My Favorite Camping App
Update: The Dyrts customer service team has been phenomenal! They reached out to me right away and seem eager to work on the issues I brought up in my review. This new update makes me so sad. The Dyrt used to be my favorite camping app by far but this redesign has really taken away a lot of its user friendliness. The initial view when you open the app seems very zoomed in and the top and bottom button panels seem far larger than they need to be reducing the amount of the map you can see. The pictures seem to take longer to load and the fact that I cant view the pictures in full screen is extremely annoying. I dont need a caption bar that takes up half the screen. The search function does seem faster even though you have to refresh the search by hitting a button each time you move the map. Please fix these design flaws, especially for the pictures, and hopefully this can return to my top camping app!
Use Google Satellite View
When the boondocking app or website youre using doesnt have enough information to make you feel confident, you can use to get a better idea of what the area looks like.
Weve found that by zooming into the general area and scouting around weve often discovered boondocking spots that havent been documented.
With a bit of experience, youll soon be able to identify potential sites, and youll often be able to see parked vans and RVs on Satellite View.
What Rv Trip Planning Apps Do You Like To Use
How do you avoid driving your RV on narrow bridges?
Let us know and comment, wed love to learn from your RV travels!
RV Trip Wizard and Fuelly are owned by Social Knowledge, the parent company of RV LIFE. While they are part of our network, we still personally recommend both of the tools and use them on a regular basis.
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Ra Camping By Ra Outdoors
Free
With the RA Camping app, you can find a place to stay anywhere, anytime. You can search for available RV or tent campsites, cabins and more in parks and campgrounds all over the U.S. You can filter and sort by a variety of criteria, including current location, campground name, amenities or availability for the dates you plan on staying. You can also filter by campground features, view site details and access photos and reviews. This app comes in handy for every campground stay, no matter where you are.
Use Multiple Campground Apps
As valuable as any of these apps are individually, the real power comes from their collective wisdom. If youre coming up empty on Allstays, try others like Campendium or The Dyrt. If those dont work, keep searching on the remaining apps.
Furthermore, some campgrounds may only show up on certain apps. This would include certain federal lands only accessible via Recreation.gov. Chances are, this strategy will ensure you can always find at least some options.
Even if the same listing is available on multiple apps, you may also benefit from additional information, pictures, or other context to make your decision.
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Rv Parks & Campgrounds App
Much like the Recreation.gov app, the RV Parks & Campgrounds app gives you access to information on over 40,000 RV parks, campgrounds, rest areas, gas stations, and stores. If youre looking for commercial RV parks, you can search by rating in this app and even view the results in list mode.
The nice thing about this app is that it uses local databases, so if youre out in the middle of nowhere you can still search through the app. Even if you dont have an internet signal . Plus, this database includes information on truck stops, big box stores, and a ton of other resources outside of campgrounds, making it a useful tool for planning out stops you need to make.
These Camping Apps Will Help You Stay Connected To The Outdoors
That desire for campground information is exactly why we built The Dyrt, which now features over 42,000 campgrounds and more reviews than any other app. We strive to be the resource for all things camping, but with countless other resources out there, it can be helpful to have several options.
Generally, some of the best camping apps can be divided into a few categories. Specialized databases and bookings tools, like Tentrr and Boondocking, are great for showing you a specific type of camping. More generalized databases, like The Dyrt, show you campgrounds, availability, activities and more, taking an all-in-one approach to finding camping from your phone. Weve collected camping apps of all types that are likely to help you plan your next camping trip, whether its at a popular national park or in your local woods.
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Hipcamp Private Unique Camping Spots
Price: FreeAvailability:iOS and AndroidRating: 4.6/5, 185 Ratings
Popularly known as the AirBnB of camping, Hipcamp focuses on private landowner-run campgrounds, similarly to Tentrr, but without the standardized glamping tent of Tentrr. Their iOS and Android apps offer neat bookings features like filters for night-of camping availability and for weekend getaways. Hipcamp sites are a mix of rural backcountry destinations and hotel-level accommodation that might make you reconsider your definition of camping. Youll typically find yourself in isolation at these sites as well, as many properties offer a single space for tent or RV campers. Bookings are available in-app.
Us Public Lands Best Boondocking App
The United States federal government owns around 650 million acres of public land, which means theres a lot of opportunity for boondocking!
The US Public Lands app costs $2.99, and, once you have it installed on your iOS or Android device, downloads all of its map data to your phone.
This means youll always be able to access the maps, no matter how deep into the woods you go!
The US Public Lands app has an intuitive design, making it really easy to use.
