Road Trip Planning Made Easier
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+ Best Rv Apps Every Camper Should Know In 2022
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Although we should pay full attention to nature when retreating to the great outdoors, that does not mean we have to sacrifice comfort. In fact, mindfully-applied technology can enhance your camping trips. Fortunately, from navigation to trip planning to finding the perfect hiking trail, the best RV apps have you covered. Theres an app for it all!
In 2022, there is definitely some app out there that can satisfy your camping needs, whatever it is. The only problem is there are way too many apps to choose from.
To save you from enough troubles preparing for your trips, weve done the hard work of sorting through the top rated apps on the market to determine the best of the best RV apps for road trips and camping.
Weve divided up this guide into different categories that can help you plan, navigate, and enjoy your road trip: multifunctional apps, RV navigation app, money saving app, app for finding accommodation, campground and parking, RV trip planner app, entertainment and outdoor activities app, weather forecast, and other essential apps.
Behold, the ultimate guide to the best RV apps, including free RV apps as well as a few paid apps, all of which are worth every penny.
Contents
To save money with AllStays, filter your search to look for free dump stations, free or cheaper options for RV camping and parking.
Best Rv Navigation App
RV Trip Wizard above has an RV navigation app that works really well. It provides GPS navigation custom-tailored to your RV weight and height limitations. It features turn-by-turn directions and includes both voice and lane guidance. You can download route maps in order to be able to use it when you dont have a cellular connection.
A second choice for the best RV navigation app is RV Navigation by CoPilot. It too provides RV-specific route planning, voice guidance, the ability to add up to 50 stops, and you can also download routes for offline use.
This RV navigation app also features YELP search and hazardous material settings. Here are the iOS version and Android.
Either app will work just fine, though I prefer RV Trip Wizard since it ties in well with their campground reviews.
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Steep Road Grades Are Difficult
Steep grades can also cause trouble for RVs. Youll be going much slower up the grades than in a car and coming down can be difficult when youre towing extra weight. It can be stressful driving, so many RVers prefer to find routes that avoid steep road grades. An RV GPS app can help you find alternative routes.
Packpoint Travel Packing List
When you camp a lot, packing is a major hassle, with a million major and minor items to bring along. Worry not, PackPoint makes it easy with the ability to create, reuse, and export packing lists.
You can conveniently create and manage categories, even set up reminders and notifications so that you dont forget essential items.
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Best Paid Boondocking Rv Travel App
Campers of all types rave about the Dyrt Pro, camping for trailers and RVs as the Best Paid Boondocking RV Travel App for only $35.99/year. This RV travel app offers over 1 million reviews, plus photos, and over 1,000 campsites to choose from. The Dyrt Pro has custom travel planning for free and paid camping sites on public lands, private RV parks, county parks, military parks, National parks, and more.Besides the Trip Planner, you can search maps offline, get campground discounts, and even discounts on camp gear.
Does Garmin Have An Rv App
There is no specific RV app from Garmin, but there are a number of apps that can be useful for RVers. For example, the Garmin Drive app provides GPS navigation with live traffic updates, while the Campgrounds app can help you find nearby camping spots.
This membership entitles you to an annual fee. Only a few times per year is a good idea to use it to cover the membership fee quickly. Over 3000 Host locations are maintained throughout the globe. If you use our discount code, you will receive 15% off your welcome membership at Boondockers Welcome. Our favorite RV planning tool is RV Trip Wizard, which we review from the comfort of our own home. For the duration of your stay, Harvest Hosts provides overnight accommodations at a variety of businesses, including breweries, wineries, golf courses, farms, museums, and amusement parks. RVT has over 20,000 campgrounds that have been reviewed, and there are over a million data points available for the campgrounds.
Allstays will assist you in locating RV dump stations, rest stops, propane, campgrounds, fuel, and free overnight parking. More RV travel ideas, tips, updates, discounts, and perks are included below. You can keep up to date on RV news by subscribing to the You, Me newsletter.
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Good Sams Trip Planner Review
If you dont already have a Good Sam membership, then its something you should definitely consider, even if its just for access to the Good Sams Trip Planner.
Membership for a single year costs $29, but if you buy more than a year, then you can secure yourself a discount. At the time of writing this article, it costs $75 for 3 years, plus youll receive some freebies.
