Community Forums

timjet · 07-02-2021, 07:59 PM

I've always used RVTW for trip planning and will download my RVTW route to Google My Maps. I noticed today when I exported a route created in RVTW as a GPX file, the export does not follow roads but rather shows a straight line between stops. So when I open the exported file in Google My Maps, My Maps simply shows a straight line between stops. I also opened the same GPX file in Garmin's Base Camp and got the same results and interestingly the displayed route in Base Camp was a route not a track as it normally should be.
Anybody else experiencing this?

Sue46 · 07-02-2021, 08:07 PM

Please send in a ticket to the Help Desk, we are keeping track of users that use Google Maps. The straight lines in BaseCamp I don't think should be, but I am not sure. I have sent this on to the programmers.

timjet · 07-02-2021, 08:35 PM

Thanks Sue, this is something new. The export process use to work seamlessly, but just today I started getting straight lines between stops both in Base Camp and Google My Maps.

Sue46 · 07-02-2021, 08:39 PM

This occurred in the latest update.

timjet · 07-03-2021, 05:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sue46

This occurred in the latest update.

I'm sorry Sue, I don't follow. Are you saying the issue I'm dealing with occurred in the last update??
If so I would think it would effect all exports from RVTW including to a GPS.

Sue46 · 07-03-2021, 06:19 AM

If you look in What's New a change was made for GPX to change shaping points to maneuver points. Obviously some unintended consequences. The goal was to improve GPS routing but you are saying Base Camp was affected also.

timjet · 07-03-2021, 07:39 AM

Yes Base Camp does the same thing, displays a straight line between stops, so ie not routing by using roads. Also I noticed when downloading a GPX from RVTW into Base Camp, Base Camp receives the route as a route not a track. Before it received a route from RVTW as a track. The reason I believe is a track has many turn points thus it forms a route aligned with roads. Now it appears RVTW is just downloading the stops with no aligning turn points. When I download a route from RVTW as a CSV file and open the file it too shows just the stops and no aligning points.

chriscowles · 07-08-2021, 11:02 PM

Does importing the RVTW GPX into MyMaps result in Google Maps following the planned route, including waypoints? Or does it determine the route on its own, not considering RV issues?

timjet · 07-09-2021, 06:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chriscowles

Does importing the RVTW GPX into MyMaps result in Google Maps following the planned route, including waypoints? Or does it determine the route on its own, not considering RV issues?

When you import a trip from RVTW and create a map in Google My Maps you are simply creating a map with a line showing you're route as created in RVTW. There is no driving instructions or turn by turn instructions. It shows the route as a blue line exactly as created in RVTW. However you can add a driving directions layer into your My Maps. If you do, My Maps will then route you to your destination using it's Google's routing algorithms.

chriscowles · 07-09-2021, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by timjet

... However you can add a driving directions layer into your My Maps. If you do, My Maps will then route you to your destination using it's Google's routing algorithms.

Thanks. I was hoping it included explicit driving directions generated by RVTW that included waypoints added by me to the route. Using Google's algorithm to route my RV can be risky.

gregoryd73 · 07-15-2021, 10:03 AM

Yes, yes and yes! I just purchased a Garmin RV 890 (expensive) and had been using RVTW with my Rand McNally RV GPS, and it worked perfectly, exporting a GPX file and uploading to the GPS. The new Garmin is not doing this well at all via BaseCamp. An uploaded "pre-planned trip" does not show up as a "trip", like the manual says it should. Instead, it comes over as a "few waypoints", and not even the entire trip. Also, the track is point-to-point and not via existing map roads.

I've communicated this issue to both Garmin and RVTW yesterday. RVTW responded immediately and is "looking into it". Garmin acknowledged receipt of my detailed email on how to duplicate the problem, but has not responded further. It will be interesting to see which company owns the issue, obviously a software bug in one of the two platforms.

Toad Hall · 07-27-2021, 03:39 PM

I just started a 7 day free trial of RVLife and RV Trip Wizard, planned out my summer trip - it really was quite fun - and exported it to Google Maps following the directions online (downloading GPX>importing to MyMaps>etc.) only to find the exact issue described here.

A lot of places on the map and a lot of straight black lines between those places. A nice low-rez polygon representation of my trip but not a route one could follow.

I saw an update issue started making this happen. Anything new in it being fixed? I have six days to decide.

Thanks.

jeffscra · 07-27-2021, 08:07 PM

I have experienced that same thing. I exported the File to my computer. When I open it on the computer in google maps it just shows black straight lines on the path I will take but not road specific.

Thanks

gregoryd73 · 07-28-2021, 04:39 AM

Try importing into BaseCamp (free from Garmin), then re-calculate each leg, then export to your computer. Other than the export part, I used this method to upload to my RV 890 and each leg of the multi-stop trip conformed to highways.