The Best Travel Apps for Life on the Road
July 21, 2017
Dutchmen RV Wants to Keep You Connected as You Adventure
As it becomes more and more difficult to get off the grid in a society that offers a million ways to keep you connected, sometimes it’s better to accept the old adage, “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.” With the 4th of July behind us and a summer full of RV travel ahead, we at Dutchmen have compiled a few of the best travel apps to keep you exploring with the help of your phone or mobile device.
Whether it’s a remote campsite or a luxury RV resort in the heart of wine country, there are plenty of ways for travelers to connect their electronic devices to Wi-Fi networks. You can find access at stops along your route, connect to mobile hotspots provided by cellular carriers, as well as through devices you can install right in your RV.
MAP & NAVIGATION APPS
Two of the most-used phone traveling apps (since they tend to come pre-installed on your phones and tablets), Google Maps and Apple Maps provide real-time traffic updates, incident re-routing, as well as numerous features to find popular businesses along the way. But, as most of us are pretty familiar with these applications, here are some you may not know about…
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Allstays – Camp & RV – Tent Camping to RV Parks
- Geared towards cross-country RV trips, the Allstays camping app is perfect for Dutchmen RV owners looking for updated information about the best campgrounds, RV resorts, amenity listings and more.
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inRoute – Route Planner & GPS Navigator
- This travel planning app is ideal for RVers who are taking the roads less traveled, as inRoute will account for changes along your trip, such as weather, elevation, curves, sunrise/sunset and more.
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Roadtrippers – Trip Planner Map & Travel Guides
- Perfect for planning the whole trip out, the Roadtrippers travel and map app helps you discover countless fun and informative locations along the way. Even better, you can share your trip with friends.
WEATHER APPS
Knowing the weather conditions you’ll incur down the road is essential to a successful trip, RV or otherwise. So, utilize a few of these well- and less-well known weather apps along the way.
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Weather Channel : Forecast, Radar & Alerts
- A trusted name in the forecasting business, the Weather Channel app delivers hourly, daily, weekly, weekend and 15-day forecasts. Plus, hundreds of thousands of users already trust this app to keep track of their weather.
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Weather Bug – Local Weather, Radar, Maps, Alerts
- Using American Doppler Radar, users of this highly-popular weather app will enjoy real-time pinpoint forecasts, interactive maps, lightning alerts and more. The WeatherBug app even gives users lifestyle forecasts for sports and events.
NEARBY INTERESTS & FOOD APPS
Looking for a nice long hike with scenic vistas or challenging twists and turns? Just want to find a reliable place to eat and recharge yourself? The following travel apps are some of the best for finding local places to help you enjoy your trip.
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AllTrails – Hiking, Running & Biking Trails
- Hosting the largest collection of detailed trail maps, reviews, photos and more, the AllTrails app gives RVers some of the best outdoor information available, because the details listed here have been crowdsourced by actual users.
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Gas Buddy: Find Cheap Gas
- This one can be a life-saver when you’ve found yourself in need of a nearby gas station. Gas Buddy provides users with the cheapest gas prices and station locations, listed by distance, price and/or fuel type.
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Open Table – Restaurant Reservations
- Ideal for travelers and non-travelers alike, the Open Table reservations phone app allows those on the road to make plans before they even hit their destination. Now, you can reserve a restaurant spot quickly, and without a fee!
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Yelp – Nearby Restaurants, Shopping & Services
- With more than 100-million business reviews to back up its nearby suggestions lists, the Yelp restaurant, shopping and services app is the place to find user-rated locations, menu options, deals and more.
EMERGENCY
Last, but not least, all of us at Dutchmen would like to ensure that your trip is as safe as possible. So, while we’ll provide quality RV construction, ample RV amenities and a friendly customer service team, here’s a phone app that allows you to find help if you should need it. While this is the one we’ve chosen to highlight, you can find similar apps through your respective app store.
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EMNet findERnow
- While it only has a limited number of user ratings so far, the EMNet findERnow emergency room finding app sits at a solid 4 ½ stars. When you’re away from home and want to know where surrounding ERs are located, this app is a good place to find them and better prepare for unforeseen events.
*At Dutchmen, we strongly advise you to call 911 during any and all emergencies. These apps are primarily for informational purposes.
Dutchmen RV owners, in addition to the numerous phone travel apps you can download and use from your smartphone, the iN-Commandwhole-home access control panel is a standard inclusion on select models. This easy-to-use and customizable system allows you to remotely control your RV’s electronic functions, from your phone or straight from the panel itself. With iN-Command coming as part of Dutchmen’s select offerings, we’re ensuring owners have convenience built right into their purchase.
Learn all about the iN-Command Control System and discover how it can elevate your travel experiences by checking out the video below:
iN-Command® Control Systems - YouTube
So, at your next pit stop, after you’ve checked out the latest travel apps on the market, make sure you check out the Dutchmen Facebook page for the latest news, and follow our Instagram account, @dutchmenrvcompany, for updates about our family of Dutchmen RV owners.