How do you plan a route?

[LittleBill]

Originally Posted by RoyalFrog2

[
My 5er is 40 1/2 ft long and a minimum of 13 ft height, have to watch for low clearances . I have used Google a lot, but as good as Google is, it routes based on time and traffic and at times will give routes that you don't want to take a 5er down . How does TomTom handle this?

Hey Little Bill, you better measure your height. If you have a second A/C unit over the bedroom you are probably MINIMUM 13'6", maybe 13'9" depending on your hitch set up. We have that exact same rig and have measured twice.

Thanks for reminding me to do that. Thought it was more than the 13 ft that the specifications say it is but haven't measured it yet. Will try to do that when I take it out of storage for a trip we have planned in a couple of weeks.

[LittleBill]

Originally Posted by Hi Rider

My favorite route planning tool is Google Maps. If snow is not a factor, I prefer to drive two-lane highways If snow is a factor, I'll drive Interstate highways. I also think about how many miles do I want to drive today? And, what time does is sunset and sunrise. I like to be on the road between 10 and 11 AM. And I like to be my overnight destination by 3:00 PM. And, If I'm going to drive, say, 250 miles, I will google the town where I might stay and look for a nearby RV park. In the winter I make a very detailed travel plan in MS Word that lists, nightly destinations, RV parks at each spot along with the address and phone number. Much of my planning depends on the length of the trip. Coming back to MT from AZ last Spring, my plan was to take two weeks to include sightseeing and rest layovers. Made all my reservations in advance so I didn't have to be concerned about where I would stay each night. But . . . each to his/her own.

You sound like a buddy of mine and his wife that do about the exact same thing. They spend around five months traveling south from Illinois to Florida to Arizona to back home, spending anywhere from 2 days to 3 weeks at each stop. They have a printed itinerary with all information of each stopover they are staying at. Travel an average 250 miles between stopovers. Wish I could plan more like you two.

[moose074]

I identify my final destination, then I google the routes. Once I decide my route I try to decide how far I want to travel per day look for attractions I might be interested in. Everything works out just fine

[WoodLark-SC]

Originally Posted by Larry-NC

Maybe, maybe not. This one (about 22 miles from me) is pretty close.
11 FOOT 8 - The Canopener Bridge

The Olive Road overpass in Augusta, GA is 10'-5". It has been struck multiple times (twice in the last month).

[Beachbourbon]

Originally Posted by babock

That's why we download areas using Google maps so we have the maps when we are going to be in an area where we don't know what coverage would be. I traveled around many countries in Europe that way. Downloaded Google maps while on the hotel WiFi and had them on my phone even though I didn't enable any cell service.


https://support.google.com/maps/answ...rm%3DiOS&hl=en


If you are driving, how does your phone go dead...no charging in your vehicle?

This is a good tip, tHanks

As for the phones battery, I know it sounds odd, but when phoneswere used for lots of things during the trip that sapped battery power. Plus moving in & out of coverage and tower to tower takes more battery. So often you find yourself low on battery power when you get in the truck. It takes time to charge and maps takes a lot of battery power. Often we had to keep the phone plugged in to use maps while driving.

Part of it was user inexperience. For example, we didn’t realize we were going to need maps for a part of the drive and didn’t realize our phone battery had become depleted and didn’t realize the massive power drain maps turn by turn is. We didn’t have time to sit around waiting for a full charge, so we had to improvise.

[BroMo]

Hey everyone, I just submitted a request to the waze app. I suggested they add a spot for users to warn other folks of low clearances. We the RV community could input low clearance to warn other RVers and if Waze had a setting where we could input our height, it would reroute us around it.

I let them know they were missing out on a huge market niche. Will see what they say

[dalford]

Originally Posted by BroMo

Hey everyone, I just submitted a request to the waze app. I suggested they add a spot for users to warn other folks of low clearances. We the RV community could input low clearance to warn other RVers and if Waze had a setting where we could input our height, it would reroute us around it.

I let them know they were missing out on a huge market niche. Will see what they say

Great idea...thx

[ppine]

Originally Posted by babock

Maps? What is that? I think I stopped using paper maps about the same time I stopped using phone books.

Maps do not run out of batteries. Maps are never out of range. Maps are light and easy to carry.

The only people that get lost on the way to my house are the ones that use GPS. Ever winter a few people die in rural Nevada following some electronic device and getting stuck far from any help.

