Route Planning Software

Seven years & over 120,000 miles plotted very happily with MS Streets & Trips here.

padredw wrote:
Thanks, NY. That was my point all along. It is not just a mapping program I'm interested in but a CAMPGROUND PLANNING PROGRAM with mapping ability. The old Trailer Life/Undertow was very good. I use it on my desktop computer at home to check out various routes and possibilities. Having the campground information and exact location is essential for the use I make of it.

And I am one who enjoys the planning aspect even apart from the trip I will eventually take. I know I don't have to have it, but I sure do enjoy it when I do have it.

Thanks for all the responses. I am still not pleased with the present Undertow program and wonder why Trailer Life pulled out of this pretty good arrangement. I haven't heard anything from Trailer Life about this. Does anyone know?

You can do what you want with a combination - a routing program and this http://www.epgsoft.com/CampgroundMap/ On this site, put in a location and see all the campgrounds on the map - scroll further out on the map and increase the radius of campground possibilities. If a campground on the map has reviews there will be a link to rvparkerviews. There will also be a link to the campground's website. I use this first and then plan my route accordingly with Tyre. Of course, since it is web-based you need internet and can't use it on the road (though the site does work on mobile internet).

I use Microsoft Streets and Trips to do route planning. I also load data files for further refinement, such as low clearance bridges. When I figure the miles I want to go in a particular day, I go to rvparkreviews.com to check out campgrounds within a reasonable radius of that set point. When I want to check out an area further, I use Google Earth. This is particularly good at looking at diesel stops to make sure I can get easily in and out of the station.

jefe 4x4 wrote:
John,
1967, huh? 46 years is a long time to full-time. i'm really not route planning but am just an e-friendly map freak that wants to know all the camping/overnighting options just before I get there. Jeanie and I are into a crossover between Bohemian stealth camping, public campgrounds, and once a week, a posh Hotel along the way, because we can.
I got online and auditioned all the remaining mapping software and good-old Google maps came up the winner. The program is called 'Pocket Earth'. For a grand total of $2.99, I downloaded the portal. (At that price, I can see why Nat. Geo. bailed on the whole e-mapping project.) This allows you to download maps of the world any time into the future. I then downloaded a half dozen states (en route), about 300Megs worth, to see what it has. The cool part is that the basic stuff is freeware with Google's overlays.
THE big deal is that you don't need an internet access to view the maps. You actually download all the info for that particular state and can access it whether you have internet or not. I guess my beloved paper maps are going to bite the dust.
regards, as always, jefe

jefe, I didn't say I was full timing at all. Joind USAF in '65. many PCS's and cross country trips to visit family since. My way works for me for now and I am happy. So far trip planning has not helped me. Some day I may run into someone in person who can explain to me what I am missing. Happy trails to all.

Thanks, NY. That was my point all along. It is not just a mapping program I'm interested in but a CAMPGROUND PLANNING PROGRAM with mapping ability. The old Trailer Life/Undertow was very good. I use it on my desktop computer at home to check out various routes and possibilities. Having the campground information and exact location is essential for the use I make of it.

And I am one who enjoys the planning aspect even apart from the trip I will eventually take. I know I don't have to have it, but I sure do enjoy it when I do have it.

Thanks for all the responses. I am still not pleased with the present Undertow program and wonder why Trailer Life pulled out of this pretty good arrangement. I haven't heard anything from Trailer Life about this. Does anyone know?

Streets and Trips is not going to give you an RV routing - if that is what you are looking for. It will route your RV like a car - with no specific RV restrictions that may come up on the route. If you don't care about that Streets and Trips is fine. Also good is Delorme which I like better than Streets and Trips - but again it is routing like a car. A free software with no pois is Tyre. The Tyre route can be transferred to a Garmin or a Tom Tom. Tyre cannot be used when driving as it needs internet access and uses Google maps.

John,
1967, huh? 46 years is a long time to full-time. i'm really not route planning but am just an e-friendly map freak that wants to know all the camping/overnighting options just before I get there. Jeanie and I are into a crossover between Bohemian stealth camping, public campgrounds, and once a week, a posh Hotel along the way, because we can.
I got online and auditioned all the remaining mapping software and good-old Google maps came up the winner. The program is called 'Pocket Earth'. For a grand total of $2.99, I downloaded the portal. (At that price, I can see why Nat. Geo. bailed on the whole e-mapping project.) This allows you to download maps of the world any time into the future. I then downloaded a half dozen states (en route), about 300Megs worth, to see what it has. The cool part is that the basic stuff is freeware with Google's overlays.
THE big deal is that you don't need an internet access to view the maps. You actually download all the info for that particular state and can access it whether you have internet or not. I guess my beloved paper maps are going to bite the dust.
regards, as always, jefe

I have been traveling since the spring of '67, coast to coast,and have never used a trip planning software. Still see no need for it. That's just me.

jefe 4x4 wrote:
...We were looking for a mapping program that has all the National Parks, National Recreation Areas, Natn'l Grasslands, Natn'l Forests, Wetlands, Monuments, State, Regional, and County Parks all in one program as an overlay: Not a focus on private, full-service campgrounds...I wanted to download it onto our i-pad which has 4G, and a GPS and mapping component already, but kind of thin...

I have no idea if it will work on your I-pad. but take a look at the Ultimate Public Campground Project. I imported the data into Microsoft Streets and Trips for use with the trip mapping and GPS functions.

During Overland Expo 2013 in Flag in May, some were extolling the virtues Nat. Geo's U.S. map software. I just got on their site and the whole mapping software program is Kaputt with support ending last month. I was molto disappointed.
We were looking for a mapping program that has all the National Parks, National Recreation Areas, Natn'l Grasslands, Natn'l Forests, Wetlands, Monuments, State, Regional, and County Parks all in one program as an overlay: Not a focus on private, full-service campgrounds.
This info would be helpful for our projected not-summer, Boundary State, 16 week, clockwise trip around the U.S. in an Expedition Truck Camper (XTC).
I wanted to download it onto our i-pad which has 4G, and a GPS and mapping component already, but kind of thin.
I usually hang around the Truck Camper section of this forum.
Thanks,
regards, as always, jefe