10 Essential Apps for Stress-Free #VanLife Adventures

The boom of van life has determined the emergence of numerous apps that can assist you in preparing safe and enjoyable adventures. Back in the day, researching was a lot more challenging. But in the present age, you're a few clicks away from learning more about pretty much anything van life-related.

Sure, Google is king when it comes to searching stuff online. However, you can save a lot of time by downloading and using dedicated van life apps, each designed to fulfill a specific camping or travel-related purpose.

1. Google Maps

Purpose: Navigation and searching for restaurants, landmarks, amenities, and a lot more
Price: Free
Where to Download: iOS and Google Play

I can't make a list of the best van life apps without including the quintessential Google Maps. It might seem like an obvious choice, and it is. From restaurants to accommodation to outdoor activities to monuments, there are few things you can't search for on Google Maps.

Part of what makes Google Maps so good is the number of users it has. Many of them contribute by sharing reviews – while they're a good way to read about the places or businesses you want to visit, take these reviews with a grain of salt. Sure, when you see that a spot has numerous negative reviews, which lead to a low-star rating, there's typically something off with that place. However, keep in mind there's no way to verify the validity of these reviews.

Google Maps is also an excellent planning tool. You can pin any campsite, restaurant, or anything else on your maps and create a route to visit them all. This means you can plan everything beforehand and not worry about planning in the moment- all you have to do is enjoy the journey. What's more, you can download offline maps, so the lack of an internet connection won't deter you from reaching the spot you want to visit.

Finally, another perk of Google Maps is that it offers a satellite map view. It enables you to take a closer look at a location you have in mind for camping and see whether it's accessible and suitable for parking your rig.

2. Gas Buddy

Purpose: Find the cheapest gas stations
Price: Free
Where to Download: iOS and Google Play

As you surely know, if you have a tiny home on wheels, fuel is one of the biggest expenses on the road. Fuel prices can significantly vary based on your location – for instance, gas stations in towns can be more expensive than those located in more rural areas. Sometimes, cheaper fuel will be just a few blocks away.

So, why not go a few extra miles to ensure you get the best possible price for your fuel? And we're not talking about a few cents difference – depending on the region, you can save up around $0.25 or more on the gallon.

This is where Gas Buddy comes in. This app will pull up the closest gas stations and display their prices; you can also toggle a map view to see which are the closest. You can then filter them by price. With hundreds of thousands of positive reviews from users, you can rely on Gas Buddy to save some bucks and invest them in something else. It might not be much on a single fuel tank, but these expenses add up over time.

3. The Dyrt

Purpose: Find campgrounds, access online maps, and enjoy discounted campgrounds (with Dyrt Pro membership)
Price: Free or $35.99/year for Dyrt Pro
Where to Download: iOS and Google Play

Many van dwellers swear by The Dyrt, and it's generally considered one of the best camping apps in the United States. In the simplest terms, The Dyrt is an app that helps you find campsites around the US. Sure, you can do that as well on Google Maps, but this app goes into great detail regarding a site's amenities, cost, and any other relevant info.

Another great perk of The Dyrt is its extensive active community. You'll find over 500,000 campsites on the app, most of them with more reviews than on any other camping app. The best way to find out how good or bad a campsite is is to see what other adventurers have experienced there. In fact, the app prides itself on being the camping platform with the most campgrounds, reviews, and tips.

Like many other apps on this list, Dyrt allows you to search for specific amenities. For instance, if you need to find a campground with Wi-Fi and showers, you can narrow your search by filtering for these amenities.

While the free app version will do the job, it might be worth upgrading to the Pro version if you're an avid traveler. The Dyrt Pro offers extra valuable features such as road trip maps, offline maps, no additional booking fees for camping booked through The Dyrt, and even campground discounts. All of that for just $36 per year.

4. iOverlander

Purpose: Find campsites, dump stations, water refill stations, and more
Cost: Free
Where to Download: iOS and Google Play

If you're a van lifer, there's a high chance you've heard of iOverlander, a crowd-sourced app with a vast database of free camping spots across North America, including Canada and Mexico. Since it's crowd-sourced, the app is constantly updated with new information and reviews.

Just like on The Dyrt, users can upload reviews, photos, and other information to help you make the right decision for your next campground. While iOverlander officially requires internet connectivity to work, you can still see your location on the app and check out nearby dispersed camping sites even if you're offline. However, you won't be able to see photos or the map background.

Another benefit of using iOverlander is the ability to find amenities such as laundromats, propane stations, dump stations, water refill stations, and more.

5. Sekr

Purpose: Find campsites, connect with other van lifers, search for community events
Price: Free / $1.99/month or $18.99/year
Where to Download: iOS and Google Play

Sekr, previously known as The Van Life App, is a woman-owned app made by fellow van lifers. Just like iOverlander, Sekr utilizes crowd-sourced data to offer campsite information, including reviews and photos. Although its user database isn't as large as iOverlander's, it's still a great alternative with an increasing number of users.

One unique feature of Sekr that makes it even more worth downloading is its "Community Calendar." It allows you to discover upcoming van life gatherings and meetups, as well as other opportunities to meet with like-minded adventurers. What's more, you can opt to see what other Sekr members are in your general area and to send them friend requests just like on a social media platform. If you're traveling by yourself and want to create connections while on the road, this is the perfect app for that.

