PLANNING AN RV TRIP!

[@LongLongHoneymoon]

The Best Road Atlas amzn.to/3kUeDE1​ RV Trip Wizard www.rvtripwizard.com/#604273f...​ Harvest Hosts tinyurl.com/en7fyfdx​ Garmin RV 890 amzn.to/3t3c6dL

[@itinerantrebel1799]

The batteries in the road atlases are truly amazing. I’ve had one for 25 years and it’s still on the original set of batteries. The pages haven’t dimmed at all!

[@wwhalen9506]

But the print shrinks.

[@ellensstory4429]

I work for a Chiropractor. We have many interesting conversations in our office, many concerning travel. Usually the includes him telling me to pull the old trusty Rand McNally out from under the cabinet. We have learned a lot of geography by looking at the atlas and we never left our desk.

[@rvtravelstayplay8154]

My wife and I watch your channel without fail... We live in Idaho, but I was working in Wyoming the 1st week of March and went by Gros Ventre Campground... Ha Ha. It was snowed in completely, but I thought of y’all and took a couple of pics... We’re looking forward to getting on the road this spring with our Class A... Hope to see you on the road someday... !

[@TravelsandTravails]

Remember AAA TripTik? How I miss those paper days! I’m using the online version to plan our Summer trip along with Campendium, iOverlander, and the Atlas Obscura website.

[@tonymonicasplanbmichigan5842]

I LOVED the comment about the Atlas's battery life! LOL!! I am a detailed planner. I don't like the feeling I get when no plans have been made. We've been in too many situations where winging it was a disaster. I don't rely on just a GPS. I like to hold maps in my hands and highlight our routes. We use AND LOVE RV Trip Wizard. Yes, you can use a free app like Google Maps but RV Trip Wizard will steer you away from situations that are not RV friendly like low overpasses, twisty roads, and tight-fitting gas stations. We feel safe that we're not going to be led down a road we shouldn't be on or directed to a gas station we can't fit in. You can select minimum and maximum mile distances you want to drive in a day and it will put different color circles on your map to let you know where you are going to be at that time. Once you put in your vehicle's MPG, it indicates where you will be when you need gas. It's a GREAT planning tool. Safe travels & happy camping!

[@jimsouthard3694]

“ A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.” Lao Tzu Your guides are useful for those who plan but planning can also take some of the adventure out of being a traveler. As a ‘full timer” who wanders alone I don’t plan much however I have to periodically utilize paper maps & guides and technology. Since the start of 2020 I have wandered through 3 states, stayed in an RV park 12 nights and boondocked the rest! Rest Stops& Travel Centers are fine when the daylight starts to get thin but BLM, National Parks, and wide spots off the main roads are the best! Some plans are essential like for roadside assistance! However, go head and what is essential but don’t forget to enjoy the adventure!

[@debbizill9835]

We use Harvest Host, Boondocker welcome and military campgrounds. I only like planning about a week or two at a time. Hopefully I can this year?

[@cdalton3169]

Btw, we plan our trips one year in advance. Many campgrounds are filling up fast these days! Long gone are the days of pulling into a CG and staying a week with no advance planning. We use a map, choose where we want to visit and use the app Park Advisor to find a CG in the area. Sometimes we use the Garmin 890 to pick a CG. Next, we open source search the CG to look at ratings and what others say about it, weed out basic complainers / whiners and look for serious negatives and focus on the positive reviews. Then we book the reservation. Most of the time this works well and when it doesn’t we plan somewhere else and choose another date that works.

[@robinsando4845]

Yes, road atlas most important. Waze was sending us over a dirt road that was going over a mountain. The atlas showed an unimproved road. The atlas won. Have you all tried Hip Camp? An app we tried for the first time last month up in OR. We found a private home that had their own rv pad with hook ups. A way for us to visit family and not have to drive far from the rv park.

[@whitleyrobertson7070]

AAA members still get free paper maps ( cities, states, regional versions available) as well as trip-tiks are still available on line...premier members have access RV towing also...

[@stephkent2736]

Can you still get advice from them on the TripTiks? I remember my dad getting them as a kid and it included things like where trailers weren't allowed.

[@jimloth6091]

Yeah - this is us. We plan pretty much everything. Not to say we don't change those plans when we're on the road...

