Basecamp routing activity profiles, how does it decide

Thanks, looking forward to hear what you find out.

As a short term work-around, you could put a shaping point on the route you want to take. This will force the route to where you want it to go. I will let you know if I have been able to recreate your issue.

For whatever it's worth, I discovered that Mapsource does the same thing. If I set the profile to Car/Motorcycle it will route north up 97 to Highway 1, regardless whether I select shortest or fastest.

If I set the profile to Truck it takes Highway 3 to 22 then north. Again, regardless whether it's set to shortest or fastest.

I've driven both routes numerous times over the years and it makes no sense for the Truck profile.

But it looks like it's a characteristic of the desktop routing algorithm since Mapsource.

Just for reference for the developers, Highway 1 is divided, not terribly twisty, and a faster speed limit over most of it's length in this route, as well as having a much less strenuous elevation profile. And the route is considerably shorter.

Highway 3 is a somewhat narrow and very twisty two-lane road with some rather aggressive up- and downhill grades, starting with the steep tight switchbacks up Anarchist Mountain out of Osoyoos at the very start of this route.

...ken...

I have two questions because I can reproduce this:

The first is does your device do this? Our desktop software closely matches (there are sometimes some differences) the devices.

The other question is how populated are these two areas? Is highway 3 less populated and has less traffic?

I have two questions because I can reproduce this:

The first is does your device do this? Our desktop software closely matches (there are sometimes some differences) the devices.

The other question is how populated are these two areas? Is highway 3 less populated and has less traffic?

1. In a general sense it's less populated. That is, there are about the same number of towns along both routes but the ones on Highway 3 are generally smaller. However, more of them have the highway going right through town, whereas some of the towns along Highway 1 have been bypassed as the highway has been improved (more divided sections, more passing lanes added in the remaining undivided sections, straightened out, etc) over the years. This is a major highway, almost the equivalent of one of your interstates for a large portion of it even through the western mountain ranges.

2. In a general sense there is less traffic on Highway 3. However, it's not the absolute amount of traffic that matters. It's the amount of traffic relative to the "capacity" of the road. Highway 3 is a favored scenic route through the mountains so it gets a lot of traffic relative to it's carrying capacity. Highway 1 is the easiest and quickest to drive so it also has a lot of traffic relative to its carrying capacity. Having driven both through the stretches in question at least twice in the past two years I would have to say that, relative to their carrying capacity, the traffic volume is a toss-up.

There is certainly no advantage to routing truck traffic on Highway 3 versus Highway 1 based on the number and size of population centres along the routes or the traffic volumes. And every reason to route truck traffic along Highway 1 due to the nature of the highway and terrain. Not to mention that there are more proper truck stops on Highway 1. :-)

My Nuvi is in the car and it will take me some time to figure out how to get it into a mode that will allow me to create routes that start somewhere other than where I am (a long way from either Osoyoos or Calgary). I'll try to test it tonight.

...ken...

OK I've been testing this on both my 2595 and 3550, both with CN North America NT 2015.10 loaded. First off there is no way to tell the device to use an activity profile like Driving or RV, I can only use Automobile or Pedestrian so I can't test the RV profile except IN Basecamp. For some reason my 2595 says the route from Osoyoos to Calgary will be one hour longer than the 3550 says it will take. I'm presented with 2 routes traveling from Osoyoos, BC to Calgary, AB. I have reset my Navigation page to defaults on both devices, so Calculation mode is set to faster time. On both devices the first route presented is neither the faster nor the shortest route. Both routes are via Hwy 1, the first longer route going through Salmon Arm, the 2nd, shorter route (the better IMHO) is through Sicamous. Neither device wants to use Hwy 3.

3550
1st route: 8hr 8min, 747km
2nd route: 8hr 4min, 739km

2595
1st route: 9hr 9min, 747km
2nd route: 9hr 6min, 739km

This has got me really confused. Would the new RV760 support the RV Activity profile? And given the same route, Osoyoos, BC to Calgary, AB which route would it choose using the RV profile? Let me know if there are any other tests you'd like me to try.

My Nuvi is in the car and it will take me some time to figure out how to get it into a mode that will allow me to create routes that start somewhere other than where I am (a long way from either Osoyoos or Calgary). I'll try to test it tonight.

...ken...

Thanks for filling in info on the routes. You can use trip planner to try routes from one city to another although it doesn't give you the option of choosing routes. Now to add more confusion, check out the routing on both devices, when telling Trip Planner to go from my house, Osoyoos, BC to our sons house in Calgary, AB. The 3550 wants to route through Cranbrook and Fairmont Hot Springs via Hwy 3 and Hwy 93, while the 2595 still takes us via Hwy 1??? 3550 on top in both pics.

Both routes are via Hwy 1, the first longer route going through Salmon Arm, the 2nd, shorter route (the better IMHO) is through Sicamous. Neither device wants to use Hwy 3.

... Would the new RV760 support the RV Activity profile? And given the same route, Osoyoos, BC to Calgary, AB which route would it choose using the RV profile? Let me know if there are any other tests you'd like me to try.

It's a good thing, if you have a large RV, that it wont take you on Highway 3 because that's the longest and slowest route. As you will know, it's the more scenic and way more interesting on a motorcycle. :)

...ken...

It's a good thing, if you have a large RV, that it wont take you on Highway 3 because that's the longest and slowest route. As you will know, it's the more scenic and way more interesting on a motorcycle. :)

...ken...

We just drove back from Calgary via Hwy 3 with our new 39' toy hauler, towing our Ford Edge. :( Partly based on Basecamp suggesting that route for the RV profile, but also because we wanted to overnight at Fairmont Hot Springs. My wife was not real happy with our progress, through the mountains. Have ridden it many times on the bikes and you just don't notice the elevation or grades. Will never take the RV on Hwy 3 again, that's for sure, lesson learned. That's why I want to find out if the new RV760 can be trusted to route the easiest way through the mountains, right now Basecamp cannot be trusted.