Theres a search function for specific locations, and you can switch between standard and satellite maps. Best of all, theres color-coded layering that allows you to see which agency is responsible for running the land.
Although this isnt the best boondocking app when used alone, its well worth spending the money to be able to use this as an extra resource.
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Planning An Rv Trip Download These Apps Before You Hit The Road
Since the pandemic started, business has been booming for the RV industry. For many, RVs are an alternative way to travel safely in a controlled environment and avoid many shared public spaces such as hotels and rest area bathrooms.
Memorial Day bookings are already up 50 percent over what they were last year and growing, said Jon Gray, CEO of RVshare, a peer-to-peer RV rental marketplace. The platforms booking volume tripled in the summer of 2020 compared to 2019, and it continued to increase this year, with spring break bookings up 114 percent from previous years. At the start of the pandemic, Gray notes, people were taking longer trips closer to home, but this year renters are getting more ambitious by covering longer distances.
National parks are coming back up to the top of the list, Gray said.
Jeff Cavins, co-founder and CEO of Outdoorsy, an RV rental marketplace, has also seen tremendous growth, with scheduled trip departures for second-quarter 2021 up 137 percent from pre-pandemic levels in second-quarter 2019. Cavins also points out that not only has the number of active app users increased , but they are also seeing a 111 percent increase in traffic to their List Your RV webpage, where RV owners list their vehicles for rent, from January to March 2021.
What Is The Best Rv Gps
We rounded up 7 options for the best RV GPS, ranked from the least favorite option to the best RV GPS for your overall camping, RVing, and trip planning needs.
The Garmin OTR800, 8-inch GPS Truck Navigator sells for $599.99. As its model name indicates, this is an over-the-road truckers GPS. For RVers driving 45-foot RVs and towing a vehicle or trailer, this does make a nice option.
Garmin OTR800
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How I Picked These Rv Checklist Mobile Apps
There are several pointers that Ive considered before picking any of the given mobile checklists:
- Features: Considering different kinds of features like delete, add, edit and etc.
- User Interface: Offers good navigation, ease of use and etc.
- App Ratings: Do others found it useful, or how helpful is the app?
- Number of Installs: Number of installs shows the credibility and how the product is working
- Checklist: What kinds of camper checklist does an app offering? Usually, we all need different options to pick the best among all
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Whats On Your Bucket List
No matter how far out of the way the locations on your bucket list are, theres probably a route to get you there. So why not plan a trip around ticking these off your list?
Even if your ultimate destination is utterly unobtainable by RV, if you look at how you might get there by RV youll probably find a ton of interesting locations that are en route and are well worth a visit.
If youre not sure of where youd like to go, then there are books dedicated to the subject, check out the lonely planets guide to America for starters.
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Finding Rv Campgrounds Doesnt Have To Be A Pain
If youve planned an RV trip, you know how much of a hassle it can be finding a place to stay. It can involve scouring guidebooks, Google results, and assorted directories, with no idea whether the information is recent or even accurate.
But it no longer has to be that way. Like just about everything else, the rise of apps has changed the game when searching for campgrounds. Now, you can find up-to-date, comprehensive RV park information instantly. In some cases, you can even book your site through the app.
Garmin Rv 780 Gps For Rv
The full name of this Garmin RV GPS is the Garmin RV 780 GPS for RV and Camping Master Accessory Kit. With a 6.95-inch screen, this unit sells for $407.99.
The 780 offers reliable RV safe routing, which will keep your RV away from low clearances and bridges with weight limits. What the Camping Master Accessory Kit is, is anybodys guess. Whether they are simply referring to the normal accessories youd expect with a $400 GPS or their limited inclusion of campgrounds, is not clear. What is clear is that this does not include lifetime maps, which normally run about $80 per year.
Garmin RV 780
Garmin has a history as a reliable but costly product. As mobile devices continue to improve and outpace the stand-alone GPS market, one has to wonder how much longer before stand-alone units disappear altogether.
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The 14 Best Camping Apps And Websites
When it comes to camping, hiking, backpacking, overlanding, and exploring in general, there are a few major apps and websites you need to know about. They can make the difference between the trip of a lifetime and the worst campsite youve ever had.
Many of the top camping apps utilize the power of the people. By crowdsourcing information, they providing insight on a much broader level than ever before.
This post will cover some of the absolute best in camping apps and websites.
Rv Life Pro Rv Gps App With Rv Trip Wizard
The RV LIFE GPS & Campgrounds app is the only non-hardware GPS on this list. The GPS app, part of the RV LIFE Pro suite of RV trip planning and navigation tools, runs on any GPS-enabled Apple iOS or Android device.