[@jackmcgonegal8728]

Hey, you featured Saint Simons Island in your road atlas discussion. Is that foreshadowing? Come on by. Years ago, when we had our first RV (a VW popup camper counts, right?), I had a similar failure to plan moment. We were headed from Mount Rushmore to Fort Robinson State Park in NE to camp for a few days. Dear wife was a bit nervous as we headed south because we were running low on fuel. No worries, I told her, we'll just gas up at the next town: Ardmore, SD. My first indication that maybe this was a bad plan was when the road we were on turned to gravel. And then we discovered Ardmore was a ghost town. We made it to Crawford, Nebraska on fumes and the engine conked out at the crest of a hill (there really are hills in Nebraska), and we rolled down that hill to the only gas station in the town. I was really hoping our RV trip this summer would be mostly spontaneous, but the NPS making all the campsites in Grand Teton reservation only blew that out of the water. Great episode, as always. Hope you get by SSI before we head to Alabama on May 1. See you on the road.

[@joethecomputerguy1]

I use a Truckers Atlas because it shows truck routes, low bridges, weight limits, etc. For those of us that have a Class A and fifth wheels this is really helpful to double check any GPS directions - even specific RV GPS directions!

[@Tom37323]

I still have my torn, dog-eared, weathered, marked-up, Rand McNally map used in transcontinental road trips in the 70s and 80s.

[@jessehayes486]

As a truck driver rolling thru wyoming often I use that windy app quite a bit.

[@travelduckwonder8013]

I used Boondockers Welcome when Everything was shut down. Only met the property owner to help find the space on their sprawling property next door to some friendly horses. Stayed 3 nights free and could have stayed 5. A very good experience. Take care Loloho and thanks for all the great info over the years!

[@kevinburroughs6583]

Some books we use in planning a trip ahead of time are 1000 places to see before you die, Best US road trips, and also use trip advisor to fimd things to donin each area with kids.

[@sallyrucker8990]

We are fixing up an old Rv from a friend that was given to us by the family. Renovations galore. We have no intentions, this year, of going outside of our known camping, fishing sites. Close to home is comforting and possible. I guess what we’re liking most is these are not widely known. We’re really looking forward to our States camping rates and passes. It’s only two dollars more to hook up to full amenities with the State Park passes.

[@earlhunt2815]

We use and really like the Rand Mcnally that came with our 2017 Winnebago Navion. At first I thought was a waste of money. However, once I dove into all the capabilities, it has been a great planner and info center. Turn on the Hot Spot and get my diesel fuel along my route, the weather with multiple overlays temperature precipitation and on and on, and local traffic conditions. We subscribe to RV trip wizard which is awesome and it will export into the Rand McNally. It's not as intuitive as the Garmin but it's equally as powerful once you learn it. We have two older garmins and our backpacking garmin. But, the Rand integrates into our info center's 10" screen...so love the convenience. And oh it has an SD card that I slip out and then slip into the computer for trip planning with RV trip wizard which is absolutely great!

[@MRHEAT20]

Thanks for putting this “ ALMOST FIRESIDE CHAT” together- a lot of great information for everyone- we all owe you guys a beer or two 👍

[@jackiemartinez7260]

We love our Atlas, better than scrolling and zooming in and out on the phone! But we love our Garmin!

[@rickhopkins1678]

For those with big rigs iExit also has a trucker version (iExitTruck) that is useful for finding truck stops, parking areas and other large vehicle friendly businesses.

[@phaedrarogers2793]

We now have our first RV and I am finding out how much learning and work is required for- what I now realize is a hobby- RVing. I have been listening (to Loloho) while I work. And, I just wanted to thank you for keeping me company through all the camping prep. I've learned so much because of your efforts with the channel. Thank you!

[@willjay916]

Still don't have either the tow vehicle or travel trailer,but subscribed to RV Trip Planner for a trial. Used my National Geographic atlas to string a trip look together, entered it into the trip planner and came up with a ballpark budget. I guess that I'm a planner type.😁

[@sandybostian1188]

I use rv parky, an Army Corps of Engineers campground directory (book), and phone gps with an atlas backup. I learned the hard way about carrying a paper map when your data cuts out.

