RV Trip Wizard vs Good Sam Trip Planner?

[Jim513]

I'm mostly concerned with a route planner that will reliably avoid low bridges, lightweight bridges, bad roads, etc.
What's the best one for that?

[ScopesNC]

I use Smart RV route which is like using Smart Truck route for Android. It is a good GPS App for your phone or tablet ( use my Samsung 8' tablet ) and you can upload any RV Trip Wizard plan you have to it. It is not free but they do have a trial version. It sure is accurate and easy to use. Plus has great directions for which way to follow on multiple on and off exits. You do not have to stay connected to the internet.It is is always updating when it has internet access so your maps you download never get old and any routing issue are fixed fast.
Once you get used to it you may not use another. It keeps you out of the wrong places you can't fit and don't want to try. Lets you know ahead of time by 5 miles what rest area, truck stops and any other POI you list for your trip. You can adjust about all the settings to something you like.

Gees went to far with this one. about that. Hope you find one you like .

[Suzanna]

Thanks for the tip, I will check it out!

[Victory Blue]

Originally Posted by jturner9

I use Smart RV route which is like using Smart Truck route for Android. It is a good GPS App for your phone or tablet ( use my Samsung 8' tablet ) and you can upload any RV Trip Wizard plan you have to it. It is not free but they do have a trial version. It sure is accurate and easy to use. Plus has great directions for which way to follow on multiple on and off exits. You do not have to stay connected to the internet.It is is always updating when it has internet access so your maps you download never get old and any routing issue are fixed fast.
Once you get used to it you may not use another. It keeps you out of the wrong places you can't fit and don't want to try. Lets you know ahead of time by 5 miles what rest area, truck stops and any other POI you list for your trip. You can adjust about all the settings to something you like.

Gees went to far with this one. about that. Hope you find one you like .

I've looked at this app before but always passed because the website info says an internet connection or cell connection is required for navigation. Has that changed?

For true offline navigation I've found Copilot RV works well.

[Beowulf2]

I have used Goodsam Trip Planner for many years. The old GS Trip Planner was very functional in planning a trip. The New 2019 version of the GS Trip Planner is a joke. It does not have the functions of the old trip planner.

[Alan_Hepburn]

Originally Posted by Beowulf2

I have used Goodsam Trip Planner for many years. The old GS Trip Planner was very functional in planning a trip. The New 2019 version of the GS Trip Planner is a joke. It does not have the functions of the old trip planner.

The way I understand it: the company responsible for the old one wanted too much money to continue so Good Sam did not renew the contract. They started looking for a better solution and because of complaints from users, rather than not having ANYTHING available, they put up a very basic program until they can identify a better product.


Unless that has changed they were expecting to have a better product available sometime next year. Until then RV Trip Wizard is a viable option, as are other online resources such as Google...

[Beowulf2]

It is too bad that when something is working well for many RV'ers that greed has to enter the picture. Now since Good Sam had dropped the old trip planner I would how the owners of the old trip planner are adjusting to their price gouging decision.

[bsjones11]

Using the rv trip hazard, can you add poi items such as things to do and see?

[Alan_Hepburn]

Originally Posted by bsjones11

Using the rv trip hazard, can you add poi items such as things to do and see?

There is an extensive list of POI items available to select from - you can select any of them as stops. If you're planning on stopping somewhere on the way from A to B just select that POI and set it for 0 nights stay.

[Bsipe01]

Does anyone use RV Parky? I find it quicker and easier to use than RV Trip Planner. I like the circles on RV Trip Panner, though.

[Sue46]

I use RVTW initially since it encompases so much more that RVparky. I use RVparky and others to fill in campgrounds that I can't find around where I want to stop in RVTW. We all wish for the perfect program but it is not here yet. RVTW takes a good swing at it though.

[Jaro11]

So I just Change from good Sam trip planner to the RV trip wizard. It has made my life so much easier.

1. Driving limits:You can ask it to allow you to drive a certain number of miles or certain number of hours per day. The circles of driving distance let you know when to start looking for a stop. Does same for fuel based on your rig fuel efficiency. This feature is super helpful

2. Export Trip. It exports to excel, email, and outlook. Calendar. I did all that manually. Amazing!!
In excel tells all comments and costs as well as longitude and latitude.

