RV Trip Wizard

[Pahaska]

I have been using this program for quite a while now. There are occasional glitches in it, but just about every other similar program has bitten the dust, such as Microsoft Streets or Delorme.

The ability to depict a radius depending on speed and hours is really nice, since it bounds the RV park locations for each day of travel.

They just improved the travel radius where it is no longer a simple circle. Now, it is a jagged line showing how far I can travel based on actual roads. Thanks to modern computers, it is fast.

Here is my travel radius from home for a 7-hour day at an average of 45 mph. I usually do a bit better than that, but that accounts for rest stops, meals, and fuel stops. I usually fall right on 50 mph average if there are no construction or accident delays.

The 2 red dots are the Choctaw KOA near Durant, OK and my favorite breakfast stop in Atoka on the way to my daughter in MO.

BTW, it only works on new routes. You have to edit your settings and start a new route to see it. Any old routes will still show a circle.

[Hans627]

That is a nice feature. I have not used Trip Wizard yet but it seems like those who have used it really like it.

Thanks for sharing.

[InterBlog]

Is it customize-able without going through X degrees of time-sinking hassle?

For instance, if I want to specify a route and have it display every Walmart, Cracker Barrel, and Cabela's on that route, can I enter a global command and have them all appear?

And can a user simultaneously remove the manufacturer's points of interest?

[KK4YZ]

DW has RV Trip Wizard. I haven’t messed with it and the question I have that she can’t answer is, once the route is set, will it work when you’re outside of cell coverage areas?

[Al and Missy]

Originally Posted by KK4YZ

DW has RV Trip Wizard. I haven’t messed with it and the question I have that she can’t answer is, once the route is set, will it work when you’re outside of cell coverage areas?

Originally, no, but they have just announced a connection to the RV Life app. Once you download the app to your iphone or ipad you can download the maps associated with your route and use the gps in your mobile device to guide the route.

[Mollysdad]

I bought it. If you're into planning, it does a lot of things for you.
I ran into two snags, It doesn't know how to start a trip from somewhere else, not your current location, and it doesn't like changes of plans (like a hurricane delaying my trip a couple days.)

[Al and Missy]

Mollysdad:
I start trips from other locations with no problems. To delay a trip I open the trip, go into trip settings and change the start date. It ripples through th whole trip.

[Tiny Cloud]

Originally Posted by Al and Missy

Originally, no, but they have just announced a connection to the RV Life app. Once you download the app to your iphone or ipad you can download the maps associated with your route and use the gps in your mobile device to guide the route.

This is associated with RoadTrippers. It is an app based system that can be downloaded to your tablet or phone.

RV Trip Wizard does not have an app, it is web based only.

I have used both, and I favor RV Trip Wizard. It is more intuitive, updated info when compared to the other, and is far superior for planning purposes. Filling in data regarding your tow vehicle aids in gas stops and the mileage rings are adjustable, either by speed or length of driving you desire.

RoadTrippers is not user friendly. Confusing at times, especially when determining distances and driving times.

Both are equal in price, annually for about 30 bucks when you have a discount coupon.

Navigation software in your TV or Garmin will provide you with driving assistance so it really doesn't matter to me when I am on the road. But sitting down and planning a trip with either of these two applications do make it more enjoyable.

[Al and Missy]

Re: offline access, I just tried downloading the maps. It is insufferably slow. The problem may be my old iPad Air, but it was slow on my iPhone X yesterday too.

The interaction between RV Life and RV Trip Wizard isn’t clear to me. It looks like when I download maps it downloads RV Routing by default and it didn’t show all my stops.

I’ll probably go back to my default of emailing myself the route unless I can figure out how to get the route into Google maps like they say you can do. But then I still have to have internet access. I may try uConnect Access on my Ram. Supposedly you can download routes through it to the Ram Nav.

[Al and Missy]

Originally Posted by Tiny Cloud

This is associated with RoadTrippers. It is an app based system that can be downloaded to your tablet or phone.

RV Trip Wizard does not have an app, it is web based only.

I have used both, and I favor RV Trip Wizard. It is more intuitive, updated info when compared to the other, and is far superior for planning purposes. Filling in data regarding your tow vehicle aids in gas stops and the mileage rings are adjustable, either by speed or length of driving you desire.

RoadTrippers is not user friendly. Confusing at times, especially when determining distances and driving times.

Both are equal in price, annually for about 30 bucks when you have a discount coupon.

Navigation software in your TV or Garmin will provide you with driving assistance so it really doesn't matter to me when I am on the road. But sitting down and planning a trip with either of these two applications do make it more enjoyable.

Please read my post again. RV Trip Wizard now connects with RV Life. I did it with my phone yesterday and my iPad today.

[Pahaska]

Originally Posted by Mollysdad

I bought it. If you're into planning, it does a lot of things for you.
I ran into two snags, It doesn't know how to start a trip from somewhere else, not your current location, and it doesn't like changes of plans (like a hurricane delaying my trip a couple days.)