[@dhillman7522]

As for the diesel everything was cheap after we left California. Last trip we were on the road 6 months. For planning we use Allstays Pro I think $30 a year. It has all types of camping, clearances everything. We use My Maps from Google to map it out. We change colors of stops as we go so family can track us. You can give view only permissions to keep people from making changes. You can also add all details in comments such as dates, price, discounts, site # Etc. Add layers for different trips or years and it's freeeeee! Upgradable GPS built into truck OH YAAAAHHHH we can send directions to it from my maps on cell phone.

[@williammorris6912]

When I was a kid I loved looking at atlas.

[@johngilbreath1605]

I was pulling my travel trailer with a wave runner behind it from Houston area to Possum Kingdom Lake in north Texas several years ago. The route just seemed to run out of gas stations. As we reached our campground which had a gas station as part of the business my Excursion ran out of diesel and we coasted into the parking lot and stopped at the pumps.

[@TheKaffeeKlatsch]

I know it's not in your wheelhouse but renting an RV can be a way to give it a try before purchasing one outright. We drove to Vegas and used a service similar to ABB for RV's.... made for a great experience around the southwest.

[@ClassicCarTraveler]

Thanks for all the great info you guys provide for everyone!! (love me a good old atlas)

[@AcmeRacing]

In business school they taught me do do a five year plan and then revise it quarterly. No matter how well you plan, "stuff" happens that requires the military doctrine "revise, adapt and overcome." We start with a broad plan to daisy-chain a few major destinations together on a timeline, with enough slack to explore some extra places along the way. At each stop, we try to have a plan B and plan C. If a boondocking spot doesn't pan out, we'll check out the next one on our list in the same area.

[@AskRemy]

The Road Atlas is a great idea. Yes, viewing it is much better than any device

[@ellensstory4429]

I love you all. No drama, no hype, just good information given in a clear, concise sometimes humorous manner. Thank you

[@1380beagle]

My family are weekend warriors...for now. So I will occasionally plan out trips that I’d like to take. I use a combination of RV life app, campendium, all stays, Travelocity, and google map. My hubby recently found one called The Dyrt.

[@jsm8116]

I fully agree that the road atlas is a great thing to have on hand. We bought our first RV two years ago and have towed it a little over 15,000 miles so far. And I’ve used a highlighter to record every road we’ve traveled with the RV attached. It’s fun to open the atlas and see where we have been. Thanks for your very informative videos.

[@lolal1026]

I've used the free app Truck Map used by truckers to find gas station, rest stop, etc it also shows red for heavy traffic, it's basic info but has come handy....I mainly use trip wizard for planning & also like gas buddy

[@davidbottles3035]

Long Long Honeymoon the last, but, not least video that pops up on my Sunday night must watch video. My weekend is now complete.

[@duckiegirl58]

In our area of the PNW wind and high bridges are a thing! Thank you for the info about Windy!!

[@beverlystewart5518]

I have that exact National Geographic Atlas laying here beside me as I watch this video. I would not take a long trip without it.

[@benryan9466]

Thanks for sharing all your great information and adventures 👍🇺🇸

[@yisimlampiris-tremba2247]

I know this is two months ago, but I was just looking on boondockers welcome. It looks like it would be a great membership to have too. On their website they have a video from “ I’m not lost I’m rving”. She explained it very well. It would be great, say all the Harvest Host are booked, there might be an equally spectacular boondockers welcome, near by. The price is not bad eather. Plus, they even tell you what they allow and don’t. And some places have full hookups. Both are Harvest Host and Boondockers Welcome.

[@cdalton3169]

We love the Garmin RV890! We also run an atlas! We use Gas Buddy and carry 130 gallons of D fuel. Ha! Love your content, guys! Great stuff...

[@ceciliapetrowsky2572]

I remember very well when you pulled into that gas station on fumes. Good times!! LOL. My worst nightmare. Thanks for all the good information. Been planning a trip to MI. It’s taken me a long time because I keep running out of steam. It’s very overwhelming. I may have to break down and get RV Trip Wizard. Thanks for the video.

[@badgerpa9]

If you use GPS thank DARPA and the Star wars program under Reagan. I still get AAA books.

[@normsimpson2342]

I'm just getting everything loaded back into the coach. My trip is all planned. Me and my German Shepherd are going to head North on the 395 and turn east somewhere around Idaho or something....

