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15 Best RV Trip Planner Apps: Save Money, Time & Stress

Jonathan Holmes 5.0 Rated 5.0 out of 5 5.0 out of 5 stars (based on 45 reviews)

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Last Updated on January 2, 2024 by Paul Clayton

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15 Best RV Trip Planner Apps: Save Money, Time & Stress

There are broadly three ways to go about RV trip planning.

• 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 in 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.

Since I’m also a techie at heart, I like to use gadgets and technology to help.

I also don’t feel like I’m penned into our plans; if I want to take a diversion to check out something that piques my interest, 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.

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 out 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 it’s great to supplement whatever you’re already doing.

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, then there’s no reason not to give BaseCamp a go 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, then you might find BaseCamp slightly clunky to use.

3. Good Sam’s Trip Planner Review

If you don’t already have a Good Sam membership, then it’s something you should consider, even if it’s just for access to the Good Sam’s Trip Planner.

Membership for a single year costs $29, but if you buy more than a year, you can secure a discount. When writing this article, it costs $75 for three years, plus you’ll receive some freebies.

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 at avoiding things such as low bridges or roads that could be considered 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
• 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 with an RV, for example, 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 be comfortable with normally. It’s something you’ll have to keep at the back of your 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 you consider the other benefits of a Good Sam Club Membership. Remember that you’ll need 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, you might feel that RV Trip Wizard is the ugly sister of the Good Sam Trip Planner; it certainly doesn’t come across as sleek or as easy to use.

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.

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 won’t consider any windy roads. But it still provides a base measurement to work from.

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 feels like a frustrating experience. It’s by far my favorite RV Trip planning app.

5. CoPilot Truck GPS Review

Several truck and RV GPS applications are available for smartphones on the market, but we think CoPilot Truck GPS is one of the better ones.

If you don’t want to spend money on a Garmin or TomTom, a slew of smartphone GPS applications are available. Many do an admirable job of avoiding low-clearance bridges and hard-to-navigate roads.

While its primary focus is on truckers, you can use it for any oversized vehicle, including RVs.

Once configured with the dimensions of your RV, 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 of the significant advantages of the 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.

Any of 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 put this application through its paces and update this article with our thoughts as soon as possible. In the meantime, if you already have some experience, please let us know in the comments below.

If you’d instead 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 boasts the ability to provide real-time updates on the weather along your route, traffic conditions, and any delays you might experience due to accidents.

If you need to stay informed about what lies ahead of you in your journey, you can’t get much better than this app.

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

Not only will the app provide you with a ton of information about campgrounds, but it’ll also secure you 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

If you are interested in Boondocking your way around the country, this is a must-have app.

This clever app allows you to quickly and easily see if a piece of ground you’re thinking about boondocking on is public land owned by the BLM and, therefore, legal to boondock on. Knowing that boondocking is permitted before you set up your camp for the night is much better and safer.

13. GasBuddy

You might not think that 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, it’s straightforward to miss something essential to your trip, which can quickly ruin a trip if you’re unprepared.

RV Checklist provides a digital checklist to work through so that your RV road trip goes as seamlessly as you deserve.

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 to visit. Over a lifetime, we might not see everything we wanted, but an RV can let us know 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 we’ve 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 when you’re 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 you’ve found something useful you can put into practice when you next plan an 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 get back to you with an answer or revision.

Happy RVing.

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12 Best RV Trip Planner Apps To Use On Your Next Adventure

Phil and I are diving into the RV trip planning this week to prepare for our adventures in 2023 and when you’re planning a road trip, there are so many details that need to be covered.

We need to figure out the best route to take, where we will be able to stay once we leave home, where we can stop for supplies along the way, and so much more. Planning an RV trip can be a challenge, especially if you do not have experience doing it before and don’t know the best apps and resources to use. There are just so many things that need to be organized in order for your trip to go smoothly. 

Thats why we set out to right this list of best RV trip planner apps to use as a resource each time we or anyone else gets started planning their next camping trip!

There are many different apps that can help you with this important process and this article will list some of the best RV trip planning apps that you can use.

Let’s get started!

Considerations for RV Trip Planning Apps

Apps for planning RV trips vary greatly in quality. These are some of the most important aspects to us when choosing which one to use for your trip.

Campground Information

It’s crucial to have a RV trip planning process that allows for precise lodging arrangements. You might not be able to find a place to park your RV if you procrastinate. We recommend making reservations at RV parks well in advance of your vacation, and a dependable travel planner can help you figure out where you want to stay ahead of time.

However, if you prefer to wing it and decide where to camp at the last minute, a trip planning app could be more useful in this scenario, as it will give you a wealth of information about where you can camp.

Routing Suggestions

Having a road trip planner for your RV travels is a great resource. For instance, knowing where to find gas stations that are accessible by big rigs is helpful, especially for those who value having some more space to move around. Also, we think it’s important that RV travelers have the opportunity to pick a route that takes into account factors like overpass levels, bridge weight restrictions, and propane limits.

Scenic Opportunities

Also, try to discover a RV trip planner that includes recommendations for interesting places to visit along the road. Many breathtaking views can be seen while traveling great distances by RV. You might pass up something very remarkable using a conventional GPS system since you typically have no idea these stops even existed.

Our Favorite RV Trip Planner Tools

Rv trip wizard.

The RV Trip Wizard has existed for a long time and has consistently been a great tool. It’s a web-based trip planner with a plethora of options to make preparing for your next RV trip as simple and pleasant as possible. Its map-based interface makes it simple to navigate around a destination, identifying RV parks, overnight parking alternatives, fuel stops, rest stops, dump stations, and more. The RV Trip Wizard is fantastic at recommending fun and fascinating activities to visit and do along your trip.

RV Trip Wizard will provide you with everything you require to guarantee that your trip is within your budget and does not leave you fatigued from traveling too far.

RV Trip Wizard can assist you in customizing it to display just the most critical elements. It’s incredibly useful to be able to find disposal stations, rest spots, and overnight parking. The app’s sightseeing feature is a fantastic addition to all of this. Many other trip planners concentrate just on the big picture, but RV Journey Wizard attends to the minor things that make your travel more pleasurable and less stressful. Furthermore, the RV Life Pro suite means that a single membership grants you access to other features such as RV Trip Wizard, , RV Safe GPS, Maintain My RV and  Campground Reviews.

Although Campendium is not a traditional RV trip planner tool, we felt it was important to include it here. Campendium’s strength is not just in its extensive database of public and private campgrounds, but also in the unparalleled wealth of information it has accumulated regarding boondocking sites.

Campendium is an excellent resource if you’re in the planning stages of a trip and want to incorporate some fantastic boondocking places. Campendium can help you save money even if you just plan to boondock on rare occasions. You can save a lot of money by staying at a free campground for even a short period of time. You have nothing to lose since using Campendium doesn’t cost anything (but you can remove advertisements by becoming a Community Supporter).

Campendium is indeed the go-to source for finding secluded boondocking locations. They feature hundreds of users, which ensures a constant flow of current, useful reviews and photographs. Both the site and the app are sleek and simple to use, making it simple to discover precisely what you’re looking for.

If you haven’t already, consider checking out Allstays Camp & RV as a second recommendation for a top-notch RV trip planner. Once more, this is not a genuine trip planner where you may arrange your travel schedule. RV parks, truck stops, rest areas, dump stations, RV supplies, RV repairs, and even low overpasses may all be found with the help of Allstays.

It’s an app that can help you locate places not mentioned in other applications for just $9.99, and then you have access to it for life. The app’s ability to function without an internet connection has come in handy several times when we wanted to look up campsites quickly but didn’t have any cell phone service.

