2015 voltage changes

[donzinger]

I like the idea of the second camera in the garage. The unit that came on my rig is capable of adding a second camera - for a price...I may look into it.

[Richy]

I purchased a 2015 Voltage and have had it for a year now which is long enough to develop a few comments as 'food for thought' to fellow Voltagers:
Pros
1. It holds heat extremely good in cold weather.
2. Fit/Finish on the inside is pretty nice.
3. The main TV is HUGE....:
4. Couch is very comfortable.
5. Soundbar attached to the TV is great.
6. Microwave is a combination convection oven.

Cons
1. The massage for the seats are not good quality. You'll barely feel them working.
2. The TVs are not Samsung, nor wifi, nor smart TV.
3. The radio is a basic Sony with hardly any apps (i.e., no Sirius/XM, iheart, pandora).
4. Garage of the toy hauler does not have heat. UPGRADE the AC in the garage with a HEAT PUMP.

[VCToyhauler]

The garage is not heated? I thought mine had a flaw. Yes I want this 'heat pump' upgrade! It makes the back bath unusable too at 40s or below.. Please send any more info on that if you have it..

[Richy]

I'll let you know specifics about the heat pump soon. It's at the dealership going through an estimate for that type of upgrade.

[hopkins44]

https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/prod...gallery-dialog

here is a link to a 50' ext for the camera. wondered if anybody is using this, hear a lot of people say its slow, or loses sig completely. maybe it comes with one installed ?

[hopkins44]

have a 16 3970 on the way, late feb..
when we made the order , we added the back up cam and GPS. i think its a garmin, but not sure witch one. hoping its the 760 since its the RV model... BUT none of the really new voltages to hit the lots are coming with that option ... and i just looked at voltage web site and it doesn't look like that is a option at all any more...

[hopkins44]

can anyone tell me witch garmin comes in the voltage ?

[sundancer 87]

Garmin GPS 'with' backup camera or a Garmin GPS 'and' backup camera?

[hopkins44]

A few months ago I saw a new voltage 3970 on a local lot. It had the back up camera option already installed. In the freezer was the GPS box. It also uses this screen as a monitor for the cameras. In this particular unit The GPS was a 68 LM from Garmin. This was confusing for a couple reasons. The price on this -$189. On the option sheet I filled out when ordering our new voltage it was an $890 option. The second reason I'm confused is the 68 LM is not an RV specific model .. That would be The 760.
https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/on-t...rod154163.html

This thing is pretty amazing. It comes with one back up camera already. And can handle up to four. It will do live traffic. Radar weather patterns. And is a true RV GPS. you can set your parameters like. Height. weight. Length. Even whether or not your vehicle is drivable or towed. It will route you in a way that avoids low bridges etc. not only that ,it has a list of 20,000 campgrounds. Dump stations. Fuel prices and even rest areas

[sundancer 87]

Wouldn't it be cheaper if the RV came with a backup camera and then you went out and bought the Garmin separately?
Mine came with a backup camera that I don't use. I'd rather look at the site with my eyes than rely on a narrow field of view camera. I do have a GPS that helps me get lost and I do use it.


Watching what's behind you while moving could be costly. Be about the same as watching a DVD while driving or texting. There are enough distractions on the road without wondering what's going behind you. If you are lucky enough to find a vehicle going slower than you and you get to pass it then the mirrors are your friend. They don't lose signal and are real time.


Do we really need more warranty claims? Some stuff on RVs are just fluff and really aren't worth the trip to the dealer for repairs.

[Thom]

Chances are in order to use all of the features like traffic, weather radar, fuel prices you will need to subscribe to XM satillite radio AND their add on feature called traffic link, thats the way it works in my truck.
I personally have never heard of a towable having a GPS, I don't see a need for it in the trailer. But wonders never cease in this amazing world.

[ATCguy]

The back-up cameras that came on most of our units is made by ASA Electronics, and is called the Voyager. It is a wireless system, with its own dedicated monitor. There is/was no integrated GPS with it. While handy & useful, it is a pretty crappy unit. I've already had to have mine replaced under warranty twice, because the camera itself is not waterproof. (or, at least, neither of the units they have installed on my rig are) Both times, the camera stopped working... and when looking at the lens, water could be visibly seen inside the unit. My 3rd camera, while it was still working when I arrived at my current location a few months ago, has water in it also.

This is probably why Dutchmen/Keystone/?? has apparantly stopped using them on new Voltage models.

Now, in re the Garmin 760RV:

I have that unit, and have been using it for over a year. It's nice, but it's FAR from perfect. It is a loose variation on Garmin's GPS for over-the-road truckers... using the same 7" screen hardware, and a slightly different software package. The only difference is... instead of a POI database that a commercial truck driver would care about (weigh stations, truck stops, depots, diesel & commercial tire service locations), it has a database suited more towards RV'ers (campgrounds, truck stops, RV service locations)

Yes, you can enter your height & length, but it could care less about weight. The mapping program is then supposed to keep you on roads that are navigable. Example: my total length is 62', with a height of 13' 6". If I turn on to a road that it knows has a low bridge, a low clearance warning appears on the screen. But the key phrase there is.. "that it knows". Currently, the database only has height info on major highways, and a very few secondary roads.

