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Last Updated on September 5, 2024 by Paul Clayton
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15 Best RV Trip Planner Apps: Save Money, Time & Stress
There are three broad ways to plan an RV trip.
- Regimented
- Highly organized
- Color coordinated
All are heavily researched and implemented itineraries that plan out every last detail. Then there’s the loosely pieced-together idea of an RV road trip, where the emphasis is placed on getting from A to B, and what happens in between can be decided along the way.
The last camp falls somewhere between the two extremes. Whatever type of RV trip planning you prefer, using a trip-planning app can save you time and money and alleviate much of the stress.
Planning an RV trip involves art as well as science. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices available.
I’m disorganized (my wife is far better at planning than I am), so I’ll take as much help as possible when planning our next road trip.
Since I’m also a techie at heart, I like to use gadgets and technology to help.
I also don’t feel penned into our plans; if I want to take a diversion to check out something that interests me, the RV trip planning app must accommodate this.
Luckily for me, creating and implementing a fantastic RV road trip using a planner is easier than ever with apps.
I’ve reviewed the most popular RV planning trip apps with a fine toothcomb and rated them against my ease of use, usefulness, flexibility, and cost criteria. I’ve also included some RV road trip planning tips that everyone who owns an RV should know.
So, without further ado, let’s look at the best RV route planners.
The Best RV Trip Planner Apps
1. Google Earth / Maps
If you’re scoffing at my first choice and are about to click away, bear with me for a minute.
Google Maps certainly has its limitations. However, it can be combined with Google Earth to create a powerful visualization tool if you want to see a route before setting off, mainly focusing on areas of interest such as potential low bridges, steep inclines, or narrow roads.
If you plan your route on Google Maps, you can export it to a KML and import it into Google Earth.
Once imported, you can use the full suite of Google Earth tools, including viewing Panoramio photos and your route.
I wouldn’t recommend using Google Earth and Maps as your primary RV planning tool, but they’re great supplements to your existing efforts.
In the video below, you can see how to export Google Map files to KMP and then import them into Google Earth:
2. Garmin BaseCamp
Despite what you might think, Garmin is still relevant today, especially if you’re towing or driving oversized vehicles.
Development on Garmin BaseCampe was stopped a couple of years ago, but it’s still available to download and use and, in my opinion, is quite helpful.
Garmin Basecamp was designed to allow the planning and sharing of road trips. The most significant advantage of BaseCamp was the introduction of RV and Truck modes.
These two modes allow you to avoid roads that would be difficult to drive along in an RV, including avoiding low bridges, steep inclines, and narrow inner city streets.
However, its database is incomplete, so you must supplement the information it presents with additional research, which is a bit of a pain.
If you own a Garmin GPS unit, there’s no reason not to try BaseCamp and see what it can do.
You’d have difficulty entirely relying on BaseCamp to manage your RV journey planning.
Its journey planning capabilities are based on dates and spending x amount of days at each location, which goes against the flexibility I would expect from an RV journey planning app.
The time I spend in each location might rapidly change, depending on how well I like any area. If that also sounds like you, you might find BaseCamp slightly clunky.
3. Good Sam’s Trip Planner Review
If you don’t already have a Good Sam membership, you should consider getting one, even if it’s just for access to Good Sam’s Trip Planner.
Membership for a single year costs $29, but you can secure a discount if you buy more than a year. When writing this article, it costs $75 for three years, plus you’ll receive some freebies.
My first RV road trip was in 2014, and I used physical maps 
and whatever information I could piece together from the internet. It was hard work.
Then, at the tail end of 2014, I discovered the Good Sam Trip Planner, and it just worked, making what was previously a time-consuming and often mentally taxing task much more straightforward.
It’s probably one of the best RV trip-planning tools available. It looks good, is intuitive to use, and does a primarily respectable job of avoiding low bridges or roads that could be difficult to navigate.
Creating a trip on the Good Sam Trip Planner could not be simpler and involves all the two clicks. Once you’ve populated the application with a few details, you can add additional information and work on more in-depth planning from within the planning interface.