Allstays Pro is a good option if you like to plan your trips on a desktop or laptop computer. Claimed costs money (now a yearly subscription of $34.95; rumor has it this will increase shortly), but it has benefits over the free version of the website and app.

More than half a million different search options are available through Allstays Pro, which the company claims is faster than the app and website, has no ads, provides better privacy, allows full-screen maps, can be used offline with Google Earth, provides more filters for traffic, biking, transit, and more.

The Dyrt PRO

The Dyrt provides free access to their massive database of campgrounds and RV parks via their website or mobile app both for iOS and Android users. You can view all of the extensive information available about each location, as well as any user-submitted images and reviews, making it easier to choose a place to stay.

If you increase your subscription to The Dyrt (pro version), you will also have access to their Travel Planner. You begin by selecting your beginning and ending places, and then you may arrange your route from scratch, including as many stops and waypoints as you wish. You may also ask The Dyrt to propose a vacation for you. It also includes map overlays for BLM, US Forest Service, and National Park Service borders.

It’s simple to let The Dyrt (pro version) organize your trip. It’s a terrific substitute for spending endless hours surfing the web in search of the ideal camping spots. The Dyrt will automatically locate the best RV campgrounds along your journey. You’ll be able to get to the park faster and, more importantly, with the confidence that you’re going to the park that best suits your needs.

KOA Camping App

The KOA App works with mapping systems to provide easy instructions to your campsite. As campsites become more difficult to reserve, you can typically locate a place in a KOA alongside your route. The app features a map feature that allows you to discover forthcoming KOAs along your path. By clicking on the KOA symbol, you may get information on the individual campsite location, facilities, recreation, upcoming events, photographs, area attractions, and more. It also indicates how far you are from your present location. The app is intended to be used to book straight through the app.

KOAs differ because they are managed by individual camp owners. They are now classified by kind of camping; those labeled “Journey” are mostly for vacationers and may only be suitable for one or two nights. The ones labeled “Holidays” are destination campsites, generally near tourist attractions. People may remain longer if they have additional facilities. In reality, holiday KOAs include large, hard-surfaced patios with something like a grill, tables, chairs, and a fire pit , as well as a glider. Although expensive, the increased room and facilities are sometimes well worth it.

RV Life’s Campground Reviews

RV Life’s Campground Reviews are an excellent resource for finding campgrounds around America. The website is simple to navigate. Simply select a state to examine the campgrounds, which are displayed on a map. They are also presented alphabetically, and counties and cities may be searched to refine the results.The site also allows you to narrow down your search by park type, features, hookups, activities, ratings, pricing, and distance. In reality, it also enables you to read genuine camper reviews and browse images of various campgrounds.

RV Life’s Campground Reviews are accessible free via the internet or through a membership to the RV Vacation Wizard website, which may make your trip much more fun and less stressful.  

GasBuddy can help you discover cheap gas throughout your trip. You may enter your vehicle’s make and model, as well as your starting and finishing points, into their trip cost calculator. GasBuddy will then figure out how many fuel stops you’ll go through and will recommend the best gasoline locations for each fill, and provide an anticipated cost.

Because you can arrange your journey around inexpensive gas station stops, this is among the favorite RV travel planning tools of many. You’ll enjoy how this app shows you current gas prices at future petrol stations on your trip day.

You can also navigate to their website and enter your starting and ending points, as well as the make and model of your car, and it will calculate how much gas it will charge you if you stop at petrol stations along the route. It is also accessible through the Google Play store.

One more thing is that the feature “Pay with Gasbuddy” is incredibly amazing because it is accepted in most stations where you can do it manually.

RV Parky 

RV Parky is another RV trip planner that works great if you only need to visit an RV park and don’t care about cell phone coverage. This software is not for you if you’re seeking “free” camping or wish to know about prior cell signals.

RV Parky allows you to find and add campsites, parking lots, and other facilities. All you have to do is select the “Find a place to stay” button next to the city you’re interested in. The option to filter what you’re searching for is wonderful since you can filter for utilities such as whether or not you require power, water, WiFi, and so on.

When you click on a location, you’ll see all of the information RV Parky has about the site. This software is available for download both on iOS and Google Play. You may also search by filter on their internet platform.

Good Sam Camping 

This Good Sam campground app is compatible with over 14,500 campsites and RV parts from the Good Sam RV Travel Guide and also the Campground Directory. It provides camping reviews. There was formerly a Good Sam Trip Planner, but it is no longer accessible.

The best feature of the Good Sam Camping app is indeed the ability to find exactly what you’re searching for. Look for spots that provide a pool, WiFi, pet allowance, primitive camping and pull-through space, RV hookup, slide-out room, and much more.

Harvest Hosts

With a low-cost subscription to Harvest Hosts, you may park your RV, van, or trailer for free every night at tens of thousands of breathtaking places around the United States and abroad. You might look for a distillery, vineyard or farm that lets you spend the night dry camping on its grounds. In reality, using its website and membership will let you stay “for free” in some very amazing locations around the USA.

The Harvest Hosts certainly hope that if you come during business hours, you’ll buy a product from the winery, farm, or brewery. You can locate thousands of Harvest Hosts with your membership, and many RVers will utilize this as a nice pit stop en route to a far-off location.

Boondockers Welcome

Perhaps now is the right moment for you to obtain a Boondockers Welcome membership since many RVers have already utilized one. You’d be amazed at how simple it is to conduct a search online to find out the max RV length that could fit, the duration of stay, if pets are permitted, and customer reviews!

Boondockers Welcome is a sensible, economical approach to RV camping. On a website such as Harvest Hosts or Airbnb, you may discover hosts eager to just let you park your RV vehicle on their land for free overnight.

Once you’ve stayed, it’s common courtesy to give your host a review; in return, they’ll do the same for you.

Roadtrippers

The final app of this comprehensive RV trip planning list that we need to include is Roadtrippers. If your initial journey has no more than five destinations, signing up and using the tool is completely free of charge. Which of course is excellent news if you’re operating on a budget! As a result, you can use the Roadtrippers app for a while, take some time, and see if it is the ideal app for you.

Roadtrippers’ trip-planning options are intuitive and simple to use. Simply enter your starting and ending places, change the slider to determine how far from your route you’re prepared to go for areas of interest, and start exploring. You may scroll in and out as you go to see what there is to explore and do.

Overlays for camping spots, tourist hotspots, landmarks, restaurants, and more are also available. Find nearby businesses like gas stations, campgrounds, and more that cater to your car or RV.

Roadtrippers is an incredibly effective RV trip planner, in addition to being surprisingly simple to use. Especially the idea that you may join up and utilize the tool for free for the first five days

Frequently Asked Questions About RV Trip Planning

What is an rv trip planner.

Using a smartphone navigation program like Google Maps to bring you to your final destination is convenient, but taking the shortest route possible could mean missing some amazing views on the way there. Which is a total rookie move.

Thats where RV Trip Planners come in. You can organize your entire trip with the help of these programs and websites. Campgrounds, including their rates, amenities, and more, may all be found with the help of a trip planner.

You may get a lot more out of your road trip if you use an app to help you organize your stops for sightseeing.

Routing your trip in an RV is much easier with the help of a trip planner; with some you can even include the dimensions of your RV. No need to worry about narrow roads and low bridges that can’t handle your rig since they’ll figure out the best and most efficient route for you automatically.

A significant benefit of RV trip planning apps is the ability to locate RV-specific services. The ability to find gas stations, refill stations , service centers, dump stations, and more for your RV is a common feature among trip planning apps.

What is the best way to plan an RV trip?

There are a few things you must do to plan a fluid, versatile, and fun RV trip! To make it easy to understand and take action on your RV trip planning, I broke it up into this list.

