RV Trip Wizard vs Good Sam Trip Planner?

[TwiggieMom]

Originally Posted by creativepart

One BIG difference for me - really the main difference that disqualifies RVTW is that I simply export my GS Trip Plan to my Rand McNally dashboard GPS system an I’m good to go.

But you have a max limit of 25 total stops (included trip start and final destination points) with GS, not so with RVTW. Additionally, as previously posted, magnification with RVTW really does allow clear view and routing through those spaghetti bowls and mix masters we all come across. I currently plan my trips on on RVTW then transfer (stop by stop) to GS, then usually have to do some fine tuning. GS does not always select the same route, especially if where you want to go takes you off the main thorough fares. DH likes the elevation feature in RVTW.

Ultimately, which one you comes down to equipment, program, and what is most comfortable for each person. All I know is that my pilot gets “kinda grumpy” if he has to turn around. For me it is RVTW, even if I have to do extra work to re-enter it into ourGS system.

[Born2RV]

I LOVE RV trip Wizard!! It's so much nicer to work with than the Good Sam one. Is there an app for your phone for the RV Trip Wizard? How do I send the trip to my Garman GPS or phone?

[WulfHaslett]

We are about to take off on a long trip, thanks for this suggestion for helping with the trip.

[Andy R]

Originally Posted by Born2RV

Is there an app for your phone for the RV Trip Wizard?

Not yet but we are working towards one. First a companion app tool (app) will allow you to access your trip from a native smartphone app (Android & iOS) and then later, hopefully, will be a full native version of RV Trip Wizard. The companion app should launch at some point in the next 6 months. The native version of RV Trip Wizard will take longer.

Originally Posted by Born2RV

How do I send the trip to my Garman GPS or phone?

Go to the Export to GPS section to learn more about that functionality.

[marcusf]

The transfer to the GPS does require some extra work, but does produce a complete trip using the Garmin trip planner app. We are on our way to AK and currently in the YT. We are using the app on the Garmin and I may post some additional hints from my learning experience as time on the trip allows.

[Sky_Boss]

Personally, I find the ability to export any trip planner to a GPS, especially long and complex one, is HIGHLY over rated. Way too often I find that the GPS routing vs the online routings can have differences ranging from minor to major. I've also found that my GPS routings are generally better in the RV mode than online versions.

I also think it is overkill if not (sorry if it offends) ridiculous to load weeks if not months of travel planning into a single trip. Imagine the number of changes that many of us would do fixing things for changes in plans.

Maybe it is the pilot in me that is use to "flight planning" some things early but the most important things on the day of flight. I also take about 15-30 minutes the night before or morning of each segment of a trip to review, refine as needed and then validate that the GPS agrees with my choice of routing. BTW, I do this for 2 GPSs since Sandee has one to follow along with and help navigate.

FWIW, more often than not, the GPS gives some slightly different routings in some areas and I simply use the "drag route" option on RVTW to make it agree with the GPS.

YMMV!

[rbr]

I agree with Sky_Boss comments and do it the same way he does. I’ve tried on several occasions over the years to transfer routes and trips from Streets &Trips, BaseCamp, and other route planners and it’s just not worth the time and trouble.

I now lay out my overall trip using RVTW and tweak it as we go. On the evening before each travel day I enter the next day’s destination into the two GPS units in the coach (a Garmin RV760 and a built-in Xite unit running Rand McNally’s RVGPS software) and let them each calculate multiple routes based on the preferences I have set in them. I then compare all the routes in the two GPS units and the RVTW route and make my pick. I adjust the routes in the two GPS units to agree and I’m ready to travel. The Rand McNally stays silenced and usually not even on-screen until I’m nearing some lanes/exits/features that are not obvious and want an extra view.

(Also at this time, I take a minute to look at the destination and any planned stops like truck stops on Google Maps satellite view to get a feel for entrance/exit/traffic flow patterns and parking in those places to help avoid getting caught in a situation where I’ll have to disconnect the toad to back up )

All that took longer to write than to actually do.

This all works very well for me but as Sky_Boss also said: YMMV.

[mikeannetta]

At least right now, RVTW is not a GPS. It’s a fantastic Trip Planner. I use RVTW to plan my CG, Fuel... stops and either imported manually each morning or prior to the trip on my Garmin RV 760. We also have another Garmin GPS ( one we use in our everyday vehicle), also loaded with next stop that I my wife uses in copilot seat. This way she can see where we are headed and find some quilt shops along the way that she can tell me is “on the way, just get off the next exit”.

The real fun is when her GPS says to go one way, and mine says another. We then look at time difference, check road atlas. If we still disagree, I tell her she can go her way, and I will go my way. One of few times in life I win! I have the steering wheel.

[IC2]

However good RVTW is, I find it hard to justify cost wise another 39 bucks to supplement other methods. I use the GS trip planner occasionally but generally know where we are going then do a Google or similar search for whatever is around the area, input it into the Garmin 760RV and off we go.

I don't bother with POIs since we already know what we want to see or do. Now, does this suit everyone - no and I do respect that. Since we started doing this RV 'thing' in the '70s, we follow maps and now the GPS. That GPS as most have found is not infallible. I often do some intermediate way points to ensure how we will go instead of the GPS often much further routes or being directed into the boonies --- or worse, in a big circle as has happened more then once.

