Garmin Nuvi car gps as a budget >$250 adv setup

[B1]

get quite a few questions about this setup so thought i'd do a comprehensive post. if you are limited to around $200 to $250 for a new gps and RAM mount this could be worth looking at. used three different models and never had failure from gnarly offroad use, from what i can see on the forums the expensive dedicated motorbikes are just as likely as these nuvis to get bounced around into oblivion (apart from power socket input, read on).

WHICH NUVIS CAN YOU UPLOAD CUSTOM ROUTES TO?
check the car section of the garmin site. generally any model with three or more numbers in the title can store and display custom routes (e.g. the nuvi 30, nuvi 40 and nuvi 50 won't). to double check, go under "specifications", then "map and memory" and then "routes". if it says zero then it won't take custom routes. however, garmin complicates the issue by randomly deciding which of these can accept custom routes uploaded from your computer. some like those below will only allow custom routes designed on the gps itself (tedious and next to useless).

thanks to inmates who have researched this with garmin. you can't upload custom routes from your computer to these series: 1100, 1200, 1300, 2200, 2300, 2400. remember these are series so for example the 2455 will not work... it's in the 2400 series.

you can with the 3700 series provided the device has software version 4.50 or newer (update via the garmin site). i can personally vouch for the 1450t and 1490t working fine as i've used those for a few years now.

if you want a five inch screen, look at the 2555, 2595, 1450t, 1490t, 3550, 3590. some are superceded but still for sale on ebay. in australia, dick smith electronics regularly discounts the 1450t and 1490t from $300 down to as low as $100. the rest are 4.3 inch screens which are still a decent size, possibly better if you have a small cockpit.





GOOD STUFF ABOUT THE NUVIS
- miles cheaper than dedicated garmin motorbike gps units
- auto routing or direct routing compatible
- up to a five inch screen
- just pop out and put in the stock mount for use in the car
- nice bright screen for outdoor use
- very cheap to replace LCD screens and digitizers, buy direct from factory for only $30 or so on ebay.


BAD STUFF ABOUT THE NUVI
- not water or dust proof without an appropriate case
- the 1450t and 1490t can only stores 10 routes at once (but i think they can have dozens in memory, just need to import)
- only a few hours on battery charge, you definitely need to hard wire it
- if you like to download your tracklogs after a ride, it only keeps the last 600km or so in memory
- can't have too many points in a custom route so may need to split up longer routes (150 to 200 points max from memory?)
- no bells and whistles like camera, mp3 player, photo tagging, built-in microwave oven etc.
- the power socket at the rear needs some support or you'll lose power over bumpy ground.


MOUNTING A GARMIN NUVI
pretty easy to set up with ram mounts. the heavy duty cradle will usually be around $40 to mount to the handlebars.



or you can get a RAM waterproof case and just add the necessary handlebar and arm mounts. probably around $60 to $80.



at first i just used clear plastic oven bags and two rubber bands when its raining or dusty. cheap and nasty but did the trick. i made sure one of the rubber bands went over the power cord so that it didn't jiggle around on rough ground and lose power. i have a RAM waterproof case now for $70 and it has been great - just a bit bulky if you are tight on space. i used a bit of foam around the power socket to make sure it stays in place over bumpy tracks.

also, some guys just put tape over the loudspeaker holes in the back of the gps and report this is all that's needed for dusty conditions. apparently the garmins are sealed well enough to not let dust in. haven't tried it myself... i know you definitely don't want water trickling down the face of the gps. fairly soon it seeps in and your screen goes haywire. i did manage to dry mine out and its working fine again.





OFFROAD MAPS
the nuvis only come with street maps. if you are after offroad maps, you can buy topo maps direct from garmin for around $200. you'll also see them on ebay for as low as $40 although these won't be necessarily official garmin resalers.

in australia, the "shonky maps" are a great free alternative that have plenty of offroad detail. for the USA, just google around or look at www.openstreetmap.org. riders often contribute their tracks to this project so the detail can be far beyond that of the garmin topo maps, but in other places it will be very sketchy.


PLANNING YOUR ROUTES
you can use garmin mapsource or basecamp to plan your routes on your computer then upload to the gps. basecamp has more features but is a lot harder to learn, some geek designed the interface whereas mapsource is comparatively simple. if you use some other kind of software, you can always export the file in the gpx format, then just transfer it to the file on your gps for importing. this will be a folder called "gpx" under the "GARMIN" folder. then just import the file for use as per instructions on this thread.

download basecamp for free from garmin. or google "Free and Legit Copy of Mapsource". good tutorial for mapsource here.

if you want to record your tracklog when riding so you can download it later, read this post on now to set your nuvi up.