1. Pick the right RV for the road trip you’re planning.

A 35-foot Class A motorhome doesn’t leave much room for spontaneity on the road or in the campground. However, a 15-foot Class B van may not provide enough storage space to stock up on goods and create your own gourmet meals. The first priority in arranging a great RV road trip is to ensure that your vehicle is suitable for your intended journey.

2. Come up with a plan that works with your budget.

Costs for fuel, campsites, and food add up quickly on an RV road trip. Depending on the nature of your road trip, you may encounter vast differences in all three.

You can save money on gas and tolls by carefully plotting your route with your RV’s or tow vehicle’s MPG in mind. You should note that a cross-country road trip isn’t necessary for a thrilling experience.

If you plan ahead and set aside money for camping, you can stay in a more luxurious RV park at one stop and save money by boondocking or camping in a state park somewhere else. To save spending money on expensive private campgrounds, some people choose to spend the night in the parking lots of stores such as Walmart, Cracker Barrel, and Cabela’s.

In any case, it’s best to phone ahead and find out what the rules are in each area.

3. If you can, book your campsites far in advance.

Many new RVers find it difficult to accept that available camping spots are hard to come by nowadays. Traveling freely, going wherever the road takes you, is a desire shared by many others (like us!). Sadly, that means the best campsites in state and national parks tend to fill up months in advance, so booking ahead of time is usually your best chance.

You can make sure the campground is right for you by reading reviews online too or asking a RV facebook community for their opinions. Be sure the campground provides the vibe you are going for, whether is be a pool, hot tub, or even just immaculate restrooms.

Be sure to take note of the reservation details, jot down any cancellation conditions and add them to the calendar. That way you can adapt quickly to any changes in your itinerary that may com up on the road; and trust us, things come up on the road.

4. Map out a path that is suitable for a RVs.

When getting from one RV destination to another, many seasoned RV travelers prefer to take the beautiful byways and lesser-traveled back roads. When traveling by RV, you’ll need to adjust your strategy for trip planning accordingly.

Find out whether there are any limits on propane or having a low enough clearance on any bridges or tunnels. The next time you need gas, plan a pit stop that won’t force you to find a spot in a crowded and cramped parking lot too. A steep incline or a series of switchbacks can be dangerous for an RV.

5. Look into RV parking ahead of time.

When you have all the time in the world on your trip then you start to enjoy stopping for no particular reason and discovering hidden gems along the road. When taking an RV, this becomes a little more complicated. Because we love to do this, we now have a standard practice for me to call ahead to attractions on our route and check about RV parking. We’ve had no trouble finding parking at popular tourist destinations from this method.

And what about the unexpectedly enjoyable detours that spring up on the way? See if you can go there and back out using the satellite map on your phone.

6. Time your arrival later than you think.

One of the many frequently made mistakes first-time RVer make is the assumption that they can maintain the same speed as when they are driving a car. Expecting it to happen is unrealistic, so keep that in mind as you plot out your schedule.

In general, it’s a good idea to aim for a speed near 50 miles/hour as your average for the entire trip. Because of this, travel times at gas stations will be more frequent than usual too.

To avoid exhaustion and potential sleepy accidents, try the “3/300 rule,” which states that you shouldn’t travel more than 300 miles in a day and plan to get to your destination before 3 in the afternoon.

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Our Story to Full Time RV Living

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Ultimate RV Trip Planner: A Guide to Planning your RV Road Trip

Post Updated June 2021

This post contains affiliate links, if you click one of them we may receive a small commission at no cost to you. For more information please read our disclaimer on affiliate links .

RV travel is one of the best ways to explore the United States! Planning an RV vacation can feel overwhelming, especially if you’re new to the RV life. Not to worry! Two years of full time RV living taught me how to easily plan an RV adventure, and in this ultimate RV trip planner you’ll find a complete guide to planning your RV road trip!

Best Time to RV Across America

The good news is that you can RV the USA any time of the year. If you want to RV across the whole country then a shoulder season like Fall/Spring is best. Alternatively, you can plan your trip based on my seasonal recommendations for the best RV destinations below!

The best time for your RV vacation will depend on the type of scenery you’re interested in seeing. Below I share the best areas of the country for each season.

If you’d like to include Canada in your RV adventure I highly recommend it. Read about the best Canada road trips !

Summer RV Trips

Summer in the Pacific Northwest is absolutely glorious, and not to be missed. If you want to experience gorgeous forest waterfalls, pristine coastal scenery, and crystal clear mountain lakes then summer in Oregon and Washington is your best bet.

Fall RV Trips

New England is known for it’s striking fall foliage, where the leaves turn brilliant shades of orange, red, and yellow. Fall also brings milder weather to the humid east coast, and it’s a great time to explore the Eastern United States.

Winter RV Trips

Snow and ice make RVing much more difficult so for the winter months I’d recommend heading to the southern USA where temperatures are mild and comfortable.

Southern Florida is a popular winter RV destination, but be prepared to pay high prices for campsites and activities.

If you prefer a more affordable, and, in my opinion, more beautiful option, consider RVing the Southwestern United States. In the Southwest free and cheap campsites are plentiful, the dry air makes outdoor activities easier, and some of the most beautiful desert national parks become more accessible.

Death Valley and Joshua Tree National Parks are two excellent options for a winter RV vacation.

Spring RV Trips

Spring is when the high desert really shines, and this is a perfect time to explore all of the beautiful scenery in Northern Arizona and Utah.

If the Grand Canyon and Utah’s Zion National Park are on your bucket list then a springtime RV trip is the way to go!

Should you Rent an RV or Buy an RV for your RV Trip?

Whether you should rent or buy an RV for your USA RV travel is a very personal question. Here I’ll discuss some of the pros and cons of either choice!

How long is your trip?

If you’re only traveling for a week or two then renting an RV makes the most sense. While renting an RV is the more expensive option, it saves a lot of hassle, and is certainly more simple than purchasing an RV.

RV rentals provide you with the peace of mind that the RV is in good condition, and if you run into any mechanical issues the rental company will have you covered.

If you’re traveling for a month or more then you may want to consider purchasing an RV and re-selling it when you finish traveling. We met many travelers on the road who used this strategy for their RV journeys.

How Much Money can you Invest Upfront in your RV Trip?

The major advantage of purchasing a used RV then re-selling it is the fact that you can save the rental fees so that you will only be paying for travel costs (gas, campsites, etc), since you will recoup the cost of the RV at the end of your trip.

The downside to purchasing an RV rather than renting is that you will likely need more money upfront, and you will need to educate yourself on what to look for in a used RV. However, when you’re considering a savings of $7,000 or more (the amount you can expect to spend on a one month RV rental), it may be worth the extra hassle to buy and sell rather than rent.

Where to Rent an RV?

If you decide that RV rental is the best option for your trip then I recommend checking out the rentals on Outdoorsy.

Outdoorsy is a company that manages the rental of privately owned RVs when the owners are not using them.

Renting with Outdoorsy tends to be quite a bit cheaper than renting with a traditional RV rental company, and since you’re renting privately owned RVs you will have lots of different makes and models to choose from.

For more information check out this complete guide to RV rental in the USA!

Best RVs for Families, Singles, or Couples

Whether you’ve decided to rent an RV or purchase an RV for your RVing adventure, you’ll want to consider the type of RV that best meets your needs. RVs come in many shapes and sizes, and the RV you choose will directly impact the cost of your vacation, as well as the types of campsites you can visit on your travels.

Best RV for Family of 4

For families with children, a traditional motorhome makes the most sense, because they tend to provide the most space and the most sleeping options.

Class C motorhomes are an excellent option for families because they feature an over-cab bed that really makes the most of the space in the RV (plus kids love to sleep in these fun, lofted beds).

