Garmin RV 890 Review and how I include WAZE

[CaptainGizmo]

You're fired!

Dang. Didn’t know I was working...for free, no less! Guess ya get what ya didn’t pay for!
?

 

[Neal]

Today driving on I-10 west about an hour west of Kerrville the 890 got stuck in "Acquiring Satellites". Android was also offering a message to kill the app but I waited a few minutes. It never restored and the unit became unresponsive. I had to hold the left side power button and power off the unit, power it back on again (reboot) and that resolved it. It restored to the route underway.

 

[Neal]

Today another lockup. Left Tucson KOA for a short drive to get an oil change. I had no sound I realized so I tried to change the volume from the controls on the back and got a not responding message shortly thereafter realizing the display was frozen. I asked Siri for directions and CarPlay navigation took over. The device had to be rebooted again. I'll reach out to Garmin. I think their choice of Android 6 was a terrible mistake. Pretty old operating system (they're on 11 now) and far less stable. Android has never been as stable as iOS but newer is always better.

 

[Neal]

I called Garmin, they said replace the unit as I have time with Amazon returns or they could replace it. Says "not normal" but who knows.

 

[CaptainGizmo]

FWIW @Neal, I agree about the Android-based Garamond. I’ve owned or tested them all and, even with all the “benefits” of an OS, the crappy platform of an old Android system is horrible.
And the WORST thing is that ALL Android integrated devices will always be behind the upgrade curve. This fact comes straight from Google, who says they will always give priority to their own licensed devices.

Glad to have Apple in all other things!

 

[Neal]

Leaving this morning the no audio issue occurred again requiring a power cycle. New unit arrives tomorrow. Hope it resolves the issues I've observed.

 

[Neal]

Forgot to follow up on the new RV 890 replacement.

The first leg out the exact same problem occurred, no audio, had to reboot. I think the cause if the smart notifications, just too much noise coming from the iPhone via bluetooth or maybe something with the bluetooth in the iPhone 12 (v5?). There have since been two firmware updates and as such I have NOT had the issue again after the firmware updates. Several legs driven, working great, no audio issues.

I did have the situation again where I lost satellites and had to reboot the system, again not sure if smart notifications caused a problem. Hoping that is a rare situation.

So far the unit is working well, I really don't think the prior unit was defective but obviously in need of firmware tweaks.

One other thing I'd like to share that I really like with the RV 890. In the past I'd get off the interstate to go get gas and then the Garmin would try all kinds of crazy reroutes instead of taking me back to the interstate. This is where you had to use your judgment to get back on course and ignore the garmin and let it recalc when you hit the Interstate again. With the RV 890 and the ability to configure the Up Ahead searches of which I set Truck Stops as my top option I can now search for truck stops along my route such as finding T/A for the best TSD discounts. I then tap the GO option and then I'm asked where to put it in the route and I tell Garmin Add as Next Stop. This puts it up next with my destination after. This then routes me to the gas station then back on course without barking at me for deviating. Today however that caused a problem where I had to use judgment to override as when I arrived at the T/A in Boise it didn't agree I was there so upon leaving it was trying to give me weird routing to take me to that same waypoint for T/A. I knew where I needed to go so I got on I-84W and then stopped the route, went to recent, and selected the campground and let it take me there.

In the end I do like the RV 890 better than the 770. It is a welcome improvement in many ways from traffic integration and the up ahead features. Just some glitches to overcome. Garmin has been putting out both firmware and map updates far more frequently with the RV 890 than the 770. Another map update today.

 

[CaptainGizmo]

Neal,

good info. I kind of suspected these results but didn’t want to say anything since you have already initiated a return.

Glad it working better after the updates.

I’d like to suggest you that you give all your feedback to Garmin. As a beta-tester, I can tell you that It helps them refine their firmware and touting algorithms.

thanks!

 

[Neal]

Remember that I spoke with Garmin and they told me it was defective and to replace it. I did describe the issues and of course my concern with Android 6. If anything new pops up I'll reach out to them but they really couldn't offer much the first go'round.

 

[CaptainGizmo]

Remember that I spoke with Garmin and they told me it was defective and to replace it. I did describe the issues and of course my concern with Android 6. If anything new pops up I'll reach out to them but they really couldn't offer much the first go'round.

Oh yeah. That’s right. Sorry. Covid Brain Fog here. ?

 

[Chuggs]

I almost had an excuse to get a new GPS. My RV760 wouldn't' connect for Map Updates. I called tech support, and came to the conclusion I should reboot the device. That meant loosing 31 pages of waypoints. I was pretty upset. Well...eventually, I did. And now...I'm back to re-entering waypoint wherever we go, instead of pulling up ones from the database. I'll learn to BACKUP one of these days.

I'm excited to learn more about the new series...sounds like a lot of great advantages.

As to WAZE... We headed down to Unicoi from Asheville a couple of years back. Road closure and delays prompted me to turn to my iPad mini for a WAZE route. You know you're in trouble when the roads have names like "widow maker", or "snake", or something. It would have been a good test for your Active Air. The entire route was a series of "S-turns"... with no shoulder and a drop-off on one side and a hillside on the other.

 

[Neal]

I'm happy to report the Garmin RV 890 has been working great, no issues at all and they are continually updating it which is great. I could not recommend this unit higher, outstanding device for RV navigation with many great features and smartphone integration for notifications if you choose and live traffic is one of the biggest benefits of connecting your smartphone.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B089DMTQFT/?tag=rvf01-20

 

[RKins]

Garmin has always been at the forefront of GPS technology, and I would love to have a Garmin for my RV too. If you're wondering between the Garmi 890 and 1090 like I am, this is for you: The Garmi 890 has a smaller screen size (7.87 4.82 0.79 inches) and is lighter. That's why it's about $200 more affordable. But for the Garmi 1090, you will experience an impressive 10-inch 1280800 pixel IPS display. It includes a custom RV routing system that considers the weight and dimensions of the motorhome to analyze and recommend the best possible RV route. In short, choosing between the Garmin RV 890 and RV 1090 depends on whether you prefer a smaller device or a GPS navigation device with a larger screen.

My 770 lets me add that I drive an RV + L,W,H and it takes those specs into routing consideration. The screen size and dash cam are on the newer models like the 1090. Too big for me, I like the size of the 770 (I was really ok with the size of my NUVI). Something that big would likely make my coach lean when I attach it to the side window.