HOW TO UPLOAD AN OFF ROAD CUSTOM ROUTE WHERE THERE ARE NO ROADS (OR MY MAPS WON'T AUTO ROUTE)
see this post here.


SETTING UP THE POWER
a very basic way to do this is just get a waterproof cigarette lighter power socket and wire this in somewhere on the bike. then use the stock power cord supplied. you'll need to make sure it doesn't wobble around in the socket over rough ground.

one thing to keep in mind... where the power cord goes into the back of the nuvi is a weak point. over time, bumps can mean the socket in the garmin gets widened and eventually contact becomes intermittent. i've only had this happen after thousands of miles on gnarly tracks (and garmin just gave me a new gps!) so now when i put my plastic bag on i make sure the rubber band is placed over the power cord to hold it steady and prevent movement.



THE NUVI THREAD HERE ON ADVRIDER
for more info on nuvis, or if you have any questions about this setup, just go to the thread below:

Nuvi Threadfeast - If it's Nuvi for Autos - it goes here



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[mmod]

Awesome info, thanks. This is very helpful for a GPS dummie like me. I have a Nuvi 40 mounted down low on the bars pointing up and it was hard to see in the sunlight. I moved it up on the windshield so it points at me and is a lot better to see now but still lacks the ability to install a custom route. Was thinking about the Zumo 350 but $700.00 wow.
I'm going to look into one of these now. Other than the normal features of the car GPS the only other option I need is the ability to install a custom route. I don't think I need a 5" screen so of the one's you mention which one do you think is the best?

[davsato]

im currently setting up a 2595LM on the bike. it cannot be used with mapsource, so youre stuck with sucky basecamp.

also, you cant just put a USB socket on your bike, it has to go through the garmin vehicle power cable adaptor thingy. otherwise it'll charge up ok but go into mass storage mode and you cant use it as a GPS. (i think this is something to do with the lifetime maps)
this is my experience with the 2595LM, there are dozens of nuvis now maybe some are different

[Kafn8td]

Good info I appreciate it. Was trying to figure out how to add routes on my garmin 50LT today.

[Fudge]

The Nuvi 500 Is waterproof, the only one I know of.

[lvscrvs]

excellent post b1... thanks

i've been using a garmin 755t for the past few years... some random notes on this model

+ you can get them used for about $60 on ebay
+ it has an audio out jack... allows me to hardwire mine to my autocom and get turn-by-turn directions into my headset
+ takes custom routes --- i used to use mapquest (not to be confused with mapsource) to make custom routes and download them direct to my unit... more user-friendly interface than garmin's software, but now i am forcing myself to use basecamp so i can share routes more easily with others
+ city navigator shows a lot of forest service roads in my area
+ you can download mp3s and listen to music if you have an autocom type system to route sound through

- the screen is very dim, so it is hard to see during the daytime

[B1]

Originally Posted by mmod

I'm going to look into one of these now. Other than the normal features of the car GPS the only other option I need is the ability to install a custom route. I don't think I need a 5" screen so of the one's you mention which one do you think is the best?

i've only used the 1350t, 1390t and now the 1450t which are all 5 inch screens. i'd just get the cheapest model you can with the 4.3 inch screen, and of course make sure it takes custom routes. the garmin site will mention the specific features of each model.

Originally Posted by davsato

im currently setting up a 2595LM on the bike. it cannot be used with mapsource, so youre stuck with sucky basecamp.

really? bummer. i assume you have tried just saving the route in a gpx format on your computer, then copied it manually to the gpx folder on your garmin?

Originally Posted by davsato

also, you cant just put a USB socket on your bike, it has to go through the garmin vehicle power cable adaptor thingy. otherwise it'll charge up ok but go into mass storage mode and you cant use it as a GPS. (i think this is something to do with the lifetime maps)

correct. the setup i described uses the garmin power cable to go into a weather proof cigarette lighter power socket thingy. and the garmin power cable has a little fuse built into it (worth getting a few spares for long trips too, the fuses cost almost nothing). i have seen a custom setup where a guy bought an aftermarket fuse and voltage regulator "thingy" so he could hardwire to the battery.

