4C Nav Map Activation & Update Fees?

[Sloneranger]

Hi, My Laramie is on order with delivery expected around the end of the year. Perhaps it will be under the tree for Christmas? I have searched in vain for definitive information on the cost of setting up and maintaining its "4C Nav" Uconnect 8.4 inch system. My dealer has not been much help. It appears that older vervions of Uconnect Nav had a $595 Activation Code fee that may not apply to the 4C Nav version. The Uconnect website is not very helpful as it seems to include a confusing (to me) mixture of information on old and new versions of Uconnect and Nav. So, below are my 5 questions. Thanks in advance for reading this far and answering my query. Richard
1. Does Uconnect with 4C Nav have any initial activation or monthly fees?
2. Are 4C Nav Map updates free?
3. Is "Uconnect Access" (and it's subscription fee) no longer applicable?
4. Does the RAM Toolbox app supercede the Uconnect Access and Uconnect apps?
5. Is the only cost of enabling the Wi-Fi Hotspot feature $20/mon, or do I need Sirius XM Guardian or some other fee option?

 

[VaderRebel]

Your sales team is either not understanding your question or completely incompetent.

There is no start up fee if you order the 8.4 with Nav.

Depending on your trim and luxury level, XM Guardian is free for 5 years and includes remote connect.

WiFi is included with Guardian which is an updated system for 2019, but owners are having success with the new Guardian app and the older Uconnect app, both do the same thing.

Any other questions can be answered on the Uconnect website.

My royalty cheque better be in the mail, @RamCares !

 

[Chris]

Some corrections based on my understanding:

1. 4C with Nav is an option that must be selected during the initial build (or included with the trim package); it is an entirely different screen and radios, but their is no additional fee beyond the cost of the radio option itself to activate the Navigation in the truck.

2. The Navigation will work indefinitely with no fees, though some features may require a Sirius subscription like traffic and weather updates; not sure if the map updates itself, but that may also only occur with an active subscription.

3. The Guardian subscription is one tier of the Sirius service that includes remote cell phone start, but it is only included for free for the first year. After that, it is something like $300 a year. I’m not sure you would need this level for just live map information and updates, so a cheaper level may be more suitable at that time.

4. The radio can support WIFI, but is not included. That is a separate fee for cell service to provide the connection, and actual cost depends on amount of data similar to any other cell phone plan.


The Sirius Guardian service is independent of WIFI, and only covers the truck’s connection to the cell service for the purposes of the Guardian features. Any phone using the app to access these features needs its own independent connection to the internet. Note that since this service is dependent on both the truck and the phone having a good cellular/internet signal, many people experience issues using the app when the truck cannot get a good signal and thus cannot be contacted for the remote commands.

 

[VaderRebel]

 

[Chris]

So, Guardian for 1 year, Traffic and Travel Link for 5 years.

The fact that “GPS Navigation” is on a separate line without a length limit though doesn’t answer whether it includes map updates, or whether map updates are part of one of the other subscriptions.

 

[19RAMSRU]

It is my understanding if you just get an android car play 8.4 UCONNECT you can pay an activation fee and get nav on your non-navigation Uconnect system like the 8.4 4c nav from factory?

 

[Chris]

It is my understanding if you just get an android car play 8.4 UCONNECT you can pay an activation fee and get nav on your non-navigation Uconnect system like the 8.4 4c nav from factory?

That was 4th Gen; in 5th Gen, the non-nav radios are incompatible with Nav and cannot be upgraded via software to add Nav according to Ram.

 

[19RAMSRU]

That was 4th Gen; in 5th Gen, the non-nav radios are incompatible with Nav and cannot be upgraded via software to add Nav according to Ram.

My dealer confirmed as well. Android Auto is pretty sweet I must say!

 

[Chris]

My dealer confirmed as well. Android Auto is pretty sweet I must say!

Yup, I find Waze when cell service is decent and Google Offline Maps when it is not are both much better than uConnect Nav. For me, the uConnect Nav is only there for peace of mind in case my phone is lost or broken.