Thank you, thank you. I have used this method for a long time and suddenly today, my kml track file imports perfectly into Explore, BUT... I cannot see it on the map anymore as usual. After about 10 import re-tries and spending hours wading through Explore settings and Garmin troubleshooting articles, I find this video. That little Plus sign did the magic. Would never have thought to click on that, it is super un-intuitive, and this used to work fine up to today without having to do that!!! Gotta love Garmin. Anyway, very glad I found this, and you've been of great help.
Meant to comment last year. This worked perfectly! I had a 12 hour loop in the Appalachian mountains and it didn't tell me I had too many points. Still kept me on track the whole time even when crossing over roads I had already been on. Just watched again to refresh my brain and made more routes for a trip coming up. Thanks so much, this was so incredibly easy.
Thank you very much for making this video!! That was a whole lot better than fighting with Garmin Base Camp!! Although I'm sure GBC works OK for some people, it wasn't working well for me - and I watched a few tutorials. Your video was easy to follow. If you don't see the route or track lines on the map, click on the eye to the right with the slash across. For tracks, if you have a collection, you need to click the eye right of the collection, then click the eye right of the track.
After using Zumo 550 for 15 years till 2020 I opted in for Zumo XT. I noticed an improvement :). Watching your video seems it’s time to consider ditching Basecamp and move to Garmin Explore, hope it’s compatible with my mid 2011 imac.
Very helpful to anyone wanting to learn how to create a route and transfer it to your zumo xt. I’m new to ADV riding and this sort of tutorial is what I needed. Happy Touring, thx.
I have 396 lm. It’s pain in general to plan, then convert and transfer track to gps and make sure it’s correct. But when it’s all done - easy as hell;)
Fantastic video! Been trying to do this sort of thing for a while, but was always really clunky and frustrating (delicate) with clicking the wrong thing and screwing up everything. Your video so far has been the best approach I've seen. One thing I noticed is that I have wifi on my garmin XT, but I didn't have the drive app running on my phone, so it wouldn't sync. Not sure if both are necessary, but for sure the Garmin Drive app on phone with Bluetooth was necessary. Once I fired that up, it synced and found my route. Thanks so much!
Very helpful. I'm familiar enough with Google Maps to make a route but I have my shortcomings when it comes to Garmin Basecamp. With this video I can do what I need to do in GM and import the data as a route into my XT...easy. Thank you.
For owners of the NEW Zumo XT2. Take note that the "Garmin Explore" App, will no longer work with the new XT2. My work around was to first create the route in Google My Maps. Download the google route as a standard KML file. and then convert the KML file to a GPX file. I used the "MyGeodata" converter website to do the conversion. I then downloaded the new GPX file from My Geodata. Next, I then imported the GPX file into Garmin "BaseCamp" and finally exported the new route from BaseCamp to the Zumo XT2. Seems to work fine in "simulation" mode on the XT2. Weather permitting tomorrow I'll test it out in real life.
Thanks for this! Just picked up a zumo xt specifically for this functionality. BTW...also a WI Adv rider. Hoping to do the TWAT later this summer / early fall.
I couldn't get the map on my zumo following the directions in this video so I kept trying and the following worked. I created the map on google maps. Saved it to my desktop. Imported it to my garmin explorer. I went to my phone and opened the garmin explorer app and found the map I created and shared it with my Garmin Drive app. I opened my Garmin Drive app and found my map downloading to the drive app. It asked if I wanted to share the map with my Zumo. I confirmed and it was on my Zumo
Iirc this can be done with multiple “stops” in google that nail down the desired roads, then import it as a route, when its pulled up in the gps it should be “routable” by the internal gps processor which should duplicate the google plan, but without hundreds/thousands of track points, and.. if you run into an issue along the way your reroute function will work.
That was very informative - Just got a zumo xt and came across this video. Wasn't aware of the Google maps method for generating and exporting map routes before now so that was really interesting. Do you find this method simpler than just creating your route directly in the Garmin Explore application?
Question, What do I need to click on so it give me turn by turn navigation? I have the route showing the line and waypoints but it does not give me direction. I consistently have to look down and guess where I need to turn. Thank you for your time.
Thanks for asking, I should have added this to my video. You'll want to convert your track to a trip on the GPS. To do that, open the track you want to follow from the tracks menu and hit the wrench icon and select "Convert to Trip". Then back out and go to the Trip Planner and find the new trip in the saved trips and hit the go icon. Hopefully this helps.
Have you noticed that the import of a KML/KMZ to Garmin Explore doesn't work? At least it doesn't on my system. I tried several different ways of doing it. (In the Garmin online help it says the KML has to be brought into BaseCamp First. That does work.)
Can you add points of interest to the route...in other words lets say you have several stops you want to make on the route can you plug them in so they show up?
This was super helpful, thanks - but what is not clear is, do the Tracks give you Turn by Turn Navigation once they sync up to the Zumo XT, or do you need to import the KMZ file as a "Route"?
