TOOLS TO ORGANIZE AND PLAN YOUR TRIPS

I know that everyone probably has there own methods of organizing and planning for road trips MAPQUEST, GOOGLE MAPS, etc. I came across this free website that you can add to your TOOL BOX for planning trips www.pinmaps.net This website allows you to put PINS where you want to go or put them where you have already been. The one thing it doesn't do is calculate distance between places.

I would like to know if anyone else is using any other tools that is better for planning trips ? For example is there one out there that also allows for gas calculations, track history, etc.

Thank you Jack

I've been using the Trailer Life Directory Campground Navigator for the last couple of years (currently using the 2011 version.) I've found it to be a really powerful planning tool and pretty easy to use. They've improved it over the last couple of years and now it includes not only Good Sam and other campgrounds, but also many of the Military Campgrounds (not all of them, but you can input the information for the missing ones and save them as "User Parks".) In addition, it allows you to add different overlays to the database...I added the Passport America and Flying J POI files so it shows them also. A recent addition is the Next Exit directory showing what is at each Interstate exit...fuel, food, Wal Marts, etc.

Planning is easy. You tell it where you want to start and when, how long you want to drive each day, your average MPG and fuel costs, average meal costs, average CG cost, and other expenses. Then just browse the map and select destinations. Pick a CG where you plan to be and how many nights you plan on being there and add it to your trip. It will pop up a window giving you the Trailer Life Directory information on that campground (number of sites, rate, Big Rig access, directions to CG, amenities there, phone number, email, website, etc.)

You then tell the program to calculate your trip. It will show you the route with turn by turn directions (you can pick fastest, shortest, avoid interstates, avoid ferries and toll roads, etc.) You can also select areas to avoid (such as major cities) and it will route you around those areas. Depending on how long you told it you wanted to drive each day, it will suggest the closest CG to you stop time.

Some of the other info it calculates is your total fuel and other costs, miles each day, start and stop time each day, total miles and driving time, estimated fuel usage, and total estimated cost of the trip.

Once I have the trip set up and modified to the way I want it, I can download it to my Garmin GPS (I'm not sure if it can be downloaded to another brand GPS.)

It's like any other mapping program...it works for me because I'm comfortable using it now. There's a lot of other ones though that folks swear by. Microsoft Streets and Trails is one, but I've never tried it so can't speak about it.

I guess the best advice then would be to use whatever works for YOU.

If you are a Good Sam member take a look at their trip routing/planning and see what you think. We have been using it for about 12 years and have tried many others but always come back to Good Sam. I guess what I really like is you have the option to pick a military reservation as your starting point or destination and you can pick and choose what options you want to see, eg. rest stops, mileage between places, time needed for trip, campgrounds, if you want to avoid certain roads, favor certain roads, etc. For maps we just use a good Atlas, usually do not print maps from any website. Have not used a GPS in any car or RV and I keep telling hubby as long as my brain and eyesite still functioning no need for a GPS.

lamsan wrote: If you are a Good Sam member take a look at their trip routing/planning and see what you think. We have been using it for about 12 years and have tried many others but always come back to Good Sam. I guess what I really like is you have the option to pick a military reservation as your starting point or destination and you can pick and choose what options you want to see, eg. rest stops, mileage between places, time needed for trip, campgrounds, if you want to avoid certain roads, favor certain roads, etc. For maps we just use a good Atlas, usually do not print maps from any website. Have not used a GPS in any car or RV and I keep telling hubby as long as my brain and eyesite still functioning no need for a GPS.

Your hubby is lucky, he actually does have a GPS, you. I'm not quite so lucky, have to depend on a female voice from a little box with a screen. But, when your planning a trip always check different scorces. Do not rely strickly on a GPS, will sometimes get you in trouble. I use Microsoft streets, Google, and my phone has an app that will also plan trips. There's also an app for exit info.