Top 5 Mapping Apps for RVing
February 1, 2013 4:47 pm
Individuals who have recently purchased consignment RVs (or any RV for that matter) often overlook the importance of good mapping apps. Each one has its positives and negatives. If you’ve recently purchased an RV and haven’t had a chance yet, take a moment to consider which will best suit your travel “style.”
Top 5 Mapping Apps for RVing:
- MapQuest is the Best choice for the well rounded RVer: It offers a combination of turn by turn driving directions, walking directions and basic information about “spots” in surrounding area. This mobile mapping app for RVers allows users to access live traffic camera views that provide a visual of traffic “up ahead” which many RVers appreciate. It also boasts a gas price indicator, locations for food, coffee shops, etc.
- Navigon is the Best Choice for the Remote Camping RVer: It has the most user-friendly interface (remote camping often requires extra attention to the road-or lack of road) and an extremely helpful offline feature. There’s nothing worse that being in an unknown location and not being able to tell exactly what’s going on in the mapping application or navigation device of choice. With Navigon, this isn’t an issue. The app is easy to read and even shows a 3D map of exactly where the vehicle should be. It comes with Google Local Search built in and a night/day mode feature that is great for a long trip.
- Waze is the Best Choice for the Cross Country RVer: it offers the ability to watch the road ahead and see a visual of the vehicle’s current progression along the street/highway that is helpful to those with a long road ahead of them. This app stands out a bit because it is based on live, crowd-sourced traffic data. It’s great for RVers who will be traveling through heavy traffic. This app is specifically designed for finding the best way to get to a certain place by car. It’s not the best overall app for general oversight of a location.
- MotionX GPS Drive/MotionX GPS is the best choice for RV Boondockers: this app provides the most extensive and detailed mapping features available (although it isn’t the best choice for urban travel). This app has a lot to offer: real time, predictive traffic-based routing, pre-loaded maps to utilize offline, Facebook/Twitter integration, a parking spot marker, speed limit and lane assistance, etc. Keep in mind that users will pay more for voice guided driving instructions.
- HopStop is the Best Choice for Urban RVer: all the guidance needed for successful pedestrian travel in unknown cities. It works in all the major cities in the US (over 60 cities worldwide). When using this app to traverse urban areas, users can choose a mixture of travel methods: walking, biking, public transportation, etc. When public transportation isn’t available, the app will even recommend a taxi service and estimate the costs.
With the ever-growing number of helpful tools and applications available for affordable prices through the common smart phone app store, we can only hope that more RVers will experience the excitement of their first RV adventure in consignment RVs without the stress of getting lost. With all the mapping apps available, getting lost has actually become a special talent of sorts. So if getting lost is something you pride yourself on, you may have to start working at it a little harder.
Tags: consignment RVs, mapping apps, rv travel apps, rving
Categorized in: RV Info
2 Comments
Jim / February 12, 2013 at 2:58 pm
I’ve only ever tried Mapquest. I really like the thought of using different apps for different purposes. That is a really good idea.
Tyree / February 19, 2013 at 1:16 pm
I like to mix it up. I use a different mapping application each trip. Eventually I figure that I’ll get attached to one or another, but for now…there are so many good options that I don’t want to miss anything.