RV Trip Planning other than RV LIFE PRO?

[BWestphal]

What are folks using for trip planning? I've used the RV LIFE PRO Trip Planner with good results, but thought there might be better options.. thanks

We have the SightSeer 33C...and love it.

[be happy]

I also use the RV life pro trip planner. Once you get used using it, its a great tool.

I also use Google maps as just an all around route idea.

Even though trip planner gives the rv parks etc. I use the RV parks review also. I find that with google giving the large picture and reviews a larger foot print all works out in the end.

Planning is more than 50% of the rving fun

[Morich]

With the internet coming on so strong, we had moved from programs for planning and went more toward winging it as we moved along. We found we never liked the plans we made too far in advance like a full trip, so constantly had to adjust as we felt.
As we got more into doing trips, we found none were ever the same for very long so stopped trying to plan more than a day or two as we got into only moving when we felt like it!

As we opened the planning up to allow far more change, we also opened up a lot of small things to see and do that we would have driven past if we stuck to a plan.
Things that we would have missed are some of the really great things we remember.
Happened to be in Florida for the Apollo launch with the first combined Russian mission, so we hung around a few more days.
Happened to be near when whooping cranes were moving through Nebraska?
Wood storks walking through the campground woke us one morning, so we stayed to see them do it the next day!
Drove over to see Musk blow up one of the starships!

Things the guides will never get right as they have such flexible timing!
We finally got around to making the schedule instead of the schedule making us!

[Eagle5]

I just use paper maps from AAA and my Garmin too.
Eagle5

[Ted Fyden]

we just found AAA trip tik planner. we have triple A and have used them to make a trip tik for us. this year we are making our own. it's a different website to sign in but it is AAA. you get to save trips. it seems to me like we can change plans whenever we want and print new route out or just follow on computer or phone. never used RV trip planner because I thought I would have to pay. we also have the large print atlas so I can see the map. whatever works for ya is the best one.

[creativepart]

Most of the other RV trip planning websites have closed up (Good Sam and Rand McNally are two examples).

Because I can't import a route into my NavNgo GPS on my OEM Xite system I just use Google Maps and RV Park Reviews and plan out my own route and then manually program the GPS.

I've played around with RV Trip Wizard but haven't found it the be all and end all for my purposes.

[bigb]

Originally Posted by creativepart

Most of the other RV trip planning websites have closed up (Good Sam and Rand McNally are two examples).

Because I can't import a route into my NavNgo GPS on my OEM Xite system I just use Google Maps and RV Park Reviews and plan out my own route and then manually program the GPS.

I've played around with RV Trip Wizard but haven't found it the be all and end all for my purposes.

Exactly how I do it. I'll even put in some alternates in case on a given day we decide we want to go a bit further or not as far. I pencil it all on paper on a clip board and can revise nightly if necessary. All the address directions and phone info for each RV park is on another sheet.

[Morich]

As long as we have some form of internet, we also find that the trip planners are not very upfront about things that we feel matter a whole lot to us. Things we can see on a close look at Google Maps will often not be mentioned on planners.
We want to look for the really big things like the railroad tracks across the highway? Backed up to the local trash mountain? Things like how many junk cars are abandoned on the nearby streets? I have to go to Maps and take a stroll around the area before committing, so while there, I snag any names and info that I want to look at deeper.

Many folks don't bother to report the things we want to avoid, and they tend to go heavy on the commercial places that advertise with them, so we find them little use.
Sometimes just a simple phone call to talk to a warm body is enough to send us on down the road to another place!
Sometimes you get the feeling that a warm body is all you get at the desk! If they have two junk cars out back, I tend to move on!

[creativepart]

Originally Posted by bigb

I'll even put in some alternates in case on a given day we decide we want to go a bit further or not as far

Jealous of you. We used to do that. But for the past 4 years or so have made reservations for every stop in advance.