As expected, a premium version of the app named Sekr+ was recently launched, allowing you to download maps and campsites for offline use. Moreover, it lets you add overlay map layers for the Bureau of Land Management and US Forest Service and overlays of coverage maps for major US carriers, such as Verizon or T-Mobile, to make sure you don't unexpectedly lose cell phone coverage.

6. Open Signal

Purpose: Find areas with good cell signal, test internet speed, locate cell towers
Price: Free
Where to Download: iOS and Google Play

Here's a must-have app for remote workers living and traveling in camper vans. Open Signal allows you to run internet speeds at the tap of a button and perform video tests for calls.

If internet speed is critical for you, you can browse campsites on the app's interactive map to find the strongest signal. Like with the Sekr+ membership, you can pull up coverage maps for major carriers, except you don't have to pay anything.

Many van dwellers use boosters like WeBoost to improve their cell phone signals. OpenSignal helps you locate towers and determine which direction to point your booster.

7. Gaia GPS

Purpose: Find hiking and biking trails, access maps, and GPS
Price: Free / Premium: $59.90/year
Where to Download: iOS and Google Play

If you're a hiker, backpacker, or mountain biker, like many camper van enthusiasts, Gaia GPS might prove very useful. The free version of the app shows topographical maps with trails, public camping spots, National Parks, and more.

Gaia features crowd-sourced map layers, meaning you can access waypoints and landmarks you may not find on other apps. However, when you remove these layers, you have surveyed maps.

Besides discovering hiking and biking trails, Gaia GPS allows you to track yourself while you walk or bike these trails. It eliminates the need for a GPS, although having one as a backup doesn't hurt. Furthermore, it stands out from other similar apps by offering many waypoint icons and valuable features for when you're on the trail, like a backtrack feature you can use to retrace your steps.

A premium Gaia GPS membership is available for $59.9 per year. It makes sense to upgrade if you travel in remote or wilderness areas, as it allows you to download maps and use them offline.

Gaia GPS can also be used while driving and offers a route-planning option. Moreover, a nice feature is that you can upload a previously created GPS route file, like one from a friend, and follow it in the downloaded maps section.

8. AllTrails

Purpose: Find hiking trails
Price: Free / $29.99/year for AllTrails+
Where to Download: iOS and Google Play

AllTrails is another excellent and free option for hikers. Unlike Gaia, which uses surveyed maps, all the trail information on AllTrails is user-sourced, which is a pro and a con at the same time. On the flip side, you might discover some cool trails. On the other hand, you should be cautious, as trails can be missing or mislabeled, posing a risk of getting lost.

These user-entered routes can be filtered by location, difficulty, or tags, such as "best views" or "family-friendly." Over 200,000 trail maps with detailed information, photos, and reviews on pretty much every trail are available. You can also seek advice from hikers familiar with each area.

For $29.99, you can upgrade to an AllTrails+ membership and download trails for offline use. There are some other benefits - the app can notify you if you stray off-route and you can access an immersive 3D preview of any trail.

One other notable advantage of Alltrails+ is related to safety. A lifeline feature allows you to send info to your safety contacts so they can keep track of you on hikes. They can even be notified if you don't arrive at your planned destination in time for extra peace of mind.

9. Harvest Hosts / Boondockers Welcome

Purpose: Find one-of-a-kind, private campsites
Price: $99/year for Harvest Hosts, $79/year for Boondockers Welcome, $169 for both
Where to Download: iOS and Google Play

There are countless campsites you can spend the night at, but what if you're looking for a more distinctive location? Well, you can use something like Harvest Hosts and Boondockers Welcome. These two apps merged in 2022 to provide customers with over 5,000 locations on a single, easy-to-navigate map. Both apps require memberships but are especially useful in areas where dispersed camping options aren't readily available.

Harvest Hosts connects you with various businesses, including farms, museums, wineries, golf courses, and more. As a member of Harvest Hosts, you can park and camp free of charge for one night at one of the app's partner locations. While purchasing something and supporting the small businesses that host you isn't required, it is strongly encouraged. For just $99 per year, I'd say it's an excellent deal.

Boondockers Welcome is quite similar to Harvest Hosts, with a few key differences. You can access a wide variety of private property owners who, as the app's name suggests, welcome overnight campers for up to five nights (depending on the location). Examples of private property include fields, driveways, and backyards. The membership costs $79 per year.

There's a catch with both these apps – you're required to have a self-contained rig, meaning you should have a toilet. Furthermore, most of the properties on Boondockers Welcome offer hook-ups for water and electricity, but the ones on Harvest Hosts don't. If you want the full package, you can access both apps by paying a yearly membership fee of $169.

10. Recreation.gov

Purpose: Get backcountry permits and times entry tickets and book campgrounds on federal lands
Price: Free
Where to Download: iOS and Google Play

Most adventurers who choose to go mobile want to include National Parks or renowned federal lands in their adventures. If you're one of them, you should download the Recreation.gov app.

This app has partnered with 12 different federal agencies to allow you to book paid campsites within parks. What's more, when visiting these places, you must buy timed-entry rickers and book advance permits for other outdoor activities – you can do both from within the app.

Although you can also do all of these things on the official Recreation.gov website, having the app is a more convenient solution.