Looking for the perfect RV trip planner

[danoren]

Since 2002 We are RVing every summer for 4-5 months ,each time to a different to us destinatons.
We love hiking,waterfalls,natural hot springs and special events.
In the winter I would search mark on the map places I wanted to explore (using STREET & TRIPS) and then combinitng the dots with scenic by ways.
It works well but it is a lot of work.
My question: is there a RV multi stop planner that will do the work?
I will enter the Start point and the last stop,add points of interests like waterfalls,scenic routes,hot springs and the planner will do the rest?

[notlost]

did you try delorme street atlas? i swear by it's mapping function. they update it annually. very easy to create/modify routes. also, you can use the discoveryowners.com website to find add-ons and show elks lodges, walmarts, sams clubs, passport parks and plenty more. they actually show up on the map, so it's easy to route based on campground availability.

[rverAnn]

Our travel interests and times are similar.This summer's trip was the easiest by-far because I did not plan each detail. We used the book published by Reader's Digest, Off the Beaten Path, to begin an overview of the states(s) we wanted to explore. I sketched a rough map of the state and wrote down which sites we might want to see. I rated them as to my preferences and then reviewed with my husband. We planned to visit 7 states in 4 months - site seeing combined with visiting family and friends. Then the work of planning I gave over to our new GPS, Garmin RV760/Camper 760. It was fantastic!!

The Garmin RV760 utilizes the height and weight of our motorhome to plan the roadtrip. Our preferences for road type were entered. When/if we did not want to go the way Miss Garmin directed us, she "recalculated." (I gave her the respectful name because she did a great job and saved me a lot of work.) Miss Garmin notified us far ahead if there were traffic delays and suggested alternate routings. That was most helpful. When we need a gas station, grocery store, post office, etc. I ask Miss Garmin where is the closest.

On a "travel" day we try not to exceed 200 miles. We do not make any reservations for camping. This frees us to stop or continue when we want. We recognize that weekends and holidays, especially in the summer, are quite busy for State and Provincial parks.

I use many different resources to locate potential overnight sites. I use the Allstays app ($ version), which is quite helpful.
The Ultimate Campground is by far the most complete resource of alternative overnight locations, including city and county parks. We are members of Harvest Hosts and sometimes stay in their interesting venues. This summer we stayed at Big Sky Brewery in Missoula, Montana, for example.

I have all the usual book references for planning overnights, especially for lower cost. We are able to dry camp for several days at a time. There are many fair grounds, rodeo grounds, etc. These are easy places to stay, usually with electric hookup, minimally. We do not usually travel interstate highways, but I do remember some of the Travel Centers in Ohio have RV overnight spots for $. I do not usually phone ahead for any of these (except for Harvest Hosts).

On a travel day, I make a rough estimate of our driving plans and look to see what cgs will be in the area. Miss Garmin has an extensive list of cgs also, and I use that as a resource.

Our travels this summer challenged our resources because we did not have a working computer for 2 months. Our smartphones did work, when there was internet. For that reason using Miss Garmin (on satellite) was my best resource, not forgetting our Atlas maps and other paper-version maps.

It takes many resources to plan the trip. But I no longer overplan the trip; it is much more fun to look around and learn. Happy Travels.

[tomman58]

I use a combination of Goggle, RVReviews, a phone call and Microsoft Excel.Pick a spot look at it on goggle, check out features of parks in area. call then put info into Excel with web page for campground and other points of interest. Excel then is my bible.
A click on the excel campground web page and it automatically takes me there. I have all my travel times listed, distance and fuel expectations.
No surprises and always a good trips. the continual road work is picked up by the TV nav system.

[pasusan]

danoren wrote:
Since 2002 We are RVing every summer for 4-5 months ,each time to a different to us destinatons.
We love hiking,waterfalls,natural hot springs and special events.
In the winter I would search mark on the map places I wanted to explore (using STREET & TRIPS) and then combinitng the dots with scenic by ways.
It works well but it is a lot of work.
My question: is there a RV multi stop planner that will do the work?
I will enter the Start point and the last stop,add points of interests like waterfalls,scenic routes,hot springs and the planner will do the rest?

My question to you...

Do you save your old Streets & Trips map files and would you be willing to share them?

It sounds like you like the same places and activities that we do. 🙂

[BobKrogstie]

Have you looked at these: http://www.milebymile.com/
or https://roadtripusa.com/ or http://trips.goodsamclub.com/

[danoren]

agesilaus wrote:
Not that I know of. Are you aware that Streets and Trips will no longer be updated, I think the 2012 version was the last one. I've noticed it's already drifting out of date with the real road system.

That is one of the reasons I am looking for an alternative.

Thanks

[agesilaus]

Not that I know of. Are you aware that Streets and Trips will no longer be updated, I think the 2012 version was the last one. I've noticed it's already drifting out of date with the real road system.