The Ultimate Guide to the Best Apps & Websites for Planning Your Next RV Road Trip
Hey there, fellow road warriors! If you’re anything like me, the thrill of an RV trip starts long before you turn the key. It begins with the dream, the possibilities, the dotted lines on a map just waiting to be connected. But let's be honest, planning an RV adventure is a whole different ball game than booking a hotel & a flight. You've got to think about routes that won't scalp the top of your rig, where to find a campground that fits your 40-footer, & the not-so-glamorous but ABSOLUTELY essential task of finding a dump station.
It can feel overwhelming, but here’s the thing: we're living in a golden age of digital tools that make RV trip planning not just easier, but actually part of the fun. I've spent countless hours tinkering with just about every app & website out there, from the all-in-one powerhouses to the niche little gems that solve one specific problem REALLY well. So, grab a coffee, settle in, & let me give you the grand tour of the best digital co-pilots you can have for your next RV journey.
The All-In-One Trip Planning Titans: Where to Start Your Masterpiece
These are the big kahunas, the platforms that try to do it all—from routing & campground booking to budgeting & finding points of interest. If you’re looking for a central hub to build your entire trip, one of these will likely be your new best friend.
RV LIFE Pro (Featuring RV Trip Wizard)
If there's one tool that's consistently praised by seasoned full-timers, it's RV LIFE Pro. This isn't just one app; it's a whole suite of tools, & the crown jewel is RV Trip Wizard.
Think of RV Trip Wizard as your master control panel. You plug in your RV’s specific height, weight, & length, & it creates a safe route for you, avoiding those dreaded low clearances, steep mountain passes, & propane-restricted tunnels that generic map apps know nothing about. This feature alone is worth its weight in gold, believe me.
Here’s what makes it a standout:
- RV-Safe GPS: The routes you create in RV Trip Wizard seamlessly sync with the RV LIFE app, giving you turn-by-turn directions that are actually meant for your rig.
- Massive Campground Database: It pulls from CampgroundReviews.com, one of the oldest & most trusted sources for RVer feedback. You get detailed info, photos, & TONS of reviews from people who have actually stayed there.
- Detailed Planning: This is for the RVer who loves the nitty-gritty. You can plan your driving radius for each day, see estimated fuel costs, & meticulously map out every single stop. It’s incredibly powerful & lets you visualize your entire journey.
- All-in-One Suite: The subscription also gets you access to RV-related forums & a maintenance tracker.
The Catch? It’s a paid subscription, usually around $65 a year, & some users find the interface a little less sleek or intuitive than some of its competitors. It’s more function over form, but the sheer depth of features makes it a top contender for serious RVers.
Roadtrippers
Roadtrippers is the cool, hip cousin in the trip planning family. Its interface is beautiful, fun to use, & has a huge focus on discovering the journey, not just the destination. If your travel style is less about rigid planning & more about finding quirky roadside attractions & hidden gems, you will LOVE Roadtrippers.
What makes Roadtrippers shine:
- Discovery Engine: This is its superpower. You can layer your map with categories like "Offbeat Attractions," "Scenic Points," & "Film & TV Locations." It’s how you find the world's largest ball of twine or that amazing little diner you saw on a food show.
- User-Friendly Interface: It’s just plain pretty. The app is slick, intuitive on both desktop & mobile, & makes planning feel less like a chore & more like an exploration.
- Collaboration: Planning a trip with friends or family? Roadtrippers makes it easy to share your itinerary & plan together.
- Freemium Model: You can plan a basic trip with a limited number of waypoints for free. To unlock more stops, offline maps, & RV-safe routing, you’ll need the Roadpass Pro subscription, which often bundles in access to other apps like Campendium.
The Downside? While they have an "RV-friendly" routing feature, it's still in beta & not as robust or trusted as RV Trip Wizard's. Many seasoned RVers use Roadtrippers for finding the fun stuff & then plug those stops into a more RV-specific GPS for the actual navigation.
So, RV Trip Wizard vs. Roadtrippers?
Honestly, it comes down to your travel style.
- Choose RV Trip Wizard if: You are a detail-oriented planner, have a big rig where safe routing is your #1 priority, & you want the most comprehensive campground data at your fingertips.
- Choose Roadtrippers if: You prioritize discovery & finding unique experiences, you want a beautiful & easy-to-use app, & you’re okay with a less-detailed RV routing system.
Many RVers I know actually use both! They use Roadtrippers for the "fun" planning & then import those stops into RV Trip Wizard for the serious logistics & navigation.
Finding the Perfect Spot: Campground & Boondocking Apps
Once you have a route, you need places to stay. These apps are laser-focused on finding campgrounds, from luxury resorts to free spots on public land.
Campendium
Campendium is a crowd-sourced favorite for a reason. It has a massive database of campgrounds of all types: private RV parks, national & state parks, & a HUGE collection of free boondocking locations. The reviews are its strength—users upload photos, report on cell service reliability (critical for us remote workers!), & give the real scoop on what a place is like. It was acquired by the same company as Roadtrippers, so you'll often see it bundled in their premium offerings.
The Dyrt
The Dyrt is another heavyweight in the campground-finding world, boasting over a million listed sites. Their "PRO" version is where the magic happens for RVers, offering offline access to maps & a very cool map layering feature. You can overlay Bureau of Land Management (BLM) & U.S. Forest Service (USFS) land boundaries, making it one of the best tools for finding legal, free dispersed camping.
