If you pull a trailer or drive a motorhome, you know your GPS navigation needs are different than the guy in that little sports car. Magellan knew that too, and they’ve developed a line of GPS units with you in mind. I just tested the Magellan RoadMate RV9490T-LMB and was liking every minute of the experience.
With a large 7” screen and a longer than average support arm, this GPS is ideal for RV’s with large dashboards. The support arms do retract nicely, so anyone can use the unit, even in a standard sized auto. It’s easy enough to detach the screen from the support arm so you can take it to your table and do your planning while eating breakfast, for example.
You get to select your vehicle type and whether or not you want u-turns to be allowed in the navigation you are presented. The RoadMate will make sure you avoid low bridges and road where large loads aren’t allowed.
Once you’re underway, you’ll appreciate all the POI’s (Points of Interest) included in this unit. On a recent trip, I was pleased to find 25 wineries within an hour’s drive from my present location. I was also happy to discover 39 Wi-Fi available locations within 5 miles of where I searched.
Complete listings for 13,600 Good Sam Campgrounds let you find ratings left by fellow campers for campsite cleanliness, facilities and overall appeal. Additionally, select from over 12,770 Sanidump locations for emptying grey and black water tanks. Over 4,000 Wal-Marts are also included as most RV’ers appreciate their parking and convenience.
What’s in the box?
I also liked a feature I’ve never encountered before in a GPS – display of mile markers as you progress along an interstate or turnpike. Other new features included Elevation, Grade Change and Sunset/Sunrise times on the main Virtual Dashboard.
Taking connectivity to the next level, you can wirelessly connect your cellphone to the RoadMate and pull in local weather forecasts, road conditions and gas prices (Wi-Fi or Bluetooth is required.) You can also use it to make hands-free phone calls. While it enables you to select your favorite gas stations and only see those presented, my two favorites (Costco and Sheetz) were not in the list of ones I could select as favorites. They did appear however in the “Other” category.
If you’ve got a rear view camera, the RoadMate has an a/v input so you can use its screen to see behind you.
Bottom of the unit showing the A/V input
If you are of the “heavy-foot” variety, you’ll appreciate the traffic camera alerts and speed limit warnings that you can set the threshold for according to your driving style.
Maps are preloaded for the US, Canada and Puerto Rico so nothing to download before you leave.
There’s a lot going on in this unit – be sure to check out all the features at Magellan’s website.
Disclaimer: Magellan provided a unit for me to test for this review