GARMIN Camper 770LMT-D Review, a motorhome and caravan Sat nav device

The motorhome and caravan sat nav Garmin 770LMT-D is the all new model from the well known brand, designed specifically for caravan and motorhome drivers. Includes specific Points of interest for trips with caravans and motorhomes and vehicle weight and size management. This model is the 660LMTD’s big brother and offers a stunning 7 inch multi-touch screen.

The Garmin 770 LMT-D is a motorhome sat nav created specifically for caravan and motorhome drivers which includes the features that are essential to all the best motorhome sat navs. We were impressed by the quality of the edgeless multi-touch screen on this new model which reminds us of those on high-end smartphones. The quality of the display and the reactivity of the touch screen have definitely made great progress over the years.

Just like the other models from the Garmin range, this model comes with campsite lists from ACSI, NKC, and MHF and still offers its excellent built-in campsite searching tool which allows the user to chose the campsite or park that offers the equipment you are really interested in (for example, the results can be filtered to display only the campsites which offer wi-fi access or electric hook-up points).

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This motorhome sat nav provides specific itineraries

The itineraries provided by the Garmin Camper 770 LMT D are planned according to the size and weight of the motorhome, campervan or caravan, as on all the best motorhome sat navs. The Camper 770LMT-D contains very detailed maps of Europe which include the restrictions that caravan and motorhome drivers can be faced with such as bridge heights, weight limits, or narrow roads. Thus, the system is able to propose itineraries and personalised guidance which take into account the specific characteristics of the vehicle.

When turned on for the first time, the sat nav will launch an intuitive configurator which enables the user to enter the vehicle’s profile information (weigh, size…). The sat nav then takes care of planning itineraries that are perfectly compatible with your caravan or motorhome and also warns the driver of any hazards on the route such as sharp curves, tree overhang, or steep hills.

Guidance : the motorhome sat nav 770LMT-D is as good as its little brother!

The Camper 770LMT-D still includes “Active Lane Guidance” which is a feature that allows the unit to indicate with precision the correct lane for your route. This assistant makes it easy to anticipate complicated junctions and exits thanks to brightly coloured arrows and vocal indications that we found particularly precise.

The PhotoReal feature of the manufacturer is once again built-in. This pretty useful feature offers detailed photorealistic views of exits as they appear in real life. (See picture above)

This Garmin sat nav GPS embeds once more the “Garmin Real Directions” and “Garmin Real Voice” technologies. These features which are specific to the brand, are designed to guide the driver in the same way a real person would. This means the directions given are easier to understand as they include recognisable landmarks like buildings, signs or traffic lights. Thus, you sometimes hear the sat nav telling you : “Turn right at the traffic lights” or “Turn left after the black building”. On the other hand, the “Real Voice” feature aims to improve the quality of the voice used for giving directions. The voice sounds more natural and pleasant, avoiding the “Robot effect” you get on some units.

Free Traffic information and Lifetime Map updates

With this caravan and motorhome sat nav, it is free and unlimited to update the maps. This is a very important criteria that you should consider when comparing different sat nav systems, as updating a sat nav can be expensive on some models which do not come with lifetime free updates. This means you will always be up-to-date with the latest maps and points of interests and thus reliable information on campsites, campgrounds and equipments.

Another novelty brought by the Camper 770 LMT-D is the ability to update the maps without having to plug the unit into a computer. Indeed, this motorhome and caravan sat nav has a built-in Wi-Fi antenna which makes it possible to connect it to the internet and download the updates directly from the unit itself.

The Camper 770LMT-D also has a traffic receiver that is built into the power cable. This enables the driver to access real time traffic information which allows to avoid traffic congestion. This service is included for free on this model and will never require any subscription, which is not the case with all Caravan and Motorhome sat navs, as some models like the TomToms offer this service at an extra cost.

Motorhome sat nav Garmin 770 LMT-D : Easy to use?

This sat nav indicates at all times the current speed limits which are specific to your vehicle, the true speed the vehicle is running at, and a rather reliable estimated time of arrival. It is also pretty easy to see at a glance the name of the road you are traveling on.

Efficiency of the Live services

The manufacturer offers a free to download app called “Smartphone Link”. Once this app has been installed on the user's Android or Apple device, the Garmin Camper 770 LMT-D can connect to the live services. It then becomes possible to access more detailed traffic information, receive weather forecasts, or live parking information. While these services are free, they require to use the internet access from your phone. This means you should check your phone’s data plan especially when travelling abroad to make sure this data usage is included.

Efficiency of the Voice control and Hands free systems

Already built-in on the previous models of the brand, the voice control feature of this Garmin 770LMT-D is still as efficient. With this model, you simply say “Voice command” and the unit displays a list of voice activated controls. You can then of course plan an itinerary, or set the volume to the desired level, or even control the screen brightness. But this new model also adds new features. Indeed, once connected to the phone’s Bluetooth, it is now possible to keep hands on the steering wheel while reading notifications from the phone. Thus the user can read SMS messages and other notifications directly on the sat nav’s screen.

The hands free phone feature which enables the user to make phone calls, still offers pretty good quality with the built-in speaker on this model. The built-in microphone however does not offer the same level of quality you expect with a dedicated device such as factory mounted units.

Information and User reviews about the services available on the itinerary

Directly on the sat nav’s screen, it is possible to read useful information about the addresses nearby such as restaurants, shops, or service stations. Along with the popular points of interest from Foursquare, the camper 770 LMT-D now includes user ratings and points of interest from TripAdvisor. This is excellent news for those who already know and use the very handy TripAdvisor website. It is indeed very useful to have access to the TripAdvisor user reviews regarding the points of interest available on the itinerary.

Reversing camera : This caravan and motorhome sat nav is compatible

As with the smaller Camper 660 model, this Camper 770LMT-D is compatible with the official Garmin wireless camera BC30 which is unfortunately sold separately. Once connected, this camera allows the sat nav to display the video signal on the screen when reverse gear is engaged.

The Strengths of this Caravan and Motorhome Sat nav

• Detailed maps of Europe with 45 countries and free lifetime map updates
• Free traffic information which works straight out of the box (DAB antenna integrated in the power cable)
• The handsfree feature and the efficiency of the voice control
• The large stunning multi-touch screen, very fluid. - Bright and contrasting colours

The Weaknesses of this Caravan and Motorhome Sat nav

• The live services are free but require an internet connection through a mobile phone which can be costly, particularly when travelling abroad

Detailed Specs for the Garmin 770LMT-D

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