I often start trips from the storage yard, 10 miles from home. I often change my mind and change the start location from there to home. Just insert the new starting point as the second location and delete the first location.

I very often use the "drag route" function. The initial routing often takes me over a section of highway that I consider dangerous as well as having too many traffic lights. I apply local knowledge and drag the route to a safer, if not faster route, even though it is a bit longer.

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by Mollysdad

.... If you're into planning, it does a lot of things for you.
...

The size of that "if" is the reason for my question to Pahaska.

Several years back, I hatched a thread called Best GPS for Interstates that didn’t come with one? TL;DR - I spent 400 bucks on a Garmin which has its good points, but which cannot be programmed by design. It could be, but it would require so much code-cracking that the effort is not worth it.

I've been waiting for the market to catch up to my expectations of versatility and customize-ableness. I need to be able to give any standalone device, app, or desktop software simple global commands, and have it execute them, without bloatware overlays or anything else.

I don't know if this Trip Wizard product can do that. I looked on the internet and YouTube but most of what's there is blah-blah-blah low-content sales-pitching. An owner might be able to respond better to that question.

Until an integrated product emerges, I and millions of others are stuck with the process of manually combining information from GoogleMaps, Garmin, Allstays, Campendium, and whatever other dim-witted offerings happen to be on the market.

[Pahaska]

I'm a compulsive planner, at least for the outbound leg of my trips because I usually need to be there at a certain time. I make outbound reservations, but I usually take pot luck coming home.

Even with local knowledge, Trip Wiz found me a newly-built bypass for a recent trip that saved me a lot of start-stop streets.

I do my planning with Trip Wizard and then set up the stops and way points in my dash-top trucker's Garmin GPS. I never use the built-in nav. It is way too far down and takes my eyes off the road. My dash-top GPS is also my speedometer for the same reason. Flying single-engine jet aircraft left me with a forever need to keep my eyes up.

My Genesis sedan has a head-up display that I love. It displays navigation as well as the usual speed, adaptive cruise control, and lane following. If I could find an add-on heads-up that I respect, I would go that way in the AI. Every add-on I have seen so far does not meet my expectations by a long shot.

[azflycaster]

We use RV Trip Wizzard to plan the trip. We then download the itinerary to our phones in case we are without internet access. Then plug the address of the next stop into the trucks GPS and hit the road.

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by Pahaska

...
I do my planning with Trip Wizard and then set up the stops and way points in my dash-top trucker's Garmin GPS. ....

That tells me (or at least strongly suggests) what I need to know - there is still no single-source planning tool available on the market.

[Mollysdad]

Originally Posted by Pahaska

I often start trips from the storage yard, 10 miles from home. I often change my mind and change the start location from there to home. Just insert the new starting point as the second location and delete the first location.

Okay, obviously, I missed that.
I'll try again. "Delete the first location", hmmmmm.

[azflycaster]

Originally Posted by InterBlog

That tells me (or at least strongly suggests) what I need to know - there is still no single-source planning tool available on the market.

It is a planning tool.

[Njg]

Originally Posted by azflycaster

It is a planning tool.

RV trip wizard syncs perfectly with the RV Life app on my phone and all of my routes sync over. It is essential because google maps will send you over 12 foot wide 2 way bridges in Nebraska and onto dirt roads. It downloads the maps onto the phone for times where you have no cell signal. My opportunities for improving the app are as follows:

1. It ABSOLUTELY needs CarPlay functionality. It is really hampered by this lack of functionality because looking at my phone while driving has its obvious drawbacks..

2. It tells you when you will run out of gas, but if you add a gas station to the route. It keeps the alert telling you that you need gas and doesn’t advance the alert from the point of the gas station. This would be really handy because I like to plan gas stops as well to make sure we are stopping at a nice travel center with coffee, etc..

3. The selection of POI is inferior. It would be better if it had everything from Allstays, which is far more complete in this respect.

[DCPAS]

Originally Posted by Pahaska

Flying single-engine jet aircraft left me with a forever need to keep my eyes up.

I've never flown jet aircraft (jealous by the way), but after having a head up display that shows speed, adaptive cruise info, nav, range, lanekeeping, speed limit, and the all important outside temperature, I can't imagine not having it. I wish Ford nav was better, but I will use it over other sources because of the head up display. My wife usually has Google Maps open for nav assistance.

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by azflycaster

It is a planning tool.

Agreed. I need a tool that combines planning AND implementation.

First one to the market with that product will win. To that end, I have communicated personally with the creator and sole owner of Allstays, who is one guy by the name of Adam Longfellow, one guy with an outsized market impact. He was absolutely thrilled by the integration ideas that my husband and I presented to him as we encouraged him to either develop that tool, or to sell his intellectual property to someone who would.

But none of the developers function as "air plants" - they cannot survive by extracting water and nutrients out of thin air. They need capital investment; they need subscribers. Adam apparently has not found that way forward yet.