14 Essential Apps Every RV Traveler Needs

Are you gearing up for an RV adventure or diving into full-time RV living? Whether you’re a first-timer setting out on your initial journey or a veteran of the open road, having the right apps can significantly enhance your experience.

We’ve got just what you need! This article rounds up the essential apps for every RV traveler, covering everything from trip planning and campsite reservations to navigation and trail finding.

Prepare to ditch the stress and embrace smooth, hassle-free RV travel. Let’s check out these apps.

1. Allstays

We’ll kick things off with Allstays, a useful camping app that allows RVers and other campers to find campsites across the United States and America. The app features a map-based interface that allows you to add filters based on the type of campground you’re looking for.

It can be used to find anything from public land and rest areas to RV resorts and free campgrounds. The app has over 34,000 campgrounds and more than 500,000 map pins across North America.

To top it all off, when you click on a camping location, you’ll see user-submitted reviews, trip reports, and photos.

2. Sekr

In our opinion, Sekr is the most complete RV app on the app store. Formerly known as the Vanlife App, it has almost all the information you need while on the road.

The primary purpose of this app is to connect RVers with each other and nearby amenities such as free WiFi, free camping, and national parks. However, we love the community feature best.

This feature allows like-minded travelers to chat, ask for advice, and even meet up. Because WiFi is sometimes hard to come by, Sekr also has downloadable maps you can use without a wireless connection.

3. iOverlander

iOverlander is another app that van lifers can use to find nearby campgrounds and amenities. It’s a handy app to use if you enjoy boondocking.

Some amenities you can find on the app include gas stations, showers, and recycling centers, which are important if you’re planning an off-grid trip. iOverlander also has filters users can use to narrow down their search.

For boondocking, you might enter “Wild Camping” as a filter. All the nearby options will then show up on a map. This app is conveniently available on both iOS and Android devices.

4. AllTrails

This next app isn’t just for RVers. It’s for anyone who enjoys the great outdoors and wants to explore their current location. AllTrails is a hiking, biking, and running app that shows all the best trails in a particular area.

You can use filters to find results based on your preferences. Things you might filter for include difficulty, dog-friendly trails, and amenities.

The trails on the AllTrails app come with all the details you need to try them. This includes a mapped-out route, incline, distance, amenities, and reviews from people who’ve already done the trail. 

5. Roadtrippers

Roadtrippers is a popular app for planning the perfect road trip. It allows you to create and share your dream road trip with your friends. 

On the app, you can find and add attractions, national parks, viewpoints, hotels, and more to your itinerary. Because you’ll be traveling in a camper van, you probably won’t need to use the hotel feature, but it can be handy if you want to treat yourself to a night of luxury.

The only downside to Roadtrippers is that you won’t find practical amenities like dump stations and overnight parking lots in the app. Instead, this app is better suited for finding fun activities and attractions.

6. FreeRoam

If you enjoy saving money by finding somewhere free to spend the night, you must download FreeRoam. This camping app allows RVers to search for free camping and private campgrounds.

Users can apply many map filters to narrow down their search and find the perfect place to stay. You can apply filters for things like weather, site length, how far you want to travel, and where you want to stop before you get there. 

Before committing to a campground, campers can look at user reviews and photographs to ensure the camp is right for them.

7. Gaia GPS

Available on iOS and Android, Gaia GPS is the go-to app for detailed navigation. Popular with thousands of campers worldwide, this app is straightforward to use and can be downloaded for offline use.

Gaia GPS is primarily designed for off-road exploration and hiking. It provides a route planning tool and a comprehensive list of trails. You can plan your trip, record it, set waymarkers, and even add photos of your adventure.

This app is free to use, but the premium membership gives you access to expanded maps, National Geographic Illustrated maps, and more overlays.

8. Google Maps

In my opinion, Google Maps is the best navigation app in the app store. It’s so good most smartphones and tablets already have it pre-installed. 

In fact, it’s probably safe to assume you’ve already used Google Maps at some point. If not, let me explain!

Google Maps is a dedicated real-time GPS mapping system that makes it easier and faster to navigate the world. Impressively, It covers almost the entire planet and can provide real-time traffic information.

You can use it to plan a road trip, avoid road closures, save previous journeys, and as a satnav. Google Maps can also find local amenities, food establishments, and accommodations.

9. Dyrt

Dyrt is a handy app to download on your phone if you want to find nearby campsites, reserve your spot, read reviews, and view photos. You can also use the trip planning feature to plan your trip if you prefer having a plan over winging it every night.

The free version is great, but it’s the Pro Version that makes this app worthwhile. The Pro Version comes with discounts on campgrounds, which is handy when you can’t find a free camping spot. 

10. Upside 

Upside is another discount app RVers can use to save money as they travel. This app allows you to get cashback and discounts from many brands and local retailers. 

The app works by partnering with businesses to help them reach a bigger audience. In return for discounts and cashback, the businesses are given exposure. A win-win situation for everyone.

For van livers, Upside can help you save money on fuel, groceries, and meals at chain restaurants. 

11. Chimani National Parks

If you want to get the most out of America’s National Parks, download Chimani National Parks. This awesome app provides explorers with detailed information on history, points of interest, recreation areas, and trails. 

What’s more, every National Park has its own app you can download if you want even more information. The free version is great, but you should pay for the Premium version if you frequent national parks regularly. 

The Premium version includes more detailed travel guides, discounts on camping, recreation, and dining, and offline functionality.

12. GasBuddy

Upside is a great app to use if you want to get cashback on gas purchases, but GasBuddy is the best app for finding cheap gas prices. It helps van lifers find the cheapest gas nearby.

The Gas Buddy interface features a map with all the gas stations in your area. You can organize the gas stations using different filters to find the best option. 

The app will also display the average gas prices in the current area so you know what to expect. This can help you plan your refueling pit stops in cheaper places.

13. AccuWeather

One of the best apps for tracking the weather during your road trip is AccuWeather. This app’s accuracy and extensive range of features make it incredibly useful and reliable. 

AccuWeather provides the information you need to prepare for the weather, whether you’re planning to visit a nearby attraction or a long day of hiking. Key features include minute-by-minute forecasts, severe weather warnings, lifestyle forecasts, and interactive weather maps. 

This neat combination of tools will help you become the ultimate master of the elements!

14. Netflix

Not all the best RV travel apps have to help you get around or find the best campground. Some can help you unwind and relax after a busy day. 

For us, Netflix is one of the best. You could also download Disney+ and Prime Video, but we love how Netflix lets users download movies. This is super useful if you want to watch something but don’t have WiFi. 

Another advantage of Netflix is that you can share your watch history with family and friends. This is a great way to find new things to watch. 

Now you know more about all of these apps, you should find it a lot easier to plan the perfect RV trip, solve problems on the road, and save money as you travel. So, what are you waiting for? Download some of the apps and try them for yourself!