Trip Planning and GPS Software

[timandsusan]

I have used DeLorme Street Atlas and Topo software for 10 years. Now that Garmin bought DeLorme--these products are not available. Has anyone found another software program runs on laptop for trip planning and GPS tracking while driving?

[Rovin__Bones]

I'm an avid motorcyclist. I like to plan scenic back roads routes with lots of twisty roads and great scenery. To that end, I stumbled upon a website that allows me to easily plan my trips and then do the file export in a choice of several formats or directly to a short list of devices. I export as KML files and then load that file into my phone and open with LocusMaps Pro app for voice guided, turn by turn navigation and statistics tracking.

MotoGoLoco uses google maps and there's nothing in there that will allow you to see or avoid restricted roads (height/weight) etc.

MotoGoLoco Trip Planning

[fj12ryder]

Mapsource is still available, but the new name is BaseCamp. Same program, just updated and renamed.

[tvman44]

This is what I do. Got Mapsource with my GPS, don't know if it is still available.

ORbiker wrote:
I agree Matt
Doesn't Google Maps understand RV'ers would pay to use a good map program, instead of just free google map.

I still use Garmin Mapsource to load my GPS for my motorcycle trips. It was expensive, but works. I will figure out my routes on google map and fine tune it, then plot it on mapsource. Then; connect the GPS to the computer and shove the plan over.

[ORbiker]

I agree Matt
Doesn't Google Maps understand RV'ers would pay to use a good map program, instead of just free google map.

I still use Garmin Mapsource to load my GPS for my motorcycle trips. It was expensive, but works. I will figure out my routes on google map and fine tune it, then plot it on mapsource. Then; connect the GPS to the computer and shove the plan over.

[Matt_Colie]

I'm another one that is completely disappointed with the Garmin/Delorme thing. I had been doing the *.gpx to get the plan to the drivers GPS, but that does suck. Basecamp sucks for a planning app even on a big screen. With Delorme SA, I could lay out a plan months ahead and include the End of Day, fuel stops and include the expected time for attractions along the planned route.

There is nothing I have found to replace SA. What I do now is plan on SA. Sometimes I do the *.gpx to pass to the Drivers little GPS (the person sitting in the right seat gets to be navigator) and has the laptop and the smartphone watching for traffic as the Garmin traffic receiver proved worthless even before it died and stopped the GPS from working. (The traffic receiver got disconnected and now the GPS works as well as it ever did.

It would be so simple for either Garmin or Google to make up a package to do what we would like, but I guess the market for a real traveler's navigation and planning package just does not have any appeal to marketing. I really wish Google would grab this ball. Their maps are more up to date and the traffic note on my phone seem to be pretty good. I can't even imagine the other features that they could incorporate.

Matt

[fj12ryder]

I use Street Atlas for trip planning, then map out the same route in BaseCamp for subsequent transfer to my GPS. BaseCamp sucks for actual planning. Too many roads disappear when you zoom out.

Don't expect Street Atlas to reappear. Useful software is being dropped so you will be forced to "apps" instead. Don't like it? I sure don't since I like the large screen to work with. Well, that and the fact I don't have a smart phone. 🙂

[Triker33]

Use CoPilot on a iPad mounted on the drivers side window. Less then $15 and can also be used on your Smart phone on the same license.

http://tinyurl.com/hw5c9cg

[ccxnola]

TimandSusan,
I too have used Street Atlas for many years (since 2004 and I have all of the upgrade disks to 2015). I think it is the best product available. I plan an RV trip on my portable PC in the comfort of home and then place the PC on the holder in the RV, plug in the GPS & Speaker connections (I use iTunes on the PC to play music), plug in the power and I'm ready to go.

Since there is no longer an update to Street Atlas, I purchased a Garmin for the RV and loaded BaseCamp (their 'trip planning' software) on my PC. BaseCamp (in my opinion) is difficult to use and is rudimentary compared to Street Atlas. S0 I sent an email to Garmin regarding their combining with Street Atlas and the reply for their technical staff was disappointing - to say the least. In a nutshell, their advice is to abandon Street Atlas and learn the Garmin way. They did indicate that if I wish to continue to use Street Atlas for planning, I could export the plan file as a ".gpx" file and then import that file to BaseCamp to complete the planning and transfer to the Garmin GPS unit. What a MESS!!

The Garmin RV GPS will not connect to the PC for display - which means my map is now 5 inches instead of 17 inches!! 5 inches is OK in for a driver in a car with the unit close, but in my RV, the display is quite a distance away!!

The Garmin unit is not cheap! and I'm not sure of a good way forward to be able to plan at home and then easily move the plan to the rig for the actual trip. Right now, I am planning to keep on using Street Atlas as in the past and hope that there may be sufficient negative feedback to Garmin that they will integrate Street Atlas capabilities with Garmin GPS and be able to present the trip progress on a portable PC. They have all of the software and it is a matter of getting them to 'talk' to one another. (Garmin maps are updated more frequently and in that regard are somewhat better than the Street Atlas. I use a Garmin unit in my car/SUV)

[fj12ryder]

I'm still using Street Atlas. I've never seen much change in the maps in all the years I've been using it, although I know there must be some. I figure to just keep using it. Eventually I'll have to find something else, but nothing out there works as well for me.