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Purchased A Garmin RV 785 LMT-S Now I have Two Qu
All,
Purchased the above GPS for a coach, but I have two questions. First, I want to connect the GPS directly to the ignition. Is there a charging cable/cord that will work with this Garmin that can be connected to the ignition. I do not want to use the accessory charger that comes with the GPS. Second, I want to mount the GPS on the center pillar. Any suggestions on the type of mount and brand. Has anybody used Ram Mounts? Thank you for all suggestions and information.Reese Cantrell
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21 Replies
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Add information about your coach in your signature line. It will help.
Generally speaking however your coach electrical compartment should have a 4 position terminal block with 12 and 24 volt posts, key on and key off (full time).
Connect the GPS to the 12V key on post.
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Jon,
Thank you for this information.
Reese
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Reese … I remember one enterprising Forum member installed a four port (I think) 12 volt outlet receptacle (aka “cigarette lighter receptacle”) in (I think) the far front bay of the coach to plug stuff into like the GPS or a TPMS or whatever he wanted. That could then be wired to the forever hot or the switched 12 volt source … whatever your pleasure. I think that was innovative and a smart idea.
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Dick,
Thank you for responding to my question. Sounds like a great idea.
Reese
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I think the power cable is USB. You might want to consider adding a powered USB outlet and avoid the clunky cigarette lighter plug all together.
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Reese…
I think Jon meant for you to add your coach details to your signature.
Didn’t you buy a Newell Coach?
Cheers, Diane
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Diane,
Yes, we bought a 08 Newell Coach, but will be trading for 07 Marathon XLII in two weeks.
Reese
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Les,
Thank you.
Reese
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I mounted 4 receptacles inside the dash.
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Mike,
Thank you for the pictures.
Reese
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Reese, to your other question, mounting the heavy 785 on the center post wasn’t a good option. The post is too far from the dash and the dash isn’t a good choice on my right because it’s too soft for a solid mount, even with a Ram mount.
i mounted it to the left windshield pillar with a Ram mount and angled it to sit on the edge of the dash. Kinda renders the camera in the 785 useless. Used a small stand-alone dash cam on the left windshield next to the center post.
it would have been cheaper to buy a 780 and also easier to mount due to its lower weight and smaller profile.
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I’ll disagree with some and say that I had no problems having the Garmin GPS mounted on the center pillar. The wiring was run behind the post and it provided a clear view without a wire mess. It’s a very light unit and never caused a problem due to the mounting. This clip from the video should provide a better explanation.
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In the video, the particular unit shown was not a 785 but a 770 which is quite a bit lighter. My problem with the center mount was that in order for the unit to be stable while underway, it needed to be pretty close to the center pillar and that precluded my using the touchscreen because of the distance. If there was another way then I certainly would prefer the unit on my right side rather than my left.
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The difference of weight between the two is five ounces. I found that I would rarely (if ever) have to touch the GPS screen when in transit. Basically, enter the destination, set the desired screen features and glance at it to see the info.
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I use the touch screen regularly, so I guess it’s a personal preference. This is my install…
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