Community Forums

B52Guy · 10-14-2016, 03:17 PM

Hi,
I've searched and found lots of discussion about parts of my issue, but nothing that really addresses my total need for a comprehensive trip planning software for RVing....I am looking for software where I can put in my departure, and my ultimate destination and have it propose multiple routes and stops within a bunch of parameters I would like to set (like length of each leg per day), type of parks I like to stay in, etc), and have it suggest stops and routes that will offer the most number of interesting sites that appeal to RVers.

Right now, I (really my DW...more on this in a bit) have to do this all manually, using about 5+ reference guides and work my through the trip day, by day, stop by stop. It all relies on me knowing what interesting stops I want to see, based on reading magazines, etc. Surely by now someone has put together some planning software oriented to Rvers that actually works.

One interesting possibility I've seen is advertised here: RV Trip Wizard seems to approach what I am looking for. I rely on my DW for our trip planning....and as I'm sure you know, suggestions and changes are not welcome after she has spent hours and hours building a route step-by-step, hour by hour. It's a lot like editing a video movie....you have to take hundreds of hours of video, spend tens of hours editing to get one hour of viewable video. I hoping some entrepreneur had merged some databases and mapping software together and made trip planning intuitive. Yes? Suggestions?

**JohnRR** · 10-14-2016, 03:23 PM

Since this is something that pertains to all RVers I've sent you a suggested move option to move this to the General Discussion forum where there might be more answers and suggestions forthcoming.

B52Guy · 10-14-2016, 04:33 PM

Thanks, I agree it applies to all. I know I'm frustrated with what is out there. Google maps is great. My "geepers" on the dash is outstanding...but man it is hard to plan a trip with today's tools. I know software writing is hard, especially when you don't really know what you want the final product to do and look like....but I usually know where I am starting from and a general idea of where I want to go....it sure would be great if something would pop up and suggest several interesting routes and stops along the way. If necessary, I wouldn't mind selecting, reviewing and rejecting a bunch if the program gave me good choices. Right now I have to rely on my memory and my personal antiquated "cut out and file in a folder for later" method...and pull them out IF I remember! There has got to be a better way, and I would pay a pretty penny for such a program.

twogypsies · 10-14-2016, 05:17 PM

We could never travel with such strict plans. During our 16 years of full-timing with constant travel we just shoot for an approximate ending place, look on a good state map and pick our route.

If traveling in the western states, the Benchmark series of individual road atlases are awesome. They stress secondary highways, not interstates and they mark highlights along the way, especially public places of interest.

We like to be flexible and stop when we see an area we'd like to explore more. Perhaps it would only be 50-100 miles down the road - not our day's ending destination - a short day for driving but maybe a couple days of unplanned exploring.

It probably wouldn't work for everyone since we don't do big cities. We're geared more for scenery and things of nature or old time history. For this reason, we could never do a tour where everything is planned. We spent the whole summer on a trip to Alaska and made only two reservations - one for the July 4 weekend and one for staying inside Denali Nat'l Park. We only made those a couple weeks prior when we could better judge when we'd be there.

We've never been unable to find a place to stay when traveling on a whim.

Now, if you're on a 2-week vacation from work it would certainly be different.