[MikeGriffin]

RVTW is a great tool, and is my go-to planner for all of our trips and any caravan's that we plan. That being said, it won't export properly to the new Garmin RV 770 LMS-S. I've tried it six ways from Sunday and it just won't work. To their credit, the RVTW folks have said they'll look into it if I can send them some of the RVTW-generated export files. Note that I have already spoken with Garmin at length about the issue and we have shown that their device can accept files generated by other programs and by their own (unchanged in a long time) Basecamp program.

As to the main topic here, the differences between the Good Sam Trip Planner and RV Trip Wizard, I offer these as some of the key things offered in RVTW that aren't in the GS program:

• Routes automatically set for your RV parameters, avoiding roads and bridges that you shouldn't travel with your RV. The GS version shows the warnings on the map but you have to drag your route to avoid them
• Many fuel stop locations (like TA, Love's and just about every place you can think of) can be displayed on your route. The GSTP, at your election, only displays Flying J's.
• Trip maps and itineraries may be printed to a PDF and shared
• Trips may be shared with others that subscribe to RVTW. Great to share with your fellow travelers.
• Estimated costs of travel are computed, including fuel, camping and food. These are summarized for your entire trip.
• Elevations along your route are graphically displayed
• RVTW includes direct links for each campground to RV Park Reviews, so photos and reviews are quickly accessible.
• The maps in RVTW use Google mapping, which IMHO has more detail and look better than the Rand McNally maps used by GSTP.
• Campgrounds shown can be filtered by things like Big Rigs, Wifi, Swimming, 55+ and more
• Dump stations and overnight parking can be displayed on the map as POIs
• You can create a "driving radius" circle at a particular location to plan how many miles (or how long) you want to drive before stopping again

[timjet]

Originally Posted by MikeGriffin

RVTW is a great tool, and is my go-to planner for all of our trips and any caravan's that we plan. That being said, it won't export properly to the new Garmin RV 770 LMS-S. I've tried it six ways from Sunday and it just won't work.

...Snip...


Mike, try and download the trip from RVTW to Base Camp. Create just one leg in Trip Wizard and download that to Base Camp. When you import the trip to Base Camp, it is imported as a track. Convert it to a route and download it to your GPS. That should work. Make sure that your GPS, Base Camp and RVTW all have the same avoidances.

As a side note; you can download multi leg routes from RVTW to Base Camp, but Base Camp imports the route from RVTW as individual tracks.

I'm using Firefox as a browser and it works well for me. PM me if this doesn't work for you and I'll try and get it to work.

[MikeGriffin]

Tim,

I tried that very thing - and many others. I even got online with Garmin while I did it - twice.

When you export a track (leg) to Basecamp, it accepts it. However, after it's transferred by Basecamp to the 770 you only get a point, not a track or route.

If you have a Garmin RV 770 LMT-S and would like to give it shot, please do! Let me know if you can get it to work. I'm giving a live demonstration of RVTW at the Newmar Kountry Klub's International Rally this coming Thursday and would love to be able to report that this is possible.


Mike

[timjet]

Mike; a couple of things.

First let's talk about how Base Camp works with your GPS:

When you transfer a route you created in Base Camp to your GPS, the GPS only accepts the beginning and end point of your route. It doesn't look at the route at all. The GPS then calculates it's own route using the “Navigation set route preferences” you set in your GPS. It may or may not mirror the route you created in Base Camp. If you have carefully set the route preferences the same in Base Camp and your GPS then the route calculated by your GPS "should" be the same as the one you created in Base Camp.

If a route you are trying to create in Base Camp does not follow the route you want (say for example you want to avoid a road that Base Camp has selected) you can force Base Camp to follow a desired route by creating turn points in Base Camp.

If you created turn points in Base Camp your GPS will accept those turn points and incorporate them into the route the GPS creates. But what your GPS really does when using turn points is to create a route from the origin to the 1st turn point using the “Navigation set route preferences” you set into the GPS. It then continues to calculate the route to the 2nd turn point and so on, but again using the “Navigation set route preferences” for each leg - origin to turn point to next turn point to destination.

Now let's talk about how RVTW figures into this. Let me begin by saying I have not been able to export a route created in RVTW without first getting it into Base Camp. Garmin's POI loader is suppose to do this directly but I haven't been able to get it to work.

When you export a multi leg trip you created in RVTW in the GPX format and import it into Base Camp, Base Camp breaks up the multi leg trip you created in RVTW into individual legs and imports each leg separately as a track. You must convert each track into a route in Base Camp before you can download them into your GPS. If done correctly each leg of the trip created in RVTW will reside in your GPS as a route. Your GPS won't accept tracks.

A word of caution: If you used the drag feature in RVTW and download the trip to Base Camp, Base Camp will show the route just like you created it in RVTW. However the points you created in RVTW to define your route (by using the drag feature) do not transfer as turn points to Base Camp. So when you download that trip to your GPS, your GPS recalculates the route (as described above) but without the turn points because you haven't created them in Base Camp yet. You will need to go back to Base Camp and create turn points to get the results you want.

Things would be a lot easier if Garmin would put into their software an option to download a trip to their GPS exactly as shown on Base Camp. People on the Garmin forums (Google forums too because Google does the same thing) have complained about this but up to now nothing has been done.

[timjet]

Originally Posted by MikeGriffin

Tim,

When you export a track (leg) to Basecamp, it accepts it. However, after it's transferred by Basecamp to the 770 you only get a point, not a track or route.
....snip...
Mike

I mentioned it above but it bares repeating: Your GPS will not accept tracks, only routes. Base Camp accepts routes from RVTW as tracks. Before you export them to your GPS you must convert them to routes. To do this in Base Camp - highlight the track by making it active > right click on the track > select the option - create route from selected track.

Hope this helps.