The RV-safe GPS app uses your RVs height, weight, length, and propane status to provide you with safe route options for your motorhome, 5th wheel, or truck & travel trailer combination.
The RV LIFE GPS app for your mobile device is a savvy and economical option
The RV LIFE RV GPS uses the same underlying map engine used by top worldwide brands such as Alpine, BMW, Toyota, and yesGarmin. Currently at an introductory annual price of only $49.00, RV LIFE Pro includes the RV-safe GPS app for your mobile device, the premier RV trip planning tool RV Trip Wizard, and a web-based RV maintenance tool called Maintain My RV.
RV Trip Wizard is included with the RV LIFE RV GPS
For the purposes of this article, well focus on the GPS functionality of the app. With that said, however, we have to highlight what is possibly its greatest feature. The RV LIFE GPS app can read the detailed RV trips you planned on your laptop using the RV Trip Wizard website. Whereas all other best RV GPS offerings lacked any true RV trip planning savvy, RV LIFE Pro provides it in spades.
Not only is the trip planning feature world-class, but when it comes time to hop in the motorhome or get in the truck, you never have to type in a single destination, if you dont want to.
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Rv Parks & Campgrounds By Parkadvisor
Free
Find top-rated RV parks near you with this handy app that ranks campgrounds around you and compiles them into a list. The app also allows you to find over 40,000 RV parks, campgrounds, rest areas, gas stations and stores. Additionally, it will show you RV-friendly stores and stops so that you can take the stress out of navigating with your rig.
Where Can I Sleep In My Rv Overnight
There are many places where you can sleep in your RV overnight, including RV parks and campgrounds, free camping on BLM land, and in certain business parking lots. Check out any of the apps above to find the best places to park your RV overnight.
Using RV map, GPS apps, and overnight parking apps will take the stress out of planning your epic vacation. And while these apps are great, you should always have a backup plan. The Rand McNally Road Atlas is the gold standardand the one your parents probably had tucked under the front seat. State road maps can be found at most gas stations and truck stops.
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Are You Ready Here Are Our Five Top Camping Apps We Think Every Rver Needs To Have
Number 1: The Allstays Camp and RV App. This is hands down the best of the best the ultimate camping app that lets you find Campgrounds, RV Parks, places to boondock, even places where you can overnight for free, like Walmarts and casinos. Plus it has lots of related services you can access like rest areas, truck stops with dumping stations and more. It has maps, finds campsites nearby and even where to spot wildlife. Its $9.95 for iOS and Android.
Since we got the AllStays app, Jennifer and I upgraded to AllStays Pro which is now the major go-to site we use for finding places to stay that really stand out, especially out of the way boondocking spots and free places to stay. Since Jennifer and I discovered AllStays Pro, the browser-based subscription site, we rely on it almost exclusively in our RV travels.
Adam, the owner of AllStays, has generously offered 10% off the AllStays Pro subscription if you use this link and the discount code RVPODCAST when you signup.
Number 2 The Oh, Ranger! app puts a guide to national, state, and local parks right in your hand. The app provides information about national forests, wildlife refuges, and lots more. Enter your current location and the app gets you headed in the right direction. Oh, Ranger also allows you to search for outdoor activities, like hiking or fishing. The app is free for iOS and Android.
RESOURCES for the Camping Apps Mentioned:
AllStays Camp and RV:
Garmin Rv 760lmt Gps Navigator With Wireless Backup Camera
- Large display at 7 inches
- Lifetime maps
- BCTM 20 Wireless Backup Camera
- With the with Garmin Real VoiceTM
- Customized routing
- Professional installation is required
Aside from finding a good RV GPS app, you must also look for an updated navigator, which features top technologies, such as the Garmin RV 760LMT that comes with a wireless backup camera. It is a great value for your investment because it is also loaded with functions and features that make it a good choice for GPS devices in the category.
Take your open road adventures to the next level with the portable and easy to use navigator that serves as your helpful guide and ally for your lifestyle. You can depend on its large and easy to view 7-inch display plus loudspeakers that make it a great value buy.
The GPS device also allows customization of your RV route based on the specs of your vehicle, including its height, weight, width and length. If you need help for the ideal route to take, you can rely on this navigator for the main highways and roads. You can also avoid restricted roads, including those with low bridges using it.
I also recommend the GPS navigator for the real and most updated directions that it can provide. Also, thanks to its real voice feature that works as your assistant for traffic lights, buildings and landmarks.
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