Looking for opinions of RV Trip Wizard

[JayArras]

I understand that Trailer Life's RV Trip Wizard is to the RVer what Google Maps and Waze are to the commuter. Supposedly, you can plan your camping itinerary in detail and get information about low overpasses and places that trailers aren't allowed in addition to traffic information, mileage, estimated travel times, etc. It also connects to the RV Life app. Not sure what that is.

Has anyone used either of these? I have heard conflicting statements about whether they will work on Android. Can you provide some insights and maybe a review? Thanks in advance!

[ependydad]

I've heard nothing but good about the RV Trip Wizard site from people who have used it.

Social Knowledge is the company behind RV Trip Wizard, RV Park Reviews, this site, and a variety of other forums. The RV Life App is supposed to be some kind of overarching app for all of it. I'm not exactly sure. If you sue the "Contact Us" link on the forum website, you can reach out to Social Knowledge for more help/info.

[Garrette]

I use the trip wizard for long, multi stop trips. It is a web based so should run on any platform. No app to load. I like being able find campgrounds and get the reviews. You input your rig data and it routes based on the data. You can put in all the data you want. If you do,not like the routing, you can drag the route to waypoints for your routing
My biggest bitch and I have I have reported it is to have the ability to lock dates as you make reservations.
You can download the data to a Garmin but it is a pain and not very intuitive and requires multiple steps. Used this last year but not this year.
It exports an itinerary very nicely on various formats.
It works best on a laptop with a high speed network. It still works over a phone hotspot but it will be slow.
All,I got, I like it.

[Bert and Berta]

RVTW works best on a desktop/laptop. There are better apps for the phone IMO.

[EodCmdr]

I've used RVTW for over a year now. Traveled from East coast to West coast and back. If you limit your daily hours or miles this is most helpful. The RVLife app is new and merges your trips on RV Trip Wizard. So far the best thing for me is RV Life downloading an rv friendly route to my cell phone. Regular GPS has gotten me into trouble too many times. You can also access your trips saved in RV Trip Wizard through the RVLife app,

[MainelyUS]

We used the RV Trip Wizard for 7 months while on the road...ME2TX. I've used it on the desktop, laptop, iPad and iPhone. DW is the navigator and uses it while we are traveling with iPhone hotspot & iPad. When planning for trips RVTW is our go to tool along with National Carriers Atlas and some go old fashion maps. I agree it is a challenge using it on the iPhone but can be done with a little patience. You can set the program up to fit your type of traveling, RV specs (low clearance), TV specs. budgets, etc. and it is easy to change your info.The one thing I really like are the radius markers you can add (ours are set at 275m, 300m, and 350m) while planning your trip. The only thing it doesn't do (yet) are road conditions and traffic. We have a Garmin 760 GPS and the only thing we use it for is present info. while traveling or local info. when we land.
Worth the $$
Happy Trails

[JayArras]

Originally Posted by MainelyUS

We used the RV Trip Wizard for 7 months while on the road...ME2TX. I've used it on the desktop, laptop, iPad and iPhone.

We're not an Apple family. Will it work as well on PC/Android?

[dalford]

Originally Posted by JayArras

We're not an Apple family. Will it work as well on PC/Android?

Yes, it is not an app. It is a web based program.. go to www.rvtripwizard.com and check out the demo...

I love it. Just came back from a 8000 mile trip from Florida to Glacier Natl Park. Everything was planned on RVTW. All campgrounds were selected from the program..

[EricNJ]

I’ve just started using the “RV Friendly GPS” from the RV Life app and it’s worked well so far. Not RVTW, but works well for me since I don’t like to fully plan out a trip and let our whims take us where we want.

[dalford]

Originally Posted by EricNJ

I’ve just started using the “RV Friendly GPS” from the RV Life app and it’s worked well so far. Not RVTW, but works well for me since I don’t like to fully plan out a trip and let our whims take us where we want.

Lol.. sounds like the saying.. “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there.”

[JayArras]

Originally Posted by dalford

Yes, it is not an app. It is a web based program.. go to www.rvtripwizard.com and check out the demo...

So I guess it's good for planning but won't do you much good on the road unless you have a mobile hotspot.

[dalford]

Originally Posted by JayArras

So I guess it's good for planning but won't do you much good on the road unless you have a mobile hotspot.

You said you weren’t an Apple family... a hot spot has nothing to do with Apple. Do you have a mobile device? Android devices have hotspots.

Anyway, yes it is good for planning which I usually do from my home. Each night I can use it if the campground has WiFi or I have some sort of data plan.

I can’t help you with that..lol..