There are plenty of decent Class C motorhomes on the market, and if you’re purchasing an RV you should be able to find one for less than $20,000. Lazy Daze, Gulf Stream, and Jamboree are all brands to keep an eye out for when you’re searching for your class C RV.

Best RV for Couples

If you’re planning to travel as a couple, and you’re going to purchase an RV, then I am definitely partial to Toyota motorhomes for roadtripping the USA. Toyota motorhomes are micro-RVs, which means they are about the same size as a campervan but thanks to an over-cab bed they feel much more spacious than a campervan.

Read about why we chose a Toyota Motorhome for our RV travels here!

Toyota motorhomes are the best small RV, and they also hold their value well, making them easy to re-sell quickly. The downside to Toyota motorhomes is their age, as the last ones were built in 1993. This means that you need to VERY thoroughly inspect a Toyota motorhome before purchasing it.

If you’d prefer to purchase (or rent) something newer, a campervan is the best RV choice for a couple. Campervans have exploded in popularity lately, and for good reason! Campervans are smaller than traditional RVs, which means they are easier to drive, easier to park, and they get better gas milage than a motorhome.

Campervans are also cheaper than a motorhome, so you can easily find one for less than $15,000 if you’re planning to purchase an RV for your trip. Trusted campervan brands in that price range include Road Trek, Dodge Pleasure Way, and Horizon.

If you’re planning to rent an RV, Outdoorsy features LOTS of campervans, and they are cheaper to rent than a motorhome!

Best RV for Singles

If you’re planning to take a solo RV trip then your options are endless because the smallest RV options will work for you.

Campervans, converted mini-vans, SUVs with rooftop tents, and truck campers are all excellent choices for solo travelers since you won’t need as much space as a couple or family would. You can easily find an RV in this category for around $10,000.

If you’re renting an RV, you will be able to find most of these options on Outdoorsy, especially campervans!

For detailed information on all of the different types of campers, tips for purchasing a camper, and the very best tips and tricks for long term RV travel check out my Ebook- Nomads in Campers: A Step by Step Guide to Living Your Nomadic Adventure.

RV Trip Planner Apps

There are a few apps that make RV trip planning a breeze, and that we use CONSTANTLY on our RV road trips. If you’re the RV road trip planner for your family, then you need these four apps!

Google Maps

This is an app that most people already have on their phone, and if you don’t it’s free to download.

Click here to download Google Maps for Android , and click here to download Google Maps for Apple IOS .

After trying several different mapping apps that claimed to be “the best”, we always found ourselves using Google Maps as our primary mapping app. Google Maps has the most data of any mapping app, and that really makes a difference when you’re in remote areas of the US.

A sweet hack for Google Maps is to check when you’re going to lose cell phone coverage (use the next app in our list for this), and before you reach that point have Google Maps start the directions to your destination. Once you lose coverage Google Maps will still pick up your GPS signal, and it will complete the directions even though you no longer have cell service!

Maps.Me is a great secondary app for when you will be outside cellular coverage for long periods of time. It allows you to download maps to access when you’re offline.

Occasionally we will spend several days in an area with no cellular coverage, and in those cases Maps.Me is great as long as we remembered to download a map of the area before we lost coverage!

Coverage is a free and simple app that allows you to check where you will or will not have cell phone coverage. You can filter the maps by cellular carrier and signal type (LTE, 4G, etc), making it easy to figure out how good your cellular coverage will be in any location.

Trail Wallet

Trail Wallet ROCKS for budgeting your RV trip! This vacation budgeting app was designed by travel bloggers for travelers. It allows you to set a daily budget, or a budget for your entire trip, and it alerts you when you’re overspending.

You can select the categories and currency you want to use for your budget, and it’s free to download!

Best RV Camping Apps

There are two camping apps that will cover all of your RV trip planning needs. These are the only two apps we ever needed while RVing the United States (we certainly tried plenty of other apps, but these two were the BEST).

AllStays is not free, but it is WELL worth the cost. Allstays lists nearly every single official campground and RV park in the USA, both private and public. This app allows you to filter by all kinds of parameters including cost, facilities, campground type (BLM, KOA, etc.), and much more.

AllStays will help you find the best RV parks on your route, and it also lists free overnight parkings spots like Walmart, Cabelas, and casinos.

The app will use your GPS signal to locate all of the nearby campgrounds in seconds, and the provided campground reviews make it easy to choose a place to park for the night!

Unfortunately, this app is only available on Apple IOS at this time ( download it here ), but you CAN use the Allstays website on your Android phone to locate the same information.

iOverlander

iOverlander is the best RV app for finding free campsites. This app is free to download, and crowd sources its information. This means that real RV travelers contribute the GPS coordinates for places they camped, and you can contribute to the app as well!

iOverlander features reviews and photos of campsites, and it also lists services that are useful to RVers such as truck stops, mechanics, and dump stations.

We used iOverlander constantly to find good boondocking sites in both the United States and Mexico.

Best RV Campgrounds

In our experience the best RV campgrounds are not RV parks (in fact, we wrote a whole article about why we avoid RV parks ). Instead, we prefer state and federally run campgrounds which tend to be quiet, affordable, and beautiful!

With that said, sometimes you will have to bite the bullet and stay in an RV park. When this happens be sure to read the reviews beforehand, and don’t forget to ask about discounts! Tom often received a discount at RV parks for being a retired firefighter.

The AllStays app lists BLM, USFS, and state park campgrounds when you search for a campsite, and that’s the easiest way to find publicly owned campgrounds.

Check out this guide for all the information you need to find beautiful, affordable RV campsites!

Best RV Road Trip Routes

The most fun part of planning an RV road trip is choosing where you’ll go! There are so many incredible road trips in the USA it can be tough to choose one!

Here I’ll list our favorite US RV road trips by region. If you have a few months you may be able to do all of these in one trip!

Best RV Route in the Eastern United States- Gettysburg and the Blue Ridge Parkway

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania is one of the famous historical sites in the United States. Here you can learn all about the history of the American Civil War, and walk the fields of Gettysburg, where one of the most infamous Civil War battles took place.

There are tons of RV parks around Gettysburg, so you shouldn’t have any trouble finding a campsite, though the camping in this area is quite expensive.

After Gettysburg make your way south to Shenandoah National Park where you can hop on the gorgeous Blue Ridge Parkway, America’s longest scenic highway!

The Blue Ridge Parkway stretches for 469 miles, and I recommend taking 7 days for this road trip so you can really enjoy all the beautiful sights. The best time for this drive is in the fall when the trees will turn bright red and orange all along the parkway.

Best RV Route in the Southwestern United States- Joshua Tree National Park to Lake Tahoe via Highway 395

Highway 395 is my favorite US road trip for RVers! This spectacular drive begins in Joshua Tree National Park, then takes you north to Death Valley National Park, and along the mind blowingly beautiful Eastern Sierras to Lake Tahoe in California.

I can’t think of any other US road trip as jam-packed with beautiful scenery, while also offering plenty of uncrowded, quiet stops.

This route also features tons of gorgeous, affordable campsites, making it a great option if you’re RVing on a budget!

Be sure to stop in the Alabama Hills, just north of Bishop, CA. There you’ll find several BLM campgrounds that cost just $5 per night, and feature the most beautiful mountain views I’ve seen in ANY United States campground. (Just check out the view from our RV window in the picture below!)

I recommend giving yourself two weeks for this RV trip so you can spend a few days in each national park and still have plenty of time to visit the many sites along the highway (Bishop, the Alabama Hills, Mono Lake, and Lake Tahoe are all must-see stops)!

This drive is best done in the late spring because it will be cool enough to enjoy Joshua Tree and Death Valley, but still warm enough to avoid snowfall in the mountains!

Best RV Route in the Western United States- Highway 101 from Olympic National Park, WA to Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, CA

Highway 101 runs along the Pacific Ocean from Washington all the way to southern California.

