I have solved one of my mapping problems .... distance

[drsolo]

My big gripe while mapping out my trip is trying to figure out just how far down Highway X I can go in Y hours or Z miles and then find a campground in the area of the endpoint. None of the mapping programs let me pick a road/highway/interstate and then let me set the number of hours/distance I want to drive and give me a list of campgrounds (properly filtered of course) within that distance. So I have had to enter in google map "from x to Y" get a distance and then work closer or further.

I found a free, online program called "radius around a point" that lets my type the origin of where I am starting from, enter the number of miles, set the color of line and circle, then click on the origin with the mouse and with the map underneath I can zoom in or out, move in any direction to find the limits of the radius. Now I can tab over to one of my campground search programs and find something close to the limit. I use my snip program to save the map in a file. I am trying the Good Sam trip planner, saving the campsites I find.

[jmckelvy]

PawPaw_n_Gram wrote:

nazpaz wrote:
There's a function in Streets and Trips that I use. It's called "drivetime zone."

I've been using S&T for years - and never noticed or used the function. Been playing with it for a couple hours.

Thanks so much !!!!

That's what I get for not RTFM.

X2. Never paid any attention to it. It's pretty cool. Been playing with it myself.

[wxtoad]

drsolo wrote:

wingsfan20 wrote:
AAA online triptik works very well also if you click to show campgrounds. Use it all the time.

I use Allstays (paid $ version), computer and app. It is ok. I would like a better (and permanent) filter.

You might take a look at The Ultimate US Public Campgrounds Project.

It has lots of filters that the app remembers each time you open it.

There is also a version for the Macintosh.

Note that it deals only with public camping facilities - over 19,000 of them.

Ted H.

[nazpaz]

PawPaw_n_Gram wrote:

nazpaz wrote:
There's a function in Streets and Trips that I use. It's called "drivetime zone."

I've been using S&T for years - and never noticed or used the function. Been playing with it for a couple hours.

Thanks so much !!!!

That's what I get for not RTFM.

Cool! It's a pretty nifty function. You can have multiple zones like one for 5 hours and another for 7. You then can look for campgrounds along your route that fall inside the two. Anyway, glad that I stumbled on it and can share it with others.

[PawPaw_n_Gram]

nazpaz wrote:
There's a function in Streets and Trips that I use. It's called "drivetime zone."

I've been using S&T for years - and never noticed or used the function. Been playing with it for a couple hours.

Thanks so much !!!!

That's what I get for not RTFM.

[wa8yxm]

I normally assume an average speed of 50mph (I actually drive 55-60) and it works out fairly well...

On my semi-annual migration drive I had only one time when the parking I planned on did not work out, and I had to drive beyond what I wanted to... I fairly quickly found parking, spent tne night, and continued, refreshed, in the morning.

Two wal-marts, one north and one south of Viola, TN, I spent the night in Viola. Did my black Friday shopping 7am the south one. Employees outnumbered customers at 7am.

[drsolo]

wingsfan20 wrote:
AAA online triptik works very well also if you click to show campgrounds. Use it all the time.

I tried using AAA online (I paid $$ for insurance) and I find it loaded towards "tourista" more than RVing. I find it clunky to use.

I use Allstays (paid $ version), computer and app. It is ok. I would like a better (and permanent) filter.

Good Sam ($) is ok, but seems to be limited to campsites signed up or have an agreement? with them. I been using this on the computer and it is clunky, for example I cant bookmark it to open it directly into "my trip" but have to go thru the whole login and step thru the program. I really want to be able to download that itinerary onto my tablet but so far the app has been limited to "forced close". It looks like the "export" function is limited to another $$ program.

KOA is, well, good for KOA campsites.

We Camp Here ($) is surprisingly good and simple for finding all kinds of campsites. But despite my being logged in my "advanced search criteria" (like being open all year/winter) is never saved and can disappear mid-search. There is no transfer to navigator and it doesnt even update to its own app either. sigh.

I have been dealing with software since the late 80's. Why dont they ask users what they want? I am tired of paying for stuff I dont need and getting "bloat wear" and not getting what I need.

