REVIEW: TomTom Go Live Camper and Caravan sat nav

by Chris Jefferies
Bristling with features, options and clever tricks, the new TomTom Camper and Caravan model certainly feels like a top-of-the-range product.
But times are tough, and at £330 it represents a serious investment in technology that is widely available on mobile phones these days.
So should you part with your cash? To find out, CaravanTimes has taken this smart little gadget on a three-week test, taking in rural East Anglia, scenic County Durham and even some city-centre driving in Bristol.
Why get one?
When they first came out, satellite navigations systems were the pinnacle of in-car technology and a sure sign of a truly impressive vehicle.
However, with amazingly powerful smartphones and tablets saturating the gadget market, sat navs now have to do much more than just point you in the right direction.
With this in mind, TomTom has packed the latest Go Live range with helpful extras like speed camera alerts, weather forecasts for your destination (which can be a tad depressing!), and live traffic updates.
You can even sync this gizmo up with your phone via Bluetooth and use it as a hands-free kit, while truly cautious drivers can demo the route before actually driving it.
How does it help caravanners?
We tested the Camper and Caravan version of the TomTom Go Live, which comes pre-programmed with numerous points of interest that will appeal to the curious tourer.
You can even tell the sat nav whether you are driving solo, with a caravan in tow, or in a motorhome and it will adjust your journey time and route accordingly.
This feature erred on the side of caution, telling us to avoid routes that would have been passable even with a moderately lengthy unit in tow.
Verdict
There are many things to admire about the TomTom Go Live Camper and Caravan sat nav, such as its easy-to-use design, intuitive controls and firm grip on the dashboard or windscreen.
That said there are a few niggly drawbacks, such as the unnecessary reminders to keep straight on at almost every motorway junction.
It all boils down to budget and whether you will use it enough to justify the £330 outlay.
If you are an adventurous tourer and would make good use of the pre-loaded European maps then it certainly seems like a sound investment.
However, if you visit the same few sites every year then you’d be better off just relying on your trusty smartphone.
Click on the slideshow below to see pictures from our three-week road test of the TomTom Go Live Camper and Caravan sat nav.

Find more photos like this on CaravanTimes