Updated Garmin Tread Review: 3,000 Miles / 8 Months II Polaris General 4 1000 [UTV Offroad GPS]

Interested in purchasing the Garmin Tread? Find it at RMATVMC

The Garmin Tread - Adrian gives our assessment of this navigation system after 3,000 miles and eight months of use on offroad trails, road routes and during overlanding trips. Our Garmin was paid for out of pocket (we received no discount or any money for this review!) We thought it would be a good counterpoint to assess the Ride Command system in our Polaris General 4 1000. We have had a love/hate relationship with this unit at times - it's been a huge asset but also let us down!

Throughout the last eight months however, Garmin has been releasing software updates. Did the updates solve the problems? What is the final verdict? Should you buy it? You'll have to watch the video! Let us know your thoughts and questions about anything we didn't answer.

0:00 Tread Review
3:15 Backup Camera
3:38 Unit Overview
4:28 Garmin Crashes
6:22 Home Screen
7:22 Maps
10:45 Birds Eye Maps
11:28 Settings & Preferences
12:40 Track Recorder
13:20 Route Planner / Turn by Turn Directions
16:00 Garmin Basecamp Routes
18:19 Final Verdict
20:31 Drone Footage

#polarisgeneral4
#garmintread
#polarisgeneral
#utvoverlanding
#familyoverlandcamping
#overlandcamping
#garmin
#garmintread
#gps
#overlanding

Instagram: @thenorthwoodsfamily

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[MikeLeathen]

Great to hear about WI and Black River Falls area. Subscribing to your channel for Wisconsin / midwestern stuff. Always amazed by how much there is to discover.

[chuckstonex]

Thanks. I just ordered the Tread group ride for our Can Am Maverick and the millions of acres of open BLM, USFS, and public land in around Alamogordo, New Mexico.

[johnalexander]

Thanks for the honest review! A lot of times, you only hear about the positives. It sounds like there is a decent learning curve to be able to use this effectively

[cardiocasey]

Good review. So I wanted to use it in my pickup also. And when I would try and navigate with my SXS profile it would give me crazy routes. So I thought I will make a different profile. So I made a profile for a car and it worked perfectly. So if I’m using in my car/truck I use car profile if using in my SXS I use that profile and it is great. Thanks for the review

[nickogara]

Just found your channel not too long ago, love what you are doing with the family!! I just sold my rzr and am expecting my 2022 General XP 1000 hopefully in the next month! Have not used the Garmin but I did want to turn you on to another option that I have used for a few years. Lifetime trail maps, can use on android tablet, one time fee and updates yearly free. I have used this in the Midwest/east coast and it is fantastic! I watched the entire Black Hills series and started looking on lifetime maps and they have all those trails and trails across the country! Just wanted to share as I have had great experience with their maps! Keep up the great videos!

[drexhawken]

Great job. Been wondering about this model and thanks for your info and insight. I’ll hold off and hope Polaris updates ride command better.

[RhinoOffroad-zqfh]

Good review! I am going to try one for my Kawasaki KRX so lets hope it is still descent. I AGREE ONE HUNDRED PERCENT about the way companies release garbage and "fix" it after the fact. Meanwhile people pay their hard earned money for something that doesn't work while many return it and never buy that brand again. Just not good for business but everybody does it now. Everything is always UPDATING. Discouraging but lets see how this unit does when I get it in a few days.

[travsformation]

Thanks for sharing, very useful insight and thanks for being a guinea pig for the rest of us!

This seems to be the general trend with pretty much everything you buy these days...they start selling them when they're about 80% finished and irony out the issues as they arise in the real world, with paying customers. Which honestly, shouldn't be the case: these aren't "early birds" getting the product at a discounted price in exchange for being beta testers...but paying customers who payed the full price for something that might not be fully functional until a year down the road.

This used to happen mostly with tech (especially phones), but is now pretty widespread in the automotive industry too (more tech in our vehicles...). It's hard to think of a brand/manufacturer that DOESN'T engage in this type of practices...

