• Urgent: Certificate Issue Update - Temporary fix in place. Read more here.

All stays Camp & RV app

Mick'nSarah

Mick'nSarah

Junior Ranger
Hi all-

I am curious if anyone has used the Allstays Camp & RV app? Seeing it for the iPad here for $5.99. I don't pay for many apps, but this is highly rated and can be used online or offline. thought it looked interesting and was hoping for some trusted feedback.

Thanks!
 
Eileen,

It does have an iPhone app. I downloaded to my iTouch4. I haven't used it yet. Thought it would be a good idea for my trip this summer.
 
Joan, let me know how you like it. It is highly reviewed, so I thought it looked good. Trying to decide whether I will bite the bullet!

Thanks!
 
Well after reading the info and reviews I figure it's worth every penny of the price of a burger. It's a no brainer to me personally...
 
My husband and I used it this summer and I love it. We are not the plan ahead type and loved it for its convenience of use and ability to phone campgrounds on the fly. Also loved the ability to find stores nearby.

Only drawback is not from the app itself, but by cell signal availability.
 
Hello Schluns,

Welcome.

Jim looked at allstays.com and thinks it's a good idea for our next adventure. He's not really a plan ahead guy either. He says he likes to personally check out the neighborhood before he commits. He has seen many a good hotel in rotten areas where no one with half a brain would stay and that goes for camp sites as well. So, we almost never make advanced reservations for anything unless we've been there before. He likes it that way; says it adds to the adventure.

This could be good...could be bad; like the time he drove all the way through Washington and into Oregon because every darn hotel, motel, B&B, inn, flea-bitten flop house and camp site in the entire state was booked solid. Something about Washington State and the month of August that causes everyone within the western hemisphere to foam at the mouth and race madly up there-like Lemmings. We ended up sleeping in the car in a hotel parking lot (a CI would have been darned handy). Still have a kink in my neck from the gear shift knob. So, we'll use that web site for sure...my neck is getting too old for gear shifts.

Rant over.

Oh, and don't wait too long to get your 560. Our only regret was that we didn't order our 550 sooner. It's a blast!

Sue and Jim
 
Sue, the first week of August is when we have summer here in the NW. That's why the rush - everybody has their vacation on the same week.
 
Sarah,
I was "introduced" to the All-Stay App while coming home through Oregon after picking up our 560. I posted some comments in the Technology Corner forum at that time. We still carry the "books" but use the App first. Generally nothing more is needed. I believe it works without WiFi, it just doesn't know where YOU are.
Jim
 
I've got AllStays Camp&RV and the Ghost Town App. Seems like it has just about anything and everything covered. I especially like the National Forest Service locations in Colorado and points west. Easy to use and you don't need a wifi or cell signal to get the basics.
 
I actually ended up getting it and am currently going between that and some books/websites to plan a trip for this summer. Finding a few things difficult, being home, but I think it is going to be beneficial. Some times it doesn't show certain campsites friends have suggested, so that is where the difficulty lands.

Thanks all!
 
When you are out on the road is when you really appreciate the apps.

- and we are (im)patiently waiting for the contract to arrive in our mailbox. With any luck we will be mailing the check on Christmas eve for our 560 Ultra.
 
I wanted to add a current review for the Allstays Camp & RV app. The app is now $9.99 but in my opinion, it's a bargain.

We bought a Samsung tablet for our last trip. We don't have a smart phone or any kind of mobile hotspot. If we wanted internet, we had to find a "free wi-fi" place to connect. Even without internet, I still highly recommend the app for anyone with a GPS-enabled device.

Here's what you get with the app:

1) Your GPS location on a map. You can zoom in and zoom out on the map as well as navigate around the map - like Google maps. If you aren't connected to the internet, you'll get your location on what looks like a piece of graphing paper.

2) Just about every kind of campground you can imagine: national parks, state/provincial parks, national/state forests, county/city parks, public lands (BLM), Army Corps, military, Moose & Elk, KOA & private, and a variety of overnight parking options (Wal-Mart & casimo parking lots, etc) - pretty much everything except your in-laws driveway. You can filter for any or all of these to show up as "points" on your map. I'm not going to promise that it's 100% complete or 100% accurate, but it sure does a better job than any other camping guide/directory I've used.

The app also includes filters for various things like rest areas, stores (REI, Gander Mountain, Dicks, etc) and truck stops (Flying J, Loves, etc)

3) Select a data point and a little information window will pop-up with some general information about the location: facility name, address, phone number, general driving directions, and general information (open dates, # of sites, camping restrictions, water, toilets, showers, dump station, laundry, etc.) Everything is linked to GPS coordinates so even without an internet connection, all of this off-line data is still available.

4) If you are connected to the internet, there are side buttons you can select which will take you to the location's website, plus images and reviews, if available.

For example: even with no internet access and a bunch of data points on a piece of graph paper, it gave us near-by alternatives to an expensive Wisconsin State Park - with the general driving directions and our (paper) state atlas, we were set.
 
I have to agree with Adrienne. This is a wonderful app.
This summer searched for a campground near Porcupine Mountains state Park. Google showed a variety of private and state park campgrounds, nothing really sparked my interest. Decided to look at the All Stays app, amazed that the listing was much more complete compared to the Google search.

Found our favorite campground because of this app, Ontonagan Township Park.

Leave the paper campground catalogs home, invest in this app if you have a tablet or smart phone.

Jean
 
We have been using this app for the last few years and it's a keeper. Does what it's supposed to do, and the list of different types of campgrounds/facilities is very complete. We have the Allstays CRV Lite version, and I don't recall paying anything for the app. I could be wrong though...
 
I forgot that you can use the program from their website for free.

Here's the website:http://www.allstays.com/

Just select the "camping" link and look up camping by state/province on a map or by the city - the map view lets you use the available filters.

I love it!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
We used Allstays.com on our 8000+,34day long haul trip this Sept. Got nice camp sites every night.....except for the one where I missed the notification the the CG was closed for the '15 season for renovation. But we did find a nice alternate CG.

Jim
 
Peg and I are die hard AllStays app users. We tried books but find this app to be wonderful.

One comment on the "graph paper" look if you do not have a wifi or cell connection. You can "preload" maps and info by scroll down the road you want to take while you do have a connection. The app then stores the map for when you are offline. We try to preload areas we think we will be. We then load ahead of us when we are on the road and have cell or wifi.

Not all info is accurate. Sometimes it says a campground is closed for the season and it is still open. One park did not mention showers but did (to our delight) indeed have showers.

Overall a great app.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top