My very first RV road trip was in 2014, and at the time I used physical maps and whatever information I could piece together from the internet. Needless to say, it was hard work.
Then at the tail end of 2014, I discovered the Good Sam Trip Planner and it just worked, making what was previously time-consuming and often mentally taxing task much simpler.
Its probably one of the best RV trip planning tools available, it looks good, its intuitive to use and it does a mostly respectable job at avoiding things such as low bridges or roads that could be considered difficult to navigate.
Creating a trip on the Good Sam Trip Planner could not be simpler, and involves all of the two clicks. Once youve populated the application with a few details, youll be able to add additional details and work on more in-depth planning from within the planning interface.
The planning interface contains five separate tabs:
I found that the Trip Manager is where I spend most of my time when planning a route. However, youll probably end up using all sections once you really get going.
Road Trip Planning Apps For Rv And Tent Camping
Camping has become an increasingly sought-after family vacation option! Whether tent camping or RV camping, it is important to find a campsite that suits all of your familys needs. Essential things to look for are accessibility, campground amenities, as well as hook-up availability, among other considerations. Having this information available through a trip planner app can save time and headaches while on your family road trip!
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Best Free Rv Overnight Parking App
RV Parky can help you find overnight parking that not only includes RV parks, National parks, and BLM , it can also find Walmarts and Camping World parking. The RVParky App offers a variety of map services that can be viewed offline so no data plan is needed. Built by a full-time RVer, community members provide reviews and listing updates so you know whats what before you arrive!
Bonus
Headed to a specific destination and that over enthusiastic 4AM departure time got the best of you? Fortunately there are many retailers or merchants who are happy to host an overnight stay, especially in the more rural areas as some cities have ordinances or laws against overnight parking.
Many Walmarts will allow RV travelers to park for free overnight at certain locations based on the store managers permission.
Youll also find Bass Pro, Cabelas, and Cracker Barrel inclined to host an overnight RV. Other places for RVs to try to park for the night include truck stops, Walgreens and McDonalds
The Best Trip Planning Apps
The first step when it comes to executing the perfect RV trip is tackling the planning process. Luckily, there are a number of awesome apps that can help with road trip planning. In this section we will discuss the best apps for finding rest areas and campgrounds, as well as planning the perfect route for your RV travels.
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Remarkable Rv Trip Planner Apps And Tools
Planning an RV trip can seem a bit stressful, but it doesnt have to be. Using the best RV trip planner app, website, or a combination of the two can make it so simple.
RV planner apps are great for finding campgrounds, planning your route, choosing the best route without low clearances, and even finding great gas prices.
No need to keep bulky maps in your glove compartment. Just download these RV trip planning apps, or check out the trip planning websites we list, and have access to some great tools on your next USA road trip!
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What is the best RV trip planner? It depends on what type of RV traveler you are and what your needs are.
Do you want to find free camping or an RV park? Are you full-time RVing or taking an RV vacation?
RV trip planning can be a big part of the excitement. You can research and learn about where you want to visit, what the weather will be like, and all the fun things to do there.
Yet, the logistics of finding places to camp can become a bit overwhelming. Thats why we created this detailed post listing some of our favorite RV travel planner apps and websites.
Best Paid Rv App For Trip Planning/navigation
Togo RV Plus for $$39.99/year with customized RV GPS Navigation, upgraded road trip planning, camping discounts, several more perks and access to OvernightRVParking.com for boondocking locations, plus all the features included in the free RV planning app! But the biggest value of all is the yearly fee which also covers the cost of premium trip planning with Roadtrippers Plus.
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Plan Out Overnight Stops
RVers have options when looking for an overnight stop on the way to a destination. Some businesseslike Cabelas, Cracker Barrel, and Walmartwill usually let you park overnight in their parking lots. However, be sure to always check with the specific location to make sure this is allowed. Not all Walmart locations allow overnight parking.
There are plenty of resources that can help you find overnight stays, whether youre looking to camp on Bureau of Land Management land, in campgrounds and RV parks, or in a business parking lot. Check out the list below of our favorite RV GPS apps and resources for overnight parking.
Tsd Open Roads Fuel Savings Card
Once I have our route figured out, I head to our Open Roads fuel app. I use the app to find the cheapest fuel for Ruby. I want to make sure I pay the lowest price, so I plan our fuel stops ahead of time. This app is available for anyone signed up for the TSD Open Roads Fuel Savings Card.