Originally Posted by Fudge

The Nuvi 500 Is waterproof, the only one I know of.

yep, i had one of those for a while and being waterproof was very handy. it's a very small screen though but that can be useful if you have a small cockpit. from memory, the processor was a bit slower in them and i think you could be a bit more limited with how many points you can have in a custom route.

POSSIBLE OPTION TO USING MAPSOURCE OR BASECAMP
have a look at bike route toaster. it's a lot more intuitive than either garmin program to use. you can use google's sattelite maps so you can actually see the terrain you are crossing, very useful if you are way off the beaten track as you can follow visible tracks through deserts or even forests if you can see through the tree cover often enough. found some spectacular tracks this way.

if you register, you can also save your tracks on their website, handy for sharing with others.

uploading your file just takes a bit more work than hitting a transfer button though. once your garmin is connected to your computer, just save the route in a gpx format to the gpx folder on your garmin. you should then be able to start up your gps, import the file, then display it on your screen.

[GMess]

Thanks B1.
Made me shoot down to the Kluger and get out the 2455LMT I bought at Dick Smith only a week ago when the TomTom calibration went. I reckon $149 with life time maps was cheap enough.
Followed your instructions and got the diagnostics to record as .gpx but doesn't seem to be a way to alter the file size. Also found how to get the log to show on the screen. Will go for a run in the SUV later today with a son driving so I can fiddle about at the same time and see what I can do outside just using it as I had intended.
Basecamp recognises it but MapSource won't. Has ability to add maps but haven't worked through that yet. Specs say 100 routes and 1000 waypoints. I can drag a route into either the device memory or onto the microSD - any advice on how to get to that route?

[GMess]

Originally Posted by GMess

Nuvi 2455
Followed your instructions and got the diagnostics to record as .gpx but doesn't seem to be a way to alter the file size. Also found how to get the log to show on the screen.
Basecamp recognises it but MapSource won't. Has ability to add maps but haven't worked through that yet. Specs say 100 routes and 1000 waypoints. I can drag a route into either the device memory or onto the microSD - any advice on how to get to that route?

OK. Recording through diagnostics as a .gpx file works fine though I have only recorded a short trip so far. Was able to get that back into Basecamp OK as either a track log or as a route. To delete the log, though, I had to go to Apps/Where I've Been/Clear Travel History.

To find a route loaded from Basecamp I need to go into Apps/Trip Planner. I have been able to bring it up on the map on the device but it looks like it has been abbreviated. Need to investigate that though it might be because the route was an amalgam of a couple of others.

Still need to work through loading another map but, even running City Navigator, I can still work up a route in Basecamp and load it on to the Nuvi. I guess I can create one in Mapsource then import it into Basecamp. Not sure yet how the device will handle a route on roads absent from the City Navigator map.

Clearly a lot to learn but, for $149, it is looking like an option worth trying.

[B1]

Originally Posted by GMess

OK. Recording through diagnostics as a .gpx file works fine though I have only recorded a short trip so far. Was able to get that back into Basecamp OK as either a track log or as a route. To delete the log, though, I had to go to Apps/Where I've Been/Clear Travel History.

To find a route loaded from Basecamp I need to go into Apps/Trip Planner. I have been able to bring it up on the map on the device but it looks like it has been abbreviated. Need to investigate that though it might be because the route was an amalgam of a couple of others.

Still need to work through loading another map but, even running City Navigator, I can still work up a route in Basecamp and load it on to the Nuvi. I guess I can create one in Mapsource then import it into Basecamp. Not sure yet how the device will handle a route on roads absent from the City Navigator map.

Clearly a lot to learn but, for $149, it is looking like an option worth trying.

no need to delete your track log unless you want to. as mentioned, the garmin will just keep the last 600km or so in memory and delete anything older than that.

i have no experience with basecamp or city navigator. if you get stuck, you can just export your route from the pc as a gpx file, then place it in the gpx folder on your garmin nuvi.

re: maps, one of the good things about the expensive garmins is you can swap maps in the menu after you've loaded topo maps or similar. with the nuvis it aint' so easy. transfer your new maps to the garmin. then with it connected it to your computer, find the pre-installed street maps and change the name to something different so the garmin won't automatically select it (i usually just add "street-maps" to the end so it's easy to identify later.

then name your new map set "gmapprom" so that the garmin will automatically select this new map on booting up. it needs to be in the same folder as the existing street maps. messy but not hard once you get the hang of it.

