I’d like to install a GPS unit in my TJ but want to know if there are any units (besides portable or hand held)that will allow me to record waypoints in addition to the driving directions. I’d like to be able to store waypoints to map a trail for future use. Don’t care for the portable or the handheld type as I’d like a little larger screen. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks to all,
Bill  

for your money it would be best to get a portable... or a handheld setup... but if you do some research then you should be able to find one that will plug into a usb port on a laptop and can be run from that screen...

http://www.thegpsstore.com/Laptop-PDA-Pocket-PC-Palm-GPS-C11.aspx  

I have a Garmin Trail Guide from Jeep and I have to say if you want a factory look with portability and a large screen I'd go with that one. I like Garmin because you can put topo and trail maps on it. It gives voice direction, speed of the vehicle, GPS Coordinates, time of day, turn by turn navigation, and locations of Jeep Dealerships, restaurants, and gas stations in the area lol. It's a little on the pricey side but you can find them on ebay for less then $500. It's nice because it's also hard wired into your electrical system so you don't take up a 12v outlet and it turns on and off with the car. It takes minutes to install with simple hand tools and you don't have to worry about taking it down and hiding it because it has it's own hiding spot in the unit or its small enough that it will fit in your glove box or center console with no problems and you won't have all the cords running all over the place. If you are off-roading it Garmin is the way to go because TomTom has no trail maps that I've seen.

Quadratec's price and info
http://www.quadratec.com/products/96098_800.htm

Trail Guide Installation PFD
http://www.quadratec.com/Assets/Installation/53355.pdf  

But will the Garmin allow you to record way points on a trail as you go?  I want to be able to lets say find a trail head, then record the trail as I go, this way next time I go I know the trail route.  If that makes any sense???

Bill  

Yeah you can record way points, pull up recent location, and set routes. The Topo feature is great and it has 24k Topos of all the major nation parks in the US and Canada.  

The best garmin in the market rite now is the Nuvi780. It has text to Speech as well as turn by turn. Bluetooth MP3 player 6 hour lithon Ion Battery. Intergrated traffic receiver; integrated FM modulator; Where Am I; and tons of other features.

The difference between the Nuvi series and the C series is that C series is older and out of date.

The C550 is a pretty decscent unit though. It has the txt to speech, bluetooth and mp3 playerGps Navigation System (I think it has an MP3 on it).Gps Navigation System It is not a bad unit at all but like I said it is kinda old. Will it still get the job done yes. I donesn't have the built-in traffice receiver though neither does it have the simulator mode that lets the unit play your route for you before youstart driving it.Tomtom.com  

The Jeep Trail Guide is a Garmin Quest2 not a C-series.

It has a 20 hour lithium-iom battery, 140mb of memory, can store 50 routes, has route simulation, and track back waypointing. It fits like OEM into the TJ or JK because it is OEM. It is a navigator not an all-in-one.

It is a good street navigator as well as a good hiking navigator.

Also, uses Garmin Topo maps. Plan your routes on the PC, download them into the Garmin and go. When you get home, upload your waypoints for any side trips and save them as new routes. No SD cards needed because it has a ton of memory.

Did I mention it fits seemlessly in your TJ or JK.