Route planning advice sought - Philadelphia to PEI via NB and NS

CharlieRN

Warning: Long post ahead.

Our history: New to trailer camping and have had our T@B 320S BD for only a few months. We've had a few days out at Harvest Host locations close to home, but have not been to a park with hookups yet. I'm retiring in mid-August however, and we'd like to do the trip mentioned in the subject line in early September. That will give us time to get a few more days of camping before setting out on what would be about 2,000 or so mile excursion. We hope that since the trip is post-Labor Day, we'll find that camping sites will be more abundant than is presently the case. Even so, we want to plan things out and reserve ahead of time anyway, if needed.

The tentative plan: This will be a leisurely trip of 3 - 4 weeks (could be a bit longer if needed) with stops for the night at the 200-250 mile mark. We will not be spending anything other an overnight on the route from PA to Maine. Once there however, we'd like to spend a few days along the ME cost including at Acadia, before heading to NB and Bay of Fundy NP. From there, we'd like to continue with a coastal route along the Cabot Trail in NS and then into PEI. On the trip back, we were thinking of detouring inland to Baxter and the Rangeley Lake state parks.

We understand the C-19 restrictions and requirements for the border crossing that will necessitate proof of vaccination, the use of ArrivCan and PCR testing. Also understand the US return may be an issue but hope that is worked out before we plan to leave.

As far as the trip itself, we would like to make it a combination of boondocking and hook-up camping, with perhaps a few nights in dog-friendly hotels. Our Welshie will travel with us and we understand the requirements for CN border crossing with pets.

Our 320 BD is presently at the dealer being retrofitted with the Yakima rack and having some issues regarding the water being looked at. The camper was dropped off in early July, but the dealer is way behind and hopes to have it back to us by the end of the month. That should be enough time for me to finish up the mods I'd started, which include installing a BB lithium battery gotten on sale recently. We will then [hopefully] take a few local trips to get more familiar with the T@B. Our TV is up to date as far as preventative maintenance and should be ready for a 2,000 or so mile trip.

As far as equipment, we have most of the important things needed to make a longish trip comfortable. That includes bedding and mattress topper as well as other gear such as additional solar panels, portable solar-powered lights, All-Pro awning, 10x10 Gazelle, camp chairs and table, along with a propane-powered camp stove and fire pit. I previously installed a PI 30 amp EMS.

While I'd appreciate any advice as to additional gear/equipment that we may also need or find useful, what I really need help with is trip planning. There are any number of on-line travel planning sites out there and I admit to being overwhelmed. I'd very much like to get some advice from the well-seasoned T@B community on the best ones to use, and of course, any suggestions about sites to visit along the planed route.

Again, apologies for the long post. Very much look forward to hearing from the T@B community on this.

Dutch061

I bought a subscription to RV Trip Wizard, you can try it for 7 days free. I had looked at a couple of others but what I liked about this particular one is a few things. After the 7 days, it is $49.95 per year or they offer a monthly subscription at a much higher rate.

1. It is web based and there are apps for your mobile devices and can download maps for off line use
2. You can filter what types of camping areas you are targeting
3. If you are looking for POI's along the way, it has them
4. It is configurable both globally and by the individual trip
5. You can choose from a driving distance per day, hours per day, or a combination of both
6. There are YouTube videos' that you can watch to see how to use it
7. It is very simple to use once you have had some introductory training

I needed to plan a trip to Yellowstone next month and without something like this, it seemed to be that I would fail at. It worked well, it still takes time but here is information for the campsites, phone numbers, websites, etc. 

Brad

MuttonChops

My suggestion for Trip Routing is the Furkot web-based program.
This is powerful tool and the fully free version is nearly as feature rich as the member version. If you book hotel/motel rooms using the Furkot interface they give you a year's membership.  I use it so much and have learned to use a couple of the member features so I just buy a year's membership for $15.

Furkot pulls in Campendium data when you ask it for sleeping suggests.
As with RV Trip Wizard you can set your driving speed, driving hours, gas tank range, lodging needs including pet friendly, and several other parameters. And of course you can drag 'the route' to roads you wish to follow if you do not like the standard shortest time/miles routing.

The online Furkot is fully interactive while it also allows one to download a fixed passive map/route that you can reference on your phone/computer/etc without requiring live web access.  Helpful while boondocking in cellphone dead zones.

This afternoon I ran a quick what-if-route for your trip.
  That started with your wish-list Stop locations and maximum driving miles per day.
  Furkot then showed me on a map additional overnight stop locations based on the miles per day.
  Then using it's 'sleep finder' I could select campgrounds, etc for that day's stop.

Your planned trip will be 4-weeks at least even with most stops being one night.
I've included pictures (below) of the Furkot map with a possible route.

If you try Furkot, I suggest you break your trip into sections, say outbound and home-bound. Or to Calbot Trail, Around Calbot Trail and PEI, then finally the home-bound leg.  Smaller route sections are easier to manage & learn how Furkot works . . . on full round trip routes it can get more difficult to make small adjustments.

This link is a Furkot Published Trip Summary, a feature designed to share with friends, etc.  It does not include dates which is a nice touch.

https://trips.furkot.com/ts/8AtW7r

CharlieRN

Many thanks to both @Dutch061 and @MuttonChops for the feedback. The Furkot app is one I hadn't run across before and I like that it pulls in information from other apps like Campendium. Very much appreciate the tip @MuttonChops, and the route what-if that you provided.

MuttonChops

@CharlieRN ;  Noticed this post on a T@B facebook page

= - = -  Day 23 Location - = - =
Of the route what-if

scott14

We are very new to camping... in fact do not have our Tab 320 yet, however this website looks like a great resource for trip planning.  Thank you for sharing!

Scott

ScottG

@CharlieRN, your trip sounds great, and it's wise you have planned sufficient time for it as you are covering a large area that appears even larger once you arrive.  ;-)

While I've never used trip planning software, I do have some familiarity with northern New England and Atlantic Canada. Much of what I might suggest depends on how you hope to spend your time. Do you like hiking, biking, or paddling? Lounging in camp? Hanging out in small towns that cater (somewhat) to tourists? Solitude or socializing? A little of everything? What degree of services do you want or need?

CharlieRN

@ScottG Thanks for your kind offer.

As to specifics, we prefer spending time in places that are, for lack of a better description, less traveled, and we avoid the more touristy spots when possible. Some "alone time" as a trio (since we'll have our pooch with us) is also on the cards. I'd like to mix some hotel/B&B stays in, though we will predominantly use the T@B as lodging. Wont' be doing much hiking (walking is more like it), but I will have my gravel bike with me, along with a relatively newly acquired Nikon digital camera to document things.

While we've been to all of the Canadian provinces that are contiguous with the northern US border, we've never made it to the provinces east of Maine. We'd like to remedy that though sadly, I don't think that we can make it up to Labrador and Newfoundland this trip. That still leaves a lot to explore, and we'd love to hear suggestions for stops in NB, NS and the PEI. That said, the border situation is still unsettled, giving us pause and perhaps forcing us to stay south of the border and once again miss out on exploring eastern Canada.

Your penultimate sentence probably sums up what would be most helpful.

Thanks again.

ScottG

Sounds like you have planned well, @CharlieRN. With the possible exception of Acadia (which these days is anything but "less travelled"), your proposed route fits your style pretty well. That said, despite the crowds Acadia is still a must see if you are in the neighborhood!

In general, you will find that things get less touristy the further up the coast you go.