Route planning help please!

I agree with you AD.  In over 40 yrs towing all over Europe (no idea how many miles but a lot) I too can count on one hand the number of times I have had to reverse to get out of a difficulty.  I would say to the OP do the Club towing course and then get out there and drive carefully perhaps putting into practice those skills you will have have learned on the course in a quiet industrial area.  Always remember that your outfit bends in the middle so allow for that when taking corners especially tight ones and check for overhangs (ouch!).  Getting a Motor Mover will always give you a fall back option and will be invaluable for getting into tight pitches!  As already said, really no extra resources are needed for route planning, just be careful to avoid narrow Devon lanes!  Use a Sat Nav in conjunction with a good road map.  The only OS maps I have are local ones for when we go for walks!

I have all the CLs plotted on my digital OS maps and see at a glance what access is like to those of interest and likewise on Google Maps. As for reversing a caravan, everyone should be competent. While you maybe able to count on one hand the number of time you have had to do it, there will always come a time when you won't regret not having the skill.

peedee

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At the risk of just 'advertising' club sites then the directions to them given by the club are tried and tested and will accommodate the largest outfit on that club site. 

When we first started out there was satnav (the nearest thing we had was Microsoft Autoroute) so we always used A roads and motorways till the club site directions could be used.

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I'm not a 'professional driver' .... just have 40 odd years of experience behind a wheel/handle bars of a vehicle 😉

There are many options, as mentioned, but for me the use of Google maps and Streetview is the way to go.

As AD says it depends on destinations but Streetview allows you to see what its like rather than having to make assumptions.

Looking at a route that Google suggested yesterday, in France,  it looked like one section was narrow-Streetview showed it was very narrow with no passing places for about 2 miles so we will take an alternative.

To the best of my recollection I have never set out on a journey to a new destination without planning the route-on a road atlas years back and now on the laptop/iPad/phone-so i have a picture in my head of where I am going.

 

I have a fairly new Tom Tom which has the ability to connect by Wifi.  I use it in conjunction with the TT "MyDrive" app on my computer.  Initially I plan any new route on Google Maps and 'drive' any dodgy bits in Street View.  When I am happy with the route, I then replicate that route in MyDrive.  (Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a way of transferring it directly). I then save that route in "My Routes" in the App and then it transfers automatically by Wifi to the same folder on the satnav.  It is there, ready to use when I need it.

It takes a bit of time to do but it guarantees - 100% - taking me along the exact route I have chosen and doesn't throw in any horrible surprises - unlike the satnav built into my car which seems to have a mind of its own!

Our unit is also quite large at 8.1m long and 8' wide - so that's why I tend to be a bit cautious. 

Thus far I have towed caravans and driven motorhomes a total of 110,000 miles since 1982 and I still get it wrong sometimes When I do get it wrong its because I haven't paid enough attention to the planning. I think that is the key, especially as the OP seems a bit cautious about the size and weight of their outfit. If you rely on a sat nav make sure you review the route it will take you on and make adjustments as necessary. As mentioned there are so many online options to help, particularly Google Earth and Street View which gives you a pretty good idea of what you will encounter. We always have a road atlas with us, I rather like the A to Z one. As to gradients there are not so many places in England which would cause a problem, although there are a few, if you can stick to main roads. Good Luck.

David

Get yourself a 7" or bigger truck sat nav, I have a cheap one off Amazon, set the dimensions of your outfit larger than the actual, plot your route, you should get options such as fast, easy etc, check the route against a map if your happy with the route check the parts that could cause a problem on Google street view, if you're not happy with any part of the route use way points to avoid and re route, whatever sat nav you choose try a known route and make sure it plots it correctly I use the route to the Slapton Sands site, on top of the hill before Kingsbrige there is only one suitable route to Kingsbridge both Garmin and Tomtom failed this test.