Like it or not, from time to time you’ll run into trouble on campervan holidays that you need to solve. Everything’s easier with the right information at your fingertips, and often these days the best way to get that information is through an app. Whether you need to find somewhere to camp, want to make sure a campervan can handle your chosen route, or you’re looking for things to do while you’re there, our list of favourites can help.
Apps for Campervan Care & Control
Let’s start off with the most obvious – you should have a breakdown app. Here we’re not going to give you one top-of-class recommendation, because which one you want is going to be decided by which brand you’re with. The AA, RAC, and Green Flag all offer their own apps for the purpose. Make sure it’s easy for you to report issues if you have them – get help on the way as quickly as possible!
If you want help to get to you quickly, What3Words is also a brilliant app to have on your phone, and it comes free of charge. You probably already know about it, but just in case, it divides the world into a very fine grid, each of which is given a three-word code. Far more accurate than “I’ve pulled off to the side on a country road somewhere in the Trough of Bowland” and as a result, it helps your rescuers find you more quickly.
Similarly, any apps that allow you to better control aspects of your campervan are worth investigating. Our Ford, Volkswagen, and Renault campervan conversions are all designed to be iOS and Android app compatible, in line with our policy of making the campervan life as accessible as possible to as many as possible.
We include solar panels and an invertor as standard, but as time goes on more and more campervan owners will be looking for hybrid and fully electric options, and as they become more popular it’s going to be important to know where you can charge. Zap Map is a great app for those of you who are already there.
Apps for Campervan Site Finding
The biggest name in this space is CamperContact. It’s a paid app with a week trial, but with over 25,000 campsites listed across 50 countries (and over 250,000 site reviews) it’s a great tool for finding where to stay. An app called Campy covers fewer sites, but is free and can be a useful alternative.
If you’re into wild camping, Park4Night is a great option. Just tap the ‘Around Me’ button to see campsites, car parks (both daytime and overnight), wild camping spots and picnic areas around you. It relies on its users, so you can even join in, adding and updating entries.
For members of the Caravan & Motorhome Club, there’s an app run by the organisation. It essentially gives you access to updated information of the kind they include in their handbook, with the ability to book ahead in-app.
Apps for Campervan Navigation
Co-Pilot for Caravans lets you set your campervan’s length, width, and height in the settings, and it uses this to screen out narrow lanes and low bridges your vehicle couldn’t cope with. We recommend using GPS co-ordinates to navigate rather than postcodes – it’s more accurate, and your site finder apps above almost certainly give you the GPS co-ordinates.
We’ll also shout out Google and Apple Maps here. Chances are good that you already use one of these, depending on your phone or tablet of choice, and you already know their traffic data can be a lifesaver – but it’s worth saying again!
However, a lesser known app you’ll love is WC Finder. It’s a bit of a basic app, with an awkward interface, but with almost three quarters of a million public toilets listed worldwide, it’s the great emergency solution, and it’s a must!