The planning interface contains five separate tabs:
- Trip Manager
- My Trips
- Search
- Campgrounds
- Things to Do
I found that the Trip Manager is where I spend most of my time planning a route. However, you’ll probably end up using all sections once you finish.
Thankfully, the campgrounds tab is not restricted to just Good Sam RV parks; it contains many private and public campgrounds in addition to Good Sam locations.
From a budgeting point of view, the ability to estimate the mileage, time, and cost of gas is an invaluable addition. Despite enjoying traveling, I like to keep the time driving to a minimum. So, being able to see that a particular leg of a journey may take 8 hours, we may opt to split up into two trips.
Plus, seeing the cost of each leg is a big help when we want to stick to a particular budget.
As mentioned above, the Good Sam Trip Planner will try to identify and avoid any roads that might be troublesome for an RV, such as low bridges or steep inclines.
However, in practice, it’s not 100% accurate. We found that it would sometimes try to send us up the side of a mountain on an incline we would not usually be comfortable with. You’ll have to keep this in mind, and you’ll probably have to supplement their route planning capabilities with another source of information.
We cover some of the other sources of information below.
Given the low price of the Good Sam Trip Planner, it’s difficult not to recommend it. This is especially true when considering the other benefits of a Good Sam Club Membership. Remember to double-check any planned routes for potential RV obstacles.
4. RV Trip Wizard Review
RV Trip Wizard is a strong contender for one of the best RV Trip planning apps available today.
At first glance, RV Trip Wizard might seem like the ugly sister of the Good Sam Trip Planner; it certainly doesn’t look as sleek or as easy to use.
However, if you persevere, you’ll quickly appreciate the powerful and feature-rich tools you’ll have at your fingertips.
It’s one of the more expensive applications, coming in at roughly $39 a year, but given its capabilities, I’m more than happy to pay this small premium.
At its heart is Google Maps, supplemented with almost every tool you could want from an RV planning application.
While Good Sam Trip Planner will only calculate the estimated fuel cost for your trip, RV Trip Wizard goes far beyond this. In addition to calculating fuel costs, it’ll factor in the price of campgrounds, meals for all passengers, and all the small, innocuous costs that can quickly add up.
In a practical sense, it’s far easier to calculate and forecast your daily costs, making budgeting much more accessible and allowing you to adjust as you see fit to keep costs down. I’ve not encountered another application with budgeting features as advanced as this. Please let me know in the comments below if you know of one.
Another brilliant feature is the ‘bounding radii.’ This feature allows you to quickly and easily set a maximum travel distance for each day of your trip, which helps avoid spending too many hours at the wheel on any day. It should be noted that the maximum distance is calculated as the crow flies and doesn’t consider any windy roads, but it still provides a base measurement from which to work.
One of our favorite features of the Good Sam Trip planner was the ability to view campgrounds along your journey. The good news is that RV Trip Wizard also has this feature, and it’s even better than Good Sam.
While Good Sam broke RV parks into three distinct categories, RV Trip Wizard has over thirty categories, including national parks, monuments, seashores, state parks, beaches, and more. Its database has thousands of RV parks, with more being added constantly. It might be the most comprehensive RV park database available.
When planning an RV road trip, I predominantly use RV Trip Wizard. Using anything else feels like a step backward and often frustrates me. It’s by far my favorite RV Trip planning app.
5. CoPilot Truck GPS Review
Several trucks and RV GPS applications are available for smartphones, but we think CoPilot Truck GPS is one of the better ones.
Several smartphone GPS applications are available if you don’t want to spend money on a Garmin or TomTom. Many do an admirable job of avoiding low-clearance bridges and hard-to-navigate roads.
CoPilot Truck GPS is one such app.
While its primary focus is on truckers, you can use it for any oversized vehicle, including RVs.
Once configured with your RV’s dimensions, it’ll efficiently plan your route to avoid low clearances, sharp turns, and roads unsuitable for your RV’s size.
Like almost anything, it does have some faults. The app has been known to crash unexpectedly, which is more inconvenient than anything else.
I must confess. I have no first-hand experience with this app, so if you do, please let us know what you think of it, good or bad.
