RV Trip Wizard to Google Maps

[CUTiger80]

I am a new user to the RV Trip Wizard program.
I have a question about importing my trip to my Google Maps.
I have no issue importing the trip and seeing it on my Google Maps app on my iPhone, however when start to navigate to my next stop, Google Maps seems to do it's routine thing and offer me options rather than using the "RV friendly" route that RV Trip Wizard picked for me. When I import the trip does it not import all of the turn-by-turn directions or does it just import the actual stops?
I have also noticed that it doesn't import the name of the campground or fuel stop, just the coordinates and sometimes, if I don't zoom in tight enough, it will not get the exact location of the stop (which has caused me to overshoot a turn to a campground).
Any guidance from experienced users would be appreciated.

[CaptainGizmo]

The problem is, you’ve selected an “other map provider”. Depending on your settings it will use Google, Apple, or Waze. RVTW does NOT send custom routing and POI to those maps.

You’ll notice it simply pushes the LAT/LON to the destination.

To get the accurate RV routing that is input into RVTW, you must use the RV FRIENDLY GPS option.

[CUTiger80]

Originally Posted by CaptainGizmo

The problem is, you’ve selected an “other map provider”. Depending on your settings it will use Google, Apple, or Waze. RVTW does NOT send custom routing and POI to those maps.

You’ll notice it simply pushes the LAT/LON to the destination.

To get the accurate RV routing that is input into RVTW, you must use the RV FRIENDLY GPS option.

Thanks for the response, but I don't fully understand it.
When you say that I have selected an "other map provider" do you mean within RVTW or in Google Maps?
Also when you say that I must use the RV FRIENDLY GPS option, is this something that I need to select in Google Maps or RVTW.
I'm very confused and frustrated by this right now. I'm not sure what good RVTW is to me if I can't import the RV friendly routing information to the map program that I use for guidance while driving.
Perhaps I didn't explain very well my problem because I'm sure that it must be a common one.

[CaptainGizmo]

Well, I apologize. I sincerely am not sure what you are doing. You said you can import to your Google Map app on your iPhone. Not sure how the heck you're doing that...simply from the RVTW Web app.

The process of "Sending to GPS" with the RVTW web app is horrid if you're trying to load it onto a Garmin or even importing it into a Google Maps layer.

What I am referring to, is the companion app to the RVTW web app, which is most useful for planning your trips. Then, with the RVLife App, your trips are automatically synced over. Very easy.

Not sure if this helps at all.

[Sue46]

The following applies to Google Maps also.


The problem with loading a trip into any GPS is that the GPS recalculates and does not maintain the integrity of the RVTW trip.

Our RVLIFE app for your phone(free) will maintain the integrity of the trip. If you download our maps you will not need a GPS.

I have even transferred a Google created map on my computer to Google Maps on my phone and it was completely changed!

When you transfer a GPX file you're not transferring a route: you're transferring a set of waypoints. The GPS machine, or the routing program that reads that GPX file will use its own routing algorithm to set up the route between all those waypoints.

[timjet]

Originally Posted by Sue46

Snip

When you transfer a GPX file you're not transferring a route: you're transferring a set of waypoints. The GPS machine, or the routing program that reads that GPX file will use its own routing algorithm to set up the route between all those waypoints.

Sue is correct, but there is a way around this. I do it all the time.
Export your RVTW trips to Google My Maps. You will see the legs you exported from RVTW on My Maps exactly the way they were on RVTW. As you know My Maps works with layers and the legs you imported from RVTW is on a layer.

You can add layers to display more info. Like gas stations, rest stops, campgrounds, etc. They will all display with your route highlighted in blue. You can even change the color of your route. What you don't want to do is add a driving directions layer. If you do then My Maps will use Googles routing algorithm and change your route.

[SeeTheUSA2]

I am trying a similar work flow:
- Create a route with RVTW, maybe with route shaping "stops"
- Export this to a GPX file suitable for import into a Garmin 890, all on a tablet (no Base
Camp)

Is is possible for RVTW to export a gpx file w/o tracks but with a named route with other metadata and a set of route waypoints, again with lots of point descriptors including l/l, name, description, elevation, etc?

I am looking into writing a little app to do this by reading the excel export file and writing a gpx, but would like to see it built into RVTW.