@@thedriftlessrider I did - thanks man, really helpful video. Garmin does not detail at all what you need to do to link up Explore to the Zumo. I think I got it working now - one other question - if you convert your track to a trip and deviate from it (like say stop at a rest stop) - does the Zumo try to recalculate your trip with it's own route? Do you know? I am gonna test it, but I was just curious.
Question. Why is the "Up Ahead" feature on the Zumo greyed out while in the Track? I like your method of using Google but for some reason it doesnt bring along all the other items of interest, such as gas stations, hotels, restaurants. Is there something I can do to include this info?
The best I've come up with is when you're in the "My Maps" in google, you can add a layer to your map with places you're interested in. You can click on a business, gas station, etc and there should be an option to "Add to Map". Then include that waypoint layer in your export and import it into Garmin Explore. Its a manual process and you'll have to add each POI you care about along the way. Then they'll be included as waypoints on your Zumo once it syncs.
Great video. I haven’t messed with a gps in a couple of years (been using my phone) but I’m really surprised it requires so many steps to lay in a route, then have it appear on my gps. I would think by now it would be . . . Draw the route in Google maps. Drag and drop the file. Open it on the zumo. Press Go. But it seems we’re not quite there.
Hello mister! I got myself a zumo XT just a few days ago and yesterday, using your tutorial, i had created some tracks and import them in the device. Do you known if i can use real time navigation in that case? Like voice directions for example? Thanks in advance. Also... I think we have the same bike... Cheers!
Have a few questions for you: How did you installed the Explore into your PC? My explore on my phone says it can't pair the ZUMO XT. I have Windows 10 on my laptop. An iPhone 8+. And i really need to upload as you did cause every time i create a route and transfer to zumo, all gets lost. THANK YOU!
I just use the Garmin Explore website. The Garmin Explore App does not pair with the Zumo XT, it just allows you to view or create routes in your explore account. Do you have the Garmin Drive App on your phone? If so, try repairing with you XT and at the end of the setup there should be a prompt to allow Garmin Explore to sync.
Great video, if this works this will be awesome. I created a route on google maps and then followed your direction. But when I go to open it on my zumo xt there is no "Sync Explore Data" tab. How do I get that? Also, doing it this way, will it give you turn by turn directions and prompts on the zumo? Thanks again for your help and this video.
Check my replies to some other people on this video. Check to see if you enabled Garmin Explore syncing when you set up the GPS. There is a link to a Garmin video that explains how in one of my replies.
I just got an XT but simply cannot see how to get a route from Explore to the XT. How did you enable this? From what I can tell, the XT is not supported.
ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-p8HnLZk0zAY.html Here is a link to a video from Garmin. When you pair your phone to the Zumo XT using the Garmin Drive App, there is an option at the end of the setup to allow Garmin Explore to sync. That should get it to work.
I had it connected to my home WiFi and/or paired with my phone that has the Garmin Drive App installed. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-p8HnLZk0zAY.html In this video from Garmin, you can see the prompt at the end of the setup where you can enable Garmin Explore. Hopefully this helps.
Thank you so much for ypur replies!!! I found the website and did exactly what you did on the video. It was PERRRRRFECT!!! They trip I wanted. It just freaking beautiful. From Los angeles>Ojai>Solvang through the mountains and internal roads. LOVE MY ZUMO XT!
then google maps updates...😔google should remake your video for you! Now I can't find a button to export anywhere. Ain't they meant to make sht better?
You dont need to convert it to a route BUT if it is loaded as a track onto the Zumo XT you will not get turn by turn navigation. Tracks you have to follow the line on the screen. Routes get you turn by turn navigation but the GPS decides how you get from point to point and it may not be the exact route you wanted to take.
On the google maps side of things, you can put a maker anywhere on the map and then make driving directions between your 2 markers, but the driving directions line will be limited to roads in google maps.
Unfortunately, I don’t even know what prerequisite skills are required to make this tutorial excellent. Unfortunately, I neither have those skills nor do I have the listening skills to import the information. I need a visual list of steps that sequences each step from beginning to end. If anyone knows a “importing for dummies” video, please let me know? Thanks!
With tracks, you can't get turn by turn directions. You could try importing as a route and then routes will get you sound and turn by turn data. Only concern I have with routes is that the GPS may change the path you planned. Meaning, it interprets the data as points, then determines the best path to get between the points as opposed to tracks which is just like drawing a line on a map and you follow the line.
Thanks for the video, I'm relatively new to the XT...could you have built that track directly in Explore? Also, does anyone use Garmin Basecamp anymore?
You can build tracks and routes in Explore. Check out my other video on how to make routes. Tracks are a little finicky in Explore and you'll actually draw out the lines. I liked using Google because I could search places easier. I didn't use Basecamp because my Zumo XT could not connect to it for some reason.
Who told you that was Google Maps? It’s not. You’re as cavalier with your terminology as everyone else on the Internet. It’s maddening. You are dealing with Google’s MY MAPS. It is, after a half hour of frustrating checking, NOT Google Maps. How can you all do this? You’re writing instructions, not poetry.