Most RVers only ever drive the southern portion of Highway 101 in California, and that is a huge mistake! Highway 101 is actually at its best along the Oregon coast, where the lack of mansions lining the coast means that you’ll actually get to ride along the ocean for most of the drive.

Also, Washington and Oregon both feature well-managed state park systems with beautiful, clean, and affordable RV campsites all along this route. While I do recommend you head all the way to Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park in California (the redwoods are AMAZING), prepare to be disappointed by the campgrounds there.

I recommend taking at least two weeks to complete this epic RV trip so you can spend time hiking, swimming, and really enjoying all of the scenery you encounter! This trip is best done in late spring, summer, or early fall, as the rest of the year will be cold and rainy in this area of the country.

Best RV Route in the Northern United States- Yellowstone and Glacier National Park

Yellowstone and Glacier are two of the most beautiful national parks in the United States, and you can visit them both in one epic RV vacation !

Begin this 962 mile journey in Yellowstone National Park, then make your way through Southwest Montana and up to Missoula. From Missoula you’ll make your way to Glacier National Park, and then loop back to Yellowstone.

Expect to encounter epic scenery, incredible wildlife, and plenty of delicious local food and drink options on this trip. There are many campgrounds along the route, but if you want to stay in the national parks reserve in advance- they fill up fast!

I recommend at least three weeks for this trip, and it should be done in the summer when you won’t have to worry about snow and ice.

Essential RV Road Trip Accessories

There are a few items that you must have with you for a successful RV road trip (no, a cute dog is not required, just highly recommended)!

These are especially important if you plan to spend any nights in remote, wilderness camping areas (BLM land, for example). In our experience, wilderness campsites are the most beautiful and peaceful campsites in America, so you’ll want to be able to enjoy them!

RV Leveling Blocks

You NEED leveling blocks for any RV road trip. These are an absolute essential item. Leveling blocks slip under the wheels of your RV to make sure that it’s completely level.

Keeping your RV level is really important because RV refrigerators don’t work like a normal, in-home refrigerator. RV refrigerators use an internal chemical reaction to cool them down, and the chemicals won’t combine properly unless your RV is level.

If you try to run your refrigerator when your RV is not level it will break, and RV refrigerators are one of the most expensive items in the entire RV.  A new RV refrigerator costs at least $1000 so be smart and keep your RV level!

Click here to check prices on leveling blocks!

Suitcase Style Portable Solar Panel

Solar power gives you so much more freedom in your RV adventures!

Why? Well, when you have solar power you don’t need to search out campsites with electrical hookups or run a loud, stinky generator to meet your basic power needs!

A 100 watt folding suitcase-style solar panel is plenty to run your RV’s basic necessities like your lights and your water pump. This panel easily clips on to your coach battery, so there’s no technical know-how required to use this free, clean power source!

Since this solar panel folds up and has a handle, it’s easy to transport. Another huge perk to a portable panel like this is that you can park in the shade, and then set the panel in the sun!

Click here to check prices on a suitcase style 100 watt solar panel!

Quality Camping Chairs

Camping chairs are SO important when you’re traveling by RV! Sure, a lot of campsites will have a picnic table, but that won’t allow you to sit around the fire, or turn your chair in the direction of the sunset, or take a nap outdoors…you get the idea.

Having a comfortable camp chair is an absolute must on an RV vacation. Once you’re parked in camp you don’t want to have to sit inside your RV all day!

There are two camp chairs that we always travel with, and that we highly recommend:

Zero Gravity Camp Chair

This is the most comfortable camp chair we’ve come across, and we always travel with at least one of these (sometimes two, because we end up fighting over the one)!

This chair reclines back far enough to allow you to take a nap, which means it’s also awesome for reading, sunbathing, and any other relaxing activity.

On a warm night you could easily put a pillow and blankets in this chair and sleep under the stars!

Click here to check prices on zero gravity camp chairs!

Director’s Camp Chair

This camp chair provides the best back support of any camp chair we’ve tried, so if you tend to run into back pain this is the chair for you!

This chair is sturdy, and the seat and backrest stay firmly in position, unlike most camp chairs which tend to buckle a bit under weight. This chair also has a side table with a cup holder, which is really convenient for morning coffee, afternoon beers, evening beers…

Click here to check prices on director’s style camp chairs!

Now you’re armed with plenty of information to prepare you for your first big RV trip!

For much more in depth information on camper travel around North America, check out our Ebook, Nomads in Campers , where we share all of our very best tips and tricks, and tons of other useful information to make your RV travels a success!

For information on taking your RV off the grid, check out my complete guide to RV dry camping and boondocking !

We traveled North America full time for two years in a Toyota Dolphin micro-RV! Read about our favorite RV destination, Baja California, Mexico !

We don’t just travel by RV! Last winter we spent 6 months traveling Southeast Asia with only carry on backpacks! Read all about that adventure here .

Every summer we return to the western United States for our favorite festivals, including Burning Man !

Did you enjoy this post? Pin it to Pinterest!

About The Author

7 thoughts on “Ultimate RV Trip Planner: A Guide to Planning your RV Road Trip”

What a treasure trove of the most interesting and useful information. I plan on using all the apps. Wife and I starting soon with our new tiny camper. It will be ready next month. Maybe we will upgrade to a class c in the future. Thanks for people like who inspire all of use to venture out.

Jake and Cynthia

Thank you so much for the tips, just bought a Dolphin, here we go!

Yay!! Dolphins are the best 🙂 Always happy to hear from fellow Toyota Motorhome owners!

Thanks so much for the comment Jake! And congratulations on your new camper! Camper travel really is the best 🙂

Hola! I’ve been following your blog for a while now and finally got the bravery to go ahead and give you a shout out from Lubbock Texas! Just wanted to mention keep up the fantastic work!

This article was really helpful! We’re planning a 2 month road trip in our class C Winnebago from GA to….somewhere! We haven’t decided where to go yet but this gave me a few ideas. Also THANK YOU for the solar panel link! We don’t have solar and haven’t wanted to install it yet so we may buy this before we hit the road!

Hi Brianna! Glad this was helpful. We LOVE our solar panel, it’s so awesome getting free, clean power! 🙂

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40+ Helpful Tips For Planning An RV Trip

W e have been living, working and traveling full time in an RV for the last 8 years with 4 kids. Below we share what we have learned as full time RVers to help you with planning an RV trip! Use our post as an RV trip planner to have the ultimate RV vacation!

Renting The RV

The first thing you may need to do is rent an RV . If you already have one skip down to the next section.

Here are some tips for helping you figure out which one is best for your trip. 

Average cost

This can really range depending on what type of RV you want to get. 

The best way to figure out the costs is to visit RVShare or Outdoorsy and search for what you want.

Class A – these are the bigger, bus-looking, motorhomes where you drive them. They are great for travel days, but don’t offer as much living space as a trailer or 5th Wheel.

Check out Class A RV’s for rent. 

Class B – these are basically a step up from a van. Great for getting around if you are planning to travel with a couple or just 1 younger kid.

Check out Class B RV’s for rent. 

Class C – bigger than the Class B but normally smaller than a class A. Gives a lot of sleeping options in a smaller space and tend to be easier to drive since it is on a truck frame. 

Check out Class C RV’s for rent.  

5th Wheel – similar to a trailer, but a step up and the most like an apartment on wheels. This is also where you will find most toy haulers which are like garages at the back of the 5th wheel for motorcycles or a golf cart (you can sometimes find these in trailers and Class A’s, but it is more common in a 5th wheel). You would need a truck and the setup to tow it. 

Check out 5th Wheels for rent.

Truck Camper – similar to the Class B – could work really well if you just have a couple people or a small family/young kids.