[@bobbybaldeagle702]

I've been bouncing between time time stamp 2:31 and 2:36 maybe it's just my old eyeballs I don't know but Christy you don't look any different between then and now and you even put up with him and you still look the same... LoL 😂😆🤣😂😹🤣 Sorry just my old biker humor. The part of you putting up with him... LoL 😂😆 But you're right about the atlas I sat in the saddle for many years crossing this great country of ours and I had a miniature size Atlas for my motorcycle that I carried with me stopping every two or three miles to make sure I was going the right way I mean two or three hundred miles... LoL. . Great video thanks for sharing all the info I love you kids be blessed in Jesus name... BBE 🤗🤗

[@pathfinder9759]

I'm leaving in less than a month. I have reservations for 95% of the stops. Still in my car, so I need campgrounds. And with a lifetime senior pass I try to stick to federal campgrounds. I use Google Earth as my main planner. Without a navigator, I plan the route between campgrounds and take notes. With Google Earth, I can drop to the ground and find those weird turnoffs like a left lane exit. I find it fun to finally see in person, an intersection after seeing it on Google Earth. I have a Rand McNally atlas and AAA maps while on the road.

[@leisuretravelinlockes8037]

We are Passport America members as well On our 2019 trip to Ontario, Canada, we saved nearly $700 in rv park fees. Of course, you need to plan a little to get the 50% off deals but it is worth the effort.

[@patireland9408]

The Good Sam map/Atlas has GS campgrounds shown and listed. 890 went higher on the want/need list when the 1090 came out. But your info added some points as well. Starting to like gas buddy. Books good. Yes, agree that Covid changed the rules - plan, reserve, and stay safe.

[@lavetaloca7790]

when choosing a campground and even spot I watch KZbin videos about the camp.

[@shelliebarnes1959]

My best long trips (5 times) Northern Michigan to/from Alaska...NO daily plans... spontaneous daily decisions...fun....The Milepost is great and Garman rules for everything

[@craftytraveler9238]

We have many of these tools. We are planners. I have our 2 month trip from Calif to Ohio planned all the way. We have the Rand McNalley truckers road atlas, RVtripwizard, I also go to Harvest Host and copy and paste the address into trip wizard program to map them out along the way. I like that I can email the trip to myself and then i forward it to my husband and others along the way. We will upload to our Garmin also. Thank you for the video. I need the gas and wind app.

[@IndianaFr0g]

I'm a BIG planner, because right now, I have limited time away and need to be efficient with my time. I use almost ALL of products you guys listed and I look at each exit on my trip to at least have SEEN the exit once or twice (using the google maps street view). I did just add the I-Exit app and may look into the Atlas. Good content as always and enjoy the longest running RV UTube show on the interweb!

[@pipslife7874]

We are new to rving. nearly 1 year under our belts. Our 1st stop when planning is at LoLoHo you tube to see if you have been there!! In fact, that is my 1st stop whenever I have questions!! Thanks for the videos and the info!! Next time we get to meet, maybe it will be a better place than on the side of the road in New Mexico!!

[@burnesrose3225]

Not full time rv’ers. We are planning longer trips. RV Parky, Google Maps and the Road Atlas are the tools I use. I just purchased a Garmin for our tow vehicle. Looking forward to using that. There is such a thing as to much information.

[@nadefaz]

I love seeing the whole map of the area at once. I photocopy the atlas pages I need and cut and paste it together for a custom map of the trip. I add notes/dates to it and highlight the route. Then it becomes a souvenir at the end!

[@rosecorbin3694]

Thank you! This will definitely help!

[@LongLongHoneymoon]

Glad it was helpful!

[@glennlarish9775]

Thank you for the timely video. I am planning a trip this summer from NY to Montana down to Grand Canyon and back through the south and back to NY. I will listen to the PROS and get that thing you call a book, and use some of the apps you mention in the find a campsite video

[@michaelmontgomery7069]

I live In Tupelo Mississippi so I loved the intro when you showed Elvis Presley birthplace!!!!

[@timinsandiego6979]

You know what, those Rand McNally atlases are gold. Always have been and I think they always will be. Love that you highlighted that! Happy miles ahead for you two.

