5 Apps That Makes RV Life So Much Easier and 1 App That I Hate But Forced to Use

We’ve spoken to so many seasoned veterans who have been on the road for 15+ years. It amazes me how they used to travel without the luxury of smartphones and all the resources of the internet.  I can’t imagine having to travel across country without GPS or having google to find a local supermarket for groceries. Our smart phones are imperative to our survival and comfort for fulltime RVing. 

Here are some our favorite apps to make RV Life Easier ​

Dark Sky
Category: Weather
Platform: Android & IOS
Cost: Free; Premium $2.99 a year

Sure your phone has a built in weather app which is great for looking up temperature but if you need to know minute to minute forecasts then you can’t beat Dark Sky. This app provides accurate weather down to the minute, current radar and future forecasts. The app also has notifications, alerts, and provides multiple locations. This is really helpful when traveling from city to city as fast as we do. 

ParkAdvisor
Category: RV Park Finder
Platform: Android and IOS
Cost: Free
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This app is a must have for those full-timers. The app is great for travel planning and locating RV sites. The app gives you a map view of all the available RV Parks/Resorts, campgrounds, State Parks, City Parks, Walmarts, Cracker Barrels and much more in a particular area and rates them. CampAdvisor also provides you with all the important information like address, phone numbers, amenities, and most importantly reviews. Whenever we plan a location, CampAdvisor is the first place we look for a place to stay. 

CodyCross
Category: Games
Platform: Android and IOS
Cost: Free
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While there are a bunch of better games on the market. There are only a few games you can play that don’t require WIFI.  When you are stuck in middle of nowhere and the last time you saw any signs of cellular signal was miles ago, this game will keep you entertained for hours. The game is a twist on crossword puzzles with fun hints to help you solve the board. 

Trello
Category: Project Management
Platform: Android and IOS
Cost: Free
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If you have been on our website before you know we are big advocates of Trello. This project management app is best on desktop but the mobile app is just as helpful. The app allows you to create and view your travel board and update it in real time. You have access to all your travel information at the tip of your hands and can customize it to all your needs. This app keeps all your travel and RV information centralized in one place for everyone you want to access. 

PdaNet+
Category: Internet tethering 
Platform: Android 
Cost: Free but data is limited but you can just sign back in. If you don't want the hassle of signing back in then for $7.99 you can purchase the full app. It's well worth the money. 
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We wrote a blog article on how much we loved this app, Click here to read the article. This app is for those who need tether internet to other devices. This app doesn't throttle you like your cellular carrier does.  With our 4 months on the road this by far is the best way to get internet into our rig and work. 

And the app I absolutely hate but am forced to use to safely drive 

CoPilot
Category: GPS Navigation
Platform: Android & IOS
​Cost: $50+

CoPilot is designed for truckers, semis and RVers. You are able to configure the height and width of your rig. The app automatically calculates roads where your rig is capable to drive on. The app is highly customizable and allows you to change what is displayed and how it speaks to you. These all features that are extremely helpful with driving your RV.

The problem is location input and accuracy of directions. I am very accustomed to how easily Google Maps works. It's super simple. To input locations you have various ways to search for your destination. CoPilot is way behind the ease and capabilities of Google Maps. The easiest way to input your destination is to manually input the address. My biggest frustration is that the App hardly ever finds your destination. So I am stuck trying to find an address close to that location and often times it takes me to the wrong place. The app get you close to your destination, it's just the final miles to the exact location where it struggles.  Often times we need to run Google Maps in the background to verify we are going the right way. We deal with this because Google Maps doesn't tell me if my route is safe for an RV to travel on. Once Google Maps can verify that bridge heights and vehicle restrictions are safe for my rig to travel. Good Bye CoPilot!!! 

What cellphone apps aid you on your travel? Let us know in the comments below. 

By Kevin Quiambao

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