Remember when navigating across the country was done by fold-out paper maps and asking questions at the convenience store? Those times are long gone, but have no fear, technology can get you where you need to go! In this technological age, there are apps everywhere that can make your vacation run smoothly and even help you save some money. Here are a few that I recommend to anyone who’s traveling with their RV and can use a little help getting where they’re going.
This is, by far, my favorite navigation app. It gives you real-time traffic updates, shortest distance routes, and it even shows your estimated time of arrival to your destination. If you are headed down a highway and there’s a traffic accident or construction up ahead, it will re-route you around the traffic jam so you can keep moving and avoid sitting in traffic burning gasoline. It makes planning your trip a cinch and keeps you from getting lost. It was recently bought out by Google so you know it’s a great product. I use it even when I’m not pulling my RV!
We all know that pulling an RV or driving a motorhome wreaks havoc on your gas mileage. It helps to know that there’s an app out there that wants to lighten the load on your wallet. GasBuddy does just that. It takes your current location and shows you where and how much gasoline costs at all of the surrounding gas stations. Sure, a nickel off per gallon doesn’t sound like a lot, but multiply that by the 10-15 times you have to fill up for a cross-country trip and you start staving some big bucks!
This is a lifesaver for RVers. It shows you RV parks, boondocking sites, and everything in between. You can filter your search results by amenities, and you can do it all without a WiFi connection! If you’re headed out on a multi-day drive, keep this app in your phone to help you decide where you’d like to stay for the night, be it a full-on RV park or a rest stop that allows overnighters.
Did you forget to take your satellite dish down? What about strapping your television down? Never forget the necessary chores you have to do before you head home (or head out). We could all use a little checklist to make sure we didn’t forget anything during the craziness of trying to get everyone rounded up and ready to go. We know it’s a lot to remember, but now there’s help!
What apps do you use for your trips? Share with us on Facebook or Google+.