The workflow from RVTW (and its excellent trip planning) and a late model Garmin for RVs might be a common one and should be speed bump free

Tnx,
Paul

[CaptainGizmo]

Originally Posted by timjet

Export your RVTW trips to Google My Maps. You will see the legs you exported from RVTW on My Maps exactly the way they were on RVTW.
...
What you don't want to do is add a driving directions layer. If you do then My Maps will use Googles routing algorithm and change your route.

Yes, agree Sue is correct.

TimJet,

You bring an interesting thought(s).

Before relying last night, I double checked my knowledge by doing a direct export to GPX, then imported into into a new Map in MyMaps.

What happened was I got a hundred various line items; 3 different types as I recall.

I said, “forget it” and deleted the test.

I can see why you would want to use Google Maps to add you own layers. However, I think more instruction/experimentation would be needed in order to make that imported list usable in terms of “which” set/type of points would you use for navigation. Then delete to other. Otherwise, I’m sure my 42 day, 5200 mile trip would be a mess on my iPhone/iPad.

[timjet]

CaptGizmo,
The ability to use layers in My Maps is what sets My Maps apart form all the other mapping programs. But you have to experiment with it.
For example: I will download all the Truck Stops from POI factory.com. I add that file as a layer to My Maps. The many truck stops will completely overshadow the map. But when you zoom in to your route it makes sense.
You can also delete any points or rename any points you want. You may notice on the layer you can adjust the view by selecting individual styles. There you can change the color, the description and icon for each point, or delete it.

You can also uncheck a layer and it will not display but still be available for use later.


And to my knowledge My Maps is the only mapping program that won't impose it's routing algorithm and change your downloaded route unless you add a driving directions layer.

[timjet]

Originally Posted by SeeTheUSA2

I am trying a similar work flow:
- Create a route with RVTW, maybe with route shaping "stops"
- Export this to a GPX file suitable for import into a Garmin 890, all on a tablet (no Base
Camp)

Is is possible for RVTW to export a gpx file w/o tracks but with a named route with other metadata and a set of route waypoints, again with lots of point descriptors including l/l, name, description, elevation, etc?
A GPX file is a set of waypoints, it is not a track. I don't know if you can include other data.


I am looking into writing a little app to do this by reading the excel export file and writing a gpx, but would like to see it built into RVTW.

The workflow from RVTW (and its excellent trip planning) and a late model Garmin for RVs might be a common one and should be speed bump free

Tnx,
Paul

There may be a way to export from RVTW directly to your Garmin GPS but I haven't done it that way. I always go through Base Camp.

You can add POI's like campgrounds, Truck stops, rest stops, etc to Base Camp and have those also download to your GPS.
One word of caution if you use Base Camp. When you download the routes from RVTW to Base Camp they download into Base Camp as tracks and are exactly how you created the route in RVTW. However when you convert the tracks to routes the conversion will use your "Activity Profile" to modify the route. You can see the the original track as a gray line. You can then use the insert tool in BaseCamp to create turnpoints so the route will match the track.
So now you have the RVTW route showing the same in BaseCamp as a route. Good.
So now you want to download it to your GPS. Easy enough to do by using the Send to GPS tool. BUT the route you send may not be the one the GPS creates. Again the GPS uses the avoidance's you set to create the route, so you must examine it closely on the GPS to see if it's what you want.

[SeeTheUSA2]

Hi Tim,

Thanks for the pointers.

A GPX can have many things in it including waypoints, tracks, and more.

RVTW exports a gpx file with all tracks using trk and trkseg elements, and no waypoints.
I'm just looking for a named route and the waypoints.

Plus, I want to do this on my tablet w/o getting the laptop out.

The Garmin 890 allows a BT transfer from an app on the tablet to the 890 if it is a very well formatted gpx file.

So the workflow is: build route with waypoints .. don't care about actual routing, the 890 will do that, export the route from RVTW to the excel file which has lots of data in it, then to (some TBD conversion) , then as a gpx file to the Garmin app on tablet, thence to the 890.

Don't want to hi jack thread, so maybe I should start another.

To OP, sorry

[kruckelr]

Hi, I am new to the forum but have used google maps for years. is there a YouTube video that shows the process for importing and using the RVTW GPX file in MyMaps (google maps)