what routing program/app do you use?

jbrosecity · 04-22-2018, 06:00 PM

So for as long as we have been traveling I have yet to find the perfect software or app to use for daytripping. We tow my MG sportscar in its enclosed travel trailer behing the motorhome sometimes and like to do back roads cruising. I am not talking about just mapping travel from point A to B on your GPS. We do that all the time. And with our garmin or dash GPS it allows us to "Add location to current route". But I would like to find something that is as flexible as google mapping where you can map out a route, adding multiple waypoints and dragging the route off the main road to take some fun side roads or back roads. Presently I do exactly that and then print the map as a PDF but that is only marginally useful... we still have to input the various waypoints one by one into the iphone or ipad or garmin so they will talk you thru the route. And it is painstaking to have to drill down deep enough in google maps to find actual addresses on the side roads you drag over to, otherwise the ipad/iphone will just take the most expedient route, rather than the most interesting. There must be some app you can map out an interesting back roads driving route on that will then talk you through the twists and turns. Used to be you could map it all out on google and then port that exact route over to the garmin, but they don't do that any more and want you to use Garmin Basecamp which ridiculously complicated and annoying to use. I would gladly buy any other GPS out there which would import a google map or similarly permit detailed custom routing. What are others using?

formerFR · 04-22-2018, 06:06 PM

I use google maps exclusively, and have never used the typical 'gps' devices, they drive me batty! I want something flexible, on the fly, and easy to use... you can even 'talk' to it, or it can 'talk' to you...
I do like that on my laptop I can move the mapped roads to a different route, but I can get around that on my iPhone by adding another 'point' somewhere on the route/road I'd rather take.

It's not perfect, but it does the job.

The only better option I can think of is if someone could read my mind while driving : )

MontyPP · 04-24-2018, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by formerFR

I use google maps exclusively, and have never used the typical 'gps' devices, they drive me batty! I want something flexible, on the fly, and easy to use... you can even 'talk' to it, or it can 'talk' to you...
I do like that on my laptop I can move the mapped roads to a different route, but I can get around that on my iPhone by adding another 'point' somewhere on the route/road I'd rather take.

It's not perfect, but it does the job.

The only better option I can think of is if someone could read my mind while driving : )

Try inputting your route on Google maps and saving it then open it on your phone. Not sure if that would work or not. Also the Mapsme app might do what you want. I haven't tried to do multiple stops in it.

jbrosecity · 04-25-2018, 11:15 AM

Thanks for the replies... hope to hear from others... SURELY a lot of people hit the road one way or the other, trying to take "the scenic route" - one they have researched online. "Maps.me" is solely for android - we have an iphone. You can import google maps into your smartphone's browser but Google Maps doesn't talk you through the twists and turns the way GPS does, unless someone knows something we don't. Google maps is great for mapping a custom route, dragging the roads from main road overs to secondary roads passing by or through certain scenic locations - we're just trying to find something which does it with verbal cues. As I said, you USED to be able to import Google maps into garmin gps direct... but they stopped that in favor of their own basecamp software which is too complicated to use. What do others use to guide them on custom routes?

DieselDrax · 04-25-2018, 11:25 AM

Check out http://roadtrippers.com and http://furkot.com, I think you'll find Roadtrippers to be more what you're looking for but both sites seem to be pretty handy for more than just A -> B planning.

Twistedpairs · 04-25-2018, 05:58 PM

Waze works really well for adjusting your route due to traffic, construction etc. Saved me 6 hours in Tennessee when they shut down the freeway due to a crash.

jbrosecity · 04-26-2018, 11:12 AM

thanks, but let's try this again. I know about roadtrippers and checked furkot. These are useful trip planners, they are not GPS programs. Roadtrippers is great for planning a route and seeing what might be interesting to visit along the route. Furkot is something similar, but these are not GPS apps for the iphone or ipad. I have used roadtrippers in conjunction with google maps to map our an itinerary, but like google maps, it will not update your location as your travel and talk you through the actual directions.... turn left in 1000', continue 2.4 miles to destination on left. All the kind of stuff you are typically get from your GPS. Likewise, WAZE is more or less a commuter app, useful for avoiding traffic but is not route a planner allowing multiple waypoints with realtime location updating and routing.

Once again, what I am trying to find is something which like google maps allows you to create a custom route, dragging and moving the route around to choose specific roads and highways for scenic content, and then finalize the route and have it walk you through the route turn by turn with voice directions in real time. Like GPS, if you make a wrong turn, it needs to recognize your location and direct you back to the chosen route.

Searching around this morning, I believe I may have found the answer. You can create the route on google maps, then using a website called
www.GPSVisualizer.com, paste Google's long mapping URL in there and create a .GPX file which can then be imported into Garmin or into "inRoute Route Planner" for Ipad and Iphone. turning your google map into a GPS route. VOILA. I have to experiment with this, but this looks like exactly what we were looking for!

itat · 04-26-2018, 11:58 AM

I wonder if Garmin BaseCamp can do what you want?

Maybe someone more knowledgeable than me can tell you how to create a route in Google Maps and transfer that to your Garmin GPS. I think the Google Maps app on your iPhone can give you directions along your route but probably can't talk to you to give you verbal directions and likely can't re-route you if you make a wrong turn or are forced to take a detour.

jbrosecity · 04-27-2018, 10:24 AM

Maybe others have deciphered the instructions for G Basecamp. I gave up. anything which needs half a dozen videos on how to use it, is joke.
I had posted to the forum looking for the ultimate trip planning and GPS combination - we put it together today. People mentioned useful mapping sites like roadtrippers which is excellent for researching scenic things to do when traveling from point A to B. But there all you get is a fixed route with no GPS capability.