Check out Truck Campers for rent. 

Travel Trailer – Usually the cheapest option. Offers a good amount of space with plenty of beds for larger families. You would need a vehicle and the setup to tow it.

Check out Travel Trailers for rent.

Camper Van – Craig and I always talk about how we want to get a van to travel the country in when our kids are grown and out on their own! It would be fun to travel in since you can get in anywhere with it! 

Check out Camper Vans for rent. 

Our recommendation is to always go as small as you can. We have found it makes it so much easier for traveling, getting gas and getting in and out of places. This can mean it is tight squeeze if you have rainy days or want to spend time inside as a family – so we would recommend thinking through how you see your trip going. 

Will you spend a lot of time in the RV? Or spend a lot of time outside? Will everyone have a bed in the RV or will you have to make the beds each night (by putting the table down – in the RV to convert it to a bed)? 

If your thoughts are that you are using the RV as a way to travel, a place to cook meals and a place to sleep at night then going smaller will be better. For a motorhome, class C or B, trailer or fifth wheel will depend on what you feel comfortable driving. 

If you want to spend a lot of time inside the RV, then you may want to look for something bigger. But just know this can make the traveling part more stressful – unless you have experience driving a big rig or towing a large trailer or 5th wheel. 

Another thing to keep in mind is that when you are at a location you will probably want to go out and explore. So you will want a car to do this with. When you have a really small drivable RV you can usually take it most places and find parking spots but this would be small like 23 feet or less. 

Or else, you will want to find out about towing a car or doing a fifth wheel or trailer that you tow with a truck. If you plan to just get to a campground and stay there this won’t be as much of an issue. 

Check out our post on RV Rental

Plan Your Trip

Where do you want to go?! There are so many great places to go on an RV road trip and lots of great RV trip planning tools and RV apps.

If you have an RVer in your life these make great Gifts for RV Owners.

Here is a post on our Top 15 RV Campsites You Will Want To Stay At.

Length of trip

We highly recommend at least 2 weeks to get yourself into the swing of RV travel and to allow you to cover a lot of ground yet still have down time to enjoy being in the RV.

There are a few different travel styles you could pick from – or do a combination of them:

Relaxing Trip

This means you find one campground and just go and stay there. I know for a lot of families this is exactly what they are looking for.

If this is what you want to do be sure to find a place that has a lake or pool along with basketball courts, bikes to rent, games to play, etc.

This is usually going to be more of your resort type of campgrounds. But be prepared, they can be VERY busy in the summer months. As in you won’t even want to go in the pool since there are so many people in it.

You could opt to do this trip at a State Park where you look to do more nature things like playing in the river, going to the lake, hiking, etc. It will be a little more roughing it then an RV resort, but if you accept that it can be very relaxing! 

Exploring Trip

This is where you plan to move a lot and see and do a lot of different things. It could mean moving every day or two. Or spreading it out and moving about every 3 – 4 days.

We recommend moving every 3 – 4 days. It will give you enough time to settle in and explore an area without feeling super rushed.

You could jump from RV resort to RV resort doing this. Or you could look for more state park and national park campgrounds or campgrounds by national parks or other historic sites and landmarks you want to explore.

Boondocking Trip

You would need to have the right rig and setup for this one. While boondocking, you wouldn’t have any hookups – so you would need power (preferably solar), larger holding tanks – so you can go longer between dumping, and a way to get potable water into your rig .

Then you go out and find BLM/free land to camp on! Part of this experience is enjoying just being out in the middle of nowhere. Or you can look for land to stay at around locations you want to go and explore.

You could easily pick one of the above or do a combination of 1 or 2 or all 3! But try to think about which kind of trip you want to have before you start deciding on what rig to rent and where to go.

For more information on boondocking, click here!

Recommended RV Trips In North America

National Park Road Trip  – Pick one of these routes to get out and explore our beautiful National Parks!

Glacier National Park – Our favorite National Park in the US! So much beauty and amazing hiking!

Yellowstone And Beyond – Spend a few days in Yellowstone National Park and the exploring the surrounding area north of it in Montana. 

Yellowstone National Park – You can spend a month here and not see and do everything! A huge and amazing National Park. Be sure to visit the Grand Prismatic, Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, Mammoth Hot Springs and all the cool things to do here.

Olympic National Park – There are a lot of great stops to make as you travel around the Olympic National Park in Washington. 

Florida Road Trip – Travel around the whole state of Florida to visit beaches, national parks and more!

Southern California – There is so much to do in California! These are amazing stops to make in the southern part of the state. 

Northern California – Northern California brings you to some amazing National Parks and a beautiful yet rugged coastline. 

Oregon Camping – Campground hop in Oregon! 

Oregon Coast Road Trip – Oregon is a beautiful state! Check out these great stops along the coast. 

Camping In Wisconsin  – Head up north to explore Wisconsin and stay at 1 or multiple campgrounds.

Tennessee Family Road Trip – Checkout Tennessee from Nashville to Chattanooga to Smoky Mountain National Park. 

Pick Your Campgrounds

Now that you know where you want to go you have to figure out where you want to stay and find campgrounds.

Things you will want to consider when looking for campgrounds:

Hook ups – does that campground have FHU (Full Hook Ups) – meaning you have sewer, water and electric at your site. Some sites will only have electric or only have water and electric. The easiest route to go is Full Hook Ups so everything you have in your RV works. 

30amp or 50amp – Make sure you know what kind of electric your RV needs. If it needs 50amp, you can make it work on 30amp but will need a specific adapter to step down your 50amp cord to the 30amp plug. This will mean that you will not have enough power to use everything in the rig. For example if you have 2 AC units then you would need 50amp for both of them to work. On 30amp only 1 would work. 

Pull through or back-in – A pull through site means you can pull right into the spot and then pull right out. Nice and easy – usually!

A back-in means you have to reverse into the site. This can be very challenging if you have never done it before, especially with a trailer type RV. But usually back-in sites cost less. . . and usually the campground will help you if you are having troubles getting into the spot. 

Pet Friendly – If you will be traveling with pets you will want to verify that the campground is #1 – OK with pets and #2 OK with the size and/or breed of dog you have. We had 2 labs for a long time on the road with us and we only ran into a handful of times where pets weren’t allowed at a campground. 

If you do plan to take your pet with you check out the post on RVing with dogs.

I know this sounds like a lot – but you got this!! Here are a few different kind of campgrounds you can look into:

Resort Campgrounds

If you are looking for simplicity and some luxury then a KOA campgrounds or similar campground is the way to go. Full hookups (meaning there is a hookup for sewer, water and electric – so assuming you have the right amp hookup for your RV everything in the rig will work.

Note some RV’s have 30amp hookups and some have 50amp. Usually the larger rigs have 50amp and if you are going somewhere hot where you will want to run both AC’s in the rig you will want the 50amp), nice concrete pad sites, pull throughs, nice bathrooms, amenities, definitely more a hotel feel then normal campgrounds.

State Park Campgrounds

Looking for more of a nature trip? Then a state park is a great option. But be prepared that these campgrounds don’t always have full hookups. Which means you have to watch your tanks and potentially pull out of your site to dump – depending on how long you stay.

National Park Campgrounds

If you are planning to visit the National Parks, try to stay in the National Park campground if at all possible! It takes the whole experience of visiting the National Park to another level when you can stay IN the park!

But like the state park, be prepared as there may be no hookups at all or just electric. This is all doable. You just have to prepare and fill up with water when you get there (they all have water fill stations) and then be careful with water and tank usage – or else you will have to move to dump and they all offer dump stations.

Harvest Host Stays

You have to join Harvest Host. Then once you do you can stay at wineries, farms, breweries and golf courses around the country for free! Most of them don’t have any hook-ups so you are boondocking and there can be size limitations so you need to call ahead to make sure you can fit and they have availability. 

