prichardson
Lafayette, La
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Joined: 10/31/2006
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Back up any routing system with paper maps. Many times there is a better route than the one chosen by the electronic system.
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valhalla360
No paticular place.
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Joined: 08/19/2009
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ferndaleflyer wrote:I use an old fashioned road map! First time we went to Pigeon Forge TN my DW insisted on using GPS and ended up on a narrow crooked road with tree limbs rubbing the sides of the DP. I later looked at a map and 1 mile up the road and it was a straight shot in. GPS is sometimes helpful but for an old guy like me the map never fails. I was driving coast to coast before there were any interstates or 4 lane roads let alone GPS or IPhones.
20-30yrs ago at the dawn of automotive GPS routing, this was a real concern.
Back in the modern world, no need to get out a paper map. Your phone will show you alternative routes and if you pan around a little, you will see that straight shot route.
Always makes sense to check the route prior to driving it.
Tammy & Mike
Ford F250 V10
2021 Gray Wolf
Gemini Catamaran 34'
Full Time spliting time between boat and RV
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profdant139
Southern California
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Joined: 11/14/2005
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valhallah, thanks for the tip about right clicking the google earth route to get the profile -- I did not know that!
2012 Fun Finder X-139 "Boondock Style" (axle-flipped and extra insulation)
2013 Toyota Tacoma Off-Road (semi-beefy tires and components)
Our trips -- pix and text
About our trailer
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single list."
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paulj
Seattle
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Joined: 06/11/2007
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The big advantage of paper maps is that they give the-big-picture, better so than phone or standalone gps units. State level maps are also good at highlighting major routes, with limited information on minor roads or "scenic" ones.
Years ago for bike ride from Mpls to Chicago, I had to order county level maps from Wisconsin to get info on minor low traffic roads.
And later for an Alaska trip, I made heavy use of detailed guide books. And in the lower 48 I also used AAA books and maps.
Still I have been surprised by paper maps. One straight route in southern Oregon turned out to be heavily washboarded gravel. And in the mid 2000s there was a big news story about a couple lost in the Oregon coast mountains after Thanksgiving. There was a lot of speculation about them using Mapquest, but it turned out they'd used a paper map, where the route was marked aa paved but scenic (BLM and FS).
Sometimes the only clue on paper maps that a route is mountainous is the color of National Forests.
We have a lot more information available to us now than a couple of decades ago.
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valhalla360
No paticular place.
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Joined: 08/19/2009
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paulj wrote:The big advantage of paper maps is that they give the-big-picture, better so than phone or standalone gps units. State level maps are also good at highlighting major routes, with limited information on minor roads or "scenic" ones.
For big picture, usually pull it up on the laptop.
As you say even detailed paper maps typically have very limited info on minor roads.
If it looks iffy, I'll jump into street view and see what it's really like.
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GizmosMom
NE Texas
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Joined: 02/18/2002
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I still use my Microsoft Streets and Trips planner. It is the 2011 version. I like it because it does allow me to plan traveling the slowest speeds which averages out daily to about 50 mph. I can also tell it that I do not want to travel on Interstates.
There is no longer any MS support for this program I know many of us were upset when they stopped offering it. It has many features that I still use. I just have to go to Google Maps and make sure the roads I plan on driving are still intact!
I also use RV Parky
Marilyn w/ Joe, 2016 Class C Sunseeker 2430 SF, often pulling a Ranger bass boat. Traveling with Trigger
Smudge & Gizmo are waiting at the Rainbow Bridge
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MarkTwain
Northern, Ca. , USA
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Joined: 07/26/2002
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the e-man wrote:Hi All,
I'd like to find a better way to plan my driving routes. The maps feature on smart phones like iPhone are optimized for the fastest route. That often isn't a good route when you are in an RV. In too many cases, it will lead you down narrow or winding roads that just aren't safe or comfortable.
I tried the Good Sam Trip Planner. It has an option to avoid highways. What I'd like to see is an option to show the easiest route - even if it takes a little longer. In many cases, that might mean using highways or interstate rather than smaller roads.
What do you recommend for finding the best RV driving route?
Thanks.
I use GARMIN.
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ferndaleflyer
everywhere
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Joined: 03/31/2011
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And for those that have never been where there is “no service” I suppose the answers above are fine. For me I’ll still use paper. I probably drive recreationally more than most and am also older than most. I am also technically challenged.
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rr2254545
Central Minnesota
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Joined: 07/12/2009
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Garmin RV unit it the way to go I am not a semi truck -
2012 Winnebago Journey 36M Cummins 360
2014 Jeep Cherokee
447 Campgrounds,99K miles driven in our Winnebago motor homes and 2221 nights camping since we retired in July 2009, 41 National Parks
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Lantley
Ellicott City, Maryland
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Joined: 08/23/2005
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I prefer Garmin RV GPS with google maps as a back up.
Between the 2 of them I generally get it right
19'Duramax w/hips,12'Open Range,Titan Disc Brake
BD3,RV safepower,22" Blackstone
Ox Bedsaver,RV760 w/BC20,Glow Steps, Enduraplas25,Pedego
BakFlip,RVLock,5500 Onan LP,Prog.50A surge,Hughes autoformer
Porta Bote 8.0 Nissan,Sailun S637
Correct Trax,Splendide
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