CARAVAN SAT-NAVS

State-of-the art satellite navigation just for caravanners? Yes, it exists. John Sootheran investigates

- John Sootheran

What is a sat nav?

A sat nav is an electronic device that relies on GPS technology to act as a digital map. Regional maps are preloaded into the system, and the device uses satellite signals to locate your vehicle's location on the map, and display its speed and direction of travel. The more satellites the sat nav can 'see', the more accurate the information it delivers. In ideal conditions, it will show your position accurately to within a few metres and its speed display will be more accurate than your car's speedometer.

Some manufacturers, such as Snooper, Garmin and TomTom, make sat nav systems designed specifically for caravan and motorhome users. With these, you can input the dimensions of your outfit and only suitable routes, with regard to highway width, bridge heights and weight limits, will be recommended. They also typically have campsites, attractions and other holiday-oriented information programmed into them.

What are they for?

As well as their basic navigation function, sat navs can deliver all sorts of other useful information. They can be used to find petrol stations, highway services or points of interest (POI). They can also alert you to upcoming speed cameras, keep you abreast of the current speed limit and inform you of your estimated time of arrival.

The best ones are interactive, so information on traffic conditions, accidents, hold-ups and so on can be received in time to make effective diversions or reduce your speed. When issues do occur, the best systems will redirect you around any obstructions by the quickest route possible.

Note that in France, speed camera detectors are illegal. Be mindful of this if your sat nav unit incorporates this feature; you'll need to turn the function off.

Types of sat nav system