Map program
I use both Streets/trips and Delorme mapping programs. They are great for cars but they are not RV friendly. Is there a mapping program for RVing? Thank Buster
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Buster52 wrote:
I use both Streets/trips and Delorme mapping programs. They are great for cars but they are not RV friendly. Is there a mapping program for RVing?
Thank
Buster
Not that I've found, and the options are getting slimmer. I've used S&T for years, but as you note it's insufficient for certain features that are important to RVs (like clearances). Besides that, Microsoft is discontinuing the product. MapSource (and I assume its current manifestation, BaseCamp) has a "bus" routing option, but other than sticking to major roads, I don't think it's great for RV planning either.
I've also used a program called ALK CoPilot, which does have RV routing options (height, weight, etc.), and it also runs on smartphones and tablets. Unfortunately, my experience with it was not good. The user interface was incomprehensible and the routes it generated were occasionally bizarre or even dangerous. I read that it's been revamped so maybe it's time to give it a second look.
I tried the RandMcNally RV routing app for the iPad. Unfortunately, I got snagged by that bug in the initial release that caused the program to lock up on certain iPads, and I had to return it before fully exploring its features. I see on the App Store that the software has been upgraded to fix that bug, so maybe that's something else that deserves a second look.
And I haven't found route planning on a GPS to be the best solution. Typing on a GPS screen, among other challenges, requires more patience and a happier disposition than I possess.
What I'd really like is a feature-rich, RV-specific route planning program that I can use on my computer, planning the route on a large screen with a full-size keyboard, with lots of standard menu commands and options, that is then capable of being downloaded to a GPS easily. Haven't found it. So, for the time-being, I'm using S&T and MapSource, exchanging between the two using the .gpx file format, and loading the route into my trusty Garmin Zumo GPS that I swiped off my motorcycle.
I'll follow this thread with interest, but I'm not optimistic.
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