[drsolo]

nazpaz wrote:
I use lots of different resources, mostly because I haven't found one that does all I want.
Also, I'll mention that, as Matt suggests, I like planning our adventures especially on cold winter nights when I have nothing else to do.

Like you, I have tried different free programs. I just dont like micro$oft anything especially those that require $$ updating since my DH got stuck with a TomTom aka doorstop. In the winter I drive alone (south) so I stick to the major freeways and RV parks for safety. I only drive 5 hours or less per day and on clear roads. I use navigator on my Verizon tablet and if I am delayed for some reason I can pull over and use "maps" to find RV parks close by. My tablet also provides wifi for my computer.

In summer my DH does the navigation and web searches while we drive and we dont stick as tightly to main roads. I havent been "on the road" long, this is my 3rd winter heading south.

Thanks everyone for your recommendations.

[Dennis_M_M]

I like that link, thank you. Who cares if it is as the crow flies or only distance on a Mercator Projection. It gives me what I want as a starting point in travel plans - a rough idea of where I want to start my search for a stopping point.

Thanks for the link.

[nazpaz]

Bill.Satellite wrote:
So do I understand that you use this program to figure out where you want to go and then enter it into a different navigation program to figure out how to get where you want to go?

I use lots of different resources, mostly because I haven't found one that does all I want. My approach is basically:
1. I use S&T and the Drivetime Zone to pick out the area where I want to stop.
2. I use Google Earth with the overlay Matt mentioned to easily find area campgrounds.
3. I use RVparkreviews.com to research those campgrounds
4. Then I use Google Maps to actually do the route

I know it doesn't have to be that complicated but each of these steps has features lacking in the others, so by the time I'm finished I have a pretty good idea of where I'm going.

Also, I'll mention that, as Matt suggests, I like planning our adventures especially on cold winter nights when I have nothing else to do. I'll create a general outline of a trip (working on a 5600 mile circle right now) and then zoom in on each area to research the route and where we might like to stay.

I know that others like to just head out and go with the flow, but I like the challenge of trip planning.

[Matt_Colie]

Ingrid,

I hate to burst you "bubble", but it is wrong.
It is drawing a fixed radius on a Mercator Projection. (Not to mention that it has nothing to do with road mileage or driving time.) That sort of thing bugs me more than most people because I earned a living as the navigator for some of my life.

The problem you will have with Good Sam is that if you need to modify your plan while in route, if you don't carry wire (old term for having internet access) you will be stuck.

That may be good as a guess, but you will be much better off if you learn to use one of the navigators like Strips and Treets or Street Alas. I saw the laptop in your rig. A 40$ package will save you a great deal of grief. As DONDAT said, that will give you everything you want.

Want it all at once? Get the navigator and learn to run it and then go to the Discovery Owners site and get overlays for everything you could want. Here you can find just about everything you need. What you may also want if you don't carry wire is an Alfa AWUS036(XXX)<= current version USB Wifi. With that, if there is an open access point in the county, you can probably work it.

You do know about GassBuddy.com - Right??

Matt - Still a navigator married to a teacher for 40+ years

[Bill_Satellite]

So do I understand that you use this program to figure out where you want to go and then enter it into a different navigation program to figure out how to get where you want to go?

[nazpaz]

There's a function in Streets and Trips that I use. It's called "drivetime zone." You right click on the map, pick "drivetime zone" and then fill in how long you want to drive (by minutes). So, I put in 360 minutes for 6 hours of driving. The program creates a "circle" around the center point that represents how far you can go in that amount of time. Here's the information on it.

[wingsfan20]

AAA online triptik works very well also if you click to show campgrounds. Use it all the time.

[drsolo]

CloudDriver wrote:
The problem I see with using radius around a point is that it gives you a straight line, as the crow flies distance. The actual driving distance will always be longer than this and may be significantly longer. I assume you account for this by using a mapping program to give you the actual driving distance.

Yes, well I plug the actual city or campground into the Good Sam trip thingy. And the address will go into my navigation program.