Best Apps For VanLifers
Some of the best apps to help with getting the most out of life on the road.
I have listed apps I have found then most useful, and ones recommended by other travelers, along with a tutorial or review video and a link to the product page. I tried to stick with mostly apps for smartphones, but if requested I will be happy to list a few of the better “Web-Based” versions for folks that do not have a smartphone, or just prefer a nice big screen when planning trips. Some of the apps listed, also have web-based versions that can be used.
It gets a little crazy when paying for subscriptions, so I have tried myself to limit the “Subscription Based” versions of apps. They are still being listed here for those interested in those, it was just not my own personal preference.
Locating Apps That Can Help With These?
- How to plan a route?
- Packing list, or trip list.
- How to calculate costs, Budgets
- Interesting things to see and do
- Bathroom breaks and/or Rest stops
- Places to camp and facilities they have
- Tour guides like hear hear
- Info along the way like Waze
- Gas pricing and location information
- Where other travelers might be to connect with
- Cell coverage if needed for work
- Safety issues
- Repair Services
- RV Routing if needed
- Parking
- Finding Community
What apps have you found useful?


IOverlander
Sekr
GasBuddy
Harvest Hosts
Route Planning/Mapping Apps Specific to Road Trips and VanLife
I am trying to focus on apps you can run on your mobile device and use while you are going down the road. Most also have desktop versions useful for planning your trip on a nice big screen desktop, and there are many more.
Driving Directions, Traffic Reports & Carpool Rideshares by Waze
Multi-Stop Route Planning and Optimization Tools – MapQuest
Before the internet, I used to plan trips using software on my desktop, and had the ability to plan a route, and the put in things like, show me points of interest along my route within 5 miles, as an example. This was really cool because I could tell the software that I am not willing to drive more than 5 miles, in this case, from my planned route. There are now hundreds of different ways of doing this and I am trying to find something similiar in an app, since that is how we all travel.
Rand McNally – TripMaker – This one looks to be able to find points of interest along the way. I have not personally tried this one yet.
Packing List Apps
There are some really great packing list apps to help you not forget anything, for any kind of trip. They are made so you can customize for your own needs, Like #VanLife. I will include more details on these later, but for now, here are a couple.
Packr Travel Packing List on the App Store (apple.com)
Packing Pro on the App Store (apple.com)
Of course, most GPS units have good route planning capabilities too.
Weather App
National Parks Apps
State Parks
App Description here.
You will need to do your own search for these because each park probably has its own app. Search Sample
FreeRoam
Safety Apps
There are really great apps that can provide a new level of safety that you should really consider using. I will cover those here.
I have researched this extensively and personally decided on an app called Parachute for many reasons I won’t try to cover here. You can search for safety apps on your own platform and decide if this, or something else would be better for you.
Most of our devices have an emergency feature already built-in and I am always surprised at how many folks don’t know it is there, and if they do, have never tried it.
Basically, the apps go above and beyond simply calling 911 and emergency contacts and can do things like record audio and video, upload it to the cloud, and many other very cool features!
I have linked the website for the Parachute app here if you are interested in learning more about it.
AllStays
AllStays makes a bunch of different apps for different needs
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