I was looking for something which allows you map using something like Google maps on a full sized computer screen, dragging the suggested routes to take scenic back roads and byways and avoid major highways much of the time, across 8 or more waypoints, and then be able to input that route into some sort of GPS app which then autocorrects as you travel and talks you through the twists and turns each step of the way. You would think this would be easy to find... it is not.

Today we found it, finally. Here's what we did:
1) Map a route using Google maps with 8 waypoints, dragging the route to include various back roads for pleasure cruising rather than direct route travel
2) Copy the final URL from the browser address bar into GPS Visualizer
GPS Visualizer: Convert GPS files to plain text or GPX
Set output format at the top to GPX Format, then paste the google maps URL into "URL of file on the web" and click "Convert"
4) Save the converted GPX file to your harddrive
5) Now load the app from inRoute Route Planner onto the iPad
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/inro...er/id703796787
6) Run inRoute and browse to the saved GPX file.

Voila... now, we head off down the road and the iPad shows the mapped route and talks us through each and every turn and autocorrects if we get off the pre-planned route.

I hope others will benefit from this.
There is also a way to import the GPX file into Garmin but it is not nearly as convenient or well designed as inRoute for the iPad.

doc73 · 04-27-2018, 11:55 AM

What I found with the uploading of GPX files to Garmin GPS directly was that if you went off Route even a little bit it would recalculate and then ignore the custom GPX file from that point forward. I was never able to get it to restart the custom file from where I was picking it up from. Once I got off Route it was a waste.

Locky · 04-27-2018, 01:04 PM

You don't need a routing system, just take my mother in law with you. She sits in the back seat and reads off every road sign you pass. She can make a 2 hour trip turn into 4 hours and feel like 10 hours.

skclay70 · 06-09-2018, 04:09 PM

Hey thank you. I have been searching for the same. Thanks for doing the work for me.

Tankmaster · 06-09-2018, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by itat

I wonder if Garmin BaseCamp can do what you want?

Maybe someone more knowledgeable than me can tell you how to create a route in Google Maps and transfer that to your Garmin GPS. I think the Google Maps app on your iPhone can give you directions along your route but probably can't talk to you to give you verbal directions and likely can't re-route you if you make a wrong turn or are forced to take a detour.

Something very similar is called MyRoute app. A lot of people in our Harley Owners group use it. You can customize a lot of routes find lodging ect. Works on computers smartphones ect very user friendly.

Tank

Kirk S · 09-06-2018, 02:05 PM

Following.....

Velosprout · 09-21-2018, 12:19 AM

I just got a Garmin DezlCam LMTHD, because it combines a dash cam, backup camera, and Navigation in one unit. Designed for semi trucks, it allows you to put in your combined tow vehicle and trailer length/width/weight and it alerts you and routes you to avoid restricting roads, bridges, and overpasses. Once you have set a route, using the touch screen, you can click on roads to modify your route to go on side excursions. There is also a trip planner option where you can pre-plan and save a trip for vacations and scenic excursions. The GPS retails for around $500 and it is over $100 to buy the wireless backup camera. With Bluetooth to your phone, it connects Foursquare locations, shows weather alerts, radar maps, road conditions, construction zones, traffic alerts, and for commercial use connects to an electronic driving log. It can toggle from truck to automobile mode when you are not towing, and does most features and routing all by voice command. As I have only had it a month I haven’t learned or used all the features yet, I am impressed so far. It accurately reported and routed me for traffic accident and road construction that IPhone Navigation didn’t detect when I was running both in a comparison.

Elemental · 07-26-2020, 05:19 PM

I've been searching for a navigation program and came across this old thread.

I'm a solo traveler so both driver and navigator. I'm wanting to get an iPad (for the larger screen) and wondering what apps work Off Line. In other words can I get a tablet with wifi only (no cell plan) to plan and download a route like in post #9, and use beyond any connection or does this only work with cell coverage?

Looks like inRoute Planner will do what I need... is there anything better these days?

Twistedpairs · 07-26-2020, 05:30 PM

Try Hammer. It's a trucker's navigation app that works offline and is customizable to your vehicle specs. Not as easy to plan a route as others but others also don't account for bridges...

KRedburn · 07-26-2020, 06:00 PM

for long trips I use RV trip wizard on my laptop.
nice thing is I can download route to the SD card and import into my Nav system.
What I do like about RV trip wizard is it takes into consideration size of vehicle height and length for the routing.

eye95 · 07-26-2020, 06:09 PM

I subscribed to RV Trip Wizard. After a bad customer service experience, I dumped them.

acoxFL · 07-27-2020, 07:22 AM

I went with CoPilot GPS a couple of years ago and have been satisfied. CoPilot GPS has an RV version with apps for iPhone and Android. It has a free trial if you wanted to give it a look. The interface for trip planning is a bit quirky (to search for a destination outside the local area you have to first enter the city) but overall I’m happy with it. They provide map updates and I’ve found the routing to be at least as good as Google Maps, if not better since it can account for an RV profile.
https://copilotgps.com/en-us/rv-navigation/

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