[JayArras]

Originally Posted by dalford

You said you weren’t an Apple family... a hot spot has nothing to do with Apple. Do you have a mobile device? Android devices have hotspots.

I realize that. But without a hotspot, the program is not useable on the road is what I'm saying. (e.g., road is closed for construction. The posted detour doesn't inform you that there's an 11' bridge overpass ahead.) I guess I'm looking for a Waze for RVs.

[dalford]

Originally Posted by JayArras

I realize that. But without a hotspot, the program is not useable on the road is what I'm saying. (e.g., road is closed for construction. The posted detour doesn't inform you that there's an 11' bridge overpass ahead.) I guess I'm looking for a Waze for RVs.

Yes, me too... I love Waze and use it exclusively unless I’m where there is poor cellular data service, it will drop you at the worst time.

Rvtw is not a gps. It is a trip planner.

I use rvtw to plan my trip. I start by putting in my starting point and my final destination. I enable mileage rings so I can search for campgrounds along the route. (I think rvtw uses google maps). I can look for camp grounds right on rvtw. I can see reviews, go to their web site, view a satellite view without having to switch to another app. I can alter my route, rearranging stops.

After I get a route in I use Waze to go from stop to stop. I just enter each destination into favorites and then when a travel day arrives I just pull up the next destination on my Waze favorites. Rvtw will export to a gps but I do not use that function. I’d much rather use Waze to get from point a to point b.

Rvtw will show low clearance bridges. Waze will not so I use rvtw to check my clearances and then double check that Waze does not take me to one.

Many people like gps made for an RV and I guess you could use that to enter your point to point drives each day but I prefer Waze (due to traffic hazard reports and redirecting when bad traffic). I won’t always redirect when Waze tells me because I’m not sure where it is leading me why pulling an RV...lol.

If you’re goinf from home to somewhere a few hundred miles away, then most anything works. But if your planning a long trip, try rvtw. I just used it to plan a 35 stop, 8000+ mile, 77 day trip (just finished this trip Monday) I’ve also used it to plan trips from FL to Canada or FL to Niagara Falls. I guess I like this program.

Oh, $40/year...

[JayArras]

Thanks for that, dalford!

[NXR]

The proper planning tool is also dependent on what you specifically are towing or driving. Height and weight restrictions didn't mean much to us years ago when pulling a small camper. Today they mean everything to us with a Class A so we've moved away from consumer/commuter tools to RV-specific tools.

We still use Waze on the interstates but not for route planning. Tools should just be used as data points while you make the final decisions.

Ray

[BandJCarm]

Warning. If you are in Jackson Hole and you have your GPS set to "Destination West Yellowstone, MT" and you also have "avoid all toll roads"........Do not pay attention to it! DO NOT drive on Hwy 22 over the Grand Teton Pass, unless you like to squeeze your steering wheel to granules and you need to buy new brakes anyway.

[dalford]

Originally Posted by BandJCarm

Warning. If you are in Jackson Hole and you have your GPS set to "Destination West Yellowstone, MT" and you also have "avoid all toll roads"........Do not pay attention to it! DO NOT drive on Hwy 22 over the Grand Teton Pass, unless you like to squeeze your steering wheel to granules and you need to buy new brakes anyway.

Lol, I was just there and that is the way Waze told me to go. Luckily I have the mountain directory app that I refer to check for high grade roads. It said >10%, hairpin turns, etc..

I asked on this forum and I believe you are one of many that said don’t do it... go thru the south entrance of Yellowstone. We did that.

[EricNJ]

Originally Posted by JayArras

I realize that. But without a hotspot, the program is not useable on the road is what I'm saying. (e.g., road is closed for construction. The posted detour doesn't inform you that there's an 11' bridge overpass ahead.) I guess I'm looking for a Waze for RVs.

I’m a huge Waze fan too and have pinged then about adding RV constraints. Thanks n the meantime I’ve started using the GPS in the RV Life app. You can get a free trial, do $8/month or $40/year. So far it’s done a very good job. You just enter your RV make/model/year and it already knows your height, weight, width and propane situation. Give it a try. So far so good for me.

[mzbrandi]

Originally Posted by JayArras

I understand that Trailer Life's RV Trip Wizard is to the RVer what Google Maps and Waze are to the commuter. Supposedly, you can plan your camping itinerary in detail and get information about low overpasses and places that trailers aren't allowed in addition to traffic information, mileage, estimated travel times, etc. It also connects to the RV Life app. Not sure what that is.



Has anyone used either of these? I have heard conflicting statements about whether they will work on Android. Can you provide some insights and maybe a review? Thanks in advance!

Interesting. Never heard of it before.