Bottom line... at times, it has tried to route me on roads that were "iffy" at best. And on at least one occasion, I've had to back up for over ½ mile to get off of a road that it shouldn't have routed me on to begin with. The caveat: those events happened over a year ago when I first purchased the unit. I'm hoping the updates have corrected some of those issues.

As for all of the other 'options', like weather & traffic and such... as Thom says, you'll have to subscribe to all of that stuff from either XM/Sirius radio, or buy a Garmin traffic cable. Traffic only works in metropolitan areas... and the weather isn't really 'real-time', as I'm told it's basically a snapshot of what it was 5 minutes before. There are better free apps for your cell phone and/or iPad which are much better... and, like I said, they're FREE.

The 760RV unit will accept camera inputs, but I don't have it... so I can't give any info on it.

[hopkins44]

it would be cheaper, yes. I was really after the camera in the garage, (dog, bike,ex..) . however, I could see the view at the back useful . not necessarily at the campground, but at least I could hear my wife. -she rarely stays where i can see her, let alone hear what she says. I was thinking more on the lines of "tight right" turns. I am 62' total and sometimes i need to move over into the left lane, to safely make the swing. this is ALLWAYS stressful , because i can't see if there is a car ( or motorcycle) 6'' behind me.

[sundancer 87]

Originally Posted by hopkins44

it would be cheaper, yes. I was really after the camera in the garage, (dog, bike,ex..) . however, I could see the view at the back useful . not necessarily at the campground, but at least I could hear my wife. -she rarely stays where i can see her, let alone hear what she says. I was thinking more on the lines of "tight right" turns. I am 62' total and sometimes i need to move over into the left lane, to safely make the swing. this is ALLWAYS stressful , because i can't see if there is a car ( or motorcycle) 6'' behind me.

Just like any good trucker, if anyone turns inside you run the tires over their hood. A decent motorcycle rider should have enough sense not to be on the inside of your turn. I know, that sounds harsh but my job is to keep it going down the road, it's their job to do the same. I can't drive for anyone but me.
Can't hear the wife? Two radios with headsets. I have a brand new pair, never used them but them again I don't have a wife either.

I haul a bike in the back also. I figure if it falls over it falls over and I'll deal with it when I get stopped for the day. Haven't dropped it yet as the Condor thing holds it securely. Don't have a dog anymore but when I did she had her own seat in the truck.

I think we can get stressed over things that may or may not happen. Not much room to hastily get on the side of the road pulling 42 foot of stuff. Too much worry takes the recreation out of the recreational vehicle.

I used to worry about blowing a tire on the scooter going way too fast but then I decided it'll blow if it blows at any speed. It is a pucker factor when a tire goes especially two up but I stopped worrying about it and just enjoy the ride.

[hddecker]

Originally Posted by sundancer 87

Wouldn't it be cheaper if the RV came with a backup camera and then you went out and bought the Garmin separately?
Mine came with a backup camera that I don't use. I'd rather look at the site with my eyes than rely on a narrow field of view camera. I do have a GPS that helps me get lost and I do use it.


Watching what's behind you while moving could be costly. Be about the same as watching a DVD while driving or texting. There are enough distractions on the road without wondering what's going behind you. If you are lucky enough to find a vehicle going slower than you and you get to pass it then the mirrors are your friend. They don't lose signal and are real time.


Do we really need more warranty claims? Some stuff on RVs are just fluff and really aren't worth the trip to the dealer for repairs.

Amen!

[lcv800]

Kinda like my rear camera. Don't care about the one in the garage as, like Sundancer 87, as my Condor is great, but the rear camera is great, especially pulling the Voltage thru Atlanta!
Rusty

[donzinger]

Enjoy it while it works. Mine was replaced twice under warranty and quit yet again

[lcv800]

I know. It's kinda cheezy, but it works for now. Once it dies, I want to find one that will integrate with my in dash unit on the F-350.

[hopkins44]

hey guys, can you let me know if this is something that came with you units, or something you've added ? are we talking about garmin ? if so,witch one?

also, wondered if anyone is aware or using the garmin range extension
thank you, tom

[sundancer 87]

Originally Posted by lcv800

Kinda like my rear camera. Don't care about the one in the garage as, like Sundancer 87, as my Condor is great, but the rear camera is great, especially pulling the Voltage thru Atlanta!
Rusty

I grip the wheel tight and shut my eyes and I make it through St. Louis each time. I do miss the turn off near the stadium but I am familiar with the cross neighborhood GPS route