[babock]

Originally Posted by ppine

Maps do not run out of batteries. Maps are never out of range. Maps are light and easy to carry.

The only people that get lost on the way to my house are the ones that use GPS. Ever winter a few people die in rural Nevada following some electronic device and getting stuck far from any help.

As I posted before, download them ahead of time, truck charges the phone/tablet. Can use it to find gas stations along the way and calculate traffic. We also look at overhead views of gas stations to see if they are accessible before hand.

The only ones that use maps nowadays are over 65.

[LittleBill]

Sorry to hijack this thread a little but felt this fits somewhat to it.

Seriously thinking about pulling the trigger on getting both RV Trip Wizard and RV Life from all the discussion here.

Going through the Users Manual for Trip Wizard and YouTube videos, it seems to be better than the Roadtrippers free version I have used in the past. At $40 a year TW is about $10 more a year than the RT Plus version (which I haven't looked at).

You can pre-determine routes with RT free and then get them transferred to Google Maps but Google may change the route as it doesn't take into consideration the RV (don't know how the RT plus version works on this). Also found through the TW demo version you can download to GPS and liked the idea of RV Life having the ability to use TW's route. RV Life's RV friendly routing from what I can tell will be better than Google's, though I wasn't able to test it as I haven't put out the $20 for it.

My question is for those who use both RV Trip Wizard and RV Life - are they worth the $60 a year cost for both? Anything I should watch out for?

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by babock

The only ones that use maps nowadays are over 65.

I'm still using maps and I'm not over 65.[emoji6][emoji41]

[CurtPutnam]

Two thoughts:

If you don't know where you are, a map is not of much use.
If you don't know where you are going, you cannot be lost.

[babock]

Originally Posted by bikendan

I'm still using maps and I'm not over 65.[emoji6][emoji41]

If you have already reached your 65th BDay, you are over 65.

[formerFR]

I think you'll find that many new to rving have the typical fear of 'overheight' as many of the rest of us did when we first started...

but, we come to realize after some time that it's actually VERY unusual for any overpass to come close to the 13' mark, as most are even much higher, though you MAY see signs posted saying LESS - but the typical overpass, or tunnel, are measured at the 'lowest' point over the roadway, which is the driving area between the outside white lines.
Many will state 10', which is certainly 'scarry', but then you realize a semi truck and trailer just drove thru it - the actually 'road height' is 14'4'... it's only the very outside of the tunnel or overpass that is actually the 10' measured height... the Blue Ridge parkway near the 'end' in Cherokee, NC is an exact example of that. The last five tunnels are the lowest on the whole parkway, and have some posted measurements that make most any RVr scared to ever try this end, but the truth is that my 12' coach had no issues with any of those 'low' tunnels, especially if you want to actually drive in the 'center' of the two-lane road, if it makes you feel better. Because the tunnels are very 'rounded', it does make sense that the state will use the 'lowest' height reading for the posted sign, yet it really has little bearing on the traveling public.

Once, going north from the shores of Chicago, we turned left onto Hollywood blvd... and suddenly found ourselves at a r/r overpass posted as 12'... oh no! We were new to our diesel pusher, and even though I knew we were actually 11'9" in our 'posted' height, I had added a portable King Tailgater2 satellite dome to the rear, and knew that it was higher... but, since traffic did not give me too many options to take any other route, I very slowly moved forward, remembering that I could 'lower' my air bags. We made it successfully thru the underpass, and probably had more room to spare than I even knew, especially after I realized that my air bags NEVER deflated - they don't when you are in gear!

Been there, done that, but have yet to see any tunnel, underpass, etc that we couldn't drive thru...are there a few out there? yes. Will you ever actually come across one? Doubtful. You'll see the signs before you get there, even so.

[formerFR]

Originally Posted by LittleBill

My question is for those who use both RV Trip Wizard and RV Life - are they worth the $60 a year cost for both? Anything I should watch out for?

personally, I wouldn't 'buy' narry a thang until you determine your driving and traveling style, after a few 'shorter' trips ... you may find that all of this 'extra' becomes unused technology or costs when you can do it yourself....

but, of course, there are always those who want something to make them feel better about their decisions...

a simple smart phone has all the technology most anyone anywhere 'needs' if they want to find a route, find information, or even change their route when something else comes up, or plans change. Google maps is an example of a very easy, comprehensive, and technology-laden tool that cost nothing, and is always available, always updated, and even has the local 'traffic' when you need to know that for your travels thru larger cities.
Some will say that cellular is not 'always' available, but if you look into it, google maps provide 'off-line' mapping capabilities, and doesn't really use the 'internet' for it's maps, but satellites thru the cellular network. If the network is not available where you happen to be driving, the maps still continue to follow your movements, and it continues to allow you ways to monitor your location, even then.

