Maps & Satellite Navigation
Apart from in cities when we use live google maps, we prefer to use our Garmin gps for navigation. For some reason Garmin has no coverage of Ecuador therefore if you are like us, make sure to download the offline google or maps.me maps before entering the country.
Cellphones & Data
Sim cards need to be registered before use, as a tourist this requires going to a cellphone network provider shop and presenting your passport. It is a simple but time consuming process.
We chose Claro as the service provider as they had a shop in the first town (Huaquillas) after the border that we crossed.
3rd Party vehicle insurance
We were unable to obtain 3rd party insurance for the vehicle in Ecuador and from what we could establish there is no such offering.
Additionally we were never asked for it at any police checkpoints. Not an ideal situation but if none is available, then there is nothing you can do.