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.
It should provide accurate mapping to get you to your destination in the fastest way possible and efficiently reroute you if necessary. 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.
At the Practical Caravan Awards 2024, we selected the Garmin Camper 795 as the best sat nav for a caravan on the market. We really like how it comes packed full of features to help you enjoy a hassle-free experience when towing a caravan to your chosen campsite, as well as the useful extras it provides to make exploring the surrounding area that bit easier.
As well as this, we’ve also chosen some of the standout alternatives, so you can purchase the one that suits your requirements. Don’t forget to ensure you have a pair of the best caravan towing mirrors either – this is another accessory that plays a crucial part in taking the stress out of towing.
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The best caravan sat navs
The best caravan sat navs are:
Garmin Camper 795
TomTom Go Camper Max 2nd Generation
Avtex Tourer Three
Snooper Ventura S5100
Garmin Camper 895
Avtex Tourer Two
The best caravan sat nav with a built-in dash cam:
The best caravan sat nav:
Garmin Camper 795
- Screen size: 7-inches
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi
- Touchscreen: Yes
- Preloaded POI: Yes
- Mapping: Yes (option to download further maps via Garmin Express)
Reason to buy:
- Loaded with features to aid with a hassle-free journey
Reason to avoid:
- Relatively pricey
The best caravan sat nav overall
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 exactly what our winner at the Practical Caravan Awards 2024 can provide. It comes packed full of useful features, all delivered on its clear 7-inch touchscreen, which we think will help 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.
We like how your arrival at your campsite 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.
TomTom Go Camper Max 2nd Generation
- Screen size: 7-inches
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi
- Touchscreen: Yes
- Preloaded POI: Yes
- Mapping: World
Reason to buy:
- Comes with ‘avoid LEZ’ feature, offers clear visual cues when lane changes are needed
Reason to avoid:
- Garmin Camper range provides more features
The second generation of this caravan sat nav comes loaded with a range of features that we reckon will ensure you have an enjoyable experience when you’re towing. As it has custom routing, it can be relied upon to help you avoid unexpected obstacles, such as roads which are too tight to get down or bridges which are too low.
The latest iteration of this sat nav comes with a USB-C connection and also has an ‘avoid LEZ’ feature, which means areas which are low-emission zones will be automatically excluded from a route, as well as being marked on the map.
Other useful features include preloaded camper POIs and a clear seven-inch screen where visual cues and animations will make it apparent when there are upcoming exits, lane changes and more.
Avtex Tourer Three
- Screen size: 6.95in
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi
- Motorhome-specific: Yes
- Touchscreen: Yes
- Preloaded POI: Yes
- Mapping: Europe (free updates)
Reason to buy:
- Endorsed by Caravan and Motorhome Club, comes with Environmental Routing and Birs
Reason to avoid:
- Premium pricing
Caravanners who have considered buying a touring TV are likely to be familiar with Avtex, a brand which has produced this sat nav in collaboration with Garmin.
What makes the Avtex Tourer range of sat navs stand out from other models is that it has been endorsed by the Caravan and Motorhome Club, meaning it comes pre-loaded with campsites run by the Club.
The Tourer Three comes with plenty of new features not seen in the Avtex Tourer Two (which also features in our guide). This includes BirdsEye Satellite Imagery, which will help to make pitching up simpler than ever. Another new addition is Environmental Routing, while added features such as Trendy Places and Scenic Routing should help caravanners get the most from their trips, helping to ensure all of those must-visit destinations are brought to your attention.
The sat nav can also take your tourer’s dimensions into account, as well as offer warnings of upcoming obstacles, helping you enjoy a smooth start to your tour.
Garmin Camper 895
- Screen size: 8-inches
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi
- Touchscreen: Yes
- Preloaded POI: Yes
- Mapping: Europe (option to download further maps via Garmin Express)
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.
Image courtesy of Aguri
Aguri Sat-Nav RV520
- Screen size: 5-inches
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi
- Touchscreen: Yes
- Preloaded POI: Yes
- Mapping: Europe
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 Avtex
Avtex Tourer Two
- Screen size: 7-inches
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi
- Touchscreen: Yes
- Preloaded POI: Yes
- Mapping: Europe
Reasons to buy:
- Free lifetime map updates
Reason to avoid:
- Avtex Tourer Three is an updated version
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.
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.
How to choose 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.
A good caravan sat nav should be straightforward to use, with a screen that you can clearly read the information off of. They will also provide alerts to potential issues on your journey, such as traffic jams and reduced speed limits, as well as provide notice when you have an exit coming up or need to know the right lane to be in. This is why one which provides quality graphics is going to be another key trait in a good caravan sat nav.
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? We’d recommend opting for a screen size no smaller than five inches to ensure you can see the display without any issues.
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