AllStays Camp & RV
AllStays is an old-school classic that is still one of the most powerful tools available, especially for its sheer data density. It’s not just for campgrounds; it’s a one-stop shop for finding RV-related points of interest. Its filters are incredibly granular, letting you search for things like low clearances, truck stops, RV service centers, & of course, dump stations. The interface might look a bit dated compared to the newer apps, but the quality & breadth of the information are undeniable.
Hipcamp
Think of Hipcamp as the "Airbnb of camping." It connects you with private landowners who offer unique camping experiences on their property. You can find spots in vineyards, on farms, or in secluded forests. It’s a fantastic way to get off the beaten path & find truly memorable stays. You can filter by RV accessibility & amenities.
A Note on Urban & Suburban Stays: Thinking Outside the Campground
Let's be real, sometimes your journey takes you into a city or a dense suburban area for a few nights to visit family, see a concert, or just explore. Finding a spot for your rig in these environments can be a MAJOR headache. This is where you have to get creative.
That's where a service like Prked can be a total game-changer. It’s a platform that connects people who have extra space with those who need it. While it's great for car parking, think about the possibilities for RVers. You can find homeowners renting out their large, unused driveways or side yards. Imagine securing a safe, private spot in a residential neighborhood right near your destination. It’s an amazing solution for those tricky in-between moments of a road trip where a traditional campground just doesn't make sense. You get a convenient spot, & the homeowner earns some extra passive income. It’s a win-win.
The Essentials: Navigation & Services
These are the apps you'll be using daily on the road. They handle the turn-by-turn & help you find those critical services every RVer needs.
RV-Specific GPS Apps
I can't stress this enough: DO NOT rely solely on Google Maps or Apple Maps for RV navigation. They will, at some point, try to send you down a narrow street or under a low bridge. It’s a rite of passage no one wants to experience.
- RV LIFE App: As mentioned, this is the companion to RV Trip Wizard & provides that crucial RV-safe GPS routing.
- Copilot RV: This is another highly-regarded navigation app that lets you download maps for offline use. You input your rig’s dimensions, & it calculates a safe route. It also lets you plan a route with up to 50 stops.
- inRoute: This app is for the true road geeks. It lets you plan your route based on factors like weather, road curviness, & elevation. The pro version unlocks even more features for detailed trip planning.
Finding Dump Stations & Water
The question isn't if you'll need a dump station, but when. And when that time comes, you'll want to find one fast.
- AllStays Camp & RV: My go-to for this. Its filters make it super easy to find dump stations, propane refills, & fresh water.
- Sanidumps: This website is a massive, no-frills directory of dump stations worldwide. It’s a fantastic, reliable resource.
- RV Dumps / RV Dump Stations (Apps): There are several simple, dedicated apps that do one thing: find dump stations near you. They often use the same data as the bigger apps but are stripped down for quick & easy use.
- Truck Stops (Pilot Flying J, Love's): Their official apps almost always have a filter to show which locations have RV dump stations & propane.
Offline Maps: Your Safety Net
You WILL lose cell service. It’s inevitable, especially when you're exploring national parks or boondocking in the wilderness. Having offline maps isn't a luxury; it's a necessity.
- Google Maps: Yes, even the standard apps have this feature! You can download specific areas of the map to your phone for offline access. It won't have RV-specific routing, but you'll at least be able to see where you are.
- The Dyrt Pro & Roadtrippers Premium: Both paid versions of these apps allow you to download maps for offline use, including campground locations.
- AllTrails: If you plan on doing any hiking, the pro version of AllTrails is a must. You can download trail maps so you can navigate even without a signal.
Don't Forget About Storage!
A big part of the RV lifestyle, whether you're a full-timer or a weekend warrior, is figuring out what to do with your stuff. Maybe you need to store your RV during the off-season, or perhaps you've downsized from a house & need a place for your extra belongings. Traditional storage units can be expensive & inconveniently located.
This is another area where thinking outside the box pays off. A platform like Prked is an amazing resource for this. Instead of a commercial storage facility, you could rent out a neighbor's empty garage, basement, or attic. It's often more affordable, more secure, & you're helping someone in your community earn extra money from their unused space. For RVs, you might find someone with a large covered carport or a secure side yard perfect for keeping your rig safe when you're not on the road. It’s a brilliant way to solve the storage puzzle.
Putting It All Together: A Sample Workflow
So, how do all these pieces fit together? Here’s a peek at how I might plan a big trip:
- Dream & Discover (Roadtrippers): I'll start by playing around on Roadtrippers, adding cool roadside attractions, scenic byways, & national parks to a general route idea.
- Logistics & Routing (RV Trip Wizard): I'll take those key stops & plug them into RV Trip Wizard. I’ll input my RV’s specs, start looking for campgrounds along the route, & calculate my driving days & fuel budget. I’ll read the reviews on Campendium & The Dyrt to pick the best spots.
- Finalize Campgrounds: I’ll book my must-have campgrounds directly, making notes in RV Trip Wizard. For more flexible parts of the trip, I'll have a few boondocking options saved from The Dyrt or FreeCampsites.net.
- On The Road (RV LIFE & Google Maps): For driving days, I’m using the RV LIFE app for turn-by-turn navigation. I'll have Google Maps running in the background for real-time traffic alerts. I'll use the AllStays app to find a dump station or a place for a lunch break.
- Explore (AllTrails): When we get to a destination, I'm firing up AllTrails with my downloaded maps to go for a hike.
Planning an RV trip is an adventure in itself. By leveraging these incredible apps & websites, you can take the stress out of the logistics & focus on the pure joy of the open road. From finding that perfect, hidden boondocking spot to discovering a bizarre museum you’ll talk about for years, the right tools make all the difference.
Hope this was helpful! Let me know what your go-to apps are in the comments. Happy travels
