Water Resistant Garmins

 

I have been shopping for a water resistant Garmin for use on an ATV. It looks like Garmin uses IPX ratings. I gather that the higher the number on an IPX rating, the more resistant to water it is.

Right now I am still using my Garmin Nuvi 500. Yes, it does still work, but it has some limitations at this point.

I don't necessarily have to buy a brand new one. A refurbished unit or second hand unit may be suitable. What I haven't found yet is a good way to search for devices by feature with waterproof/water resistant/IPX6/IPX7 as a feature.

The other big concern is dust. With the current line-up, it appears at first glance that any of the Off-Road devices might work. That would include the Tread, InReach, Zumo and Montana. However, the inReach is a satellite communicator, so really it boils down to the Tread, Zumo and Montana. The Tread does look great, but it is a bit more than I Want to spend right now.

So, that leaves the Zumo and Montana. The Montanas are new enough that they are still pretty expensive.

So focusing on Zumos, new or old, what are some good/great ones? Are there any old ones to avoid for whatever reason(s)?

I would likely buy ORV Trail maps from VV Mapping to use with it.

I may be partial to a Garmin Zumo 590LM or 595LM because of the 5 inch screen size.

http://www.vvmapping.com/

https://www.vvmapping.com/orvtrail.html

https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/13424

https://www.garmin.com/en-US/c/automotive/off-road-navigatio...

https://www.garmin.com/en-US/c/automotive/off-road-navigatio...

https://www.gpscentral.ca/products/garmin/zumoseriescomparis...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Garmin_products

https://www.garmin.com/en-US/legal/waterrating-definitions/

https://www.jabra.com/blog/waterproof-or-water-resistant-wha...

I believe the ZUMO units are

I believe the ZUMO units are at least water resistant as they are meant for motorcycles.

--
Illiterate? Write for free help.

zumo 595LM at $500

I see a eBay listing for the zumo 595LM on eBay, https://www.ebay.com/itm/201548424704?hash=item2eed38e600&_t...

--
John from PA

That is the approach I would use

Box Car wrote:

I believe the ZUMO units are at least water resistant as they are meant for motorcycles.

I agree with this approach. Any unit that is marketed for use on a motorcycle is almost certainly going to be weatherproof to some degree. Garmin has the Zumo model and TomTom has the Rider model.

- Tom -

--
XXL540, GO LIVE 1535, GO 620

I have a Zumo 450 & a Zumo

I have a Zumo 450 & a Zumo 550, not much difference between the two other than bluetooth capability. I bought them for, and use them on, my motorcycles. They are most definitely waterproof, having used them on many rain soaked rides. They are both very old and still work fine, but the technology is old too. I find they have a little bit of lag and zero features like the newer ones have, but for basic waterproof navigation, they work fine.

--
. 2 Garmin DriveSmart 61 LMT-S, Nuvi 2689, 2 Nuvi 2460, Zumo 550, Zumo 450, Uniden R3 radar detector with GPS built in, includes RLC info. Uconnect 430N Garmin based, built into my Jeep. .

Zumo XT is on sale

$400 at Garmin (and other sources). It's rated IPX7. See https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/679804/pn/010-02296-00?gcl...

--
John from PA

Montana

I've been using a Montana on my mountain bikes for many years. The screen is a bit smaller than the Zumo 595 but the Montana is smaller and lighter. I also like it because it uses internal rechargeable batteries so the unit can be removed from it's mount and used as a handheld. It can also be wired to vehicle power if desired.

The screen size is important depending on how far your face is from the unit. I'm not familiar with the seat position on an ATV but for biking, I can mount the Montana on the bars about 18" from my eyes. At that distance, I can read the 4" screen perfectly.

My current Montana 650T has survived driving rainstorms and even a dunk in the creek with no water damage. Both the Zumo and Montana units are designed for this type of outdoor use.

Since you have more space to mount a GPS, on an ATV, the Zumo would likely be a better choice but the Montana could be an option if budget is a concern. There are a few used older 600 series units available on eBay for under $300. Refurbs are also a possibility but they are hard to find right now.

Water Resistant Garmins

John from PA wrote:

$400 at Garmin (and other sources). It's rated IPX7. See https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/679804/pn/010-02296-00?gclid=Cj0KCQjwh_eFBhDZARIsALHjIKf-IWc9NaRAQIHKN3H1F3fhLx1BzJ1P9p0vqYrnC8YKFsafty_wM0QaAmSREALw_wcB#specs

Thank you for the tip. I just ordered one. I was pondering the Garmin Zumo 595LM, either new at $499.99 or used/pre-owned at $400.00 on Ebay. With a slightly larger screen and compatibility with Group Ride Radio, the Zumo XT is probably a much better choice for me.

https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/705043#devices