Apps, smartphones, and tablets go hand in hand. These days nearly everyone travels with either a smartphone or a tablet and uses apps to enhance and simplify their RV travels. If you are an app loving RVer, you may be wondering about the best RV apps.
There are a lot out there to choose from, but here are my Top 15 MUST HAVE apps for RV travel.
This app provide the number one essential need of all RVers –a convenient place to dump your holding tanks. If you love to boondock or dry camp (or you just happen to need a place to empty the tanks) the Sani Dump app is the answer. This app provides a simple map to help you find the nearest RV dump location along with information about price, hours and contact info.
Price: FREE
Get it: Google Play or iTunes
This is one of the finest offline map apps around, and it’s FREE. It also offers a few other map features that Navigon, Garmin and TomTom do not.
This app is also pre-loaded with thousands of POIs (points of interests), to help you find nearby places such as ATMs, restaurants, hospitals, vets, hotels, or gas stations with or without a data connection. Within this app you can search on Google, Yelp, and Wikipedia to look for RV parks, gas stations, restaurants, etc. (this feature requires a data connection). Additional features such as map updates and live traffic are available if you upgrade to the paid version.
GPS CoPilot Live stores all the map information directly on the device so you may need additional storage. If you enjoy the Trips and Microsoft Streets software, this app is a handy on the go alternative.
Price: Free (Paid Version for More Features)
Get it: Google Play or iTunes
If you’ve ever traveled through the midwest or south during storm season you know that feeling of impending doom. The weather is changing fast and you need to make a split second decision. Weather Radio is the ultimate app to keep you up to date on the latest storm alerts. While there are free apps that do the same type of work, Weather Radio offers a fantastic radar map that will keep you feeling safe. It’s not just a tornado app, it features all types of weather and help you make informed decisions in advance.
Price: $2.99/$3.99
Get it: Google Play or iTunes
Sick of discount cards for every business known to man? (I know I am!) If you collect shopper cards, frequent flyer cards, gym membership cards, etc., there is an app to help simplify your card load. It makes a digital copy of all your cards so you can leave the oversized wallet at home.
Simply download the free app and scan in the bar codes on your reward or club cards. It really is that simple. When you visit any of the establishments you hold a card for, simply have their staff scan your the bar code from your phone and it will retrieve all your account information. The app even offers coupons at some of the retailers.
One of the app’s best features is that it comes with a nifty online account manager, plus a backup service. Key Ring App has been featured on CNBC, ABC news, USA Today, Fox Business, Time, Oprah, PC World, LA Times, NY Times, Money Magazine, Parade, Entrepreneur Magazine, Men’s Health, and Wall Street Journal among others. Personally, I am a HUGE fan.
Price: Free
Get it: Google Play or iTunes
New place, new space… That is if you get your TV signal from a satellite dish. This app will help with the alignment of your satellite dish antennas. It’s also very helpful if you don’t have an auto aligning dish to assist you.
The Dish Align (the Android version is called Dish Aligner) app determines your current position via your phone’s GPS and provides helpful instructions on how to align your dish. The app is especially designed for use in RVs, or for people who need help aligning a second dish.
Price: Free
Get it: Google Play or iTunes
As you travel through these United States, you are bound to wonder why a triple trailer is legal in one state and not in another. You might ask yourself, can I sleep at a rest stop? Is the gas tax more in one state than another? Can you legally use your cell phone while driving in this state? These and many more questions are answered in this simple and affordable app. Better safe than sorry if you ask me.
Price: $4.99
Get it: Google Play or iTunes
The Camp & RV app by the creators of the Allstays website is among the handiest RV apps available today, and it only costs $9.99. It has the most comprehensive information database around. In a way it’s like carrying a camping guidebook everywhere you go!
This handy app lets you filter and find places and services with or without the use of any internet data connection. From parking lots, to RV parking at casinos, to rest stops with propane filling stations, and so much more, the extensive filters can help you find exactly what you’re searching for. The one time fee (with NO advertisements) offers lifetime free updates. I love this app and cannot recommend it enough.
Price: $9.99
Get it: Google Play or iTunes
Need a truck stop? We drive by them often enough, but where are they when you need one? The My Pilot app from Pilot and Flying J helps you find nearby places to gas up or take care of all your other RV travel stop needs. Aside from sorting locations, you can also check fuel prices and/or contact any of the locations from inside the app. Everyone’s favorite feature is the ability to enter your trip’s start and end point and have the app show you all the nearby stops or locations on your route. This will save you time and money. It’s not 100% infallible, but most of the time it’s accurate and helpful.
