Verdict
I really enjoyed using the Garmin Camper 1095: I particularly liked the clear, detailed mapping, the voice assistance, the campsite directory and the Birdseye viewing facility. Yes, it’s expensive – and if you’ve got a smaller ‘van, you might feel as though it takes up too much space in your cab – but thanks to the wireless updates from its Wi-Fi connectivity, it’ll be kept bang up to date, to be your on-road guide for many years to come.
Pros
- Large, clear screen is easy to use
- Lots of handy features
Cons
- Screen might feel a bit big in smaller campervans
Motorhome sat-navs have come a long way over the past few years. It used to be that they simply offered guidance suitable for larger vehicles, but over time they’ve become ever more comprehensive in their features, with the best motorhome sat nav models giving you the chance to locate campsites, great places nearby, see live traffic updates and much more.
That’s where Garmin comes in – it’s a big, well-respected name in the sat-nav market, and its Camper line-up is held in high regard; it has been a regular winner at the Practical Motorhome Awards in recent years.
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I was keen to get to grips with the latest iteration of the Garmin Camper 1095, which is a sat-nav specifically designed for those who are driving a motorhome or campervan. It’s the biggest model in Garmin’s Camper range, with a 10-inch screen – 8” and 7” units are also available.
Straight out of the box it’s clear just how big the 1095 feels. It’s solid and, at more than half a kilogram in weight, feels reassuringly sturdy.
I found affixing the Garmin Camper 1095 to the windscreen easy, thanks to its well-designed suction-and-magnetic-mount system. I used the screen horizontally, but it can also be used vertically.
The box also contains a screw-down mount, an adhesive dashboard disc and a 1” ball adapter, for other mounting options, as well as the power cable (which fits into your vehicle’s 12V socket), a USB cable and a clear instruction manual.
I took our long-term test Bailey Adamo 75-4I motorhome – which is 7.5m long – out for a spin using the Camper 1095 as my guide, and from the off I was impressed with the larger screen. Its 8.5” x 5.3” high-resolution display proved bright and very easy to see, and the touchscreen felt very responsive.
Entering your vehicle’s dimensions – including weight – is one of the first steps, and I found adding the Bailey’s height, length and width very straightforward.
The unit was quick to calculate my route and didn’t send me down any narrow or weight-restricted roads – I felt very confident using it. An inbuilt system also warns against sharp curves and gradients, so you can be better prepared when driving a larger, heavier vehicle.
So it got me from A to B safely, but I was also impressed with its many other features. For starters, it’s ideal for those who like to take the ferry or Eurotunnel, as there’s full European mapping, so it’s ready for Continental driving whenever you are.
One feature that I found particularly useful was the Birdseye imagery, which allows you to see aerial imagery as you arrive at your campsite. I thought this was really handy for helping you visualise and plan your route, helping to make your arrival at one of the best campervan sites as stressfree as possible.
Elsewhere on the features list is Route Overview, so you can see your full journey alongside directions; environmental zone routing to help you avoid unnecessary fines; Garmin voice assist; a preloaded Michelin Green guide; and a setting that offers guidance on suggested road trips, which could be ideal for lovers of best UK road trips – I found all of these simple to use.
Most handy for motorhomers, though, will be the comprehensive and detailed directory of campsites and stopover points from ACSI, Campercontact and Trailer’s PARK – it’s easy to filter these by the facilities you need, then quickly set the sat-nav to give directions.
Finally, if you have the free Garmin Drive app and associate account on your phone (both iPhone and Android versions are available), you can pair the 1095 with your device. This will allow you to see the weather on your journey ahead, share routes, get live fuel prices and see messages from your phone on the sat-nav screen. Usefully, if you’re thinking of buying the best dash cam for a motorhome and opt for a Garmin product, you can connect it to the 1095, as well as to selected reversing cameras or a Garmin digital switch box.
Spec of the Garmin Camper 1095
- Dimensions: 24.5 x 15.4 x 2.1 cm
- Display type: 10.1″ wide view IPS, colour TFT, with on-lens capacitive touch panel
- Display Resolution: 1280 x 800 pixels
- Battery type: Rechargeable lithium-ion
- Battery life: Up to two hours
- Internal storage: 32GB
- Storage capacity: microSD card (not included)
Features include: Custom routing, gradient/curve warnings, full European mapping, Birdseye aerial imagery, Roadtrip routes, campsite directories, environmental zone routing, voice assist, wireless updates, live traffic and weather, live fuel prices, Michelin Green Guide, Trendy Places feature.
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