[@SarahVanRiper]

I use an Excel spreadsheet to plan RV trips with a row for each day, where we are staying, driving distance, things to do etc.

[@juliehinkle7234]

After your last video I downloaded RV Parky and had to use it this weekend to find propane on our way to Florida. So easy to use - so thanks for sharing your apps with us. Love the Garmin 890 as well. We have used it a couple times and love it.

[@machfive916]

Just took our inaugural shakedown cruise (3 days/2 nights) with our 2021 Flagstaff Micro Lite 25BRDS.. Only went 70 miles from New Orleans to the Hollywood Casino RV "resort" in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. As far as planning goes, I re-watched some Loloho videos and made a modified Loloho Pre-Trip checklist and also a modified Loloho RV setup checklist (wished I had also made a departure checklist) and did "the scoop" to back into our spot. Had a new Atlas, but didn't need it; however, hoping to get our RV890 GPS unit soon. I am definitely a planner and followed your link to sign up for RV Wizard. Will be planning a longer trip in the next few weeks. Thanks for all the great advice that I am finally getting to actually use!

[@carolmcdaniel7693]

We also Love our atlas!

[@lindal1827]

I love/use RV Trip Wizard. I don't think I heard you mention it but another one is Dyrt, or the dyrt - they have free and paid versions.

[@mikemcintyre473]

We still use Microsoft Streets & Trips. It may be a little outdated but still is easy to use and useful and has a lot more features than many apps.

[@shouldibehere]

My navigator (wife) wouldn't dream of planning or traveling without one of those new fangled things called an Atlas. Finding a good one can be tricky so thanks for the heads up on the National Geo one.

[@NomadicLiving]

Absolutely love trip wizard!! You can save lots of 'tentative' or 'future' trips. The besat part is how it calendars your timeline.

[@bobfincher1767]

I love looking at a maps

[@Whyknotgo86]

Good information! We are old school and like using the atlas and not planning too far ahead also but given the amount of folks booking campsites way ahead we may need to change our method. Thanks again.

[@cnjsharp2]

Another great show! In year two, there’s still much to learn and more to remember.

[@ournewseason]

As always...the best and thanks! I already ordered the Road Atlas.

[@lindahikes2760]

This is perfect timing for this video. We were just talking about being able to plan via sites to see. Also ordered the new atlas. Thank you.

[@doneason4494]

Have been watching your channel a while and really enjoy it. Thanks for the tips and safe travels.

[@johneskrich362]

I like individual state Gazetteers (paper backroad planning on a coordinate enlarged view) for states I like to boondock at Wisconsin my home state, Colorado , UT, AZ, NM.

[@Photolly-Twisted]

Great video. Thank you for all your information and your time putting this together, it's much appreciated. Rene and Keith

[@KarenCalypte]

We have an old Rand Mcnally Road Atlas thats probably 40 years old. Time for an upgrade, you think. I will buy the Nat Geo one as have a few things on Amazon to order this week. Will have to watch the rest of your video tomorrow, cause it's late, we're old and we're tired. Nighty Nite. I sure do love your RV travel videos. The funniest one EVER was the Toto bidet. Regards, ~~ Karen

[@michaelshaffer1624]

A great companion atlas to the one you mentioned is the Motor Carriers Road Atlas. It provides all the info that long haul truckers use and is invaluable for finding motorhome safe alternate routes.

[@KelleyTexas]

Excellent information. I've been using RV Trip Wizard for a little while. It was a little quirky to learn how to use, but I think I'm starting to get the hang of it.

[@izabel89]

It’s the first purchased we made after purchasing our RV is the Road Atlas

[@RexDeaver]

We use Google Maps and Campendium. The duo work well together. I also track camping, distances traveled, and similar info in a spreadsheet. The last column is the date when we need to make reservations -- especially important for national park campgrounds.

[@RRS8840]

I’m glad I watched this video. I learned a tremendous amount: was downloading while watching. I feel like $49 for RV Trip Planner is a steal. I’ll save more than $49 by not making a lot of the mistakes you talked about. Thanks from Huntsville.

[@waynehogue2499]

Great video as always, we use Allstays and RvParky and the good old road atlas. My DW loves her printed AAA road maps as well. Safe travels I 2021.