[GMess]

Originally Posted by B1

re: maps, one of the good things about the expensive garmins is you can swap maps in the menu after you've loaded topo maps or similar. with the nuvis it aint' so easy. transfer your new maps to the garmin. then with it connected it to your computer, find the pre-installed street maps and change the name to something different so the garmin won't automatically select it (i usually just add "street-maps" to the end so it's easy to identify later.

then name your new map set "gmapprom" so that the garmin will automatically select this new map on booting up. it needs to be in the same folder as the existing street maps. messy but not hard once you get the hang of it.

Thanks Barry. When all else fails click on "Help" - with the Nuvi connected in Basecamp, right click on the device internal storage and then click Install Maps. Lets me install the Shonky full topo OK. I can select either City Navigator or Shonky Map in the map settings.

I'll leave it like that for the moment so it loads the city maps in the car. I'll look at sorting the renaming later. What is nice is that I can record tracks I take getting to and driving around some bigger grazing properties in the SUV without having to take my old GPSMap60 as well.

[B1]

yep, pressing F1 for the help section in any software is handy but hardly anyone ever seems to use it.

got inspired by an inmate's post here about just cutting up the black plastic from one of those document holders to make a shower-proof cover for the nuvi and also decrease the direct light hitting the screen. here is his version (he says its a bit mangled in the photo).




here is what i've come up with. just used double-sided tape but may get some stainless steel staples into it as a backup. the foam is to stop it wobbling around as the ram mount only provides a fairly small area of support to the plastic.



heading out for a ride with scattered showers today so will see how well it works. i put some duct tape over the microphone hole on the front (see pic) and the loudspeaker in the rear to reduce moisture getting in. i figure in very wet conditions i would just transfer the nuvi to the clear plastic section of my tank bag.

[Grinnin]

That "shower shield" above IS mangled; it was more rectangular when I made it. It hasn't recovered yet.

The back has 2 layers of plastic and the whole thing vibrated sometimes because of the small support that you mention. I added a layer of aluminum flashing between the 2 layers of plastic and it cut down on the vibration.

I have also trimmed the bottom corners back since that photo so perhaps it's time for a new photo showing all the pieces. Soon. (That'll also give me a chance to make all the parts flat again instead of warped.)

EDIT: I didn't mean to lie, but it's a piece of steel from a very thin 3-litre olive-oil can. You can see the reinforcing ribs . Notice the cut-away for the power cord to exit to the right. On the left, the piece of steel pushes the short power cord into the nuvi and I don't usually unplug that end, only the free end of the short cord.

For corners, screw-holes, and the slot I used a small gasket punch to make the holes. This plastic required a very firm backing for punching holes or it would split.



Now I get to press the parts flat before reassembly.

Thanks for the thread.

[B1]

update on the weather shield. just back from a six day adv ride over 2300km of mostly dirt. it definitely made viewing the gps much easier as most of the time it kept the sun from hitting it directly.

when it rained, i angled it downward but the air turbulence meant that drops of water occasionally hit the screen regardless. eventually there were enough of them to collect at the bottom of the screen and seep through enough to stop the touch screen working until it dried out two days later. so i wouldn't call it shower proof!



i think i'll have to lash out on the $80 ram aqua box below for rides i know will be wet ones. the only thing i didn't like about this case was i took it outside at the store and the plastic caught a lot of glare so will probably be hard to read in the sun.

[AJC]

Now i'm confused. Firstly B1 thanks for all your input on this, you've dramatically simplified what was, for me at least a fairly daunting subject. As a result I've just bought myself my first GPS, a Nuvi 2455LM and really started to get to grips with it all. I've managed to get my head around Basecamp, loaded the Shonky maps onto my device, plotted a route on Basecamp and exported it to the Nuvi. I loaded the route onto the Nuvi screen through apps/trip planner but here's where I've hit a brick wall. The route shows as a line with a series of flags but where a flag appears on a section that is 'off road' the route has gone and instead a direct line appears to the nearest road. I'm assuming its because of the 'auto recalculation' which apparently cant be switched off in the Nuvi. I've tried changing the navigation mode to off road which makes no difference and i've tried running the .gpx file through Ponikiller to unflag the route but then the whole route just disappears. So how do i get the Nuvi to just keep the original route?