I probably have three different GPS units in a box somewhere, haven't used them in five years, but they're there if I need them.... but I never have.

I like google maps on the laptop, too, as it provides a slightly different layout than the smartphone does, allowing you to simply click-n-drag it's route to another road or highway, if you'd like, also adding multiple stops to a day, or weeks journey....and the ability to then send that link to your smartphone.

It's live, dynamic, and changes as you drive.

[LittleBill]

Originally Posted by formerFR

personally, I wouldn't 'buy' narry a thang until you determine your driving and traveling style, after a few 'shorter' trips ... you may find that all of this 'extra' becomes unused technology or costs when you can do it yourself....

but, of course, there are always those who want something to make them feel better about their decisions...

a simple smart phone has all the technology most anyone anywhere 'needs' if they want to find a route, find information, or even change their route when something else comes up, or plans change. Google maps is an example of a very easy, comprehensive, and technology-laden tool that cost nothing, and is always available, always updated, and even has the local 'traffic' when you need to know that for your travels thru larger cities.
Some will say that cellular is not 'always' available, but if you look into it, google maps provide 'off-line' mapping capabilities, and doesn't really use the 'internet' for it's maps, but satellites thru the cellular network. If the network is not available where you happen to be driving, the maps still continue to follow your movements, and it continues to allow you ways to monitor your location, even then.

I probably have three different GPS units in a box somewhere, haven't used them in five years, but they're there if I need them.... but I never have.

I like google maps on the laptop, too, as it provides a slightly different layout than the smartphone does, allowing you to simply click-n-drag it's route to another road or highway, if you'd like, also adding multiple stops to a day, or weeks journey....and the ability to then send that link to your smartphone.

It's live, dynamic, and changes as you drive.

Thanks for your thoughts, I appreciate them. I do currently use Google as you describe, diligently. When I start out on a long trip I look at what Google has given me. I have had a lot of trust in good directions from Google, but have not looked at every turn or road it wants to send me down. What has happened to me though, is that I have gone down roads that I would have rather not been on. This happens when you need to get from one place to the next and there are no direct interstate roads, but two lane country roads. When you are driving and Google tells you to turn, you don't have time to debate the issue, you just turn and following the directions as you are not sure of what is up ahead.

ex. Left campground east of Indianapolis heading south to Cincinnati. Had Googled before leaving, but ended up down a two lane country road on our way to I-74. Wasn't familiar with the road, started out fine but a little over 1/2 way to I-74, the road turned nasty - no lines, narrow, bumpy. Made it safely, but would have rather gone the 10 miles out of my way. Without the 5er it would have been fine. Google doesn't know or care that I am 24,000 lbs and the size of a semi.

Even when driving our car or TV, Google has sent us down gravel roads. Would hated to have had the 5er behind my TV.

I don't know that paying for RV Trip Wizard and RV Life will be the answer to what I am expecting for a navigation tool. Google is one of the best navigation tools out there, but it is failing RVer's in that you can't specify your height and length. Love it for non-RV trips, won't leave home without it.

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by babock

If you have already reached your 65th BDay, you are over 65.

But I haven't reached it yet.[emoji32][emoji37]

[babock]

Originally Posted by bikendan

But I haven't reached it yet.[emoji32][emoji37]

LOL....I could have sworn you said you were 65 in another post on biking.

OK...only people who use maps are over 64.

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by babock

LOL....I could have sworn you said you were 65 in another post on biking.

OK...only people who use maps are over 64.

[emoji1787]

[MainelyUS]

Check out RV Trip Wizard...more actuate than my Garmin 760 ( took me to a 11’ underpass w/ 13’-6” set in RV dimension ) we use RV Trip Wizard, Rand McNally US Carrier Atlas, Next Exit, truck & iPhone gps and good old maps....they have worked well for us.