Seems like it was about 4-years ago that we'd roll up or call from the road and find no spaces available and we'd have to find a place for the night on the fly. This even led to our first and only overnight in a Walmart parking lot one night when all the RV parks were full. I know zillions of folks do that all the time but my wife feels that is too sketchy and does not approve. And she's the queen of my world.

We fondly remember earlier trips, pulling our 22' Arctic Fox TT between our home in Jackson, Wyoming and destinations all over Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Utah (even Alberta, CA) where we'd just stop anywhere that looked interesting or fun.

One of our most memorable trips, on the way to the Canadian Rockies we set out for a 400 mile drive early one morning and not 50 miles into the day's trip we saw a beautiful canyon with a river flowing by and a nice looking campground nestled next to the river. So, on a whim we stopped for the night not an hour into our drive. Next door to the RV park was a barn that happened to have a band and a dance scheduled for that very night and after a day of exploring we headed to the barn for dinner and a fun dance.

Those were the the days.

[bigb]

Originally Posted by creativepart

Jealous of you. We used to do that. But for the past 4 years or so have made reservations for every stop in advance.

Seems like it was about 4-years ago that we'd roll up or call from the road and find no spaces available and we'd have to find a place for the night on the fly. This even led to our first and only overnight in a Walmart parking lot one night when all the RV parks were full. I know zillions of folks do that all the time but my wife feels that is too sketchy and does not approve. And she's the queen of my world.

We fondly remember earlier trips, pulling our 22' Arctic Fox TT between our home in Jackson, Wyoming and destinations all over Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Utah (even Alberta, CA) where we'd just stop anywhere that looked interesting or fun.

One of our most memorable trips, on the way to the Canadian Rockies we set out for a 400 mile drive early one morning and not 50 miles into the day's trip we saw a beautiful canyon with a river flowing by and a nice looking campground nestled next to the river. So, on a whim we stopped for the night not an hour into our drive. Next door to the RV park was a barn that happened to have a band and a dance scheduled for that very night and after a day of exploring we headed to the barn for dinner and a fun dance.

Those were the the days.

Most of our travel is in parts of Arizona and New Mexico that are not too popular so we've never had an issue finding a spot, but we do go to CA every year and I don't take a chance there, always booked well in advance. We like to stay overnight in Dateland which makes San Diego an easy drive the next morning and we can arrive more refreshed.

When I was younger I had a pickup and camper and can't remember ever making a reservation, even driving cross country.

[creativepart]

Originally Posted by bigb

Most of our travel is in parts of Arizona and New Mexico that are not too popular so we've never had an issue finding a spot....

That one time I mentioned when all was full? Las Cruces, NM.

[bigb]

Originally Posted by creativepart

That one time I mentioned when all was full? Las Cruces, NM.

Maybe during the rock and gem show?

[Eagle5]

Those were the the days indeed:

Those were the the days

[Morich]

When speaking of the old times, it may pay to consider how we are constantly changing as well as the times.
We never made reservations for any campground when we were younger and hardier. We were ready to stop just about anywhere if we felt like it. I have to admit we never got down to the Wally World of camping! But then as we got older and I no longer slept in a tent, we got softer and much more picky!
Part of it was our feelings changed and that was also due to more experience with bad things we ran into over the years.
One of the things which finally broke us from doing our Workamper/volunteer duties was right here in the local Austin area!
We had gotten used to doing pretty much whatever it took to get by for the short term duties we volunteered for but we liked to stick to the local, state, and national parks for the more secure feeling that there were rangers, etc. around to help keep things under control!
The one that finally broke us was here at McKinney Falls state park and we were there for a month with the bar/ dance hall just down the road and no control of the noise! We actually abandoned that job after three weeks as we were way too drug out from lack of sleep to even consider how it might leave the park in a jam!
It bothered both of us when trying to sleep but my wife worked the office and had to deal with the camper complaints the next day with nothing to help them!

It took some real checking before our daughter got us to move here permanently and we certainly wanted to check into local feelings on noise and how they were enforced!