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However, you may be surprised how reliant you become on technology, whether it be to help plan your next route or where you’ll dump your black water tank.
And while some may hate to admit it, there’s no shame in relying on the amazing technology we have today to help us out! Vanlife can come with its fair share of challenges, but staying informed of helpful services nearby doesn’t have to be one of them.
And with that said…
Similar to iOverlander, Allstays is an app filled with loads of information to help you find a great place to sleep overnight.
When you launch the Allstays Camp and RV app, it will determine your location and display the services in your area. This app is great for finding information like:
You can even filter by price range ($0+).
Much of this app will continue working even if you don’t have cell service. Data is stored on your phone while the app uses GPS, so constantly calling out for information is not necessary.
What I like about this app is being able to filter the information down to incredibly narrow searches (e.g. Walmarts with overnight parking reports, public lands, etc).
If you’re looking for free camping, use the advanced filters for:
The app is currently only available for iOS. Alternatively, Allstays Pro can be accessed through your browser and includes more information than there is available in the app.
While iOverlander and AllStays are my apps of choice for finding free camping and overnight parking, there are several other apps and websites that can also help such as Campendium, freecampsites.net, and RVParky. Depending on your location, one might have more crowdsourced information than the other so it’s always a good idea to have a few of those apps installed to get the best range of information.
A very popular hobby in the Vanlife community is to hike. A great way to find the best trails is to use the AllTrails app. This free app allows you to filter by:
And the list goes on.
If mountain biking is a hobby of yours, consider the Trailforks app your new best friend. I like to think of Trailforks as the mountain bike version of Alltrails. It’s the largest database of mountain bike trails in the world, jam-packed with routes you will never find anywhere else.
This app is so detailed, which is great because it’s easy to feel lost and unsure of where you’re at on any given trail.
Users can contribute data to the app, and then local trail associations have the control to approve & curate the data.
When I have a specific destination in mind, sometimes I like to know whether I’ll be arriving before the sun sets or not. I just open up my Sunrise app and check when the last light is. This app will tell you what time the last light, first light, and sunrise takes place in any specific location.
Tip: This app is also helpful for photographers who are looking for a specific type of light for a photo shoot.
This one seems pretty obvious, as Google Maps is easily the most famous navigation apps of all time. While it’s actually pretty rare that I have a destination in mind, I do tend to use Google Maps for any planned highway driving.
Here are some quick Google Map Hacks
Offline Maps
While the offline map feature is useful, I’ve actually had a bit of frustration while using it for certain routes. Depending on the distance and how much space the download takes up, you might need to take several downloads throughout the route and piece them together as you go. You can’t always download the entire map in 1 single view, so just keep that in mind if you plan on using this feature for long distances.
The Gaia GPS App is a mapping and navigation software that turns your smartphone into an amazing and trustworthy handheld GPS unit. This GPS app is one of the most trusted and highly-rated maps for America’s top outdoor destinations.
Gaia has a free trial and two price levels. The free version allows you to discover hikes, plan trips, and navigate with cell service. The main benefit of upgrading to the paid memberships is the ability to download worldwide maps for offline use as well as access much larger map catalogs.
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Whether you want to incorporate all the comforts of home into the van, or you’re gearing up for some adventurous offroading, you may find yourself with a long wishlist of upgrades for your van.
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If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably been dreaming of the day that your tires cross over the northern border from the Yukon in Canada to the ever sought after Alaskan wilderness.
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If colder temps are in your vanlife future, it’s time to think about how you plan to winterize your van.
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