Can anyone help me understand this route choice

[JohnT54]

Hi:

I'm planning a trip up to northern Arkansas from our home in Texas. Our last stay will be (if I can get a spot) at Mt Magazine, then a leisurely 2-day stroll back. I didn't want to do Interstates if possible, but Trip Planner put me onto I-40 (attached Route 1) for what looked like a less interesting trip. I manually put in a waypoint along what looked to me like a more interesting route, and Trip Planner had no problem with it (no low bridges or anything) - Route 2. The odd thing is that my preferred route is shorter and quicker (if only by a bit) than the one proposed by Trip Planner. Why isn't it the default route?

I did try using the routing option "Avoid Highways" and that added quite a lot of miles by avoiding US Hwys as well, which I don't really mind. I'd just rather avoid Interstates when possible.

Does Trip Planner default to Interstates whenever possible?

Cheers,

John Thomlinson

[Camp CA]

I use the Drag Route function in RV Trip Wizard to customize my travel route by manually adjusting it on the map. You can do this as follows: 1. Activate Drag Route: Click the “Drag Route” button in the upper left portion of the map. Button will turn dark red when active. 2. Adjust Route: Move your cursor to the existing route. White dot will appear. Click and hold the mouse button on this dot, then drag it to the desired location. 3. Set Waypoints: The adjustment will create a waypoint in your itinerary. You can add multiple waypoints to fine-tune your route. 4.Deactivate Drag Route: Once you’re done, click the “Drag Route” button again to deactivate it. This prevents accidental changes. Do an internet on rv trip wizard drag function to instructions on how to use.

[OldBaldFat]

ALL trip planning tools have the same basic goals:

1) Least time on the trip (i.e. choosing highways with higher speed limits)
2) Most efficient route with the least number of miles, turns, back roads.

We can tweak the basic planning some with different options, but we never get too far from the idealized concept of a quick efficient route.

Enjoyable scenic drives are the very opposite of what trip planners are designed to do.

Now, having grown up in Arkansas, and driven many of those roads - the entire state is pretty much something automated tools like GPS units, Google Maps and such apps, and trip planners try to avoid. And I was driving those roads before I-30 was built, and I-40 was brand new.

Another important factor in trip planning is the WEIGHT of the RV.

Did some investigation on a route between the COE campground just east of Fort Smith and the Hot Springs National Park CG.

I'd have to search for the exact post to remember the numbers right, but a lighter weight camper in RVTW setting will choose to go south on US-71 to US-270 at Y City and into Hot Springs.

A medium weight motorhome will go south on US-71 to Greenwood and AR-10 across the state until it reaches AR-7 and then south to Hot Springs.

Over 50,000 lbs - RVTW sends the RV east on I-40 to Little Rock and west on I-30 to US-270 to arrive at Hot Springs from the east.

State Highway departments - the source of data used in much planning - have a weight limit on every road they maintain, and most county roads and numbered routes through cities.

They do not have such levels of information on most smaller roads for things about vehicle length or height.

======

Now as far as a trip like you are planning, I use Custom Stops to shape the route to my choice. RVTW gets the point after I've added a couple locations as waypoints and doesn't try to route me back to the interstates.

From north of Dallas, I'd go US-70 to US-70 in Decatur. US-71 at DeQueen to Fort Smith and then AR-22 at the state park.

I hope you know that sites are limited and smallish. The road up the hill is narrow, twisty, and even vehicles not towing sometimes have to stop and back up to allow on-coming traffic past.

Personally, I've stayed at the COE campground at Blue Mountain Lake and driven to Mount Magazine. However, without the RV and staying at the Lodge there is great.

[OldBaldFat]

RVTW is a TOOL - and somewhat picky about what information it needs, and how it works.

I recommend you turn OFF the Avoid Unpaved Roads. You will get a lot of warnings about unpaved roads because the driveway of the campground is not shown as a paved road in the database.

But it takes practice to learn how to use the tool best to suit your needs.

Make many trips using RVTW. Different locations and areas. What If is a great way to spend part of a weekend or evening.

Practice makes you better.

[Alan_Hepburn]

Every trip planning package uses its own algorithm to decide on a route - those algorithms are closely guarded IP but they all use some combination of fastest route, shortest route, and a hierarchy of road types. One criterion that most use is they will ALWAYS ppoint you in the general direction you want to go; if you want to use a route that takes you in the opposite direction of your genral trip, it can be difficult.

[JohnT54]

Originally Posted by Camp CA

I use the Drag Route function in RV Trip

Yeah, "Drag Route" doesn't work any better than it does in Google Maps. The dragged route always has nonsensical loops unless you get lucky and hit the exact spot on the road. For example, if you happen to hit the westbound lane instead of eastbound, it will take you to the next exit and do a Uey. And once that is in there, the only way I have found is to delete the whole thing and start over. Using custom stops is great, except that for no apparent reason it changes the route when you re-open the program and takes you on its preferred route with a massive detour to hit the custom stop.

I think something is broken in the routing engine - too bad, because it used to work well.

[OldBaldFat]

I don't use drag route.

I zoom in very close, right click, and add a custom stop. I can name it anything I want, even add a certain icon from those available.

And I put the custom stop on the roadway I want to use. Not try to guess if I got it close enough - which is what happens with drag route.

[DonR]

Don't forget those low bridges!