[@Franknank]

With fuel prices on the rise and the glut of people who now own RV's , it is becoming cost prohibitive to travel. Private campground prices along with the increase in national forest campground pricing will force many, to at best limit their travel plans. Welcome to the new normal.

[@darrelltrammel1623]

True. Here in Texas we always went to state parks. They are so busy now we can hardly get reservations

[@neilevenden3481]

Love to see how you actually plan a trip. Not just the tools but the thought process.

[@beach3girl459]

Yes, the Road Atlas is amazing...old school, but relevant. Don't leave home without it!

[@itchingtogo7362]

GREAT info!! Thank you so much. Will be using many of your suggestions as I plan my first solo cross country adventure for the fall.

[@Yukonjackman1]

Ok I learned many decades ago a pick up has a bed ready for a auxiliary fuel tank giving you more miles if needed and a more cheeper fuel .

[@jsm8116]

If you can handle the extra weight then this is a great option. Unfortunately, many people are maxing out their load capacity already so adding another tank of fuel might not be possible.

[@adriannurse1502]

Also on the Garmin RV 890 you log in your RV. Is it a drivable or a towable. What is your height, width, length and weight. That way it makes sure to route you down roads you can safely travel on. This is so important. Google maps on your phone may take you under a bridge you can't fit under. Loosing your air conditioners is not exciting. Driving over a country bridge that you exceed the weight limit by 30,000 pounds is definitly a bad idea too. Google maps was definitely not made for RV's.

[@mikeg1593]

This is great 👍 I’m in the middle of planning a trip this spring cross country from Oregon to Pennsylvania to see the grandkids. You have supercharged my enthusiasm. I’ve been looking for things to see and do along the way. It’s just the two of plus a pup and it’s a real challenge with all the RVrs expected on the road this year. Good Job 👍🇺🇸

[@espresso2day]

Hipcamp is like AirBandB for personal property. We have had a good experience.

[@louisag5410]

Espresso2day....thanks for the tip...just downloaded ...looks cool!

[@mssixty3426]

Hahaha, "Understatement Alert" I remembered your previous video detailing your coast into the gas station last time I drove through that area with my large V8 car.

[@Pack.Leader]

Another awesome video, lovely couple! You reminded me to get that gasbuddy app. Now that the prices are about to skyrocket once again, I need to know where the cheapest gas is, even when stationary. Here in the T or C, NM area, they've all coordinated their pricing. It's a conspiracy. Regular unleaded is currently at $2.89/gallon. I hope we aren't on our way back up to $5 again. Damn Democrats! Thanks for the tip on IExit, too! I downloaded that one as well.

[@tigers5300]

1st...haha. When discussing trip planning, I have found the best way to plan is let my wife do it, and I just drive...lol. Actually, we have found that some campsites will actually give some sort of discount if you book with them a few months in advance. We actually planed this years excursions and book everything last weekend; granted it’s only a 2 week vacation.

[@terryhaynes1596]

I have been using what you have suggested. Thanks. You have been extremely helpful.

[@ijblessjourney]

Hello Loloho, we are planning a cross country trip from MD - Washington State. We are using most of the tools you recommended so thank you. We have 9 weeks to complete this trip there and back, can you mention a couple of places you think we SHOULDN’T miss. We are going the WS to visit our family and will spend a week with him. Thank you in advance - Ivan

[@kristymichael]

Southern Utah (mighty 5 national parks), and the northwest corner of Wyoming (Yellowstone and Grand Teton) would be my absolute must visit spots!

[@ijblessjourney]

@@kristymichael is the Garmin you recommend the latest model of Garmin RV GPS?

[@kristymichael]

@@ijblessjourney, we're actually about to review the latest model. Stay tuned!

[@ijblessjourney]

@@kristymichael Awesome! I’ll stand by to purchase the Garmin. We want to buy it for our summer trip. Thanks!

[@tamirenno5845]

Thank you, thank you, thank you, for all this great information. ❤️

[@rhondalyn100]

I LOVE my RA Adventure Edition! I never, ever leave home without it! Great vid...thank you! :-)

[@stevenbridges2525]

Good SPAM AND DOA Campgrounds! 😂 Typos or Intentional, I Love it!

[@tracychaddon6460]

The TSD EFS fuel card is one of the best ways to save on diesel. We saved over $50 on our vacation last year.