It is a fun way to travel! You normally can only stay for 1 – 2 nights so we use it a lot when we are traveling from destination to destination, but it is too long to get there in 1 day of driving. 

Boondocking

Feeling really adventurous? Then give Boondocking a try! This is where you stay for FREE on BLM land with no hookups. So no power, water or sewer hookups – you definitely need to be prepared for this. 

You can also do this in National Forests and a few other places. There are a variety of Apps that help with finding these locations – Campendium, The Dyrt, Freecampsites.net. 

If your rig has a generator onboard, you can use that – but ideally you would want a solar setup on your rig so you don’t need any power or to run a loud generator. You have to know where you can fill up with water before you get to your spot and where you can get water while you are there. And again watch your tanks really carefully.

Thousand Trails Campgrounds

This is a membership site that a lot of full-time traveling families use. So if you are looking to find other kids that live the RV life – maybe you are considering it for yourself. This is a great way to do that!

They have some nice campgrounds, but some not so nice campgrounds . . . and they tend to be in the middle of nowhere. So . . . unless you are interested in the RV Lifestyle I wouldn’t look to stay at one of these.

Picking Your Spot At The Campground

Once you have your campground picked out, it is time to pick your site!

If you are looking for a site that is really scenic you will most likely pay more. Which means pay attention to the prices of the sites based on their locations.

A lot of RV parks charge more for different kinds of sites. You will also want to pay attention to if they are Full Hook Up (has a hook up for water, electric, and sewer) or not. The easiest way to camp is with Full Hook Ups or FHU. 

If that doesn’t matter then I would recommend deciding what you want to be closest too. The pool, the playground, a big field, the entrance, the clubhouse, the bathhouse or the lake?

If you plan to spend a lot of time at the amenities at the campground  it would make sense to find a site close to them. 

Prefer to be further away from people? Then you will want to look for sites that are larger and further away from the amenities and people. 

If you can’t tell any of this from the campground map be sure to call and let the campground know what you are looking for so they can help you find the perfect site for your stay. 

What You Need To Pack

Check out our post:  The Ultimate RV Packing List To Make Your Trip A Success  

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Most RV Parks have a laundromat so you will be able to do laundry. Keep that in mind while packing.

For the most part packing for an RV trip is just like packing for any other trip with a few things to keep in mind:

The clothes will get dirty since you and your kids will be outside more. Bring clothes that you don’t care if they get ruined. Then you won’t be stressing when the kids are running around and getting rips or dirty knees.

Bring layers – you will most likely want to sit out at the campfire at night and it may get chilly, so bring pants and a sweatshirt. Also bugs can get bad around dusk so having pants and long sleeves on is really helpful.

Bring bathing suits and towels.

Bring running shoes for hiking or exploring. 1 pair of running shoes and 1 pair of sandals per kid should be fine. Unless you are thinking of going anywhere fancy where you want everyone dressed up.

Tools/Utility Items

If you are renting an RV they may have a few basic tools in the rig already – this would also be a good question to ask the person you are renting from. If not you should have your basic tool bag with you:

• Set of socket wrenches
• Screw drivers (Phillips and regular)
• First Aid Kit
• Flashlights
• Pocket Knife

RV safe – if you are bringing any important documents or a lot of cash with you – you may want to get an RV safe. Ideally one that is water and fireproof.

You don’t have to go crazy with toys, but I would recommend bringing a few things. If your kids are younger bring a few of their floor toys from home – MagnaTiles, blocks, etc. Or a little older – Legos, Barbies, Playmobile.

Things they can do on the floor in the RV or out on the picnic table.

Board games and card games.

Coloring book and markers.

If you have paddle boards or kayaks that you can fit somewhere, then bring them if you are planning to go anywhere with water. A lot of places also offer rentals so if you can’t fit it you can probably find a rental place somewhere.

Boogie boards if you are heading to the beach as well as sand toys. 

Pool toys – diving rings, goggles, etc. 

Depending on where you are going you may want to bring your bikes with – if you can fit them into your setup. Or maybe scooters for the kids. 

In an RV you have pretty much a full kitchen, so you will want to decide how much you plan to cook and also the size of the RV fridge (they can be pretty small).

We have a skillet and a large pot and then a pizza pan and baking dish and that is about it for cooking items.

We do have a coffee maker, toaster and a blender that we bring with as well.

If you are planning a longer trip and don’t want to have to buy bottled water you may want to consider buying a Berkey – we love our Berkey !

1 plate per person, 1 cup per person, 1 set of silverware per person. Coffee cups and wine glasses if you want those too!

Also if you rent an RV, they may have all of this stocked in the RV for you.

More on meal planning below!

RV Meal Planning

When you stay in an RV you have the option to cook similar to what you would do at home since you have a stove, microwave, etc. Or you have an option to do more campfire cooking. Living in our RV full time we don’t do a lot of campfire camping, but instead use our RV kitchen a lot but focus on keeping the meals simplified since it is a small kitchen area.

Another thing to remember is you will probably be out exploring for a lot of the day so the last thing you will want to do is come back and spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Another reason to focus on easy meals!

Easy RV Meals:

Cinnamon Rolls

Eggs, bacon and hash browns

Grilled Cheese (check to make sure your RV has a skillet or bring one from home)

Buttered noodles and Parmesan Cheese

Peanut Butter and Jelly

Hummus and Veggies

Mac and Cheese

Frozen Pizza

With a propane stove you can cook things in there, but if you run the stove a long time it heats up the whole rig and if you aren’t used to a propane oven, it does cook differently than a regular oven.

The above is basically our go to meals in our RV. Nice and simple with just a few ingredients!

Of course if you want, you can go all out with food, but I would just remember you will probably be out exploring and potentially going out to eat (there are lots of cool restaurants and breweries (most are family friendly!) around the country!) a lot so no reason to make food the focus.

An RV Road Trip is different than a camping weekend since you will be going with the intention to visit really cool places and not just to hang out – though hopefully you will have some of that time fit into your schedule too!

Here is a list of our top apps to help you on your RV Trip:

The Best Trip Planner Apps

Trip planning along with stopping points on your travels for gas or a break to stretch your legs. You can check out our post on 21 RV Apps That Are Super Helpful For Your RV Trip for more details. Below is a high-level list of RV trip planner apps, campground reviews and more.

• The Dyrt – a great way to find campground reviews.
• RV Parky – a great way to put your whole trip together.
• Hipcamp – unique and interesting RV stays that are usually off the beaten path.
• Harvest Hosts – stay in a winery, brewery, farm, etc overnight!
• Campendium – great for finding places to boondock.
• Google Maps
• RV Trip Wizard – great as an RV road trip planner tool.
• Mountain Directory – helpful when you are going to be driving through mountains.
• Passport America – a way to find discounted stays.
• Roadtrippers – great for adding roadside attractions to your trip plan.

Weather Apps for Planning Travels

• Accuweather
• The Weather Channel

Apps for Finding Activities

• Road Trippers
• National Parks Trail Guide

Perfect Apps to Use While Driving

• Sanidumps RV Dump Station Locator
• RV Dump Stations
• FreeZone Wifi

Great Apps for in the Campground

What you need to know how to do, hookup/unhook.

This can be very different depending on the rig that you have. If you are renting an RV be sure to have the owner walk you through step by step how to do this and make sure you give it a go yourself while they are there to make sure you got it!

You may even want to take your phone out and video the owner or yourself going through the process – verbally walking you through it. Hooking up will get way easier the more you do it but can be stressful the first few times. 

You can also YouTube this if you forget once you get to your campsite – but remember internet service isn’t always the best at RV Parks so you may want to download the video so you have it. 

