Roadtrippers and Zumo XT2 anyone???

[Protonhound]

Hi All,
I have been using Roadtrippers to plan rides, just writing the directions down and stuffing them in my tank bag top. It's been a long time since I had any kind of Garmin product and finally decided to jump in and get the Zumo XT2.
I am still in the figuring things out phase and am not in a hurry. Roadtrippers will export .gpx files but the XT2 seems rather temperamental about those. Like I said, I am just starting to geek out on this so it'll take some time to arrive at a smooth reliable workflow that results in hassle free navigation. I have been playing around with tread on my android phone and it seems to work rather well with the XT2 however it's just easier to use a pc monitor for planning.
If anyone here has experience with Roadtrippers I'd like to hear their take on it, or I might get an android tablet and just stick with Tread.

[jfheath]

I see that you are struggling with Mapping and route building for your XT2.

From what you say, you are new to the Zumos and it sounds like you are trying to use Apps that you know in order to make the XT2 work.

You might need to rethink that approach !

Garmin have adopted a very particular style of planning routes.

There are two approaches

Routes - which use a number of key route points which the Zumo will use to calculate which roads to use in order to navigate you from one point to the next.
Tracks - which draw the line on the map for the Zumo to follow.

The link below takes you to a series of chapters written specifically for the XT. It includes information that is relevant to all route building programs, but particularly focuses on Basecamp and other routing software that allows the use of both shaping points and via points.
Garmin Basecamp is free and uses identical maps to the Zumo. It only works on PC and Apple computers, so no tablets or handheld devices.

I understand that Garmin say that BC is not compatible with the XT2. But that doesn't mean that you cannot use it to plan routes and get them i to the XT2. I know that there are XT2 owners on here that are using it with Basecamp. Check the XT2 forums or ask the specific question.

viewtopic.php?t=1464

Most of what is written about route planning will also apply to the XT2 so it is wirth reading the first section and the section in different ways of navigating.

I haven't set eyes on an XT2, but I have read the manual. There are enough similarities to make me believe that this information is still relevant.

Other software which I know uses similar terminology and ideas as Garmin's

MyRouteApp
Kurviger

But with each different provider, you will introduce new possible glitches.
Get the basics and work from there. the

[Peobody]

You might also look into exporting your Roadtrippers trips as GPX files and then copying those files to the XT2. This is what you would have to do to transfer trips created in BaseCamp onto the XT2. An unknown to me is how well the XT2 would handle the GPX file created by Roadtrippers.

[Protonhound]

Thanks all for your input,
Importing a .gpx file created in Roadtrippers into Garmin is unsurprisingly not working very well. The route created in RT wreaks havoc with the Garmin shaping system and literally densely populates the entire route with shaping points which is probably why the XT2 has an aneurysm. I still use RT to create the bulk of the routes along with google maps on my pc monitor because it's big and I can see the mileage there as I slide the cursor along for fuel stops among other things. But then I find it very easy to use Tread to simply recreate a clean file from that. For smaller trips just the Tread app is probably fine but for multi day rides it's easier for me to use my combination of RT and google initially.

[Peobody]

I use Google Maps for pre-planning and then duplicate that route in Basecamp. Many folks have stated that Basecamp is too hard to learn but that wasn't the case for me. I made a couple of test routes while following the New England riders tutorial and was on my way.
https://www.newenglandriders.org/learn-basecamp/
The process has been refined a lot by the excellent information produced and linked to by @jfheath along with a lot of solicited advice from folks here and figuring out my own preferences. IMO, three important things are:
1. I did not find it challenging to grasp the concepts of creating a route.
2. There is not "right" way. Everyone has their preferences in how they ride, where they ride, and how detailed their route planning is, and how they go about creating their routes. This forum is an amazing source of perspectives and alternative methods that you get to test, use, or discard.
3. A plus with Basecamp is that you are working on a PC. My trip planning ranges from 3 hour rides to 14 day/4000 mile trips. A 3 hr ride planned on a tablet, yeh, OK, but a 14 day/4000 mile trip...UGH!

[Protonhound]

I use Google Maps for pre-planning and then duplicate that route in Basecamp. Many folks have stated that Basecamp is too hard to learn but that wasn't the case for me. I made a couple of test routes while following the New England riders tutorial and was on my way.
https://www.newenglandriders.org/learn-basecamp/

I read something about Basecamp not being supported anymore and obsolete.

[Peobody]

I read something about Basecamp not being supported anymore and obsolete.

It is no longer under development but it still works fine. An unknown to me is whether the map on the XT2 can be installed to a PC for use by Basecamp so this is here is a question for current XT2 owners: Can Garmin Express install a map from the XT2 to a PC?

[Protonhound]

I read something about Basecamp not being supported anymore and obsolete.

It is no longer under development but it still works fine. An unknown to me is whether the map on the XT2 can be installed to a PC for use by Basecamp so this is here is a question for current XT2 owners: Can Garmin Express install a map from the XT2 to a PC?

That's fine. I really like the Tread app and using Roadtrippers and Google in conjunction has been working very well for me. I rather do it this way than having to learn another program and then with weird .gpx file issues.
I was just hoping initially that Garmin would get along with .gpx files created in RT but so be it.
At least when I create the final route in Tread I don't have to think about it not working on the XT2.

[jfheath]

It is no longer under development but it still works fine. An unknown to me is whether the map on the XT2 can be installed to a PC for use by Basecamp so this is here is a question for current XT2 owners: Can Garmin Express install a map from the XT2 to a PC?

Garmin Express will install maps direct to the PC - but nowadays, it needs a valid device to be plugged in to the USB port. It doesn't matter which device. I don't know how it recognises that a Zumo is attached - maybe just the presence of a file ??

[Peobody]

Garmin Express will install maps direct to the PC - but nowadays, it needs a valid device to be plugged in to the USB port

Right, but considering that the XT2 is not supported by Basecamp, is the function available for installing the map to the PC when one is connected to GE?

I don't know, and I have mo way of finding out. I just know that in one Express update, the facility was not available to install the map to the PC - so I just connected my 590 and that allowed install to the Pc.

There used to be a way of instaling to a memory card, simply by having a particular file or folder on the card - I think. I wonder if that still works. @Stu or @sussamb may recall.