Community Forums

Dennis Dean · 05-17-2016, 07:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tim myers

Wow, must be my long lost Brother, Fellow Aviator, Engineer and PM

LOL Tim

TonyDi · 05-17-2016, 07:27 AM

I plan enough that I am not just driving around in the wilderness. However, it is nice to explore, especially when you come across an area that is unexpected, and I want to spend more time there.
While I do make reservations at CGs I also allot extra time for the trip. Most CGs don't care if we happen to arrive a day early, because we didn't use up the travel time.

Dennis Dean · 05-17-2016, 07:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stealth01

Being a retired aerospace engineer I actually do enjoy it... Guess I better not bring up my "Moving Map Weather Radar" display that we use while underway...

Another "In Flight Planning Tool"!

Hey Stealth, nice weather app. (is the display unit special or just an application? and what are you using? WSI pilot?) I am starting to look at some different ways to have real time weather for display. The recent number of CG parks effected by weather in the news has me wanting to be a bit more vigilant at watching the weather during trips. Don't want to be overly cautious but I would rather leave a CG if I felt the weather was truly going to be damaging then "ride" it out. We have had a few RV's blown over here this spring during storms, some just straight line winds, some as tornado crossing major interstate. Spring travel is not to be taken lightly here lately. I bet the people in Maine are wondering what the heck is going on as they wake up to Snow in their CG.

sbleiweiss · 05-17-2016, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wildtoad

Exactly why I book well ahead. Just made several reservations for a two week trip in December. Biggest risk is something comes up and have to eat cancellation fees. We don't do parking lots.

X2 Just makes me feel better.

Johnitis · 05-17-2016, 11:32 AM

Lol!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stealth01

Guess I better not bring up my "Moving Map Weather Radar" display that we use while underway... Another "In Flight Planning Tool"!

Johnitis · 05-17-2016, 11:40 AM

That said, if we're taking a cruise or flying somewhere, I always find myself 'over-researching' a destination before we leave home. In most of those cases, especially on cruise ports-of-call, we never wind up doing anything that I researched.

SpaceNorman · 05-17-2016, 07:32 PM

Like most things - for me the answer is "it depends". I usually makes plans in terms of my destination, the general route I plan to take to get there and if overnight stops along the way are appropriate - where those will be. For the most part - I make campground reservations in advance. How far in advance depends on the area we're visiting, the time of the year, how important it is for me to get a site in a particular campground.

I use a variety of tools to help plan our trips. Google Maps is my preferred route planning tool. I use Allstays, RV Parky and Google to identify campgrounds in the areas we'll be staying in.

Finally, I use Microsoft OneNote to organize and gather all our trip planning info together. I love that I can pull together and organize everything associated with our trip plans (a high level itinerary, route information, links to websites of the campgrounds we intend to stay at, copies of campground confirmation emails, links to attractions we intend to visit, etc.) in an easy to flexible electronic format that is easy to assemble, easy to navigate and easy to share across multiple platform (i.e, I create it on my laptop ... but store it on OneDrive where it's shared by both of us on our iPhones and iPads).

JumboJet · 05-17-2016, 07:50 PM

Not a full timer but absolutely a trip planner. I book reservations ahead and pay ahead except for the multiple day stays where they only require a one day deposit.

We have a 16 day trip coming up and I plan the miles per day when we are traveling, rest stops, fuel stops, and RV parks.

I use Street Atlas USA for mapping and a Garmin for following. I will deviate from the trip plans and leave time available for stops at interesting sights, etc.

Our trips have a planned destination and recreation when we arrive.

At another time and another place, we may just hit the road and follow the wind at our backs.

koda59 · 05-17-2016, 08:32 PM

Each year my DW tells me at least two places she would like to see and when she would like to go. That does not include our yearly trip to Biloxi, MS. I then look and see if they have a campground close that we will fit in. If they do I will go ahead and make reservations. I figure how long it will take to get there, where to fuel "update before we leave" and where we will stop every hour or so to let the fur babies to get out and do their business or just to stretch, where we will spend the night, and where we will stop for lunch. Other than that we just wing it.

Ludmilla · 05-17-2016, 08:36 PM

We plan in great detail BUT we are flexible during the trip. We know there are many things that will change during a long trip. On our last long trip, we were supposed to come home from Pensacola through San Antonio but I-10 was closed due to flooding. We had to change the route home. Smart phones and computers are a life saver.

Dutch Star Don · 05-17-2016, 08:43 PM

It depends.....some trips we just loosely plan. We like visiting the Oregon and Washington State area every couple of years. If we go by ourselves, we plan to be gone for two weeks, but won't make any particular plans to be somewhere on a certain date. That often changes if we go with someone else. Having two rigs makes it a little more difficult to find campgrounds on short notice.

We're doing a 9 week coast to coast starting August, with another couple. We have actually planned where we will be everyday, including the best campgrounds in each town. We won't book them until were a few days out, but a holiday weekend falls in the middle of the trip and we already booked sites for that weekend. Since we'll be in DC and want to tour the White House and the Pentagon, we need to preplan those days.

Often it's nice to have no plans and just bang around, but when you travel with another couple, it's harder to do.

Coma · 05-18-2016, 03:23 PM

I'm also a retired Aviator. Although educated as an Engineer, I never practiced.

Two things that are now ingrained at the DNA level, never ever run out of fuel and never be without a place to land. So you guessed it, I plan fueling and overnights. Some parks run out of 70' plus length sites quickly and fueling stops have occasional glitches. This way i can travel relaxed. I also track weather along the route as an RV is not the place to be in a tornado.

That all said, plans rarely survive contact with reality. We once had to change route form I65 to I77 to avoid severe weather, it was easy peasy 'cause id already done the research.

I use Wunderground for weather, they have a scientific discussion which offers greater insight than just a forecast. I use google maps for routing as well as KOA, FMCA and Good Sam for overnights. I never plan to stay at parking lots. Why? Threats has to have 3 elements, means, opportunity and intent. The only one you can control is opportunity. Staying in a parking lot negates that.

Has anyone tried the new planning tool that the FMCA has offered?