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.