* A word of caution. The app sometimes list stations that are either no longer there, or are not yet built. Always double check.
Price: Free
Get it: Google Play or iTunes
I love this app. I am a list girl, and an app that helps me with create list for safe RV travel is a good thing.
The RV Checklist app helps all RVers remember the important things you are meant to remember! Did you remember to lower the T.V. Antenna? Are the stabilizers down? Did you leave that chair outside? This app does the heavy lifting and helps you remember.
You can customize the RV Checklist to allow you to be better prepared for your trips, at the same time helping you track your own progress in completing your checklist. Just remember to never leave your home without it. This app is highly intuitive and very simple to use. It’s built around your needs and super easy to customize. I love it!
Price: Free (Google Play) / $0.99 ( iTunes)
Get it: Google Play or iTunes
Another of my favorite apps. This handy app takes all the cell phone companies data coverage maps and fuses them together as one. No more guessing! Now you can easily discover where you can camp with a great signal. This app is especially helpful if you work online and need to be able to schedule Skype calls or any form of uploading. Don’t drive all day only to find your camp spot has no cell coverage! This app solves that problem once and for all.
Price: $2.99
Get it: iTunes only
This app is an alternative application to the Camp & RV Campgrounds Plus App previously mentioned. It comes at a competitive lower price, although I still think Campgrounds Plus is better. We Camp Here does have some interesting features that stand out from other apps and makes it unique. One such feature is a tool that helps with satellite alignment and the ability to save campground and make notes in your account.
Price: $3.99
Get it: Google Play or iTunes
Trip Journal is a wonderful app that pretty much does what its name implies –it serves as a journal. This app collects data from all your travels. Add map pinpoints, personal thoughts, or photos. Trip Journal puts them all together and helps you create a wonderful virtual scrapbook of your trips. You can even add your favorite attractions instantly to the app, including restaurants and rest stops. Trip Journal supports video, so if you were lucky enough to grab some cool footage you can add this to your travelogue.
If you have the habit of keeping journals of your trips then this app is for you. Trip Journal is a one-of-a-kind travel journal that can be customized and filled with personal travel experiences and memories.
Price: $2.99
Get it: Google Play or iTunes
I love the concept of this app that helps you discover government owned land. Are you interested in boondocking with your RV and want to find BLM or national forest land? Then this app is for you! A color coded map of the U.S. allows you to search, zoom, and filter for different types of public lands. This one is for all you nature lovers out there.
Price: $2.99
Get it: Goggle Play or iTunes
If you haven’t yet noticed, fuel prices vary….A LOT! You might find that one truck stop is 30 cents more per gallon than another in the next state. Or you may find that one gas station is 10 cents cheaper than another a mile down the street. That’s why I love GasBuddy. This app allows me to find the cheapest fuel prices around while on the go. In my large RV, I spend up to $1,000 per fill! (its’ a 250 gallon tank). If I can save $200 or more I am going to do it! You too can reap the benefits of fuel savings with this simple on the go app. I highly recommend giving it a try.
Price: Free
Get it: Google Play or iTunes
I’ve been using this app for several months and love the fact that it blends a map, a directory, RV park info, and reviews. You can use it in both the US and Canada. While the reviews seem spotty at best, the GPS and map settings are a fantastic help when looking for a campground in your location. Oh, and it’s FREE! So that is even better.
Price: Free
Get it: Goggle Play or iTunes
There are a few more RV apps that I like that didn’t make my top 15 list. Here they are:
Free RV WiFi
These free WiFi RV apps allow you to scan nearby areas for all available WiFi internet. You can sort which connections are free and which ones are not. This is a fantastic tool whether you are on the road or camping at your favorite site. Its Apple iTunes (iOS) version keeps on your phone an offline record of all known free WiFi areas in the US, so if you haven’t yet considered downloading these free apps, you may now want to do so.
Price: Free
Get it: Goggle Play or iTunes
Passport America & Camp USA
Both of these free apps help you locate their parks and review the options for your stay. These are membership based programs so while the app is free, you must be a member of the organization in order to stay in their campgrounds. If you have a membership then this is a must have!
Price: Free
Get it: Google Play Passport America/ Goggle Play Camp USA or iTunes Passport America/ iTunes Camp USA
Around Me
Just passing through and need to find a bank, grocery store or movie theater? Around Me is a simple app that puts you in touch with the world around you. or iTunes
Whew! That’s a lot of super cool, highly useful RV apps. Now, I want to hear from you. What are your favorite apps for RV travel? Leave your choices in the comment box below.
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