Empty Your Tanks

Same as above – make sure to have the RV owner walk you through this. It isn’t that hard but can be confusing the first few times. 

Tip: Leave your gray tank open to just run into the sewer hook-up. Your gray tank will fill up way faster then your black tank. Keep an eye on how full your black tank is using the level indicator. When the black tank is getting full, then close the gray tank valve to accumulate some grey water in the tank.

When the black is full, empty that tank first until it is fully empty, close the black tank valve, then dump the gray tank. Having a full back tank before you dump sounds gross, but the force and suction that comes into play makes sure the tank gets empty. Also dumping the gray right afterwards will flush the sewer hose of any residual black tank mess out of the hose.

Parking The Rig

How to park the rig will depend on what type of rig you end up with. But no matter what, it is good to have someone get out and stand behind the rig to help you back in and make sure you don’t hit anything. 

You want to check up top to make sure there are no low hanging branches or anything else that could puncture the roof or damage the a/c unit. 

Then make sure the sides are clear and you have ample room to back in.

Then check toward the back to see what is at the back of the site and that you’ll fit properly in the site.

The person in the back walking should jump back and forth from each side of the rig as you are backing up to make sure it is all good on both sides. Also there is a chance that the person driving will be able to clearly see one side but not the other. So it is important to have walkie talkies – IF there won’t be cell service where you are. Or to call each other on your phones while you are back up. 

The #1 tip is to take it slow! Take your time – check all around you multiple times – and just take it slow. You got this! 

Level Your Rig

Once you are in the spot you will need to level the rig. Some rigs come with automatic levelers while others you do manually. If it all possible while you are backing in check how level you are – BEFORE unhooking. Sometimes if we just drive up a couple feet or move over a couple feet the rig is level and it makes it easier. 

Other times we need to put levelers down to get it to be level. 

Turn On Your Water Heater

This seems simple enough and it is! You just have to remember to do it. If you don’t turn the water heater on you won’t have hot water. If you want to take a shower and it hasn’t been on it will take a good 15 minutes to heat up the water. Some RV’s have either a gas option or an electric option (or some have both) to heat water. If you are plugged in to the campground, I recommend using the electric option so you’ll save on propane.

Light Your Oven

I am surprised they have not figured out an easier way to light an RV oven . . . but it is what it is. You will need a long lighter for this (the kind you would use to light a grill). What you need to do is bend down and turn the oven knob to the pilot setting and hold it down.

Then you stick the lighter in the oven under the rack toward the back there is a little pilot spot that primes the gas line for the oven. Light this while continuing to hold the knob down for about 20-30 seconds. After that, turn the knob to the temperature you want the oven set at. You will know it lights since the whole line where the propane comes out lights up. 

Let it preheat for a bit and you are good to go! Remember though most RV ovens are small and you can fit a 9″ x 13″ pan in them IF the pan doesn’t have any handles on the side or very small ones. 

You can fit a frozen pizza in it, but would be better if you have a round pizza pan to cook it on. The RV oven can take a few tries to cook things the way you want to. So be ready for that. 

Turn On Your Generator

If there is an onboard generator, this should be easy enough. Just ask the owner when you pick up the RV how to do this. Most have a button in the RV near the control panel you hold down until the generator fires up. Once on, your RV will have power to the 120v system.

RV Toilets . . . a love hate relationship. So great to have, but definitely not a house toilet! This means you have to be careful with how much toilet paper goes down the toilet and you have to make sure to only use septic safe toilet paper. It’s also very important to have enough water in the bowl before flushing solids. RV toilets don’t have a tank like household toilets do, so you have to hold the foot pedal down a few seconds to let water fill in the toilet.

Scotts brand septic safe is sold at Walmarts and most grocery stores. If you can’t find septic safe you will want to bring a garbage can to throw all used toilet paper into – you WON’T want to put non septic down the toilet – trust us! 

RV awnings are amazing to have and you will want to use it. BUT you can’t just open it and leave it out. Wind can damage awnings faster than you can imagine.

If you plan to sit out under the awning put it out! But if you leave or go inside to hang out then put it in every single time. 

For whatever reason internet and campgrounds just don’t mix . . . either the signal doesn’t work there or they have wifi – that would work for like 10 people, but not 100 people . . . 

For this reason either count on it not working or bring your own hotspot from home. You may also want to check with the campground when you book to find out if your cell/internet provider works at the campground. 

If you stay at a fancy RV park they will come around and pick up your garbage. The rest of the places you will need to walk it to the dumpster yourself. Just like with tent camping, don’t leave garbage bags outside or the animals will get into it. 

Packing Up To Leave

When it is time to go home or move on to your next location be sure you clear off the counters – the sink works great as a place to put things that are on the counter. Make sure there isn’t anything else sitting out that will fall. You’ll be traveling down the road and hitting all the bumps along the way so things have a tendency to fall.

Do a double check to make sure all ceiling vents are closed, windows are closed, the stove is closed, cupboards closed, toilet seat closed, and fridge is closed (and clicked shut). 

Driving Tips

If you have never drive, a big vehicle you are going to want to be prepared. Write down the height of the RV and put it on a sticky note near the steering wheel. That way when you approach a bridge you will know you are all good!

Before going you can check the route via an app like RV Trip Wizard (a great RV route planner tool). You can even mark off where you will stop for gas. If you have a larger rig this will be more important.

Google Maps is not the best option if you have a larger rig . . . we once followed Google maps which gave us the shortest route BUT it was also on a winding road with a bridge that couldn’t hold the weight of our rig . . . the shorter way isn’t always the best way!

Research the route and stick to main roads as much as possible. You can also look into getting an RV GPS for your tow vehicle or rig (we used the Good Sam one for a while). 

Getting Gas

If you have a smaller trailer (30 feet or less) or class B or class C you should be fine going to regular gas stations. With a fifth wheel or motorhome you may want to stop at truck stops.

Tolls will cost more if you have more axles. You will just stop at the pay station to pay and they will let you know how much. 

Check out our post: RV Checklist To Make Your Trip A Success

Estimated Costs For Your Trip

Like with everything this can vary so much based on what you are going to do.

If you plan to visit National Parks you will want to get the National Park Pass – which will save you a ton of money! The pass also gets you into the National Seashore, National Forest, National Monuments, all of the things that fall under the National Parks umbrella.

If you are in a state where you will be visiting a lot of state parks you may want to look into their state park pass.

Campground fees can vary based on where you stay anywhere from $25 a night to over $100 a night. Based on your budget you can figure out what type of campgrounds you want to stay at.

The campgrounds in the National Park/State Parks are usually pretty inexpensive but they don’t always have full hookups. . .

Places like KOA tend to be more expensive, but are also nice with cement pads, full hookups, nice bathrooms and laundry rooms. So if you are looking for the RVing part to be easy and cost doesn’t matter KOA’s would be a smart choice.

You can buy a KOA discount card that will get you 10% off each of your stays.

When you visit a National Park they do offer excursions you can do. We normally don’t pay for these but instead just do all the free things – like hiking and the visitor centers. But if you want to add more to your trip you can look into all of these excursions – things like horseback riding, rafting trips, wildlife tours, etc.

Whenever we have done these they have been really cool! So if your budget allows then go for it!

Eating costs will all depend on how much you want to eat out. If you are looking to save money not eating out is the easiest way to do it when you are in an RV – since you have a full kitchen.

If you are looking for this to be more like a typical vacation you will probably go out to eat a lot, visit attractions, etc. So it could cost very similar to what a “normal” vacation costs. If you are looking to have a less expensive vacation you can make it that way you just have to be intentional about it.

More RV Content

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The post 40+ Helpful Tips For Planning An RV Trip appeared first on Crazy Family Adventure .

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