If you use diesel , the RV Fuel Savings card is a must! We have saved as much as 72 cents per gallon! It is easy and free to sign up for the program. Find out more details in our blog TSD Logistics RV Fuel Savings Program, or head straight to TSD to sign up for the card.
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Usfs & Blm Campgrounds
USFS & BLM Campgrounds shows campgrounds belonging to the United States Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management. Marked/pinned locations can occasionally be off-kilter, however, and information about the location may be limited within the app. Further research could be required on the listed campsite to see how accessible the camping spot is. As a plus, these campgrounds are typically free or low cost, and may be best suited for tent camping. This app is only available through the Apple Store and it costs $0.99.
Allstayscom And Allstays App
AllStays.com is my next stop looking for sites. Actually, it is a toss-up between Campendium and AllStays. Each has a vast array of campsites, although AllStays may have a few more. It does not create a route but shows campsites near the current location or with the search function. It is available as a website or as an app. I usually use the app because of the bigger initial map size. The website provides a list of states to click on and the ability to search on a map. Highways are clearly numbered so it is easy to follow a predetermined route. On the website, campgrounds are searchable by name or clicking on the campground on the map.
AllStays provides full name, address, GPS coordinates, number of sites, average costs, elevation, when open, nearest campgrounds, and reviews when available.
There is an option to look at a much larger map with a satellite view on the website. As AllStays shows a variety of campsites, this is particularly helpful if going off the beaten path and want to see tree cover and type of roads or even if a campground has an open view for satellite. After using AllStays to find a heavily wooded boondocking site, I now always check out the satellite view before making plans.
The one disadvantage I find is that not every campsite has a review. My workaround has been to type the campground name into a different RV trip planner and see if there are any reviews there.
AllStays is available as a free website and also as an app for purchase at $2.99.
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Copilot Truck Gps Review
There are a number of Truck and RV GPS applications available for smartphones on the market, we think CoPilot Truck GPS is one of the better ones.
If you dont want to spend money on a Garmin or TomTom, then there a slew of smartphone GPS applications available. Many do an admirable job of avoiding low clearance bridges and hard to navigate roads.
CoPilot Truck GPS is one such app.
While its primary focus is on truckers, you can use it for any oversized vehicle, including RVs.
Once configured with the dimensions of your RV, itll efficiently plan your route so as to avoid low clearances, sharp turns, and roads that are not suitable for your the size of your RV.
Like almost anything, it does have some faults. The app has been known to crash unexpectedly, which is more of an inconvenience rather than anything else.
I must confess. I have no first-hand experience with this app, so if you do, please let us know what you think of it, good or bad.
Qualities Of An Effective And Efficient App/tool For Your Rv Road Trip
With the variety of RV trip planners available it is important to choose the ones that best fit your needs. Do you want route information only? Do you want to avoid gravel roads and tollways? Are you using the planner to find campsites too? Want high-end RV resorts or boondocking locations? Just need a spot for one night or somewhere to relax for a week or two? A good RV trip planner will meet your specific RVing needs.
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Best Rv Checklist App
The best RV checklist app I recommend is the Ultimate RV Checklist. This RV checklist app is very well designed and easy to use. It was created by RVers to help with tearing down, setting up, and move your camper from one campground to another.
It has pre-built checklists that are easy to use and can be customized by the user. You can also create your own list and upload images for personalization. The app is available for Apple iOS and Android.
Our Top Rv App Recommendations
Featured Membership: Harvest Hosts
We love our Harvest Hosts membership! You get unlimited access to farms, breweries, wineries, and attractions across North America. With a membership you can stay overnight at these businesses and in return you are just asked to support the business by doing a tour, buying a bottle of wine, etc.
Featured Membership: RV Trip Wizard
RV Trip Wizard is a web tool and an app . It is a favorite utility of mine and truly makes the road trip planning process seamless.
Check out the post below to see what other apps we recommend:
As full-time RVers, our family has had four and a half years of experience planning trips, and over the course of those years weve run into our fair share of problems. Fortunately, weve also found a number of tricks for making planning easier, and this has meant fewer issues and a much more relaxed planning process.
Some of our favorite trip planning tricks involve the use of RV apps. Whether you need to find overnight parking or the cheapest gas stations around to fill your dually truck without breaking the bank, theres an app for that.
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