Anyway, thanks again for taking the risk for the rest of us and thanks for your invaluable info!

[reedembley]

I appreciate the info and probably have the faith and confidence to take a serious look at it now. Nice work!

[christopherholland]

I have the same basic device. What is frustrating me is what you mentioned on the video. The DNR and others post trail maps in GPX format. You're supposed to be able to use these GPX maps, but I find it practically impossible. The support at Garmin recommends using Explore website and/or the Explore App. I don't know why the directions recommends using the Tread App? The Explore website has web sharing, where someone else can see where you have driven and your supposed to be able to manage routes and tracks from it. I would like for someone to be able to watch my whereabouts in real-time, but I guess I just have to use Googles location sharing for that. I did end up buying the Map from VV mapping, that is a "hidden charge" above the cost of the Garmin if you ride ORV's. I haven't done any route planning yet. I like your video showing how to do that. Personally, I think all the unnecessary BS they add to an essential device is what is causing so many problems. I don't need my Map to play music. I don't need my Map to control my ORV. I don't need my Map to keep track of others. I just need something that shows me how to get somewhere. At least paper doesn't run out of batteries. What I do like is Track recorder which shows where you've been in orange, so you can find you way out. What I don't like is that the saved tracks go into some "Unorganized" bin, and their not separated like they were saved as. I do like the power down after external power is disconnected. I think the device has potential; I am just wondering if Garmin does.

[Newtrixracing]

Very helpful review. Your experience of Garmin releasing this product still full of bugs mirrors exactly my experience when I bought their 276CX, which was equally horrible. Eventually they got the software working, although the processor speed is way too slow if you are using BirdsEye maps, and I would like to know if the Tread can handle BirdEye without the horrendous lag of the 276CX.

[johard]

You guys are amazing. Been watching a few of your videos and really inspired to get out there with my family. Subbed for more videos!

[robert]

Well done I learned a bunch of things and probably will buy the Tread. Thank you for a good video.

[craigschroeder]

Thanks for the very informative review on this tread model. One question I have is do you ever wish you had a bigger screen?? I am planning on getting a tread model but not sure on what size of screen yet. I just use for snowmobiling with some SxS and use the vvmapping also which is a great product also. With this Tread from Garmin, I like the all the USFS labeled in also, plus the landowners.

[MarkGarciaOliver]

Great video, thank you! Keeping my Garmin Overlander then 😁

[carptender]

Thanks for the review. I have been using a Garmin 680 for many years and would like to get a newer model maybe the Tread or a Montana700.
I'm wondering if you have figured out what caused the unit to crash and was the loss of your "current tracks" avoidable? On the 680 the the current track is automatically saved.
I also use digital and paper MVUM's in tandem. I have for years converted PDF MVUM to IMG maps to use on the 680. Kind of a hobby. Having the MVUM included would be nice.

[CurtBauer-tt]

Thank you for the review as I just purchased the Garmin tread base. I have had the zumo 590 in the past but the charge port broke and I can no longer update the purchased maps. The tread comes with all the maps and was a good selling point for me. This unit is mainly purchased for snowmobiling. With the zumo I was able to search a hotel or restaurant, the system would locate it and then tap go, the route was set and I’m on the trail. This unit locates the hotel or restaurant, I tap go and it tells me “unable to route”. But, I am able to set a waypoint just before the restaurant or after it and the unit sets the destination. I’m sure it is a setting issue. I have all 11 preset maps on. That what garmin tech service recommended. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[directgrover]

Great review mate! Do you think the maps are good for dual sport motorcycle riding?

[AlarianDarkwind]

My main question is I know you have the polaris Nav as well, is it really worth an additional $800 to have a second Nav unit vs. just using the one in the machine. My General has been on order since Sept and I don't have it yet, so I don't have any experience with polaris's yet.

I really enjoy your channel by the way. As far as I've seen you're the only one out there with a focus on family riding. Having two young girls myself I am really looking forward to doing some family riding.

[Coolerfux]

Great video, could you explain how to get the vv sd card to work with base camp and the tread I’m struggling