Maps and Software say "Up to Date".
I just set the profile to "Car" and programmed in my rental house. And this time, the route was perfect.
I then programmed in my friends house (from last night) and with the profile set to "Car", the route was pretty close to what I know it to be. But when I set the profile to "Motor Home" the route was really out of wack. Yes, I would have gotten there but it would have been the long way around. Obviously the GPS was trying to route me around something that was in my profile settings.
I then brought up Mapquest and ran the same route, and it was perfect on all accounts. But then again, Mapquest wasn't looking for tight corners or low bridges. And realistically, I would never have been driving my Class A to either of these places anyway.
But it does plant a seed of uncertainty. And yes, I guess it would be a good idea to program in the route the night before and then review it before leaving. But in my case yesterday, I knew the route was wrong because I had been that way so many times before. If I was going to Moab for the first time, I probably wouldn't know if the route on the GPS was the right one or not.
So it looks like I'm still going to have to run Maps on my cell phone to keep the 890 honest. That's a little disappointing, but I guess no GPS is going to be perfect all the time. And the 890 does let me know where the campgrounds and rest areas are, and that's nice.
Yes, I've used the 890 extensively. I was a member of the Beta-test team for Garmin, so I've been using the 890 prototype for quite a while; I'm guessing 7,000 miles worth.
One thing that I may point out, that a lot of folks overlook: be sure to disable the "Propane Tanks" feature on your RV Parameters, if you don't have them. This'll get ya messed up, otherwise.
Routing is not perfect, no matter what. Yes, I've found a half dozen completely unacceptable routing solutions for certain legs. I've worked with Garmin on them, and...fact of the matter is...there are just some roads in this land that will reject our RV based on a number of factors; weight being a big one (pun intended).
I've used dozens of GPS units, and have had Garmin since the beginning and...quite honestly...as much as I love tech, and love a GPS...I still do not fully trust them!!
It's not really that "lame" to expect us to program our Trips into a Garmin 890, see what route it recommends,
AND THEN BACK THAT UP WITH YOUR OWN RESEARCH.
Some will use a truck book, some will use Apple, Google, etc., some will use another app such as EnRoute, TruckMap, and others.
Bottom line is, don't be discouraged. Think of ANY GPS as a SECONDARY tool of navigation!!!
I can pretty much guarantee you don't have a defective unit, nor is your map software corrupt or out of date. Instead, I'd encourage you to call Garmin support, they're actually really good, responsive, and friendly and can help walk you through any concern with your setup; if you feel you're goofed up somewhere...which I doubt.
Hope this helps.
