Trip Planner navigation apps (android)

[MoneyJohn]

Anybody here takes off the beaten path road trips? We are planning to take a Fall trip around VT and NH using not-so-common roads. Google Maps allows me to map the trip but it can not be used for navigation. Garmin Maps (via Basecamp) tells me loads of roads as unpaved even though they are not and strictly refuses to follow the route. I have not tried any open source or paid navigation apps.
Sharing a planned route on the desktop via email or sending directly to the phone doesn't always work. We tried that last year and it failed as soon as we lost the cell signal. It rerouted us using the quickest route.

Ideally, it would be great if I can just export *kmz/*kml file from Google Maps and import it to a navigation app.

Any suggestions?

 

[bubbatime]

Be careful. I have had numerous GPS devices take me down 4x4 jeep trails. In a minivan. Nothing like mud bogging, dragging the rockers, and scaring the heck out of the wife in a Chrysler minivan. 50 miles from civilization with no working cell towers in the area too.

Plan your trip accordingly.

 

[Mad_Hatter]

Originally Posted by MoneyJohn
Anybody here takes off the beaten path road trips? We are planning to take a Fall trip around VT and NH using not-so-common roads. Google Maps allows me to map the trip but it can not be used for navigation.

Any suggestions?

Have you tried downloading the map for offline use? Your phone may not have cell service but it's internal GPS feature should still work... works for me.

Google has mapped many, not all, of the Forest Service roads here in the Gifford Pinchot forest and I use the offline map to navigate them.

 

[Pew]

I use Google Maps for all my road trips. I plan the routes in advanced on the computer and then have the directions/destination sent to my phone and download offline-maps where I am driving to/through. The only thing I miss is traffic conditions if I don't have signal for data or anything new built within the same week I'm on the trip. Though Google maps will show unpaved or "primitive" roads as routes, as I found out driving my focus 20 miles through unpaved and un-maintained roads in Big Bend NP in Texas at 2AM.

I have yet to find anything easier and more complete than Google Maps. I even use it to map my hikes sometimes too.


Originally Posted by Mad_Hatter

Have you tried downloading the map for offline use? Your phone may not have cell service but it's internal GPS feature should still work... works for me.


What's weird is that some phones don't do that. I have no idea why but my friend's LG G4 on TMobile will not pick up an accurate GPS signal when out of service range or not give him GPS signal at all. My LG G4 did, but I was on sprint. I don't think it's a carrier issue either since my roommate's Pixel 3 on TMobile does not have that issue.

 

[Mad_Hatter]

Originally Posted by Pew
I use Google Maps for all my road trips. I plan the routes in advanced on the computer and then have the directions/destination sent to my phone and download offline-maps where I am driving to/through. The only thing I miss is traffic conditions if I don't have signal for data or anything new built within the same week I'm on the trip. Though Google maps will show unpaved or "primitive" roads as routes, as I found out driving my focus 20 miles through unpaved and un-maintained roads in Big Bend NP in Texas at 2AM.

I have yet to find anything easier and more complete than Google Maps. I even use it to map my hikes sometimes too.


Originally Posted by Mad_Hatter

Have you tried downloading the map for offline use? Your phone may not have cell service but it's internal GPS feature should still work... works for me.


What's weird is that some phones don't do that. I have no idea why but my friend's LG G4 on TMobile will not pick up an accurate GPS signal when out of service range or not give him GPS signal at all. My LG G4 did, but I was on sprint. I don't think it's a carrier issue either since my roommate's Pixel 3 on TMobile does not have that issue.

Then it must be a hardware issue. Like you I have Sprint with my HTC. I could go into settings right now and disable "Data" and change from CDMA to GSM, effectively disabling cellular since Sprint uses CDMA and my phone will still map/navigate using it's internal GPS. Because of where I live has a lot of rural, i basically have the entire PacNW+ ID, MT and very northern CA and B.C. downloaded to offline maps just in case I lose my data connection. It takes up about a gig to gig and a half on my SD card.