Nuvi 5000

The user manual is available here.
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/store/manual.jsp?product=010-006...

Garmin typically does not include a printed manual with their GPS units.

I don't see anything in the specs that would indicate that the unit has any special routing selections for big trucks. The specs only refer to it being "designed for RV and truck drivers and gives a big picture of the route ahead without obstructing your view. It features a whopping 5.2 inch display,..." And "Its sunlight-readable, 5.2-inch display is easy to read and gives you an extended view of your surroundings. nüvi 5000 also includes a composite video input so you can connect it to a rear-view camera for backing up safely."

Did you read somewhere that it had a special mode for big trucks?

And where you refer to the car, motorcycle, compact car, etc are simply the vehicle icons and don't affect the navigation preferences.

Okay, I thought when I read that it was designed for rv and truck drivers, it would have specific truck routes. My bad on that...I drive a big truck and when in New York City my magellen consistently trys to route me down streets that are not for big trucks.Up there you are not allowed on certain parkways. Thanks for the input.

Use your Webupdater to find all of the vehicle icons available.

I realize that you have a Garmin Nuvi 5000, but ALK Technologies seem to have a product marketed for the truck driving industry. Perhaps there are other products geared for truck driving, but I really haven't researched it much. The great thing about some of the high end Garmin units is that you can plan a custom route and download it to the GPS. Actually, you could even configure a route on the unit as well, but sometimes it is easier on a laptop computer. I haven't seen any of the other GPS mapping programs that have data like route weight restrictions, bridge heights, etc. http://www.alk.com/copilot/truck_lpt.asp

Here is a URL http://www.gpssledmaps.com/ for someone that have created trails maps for snowmobiling. Using some of the same tools, perhaps someone could create routes that could be downloaded to overlay on Mapsource or other mapping programs. I think it would be handy to have the ability to enter various parameters for big trucks. For example, during spring break up the program could take into account weight restrictions and avoid routes that are maximum 5 ton per axle, etc. Or if you are right at 13 feet six inches it would avoid bridges are at a 12 foot maximum height. One of the problems I see, much like any mapping software, is simply keeping the information up do date. In your specific case, do you have different places to go everyday or do you have a specific number of routes that you travel on? If you have a finite number of routes, I think it may be worthwhile to create the custom routes and save them on the Nuvi 5000.

The other random thought I have is about the use of the term "truck" nowadays. I am old school. I grew up on a farm and if someone were talking about a truck they were usually talking about something with a GVW of 26,000 lbs or greater. Now, living where I do in the suburbs of Minneapolis/Saint Paul MN, people are often talking about "trucks", but they really are referring to what I think of as a pickup. I have even heard people refer to average size SUVs as trucks! The reason I say this is sometimes I will see a products as being designed for trucks and then you read the fine print and it will mention Toyota, Nissan, and Honda "trucks".

All of the early press on the 5000 seemed to indicate that it would have additional routing options for trucks, buses and RV's. Since I haven't seen one, I can't confirm or deny that, but that was the scuttlebutt. It also doesn't have an internal power source, so it is designed to be more or less fixed to the vehicle, another clue that indicates that it might be more aimed at the commercial or heavy driver. Note too the connection for a backup camera, also aimed at larger vehicles.

I bought a NUVI 5000 to replace a StreetPilot 2720. Mostly I wanted the larger screen.

I am on a 3000 mile RT to the west from Orlando and wish I had brought my 2720. I have had problems with POIs and routing.

When searching for POIs, the unit does not seem to understand what along my current route means and displays search results off route, sometime way off. Like in Jacksonville, when I am traveling west near Destin.

The unit seems to prefer circular routes and sometimes tries to route me to a previous destination.

The voice commands don't match what is on the display. Voice directs a right turn while display shows left.

Today, while on I10 near Tucson, AZ the map disappeared. The other functions worked (voice commands, distance to turn) but, no map display.

All NUVIs have a menu, Settings/Navigation/Vehicle that allows you to select "Truck" or "Bus". When routing using these settings, you'll be traveling on wider roads that are more suited for large vehicles.

The Nuvi 5000 doesn't seem to have those options unless they are hidden somewhere. Settings/Navigation only has Route Preference, Avoidances, and Prompted Detour as options.

Yes, that's correct. It doesn't currently have those options.

Motorcycle Mama,

When you say It doesn't currently have those options, are you implying it will?

I did the same thing you did. My 680 speakers kept going out so I thought i bought the newest model with truck routes. I called the Garmin tech yesterday and he said the only way I could get truck routes, bridges and weights etc., was to check out the POI's by other users online that are linked to the garmin site. He said that Garmin was staying away from installing trucking routes and info in their units in the future. He didn't say why just that the only units with trucking on them are the 300 & 600 models.

No. I have no idea. But it's always possible that Garmin could add those features in the future since they already exist in the firmware of other units.

I would never rely on GPS routing for driving a big truck. Too many variables such as low over passes, cities are always changing what roads you can drive on etc.. It would be nice to have as a back up for bad directions from the consignee. I have had that happened to me a few time in chicago with a 53 spread axle step deck. Not too fun. ended up having chicagos finest back me out of a street.

I just got the nuvi 5000 to replave my nuvi 200w the only thing that is a big difference between the two is that with the nuvi 5000 you get msn or fm traffic updates with it and the 200w you don't but i do like the big screen on it lol ( it is like having a 52 tv)

nuvi 5000 & 200w

Hello.. saw on a gps web site that you had purchased the garmin 5000. I am considering buying that same unit and was wondering if you are happy with it.. by that I mean does it lock onto a satellite quickly? How's the voice quality? I appreciate your help..

Roland