose which to follow. You can use filters like No toll roads etc. but it does not make allowance for the caravan so it is sometimes best to zoom into the route display and look at the detail.
Its free why not give it a go?
As for over heating the phone in the car we use a mount clipped to one of the air vents (cool air blown over it ) and occasionally a paper shield form the sun above. Do not use Aluminium foil as it can block the GPS signal.

We use a Snooper Ventura when we are towing, lifetime map updates UK and Europe

Agree re CoPilot. I've used it a couple of times on its free trial, having being sent down an inappropriate lane on our trip to the summer meet by TomTom, and it works well. I tried the run to Lickhill Manor on it and it suggested a much more sensible route, missing out the narrow lane. I'm going to buy it.
Chris

Mrs C will only trust paper maps, usually the ones you buy for £1.99 at the filling station. (If it goes wrong, it will be my fault anyway for any number of reasons). I have used Tom Tom and Co-Pilot both of which have, on occasion, directed me off the motorway via the off ramp and back down again via the immediate on-ramp.
My solution is Tom Tom cross checked with the old fashioned paper job.