6. Mountain Directory
One of the biggest frustrations I’ve faced with most RV planning applications is the lack of awareness about the gradients of roads. This is where Mountain Directory comes into its own and shines.
They are available in various formats, from physically printed books to digital options for Android, Windows, Mac, and Apple products.
One significant advantage of digital options is that once you’ve purchased and downloaded them to your device, they’re always available, regardless of whether you have an internet connection.
The interface is a tad clunky, but they’re infinitely more accessible and faster to use than looking at a topographical map and guessing whether or not a particular stretch of road might pose a challenge.
Both Good Sam and RV Trip Wizard have tried to send up a road with severe gradients and very tight turns, which are stressful in a car, let alone a 15,000-pound RV. Thankfully, thanks to Mountain Directory, we spotted these issues before they became problems. They are saving us what could have been a memorable journey for all the wrong reasons.
7. LowClearances.com
We estimate that RV Trip Wizard and most RV GPS units have, at most, a directory of 1,500 low-clearance bridges. However, it’s been estimated that between 4,000 and 6,000 bridges are classed as low clearance in the US alone.
This means that you could be missing out on thousands of low-clearance bridges.
These bridges could easily remove a satellite dish or cause a deadly accident.
Lowclearances.com maintains the most comprehensive database of low-clearance bridges we’ve come across. A small upfront cost of $75 will ensure lifetime access to the Canadian and US databases, which is a small price for peace of mind.
You can quite easily install the database on your GPS unit to ensure you’re not caught out and don’t become another statistic on the road.
8. Allstays LLC
Allstays LLC is one of the newer applications to come onto the market. It’s not one I’m intimately familiar with, but it’s got great reviews and a legion of fans. On paper, it seems very promising.
It promises to do everything you could ever want.
You’ll not only be able to find nearby campsites, including suitable boondocking spots and Walmart parking lots that allow overnight stays, but it also provides warnings for low-clearance bridges and information for RV-friendly service stations.
We’ll test this application and update this article with our findings as soon as possible. In the meantime, if you already have some experience, please let us know in the comments below.
9. InRoute
If you’d rather not be caught out by a storm or stuck behind a queue of cars because of an accident, then InRoute might be just what you’re looking for.
It can provide real-time updates on the weather along your route, traffic conditions, and any delays you might experience due to accidents.
This app is the best choice if you need to stay informed about what lies ahead in your journey.
10. Ultimate US Public Campground Project
I love saving money when I can, and the Ultimate US Public Campground Project is one app that helps me to do this.
After parting with a measly $4, you have an incredible database of public and cheap camping options.
No matter where you’re headed in the country, you’re bound to find many options.
If you’re looking for a particular type of campsite, for example, specific amenities, then the advanced filtering will allow you to find exactly what you’re looking for.
11. Passport America
If you’re not a member of Passport America, then it’s well worth considering accessing one of the best RV campground apps available.
The app will provide you with a ton of information about campgrounds and secure a decent discount at many RV parks. Given the discount available, you’ll probably find the app pays for the Passport America discount in no time.
12. US Public Lands
This is a must-have app if you are interested in Boondocking your way around the country.
This clever app allows you to quickly and easily see if a piece of ground you’re considering boondocking on is public land owned by the BLM and, therefore, legal. Knowing that boondocking is permitted before you set up your camp for the night is much better and safer.
13. GasBuddy
There are no two ways about it: RVing is an expensive hobby, especially when it comes to filling up with gas. That’s why we love GasBuddy.
You might not think saving a few cents on a gallon will amount to much, but those few cents can quickly add up throughout a long trip when you’ll probably be using hundreds of gallons of gas.
GasBuddy allows you to find the cheapest local gas prices when it’s time to fill up. Best of all, it’s free to use, so there’s no excuse for not using it.
14. SaniDumps
There’s just no escaping the call of nature. So, finding a local dump and fill station is invaluable.
SaniDump has a massive database of dump locations, so you’ll never be caught short again.
It’s another free app, so there’s no reason not to use it.
15. RV Checklist
Planning is critical to a successful RV road trip. Even with the best intentions, missing something essential is straightforward, and if you’re unprepared, a trip can quickly ruin.
