Some of the greatest explorers the world has ever known have relied solely on maps of the stars to guide them on their journey into the unknown. Others have been at the mercy of crudely drawn maps and a questionable compass as they tempted their own mortality by voyaging across lands and waters uncharted by civilized man. Today’s RVer has the iPhone and a host of cool apps to light the chosen path of exploration. Advantage... us.

RV Check List
Price: $.99


Every RVer knows the importance of planning as a means to get the most out of an RV adventure. This handy app puts all the check lists you need in the palm of your hand. Built-in lists include those related to departing from a site, preparing for a trip, planning for an extended trip and winterization. The app can also be easily modified to include custom lists of your personal creation. So easy to use, yet so effective... it’s little wonder that it was developed by an experienced RV owner.

Say Who Dialer
Created by Dial Directions
Price: Free


Back in high school, you probably had a Driver’s Ed teacher tell you to “keep your eyes on the road and your hands at 10 and 2 on the wheel.” The bad news is, one of your hands has to come off the wheel to use this app. The good news is, you don’t have to take your eyes of the road to dial a number. The ‘Say Who Dialer’ allows you to simply press a button and speak the name of the person or the number you’d like to call. The downside of the app is a slow load time. By the time your command is recognized and the number is dialed, you could have easily found the number yourself using traditional methods. But you would have to take your eyes off the road and that would make your high school Driver’s Ed teacher mad.

Near+Now
Created by SORTUV
Price: Free


Few moments in the human experience can be considered universally relatable. Yet recent research suggests that 98.4%* of RVers have been on the road and had a craving of some kind. Usually, it’s for coffee or good barbeque. No matter what you’re craving at a given moment, ‘Near+Now’ can likely find a place in your area that can satisfy. The app is customizable to find what you like based on a personal profile that you create. So if you’re on the road and realize you can’t go another mile until you find a place that serves Korean barbeque and has a karaoke machine... well, we can’t make any guarantees, but with ‘Near+Now’ on your iPhone your ship just may have come in.
*This study is unofficial.

iLocate-Recreational Vehicle Parks
Price: $.99

This is one of those rare products whose name indicates exactly what function the product performs. You’ve probably got the idea already. Tell the app where you are, get a list of RV parks complete with maps, directions and the ability to call your chosen park by simply pushing a single button. Seriously, can you think of another product so appropriately named that it requires little to no functional explanation? I was thinking of ‘Flowmax’, but I realize I’m wrong.

Off Leash
Created by Eukanuba
Price: Free

Your four-legged traveling companion will appreciate this new free app from Eukanuba that finds off-leash dog parks in your area. Imagine you’ve been on the road for the day. You’re in an unfamiliar place and want to give your dog a little roaming time. ‘Off Leash’ will locate the 5 nearest dog parks (from a database that is updated with new parks every 2 weeks) and give you driving directions to one of your choice. Good thing your dog can’t use your iPhone, but we hear they’re working on an app for that.

iGasUp
Created by Opis and Wright Express
Price: $2.99


‘iGasUp’ finds the best gas prices in your area and shows you how to get to them. This app is pretty straight forward in its purpose and intention. There are several apps on the market that set out to find you cheap gas, and many of them are free. ‘iGasUp’ boasts the reputation of being more accurate and complete in its pricing and directions than its complimentary competitors. Chances are that if you use this app regularly in your RV, you’ll more than cover the $3 expense.