If you’re reading this, chances are very good that you love the RV lifestyle. But did you know there’s an app for that? Or more correctly, there are many apps for that.
Technology not only plays a big part in the operation of your RV, it also brings today’s RV’ers many useful tools for getting around, finding attractions, getting roadside service, finding the best gas prices, and more. In this blog post, we take a look at what we researched to be the top 10. They are all available on both Apple iOS and Android. Everyone at Motor Home Finders hope they help you navigate wonderful memories.
1. Campendium is like a Yelp for RVers that provides honest reviews and detailed information on middle-of-nowhere spots to boondock or pay to camp. It’s $49.99 a year for Roadpass Pro which provides you with premium access on Campendium, Roadtrippers, RVillage, and Togo RV.
Togo RV is the ultimate app to keep RV owners organized, inspired, and on the move. Transform time spent on vehicle maintenance and trip preparations into time spent enjoying your RV and hitting the open road! Get inspiration from RV Living, find nearby places and things to do, reference checklists for your RV trips, and track RV maintenance and RV recalls.
Roadtrippers helps you find great destinations and things to see and do along the route you’ve already decided on. Enter a start and end point, then overlay your route with attractions (offbeat, museums, excursions), points of interest (abandoned, historic, monuments, photo opps), outdoors & recreation (national parks, nature reserves, scenic points) and much more.
2. Harvest Hosts is a program that, after one annual fee of $79, connects you with a number of unique places to stay overnight at no cost. You may not have anticipated a stop at an Ohio vineyard or a Pennsylvania brewery when you were initially mapping out your road trip, but you likely won’t regret staying – and getting drinks once you arrive.
3. RV Life Trip Wizard. This web-based app requires no installation and provides a visual trip planner so you can see the route you are taking with campgrounds, gas stations, points of interest and more. Plus, you can customize your rote to the height and weight of your RV, helping you avoid low clearances and steep grades. RV Life Trip Wizard, also called The Wiz, helps you understand the cost of your trip by estimating gas and campground fees that update as your plans do. Here you’ll find unbiased information on over 20,000 campgrounds with reviews written by real RV’er, and information on everything from hookups to amenities. It’s $59 a year and your first week is free.
4. Trover. Trover is an easy way to explore interesting nearby attractions through photos. As you scroll through the photo stream, it shows you exactly how far away each attraction is. Clicking on a photo brings up a description of the location and a map to help you easily locate and enjoy. Trover is a great way to find offbeat attractions, photo opportunities and good eating. Make sure to give back to the community by posting your own photos and recommendations along the way! It’s one of my favorite RV mobile apps.
5. iExit. Let’s say you’ve just packed up camp and your off to your next destination and could really use a vanilla latte right now. iExit finds you on the highway and tells you what food/lodging/gas/shopping options you have at upcoming exits, so you can wait to find just the right spot. It even shows you up to date gas prices at upcoming stations so you can get the best deal.
6. AllTrails. After a few hours of driving, you need to get out and stretch the legs. No better way than to take a hike into nature. (Which plenty of research shows will also help boost your creativity, reduce stress, and make you happier to boot!). AllTrails locates hiking trails near you and provides difficulty ratings, 5-star feedback from other hikers, and a full description of the trail, length, vertical gain, and the ability to download a map before heading into the woods in case you lose service.
7. 7 Minute Workout. Staying fit while on the road only takes seven minutes today with this app. Simply press start and an audio trainer guides you through a high intensity interval training session that packs in jumping jacks, push-ups, triceps dips, step-ups, lunges, squats, and more. Each circuit is 30 seconds, with a 10 second break in between. Cranking through 12 exercises that require only your body means you can do this workout routine anywhere!
8. GasBuddy. We don’t have to tell you that gas prices are one of the most expensive parts of RV’ing. With today’s high gas prices, that rings even more true. Finding reasonably priced gas can add up to hundreds (or more!) in cost savings per year. It also feels good to know you are getting a good deal at the pump. GasBuddy is a simple app that helps you find gas stations nearby, and which ones have the best prices. Prices are updated constantly by other users.
9. Recreation.gov. If you’re trying to book a campsite that’s managed by the U.S. Federal government (think the National Parks and the US Forest Service), Recreation.gov will be your best friend, showing you site amenities and availability, and offers the ability to reserve a site directly through the app. Having this handy app (and an account set up!) is key to snagging a coveted reservation to some of the more popular campsites in the country, like the campgrounds at Yosemite, which often book up minutes after the sites become reservable. Also, if you’re a hiking enthusiast, you can use this app to register for lotteries for permitted hikes or backcountry campsites for federally-managed lands.
10. ACCUWEATHER. Few people check the weather more than RV’ers. After all, can we grill outside today? Will the weather be nice enough for a long hike? Will there be good solar to recharge our battery? Will it be too hot to RV with our dogs? Will it be raining the whole weekend so that we won’t really enjoy camping? AccuWeather not only provides helpful forecasts and alerts, but, unlike some other weather apps, provides real-time radar maps that can help you find an area around you that may have better camping conditions.
While there is no app for happiness, RV’ing is as close to it as you can get. So, get out there and use these tools to make planning and enjoying your next trip a breeze. To check out our ever-changing, hand-picked selection of gently used luxury RVs, click here.