RV Checklist provides a digital checklist to ensure your RV road trip goes smoothly.
I’ve used it, and more than once, it’s provided that lightbulb moment when I’ve realized I’ve missed something important. It’s free, so use it and save yourself the frustration of missing something.
The Art Of RV Road Trip Planning
We’re fortunate on our little blue planet; there’s no shortage of exciting and unique destinations. Over a lifetime, we might not see everything we want, but an RV can show us a lot.
Unfortunately, that massive potential for destinations can make RV planning challenging and sometimes stressful.
- How do you narrow down your choices to just a few locations?
- How do you know if you’ve made the right choice?
- How can you ensure you’ve hit all the high points along your route while avoiding all the low points?
If that sounds like you, you need to look at all the RV trip planner apps discussed above and learn the art of RV planning.
RV Trip Planner
If you’re the organized type or have somehow been designated as the RV Road Trip Planner, we’ve compiled some resources and tips to make your next RV road trip the adventure of a lifetime.
Choose An Event
There will be a festival or event around the country at any time of the year. Whether that’s a music festival, a chili carnival, or a fishing tournament, we guarantee you’ll find something that takes your fancy if you look hard enough.
Why not plan an RV road trip around whatever event type you like?
Organizing a vacation around the dates of an event is a great way to lay out a template and timeframe to adhere to. Planning a trip around a particular goal and time frame is much easier than knowing you want to go to a specific area.
Knowing that you need to be in a particular location on a specific date makes planning much more accessible, and the logistics fall into place naturally.
You’re then free to explore the surrounding area or give yourself time to take the scenic route to reach your destination.
What’s On Your Bucket List
No matter how far out of the way the locations on your bucket list are, there’s probably a route to get you there. So why not plan a trip around ticking these off your list?
Even if your ultimate destination is utterly unobtainable by RV, if you look at how you might get there by RV, you’ll probably find many exciting locations en route that are well worth a visit.
If you’re unsure where you’d like to go, there are books dedicated to the subject; check out The Lonely Planets Guide to America, for starters.
Don’t Rush Things
If you need to plan every minute detail, this ‘skill’ might be challenging to master.
A large part of the appeal of RVing is that it’s incredibly flexible. If something piques your interest on the road, you’re free to stop and look. Or if you want to stay on at a location for a couple of days (or even weeks), then there’s very little stopping you from doing so.
The most significant restricting factor for most people is money.
If you make reservations and commit to being in a particular location daily, you lose much of that flexibility and might miss something extraordinary.
We also understand that RV parks can get busy during peak seasons, so you must use your judgment and make well-thought-out decisions. Use your intuition and opt for a happy medium between the two extremes.
Inspiring RV Trips
Whether you’re looking to tour every inch of your country or you’re looking to get to know your local RV parks better, excelling in RV trip planning is about balancing flexibility with understanding what you want to get out of a trip.
The upside of all of this is that it’s tough to end up with a bad trip. Even if you don’t end up where you wanted to go, chances are you’ll have made many memories, and it’ll be something you’ll look back on with fond memories.
Without a sound, too cheesy, truly epic RVing is about the journey and is rarely only about the destination.
Use An RV Trip Planner Like A Pro
We hope you now have a solid and in-depth understanding of the various RV trip planner apps available to us and what you can do to make your adventure as awesome as it deserves.
We know there is no perfect RV trip planner tool; most should be supplemented with another. Some are very good and lack that vital point, while others fill a particular niche and excel at what they do.
Top 3 RV Rental Companies | Reviews and Prices
If I had to use one RV trip planner tool for the rest of my life, it would almost certainly be RV Trip Wizard. It gets so many features right and has a range of functionality that isn’t available in other tools.
However, I would strongly suggest using a suite of tools if you’re planning a significant RV trip. Not only will this save you time and money in the long run, but it could also make your trip much safer than it would be otherwise.
Final Thoughts
We hope you’ve found our article helpful and that you’ve found something useful you can put into practice when you plan your next RV road trip.
As always, if you have any comments or disagree with anything we’ve said, please let us know in the comments below, and we’ll do our best to respond with an answer or revision.
Happy RVing.
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