3. Calculates and totals cost adds park cost and fuel cost per leg and entire Trip.

4. Let’s you filter campgrounds that show up along route. ( so I don’t see campgrounds that don’t allow pets if traveling w the dog! ) Awesome time saver.

5. Gives access to the site, “campground reviews”. Which is hands down the most accurate review site available.

6. Extremely responsive team. . The development team answers concerns in less than 24 hours.

I’m telling you they are on their game. Best purchase I have made. Now if I could just get it to export to Garmon!!!!

Only thing I dislike is seems every button I push asks for my location. Ugh.

[Sue46]

I am interested in your comment about the constant need for location information. Would you please clarify that, perhaps I can help.



Here are the instructions for downloading to a Garmin. There are 2 sets on instructions, if one doesn't work, try the other.


Transferring Routes from Trip Wizard to Garmin's Base Camp & Garmin GPS
Notes:
· Make sure the Drag Routes button in RVTW is not active (it must be white NOT gray) before beginning transfer or the last adjustment made in RVTW may not transfer.
· Trips in Trip Wizard can consist of several legs. If you transfer a trip consisting of more than one leg the trip transfers with the file name of the trip. Each leg is embedded in the file and will import into Base Camp as separate files one for each leg with the name of the beginning and end points. Legs download into Base Camp as Tracks.
1. Create the route in RVTW.
2. Download Trip created in RVTW as a .gpx file > Wrench icon > Download to GPS > Select GPX format
a. The trip will download to the "Downloads" folder with the same name as was in Trip Wizard.
3. Start Base Camp and set the filter button (at bottom of screen) to display "Tracks". Files transfer as Tracks not Routes
4. Highlight the folder you want the just created file to reside in.
5. Select File and Import File to: "file you highlighted previously" see above.
6. Navigate to the file (trip) you want to download located in the computers "Downloads" folder. It will have the extension .gpx. Select the file (trip) from the dropdown box and select Open. Note: Each leg of the trip will be imported into Base Camp as a separate Track with a different name; generally the new name will include the start and end points of each leg.
7. Tracks must be converted to Route’s before they can be transferred to the GPS.
8. Make sure the filters are set to show Tracks.
9. Select a just downloaded track and make it active.
10. Double click on the track. A pop up box will display. Click on the “Create Route” icon on the bottom of the pop up box. It takes a few seconds to create the route.
11. Make sure the filters are set to show “Routes” Rename the Route by making the Route active > right click on the route > rename
12. Convert each Track to a Route as above until all Tracks (Legs) are converted to Routes.
13. Each route can now be exported to the Garmin device.


__________________________To Export to the Garmin GPS: ____________________________
1. Make sure the GPS is connect and recognized by the computer
2. In Base Camp, make Active the route to transfer by highlighting it. The route will be highlighted with arrows showing direction of travel.
3. Left click on the “Send to GPS” icon
4. If a memory card is in the GPS, select where you want the trip to go. Press OK
5. On the GPS, Select “Where To?
6. Select the Trip Planner Icon
7. Give the GPS a moment to load the transferred route, you will see a moving circle. Once the downloaded route is displayed select the downloaded route.
8. If you see a note explaining how to edit - disregard and press OK
9. The route will display with a start and destination. Ignore this and press GO
10. A screen will display with 2 choices to select the next destination. Press OK and a screen will display with the route shown as created in Trip Wizard.
11. Press Start to start navigation

[timjet]

As the author of the above "procedure" to get your TW route to your Garmin GPS, in practice I don't do that for 2 reason.

1. It takes too much time.
2. You still have no guarantee that the route will transfer exactly.

The problem is all routing software in all GPS's and Google maps simply take the downloaded origin and destination points and create their own route between them using the parameters you set in your GPS. They essentially ignore all the work you did in TW to create your route.
If you use Garmin's BaseCamp you can however create turnpoints in BaseCamp to follow the route you created in TW, provided you created enough turnpoints to force your GPS to follow the downloaded route.

A better way is to create your route in TW and compare it to the route your GPS displays. Modify your GPS route on the GPS itself if necessary to follow your desired route.

You can also download your route created in TW into Google Maps by using Goggle's "My Maps", and as long as you don't add the layer "driving directions" to your map, it will display exactly as downloaded.

Several request have been sent to both Google and Garmin to allow a setting that will display a route exactly as downloaded, but neither have responded to those requests.