Money Saving Apps for RVers

The RV lifestyle seems simple and inexpensive from an outside perspective, but it can be difficult to keep expenses down between food, gas, and parking. These apps are designed to help travelers find ways to save money on the road.

Gas Buddy for iPhone and Android is a free app designed to help you find the cheapest gas prices in the area. This app will show you all of the local gas stations with their per-gallon rate, as well as their distance from you. Gas prices generally only vary by $.02-$.20 so the savings don’t always seem drastic, but when you regularly venture hundreds of miles it can really add up.

This app depends on drivers to report gas prices, and there are prizes and points for reporting the cost of gas when you fill up. There are some inaccuracies and it does not cover all gas stations in all areas, but it’s worth a try if you spend a substantial amount of time traveling in an RV (or even just for a min-road trip).

If you are looking for places to camp, Passport America for iPhone or Android is a free app for finding campgrounds and getting discounted nightly rates. You can search by park or area to find prices, amenities, and contact info.

Passport America Search

Some people prefer to save money by spending the night in parking lots or other free public areas, but if you are in a less RV-friendly area or are looking for a place to stay a while, you will find 50% discounts at participating stops. 

Allstays Truck Stops and Travel Plazas for iPhone or Android ($9.99) is another great one for finding stops along your journey. It is designed for truck drivers, but can be equally useful for RV travel. It will show you big stops like Flying J, Love’s, and TA Travel Centers.

All Stays iPad Screenshot

You can filter searches for specific amenities like a particular brand, or ATM or UPS stops to make it useful to what you are looking for. It also works when your phone is out of service range.

If you are looking to use free overnight parking it can also help you identify places that allow truck and RV parking so that you can avoid camping fees.

Check out Tito's Must-have RV Travel Apps

There are also endless apps useful for purposes such as navigation, weather updates, world news, and entertainment. If you are traveling with kids you can load up your phone or tablet with games and puzzles, or if you want to keep up-to-date with what’s going on in your hometown, most regional newspapers have mobile apps as well. Smartphone data plans can be costly, so make sure that you are getting the full benefits that they provide.

Andi Singer is a blogger for www.yourrvconnection.com, a Jayco dealership based out of Indiana, and former cellphone salesperson. She regularly travels around the Northern United States and is always on the lookout for ways to save money.

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Gas station chit chat and rising gas prices

Has this ever happened to you? This happened to me last week. I'm stopped at a gas station fueling up my RV and a woman pumping gas says in a slightly judgmental tone "Boy! I bet it costs a fortune to put gas in that thing." Oh boy I thought. Then I replied "well it's a 55 gallon tank and I don't let it get very low", then watched her expression change as she tried to do the math.

Here's another one I get a lot, "What kind of mileage do you get with that thing?" I'll say "not too bad." Of course, I could say "well that depends on whether or not I'm towing my car, or if I'm driving over the mountains, or if I'm in stop and go traffic, or if I'm driving into a headwind, and so on..." So given the weight of my RV and it's contents I'd say my mileage is "not too bad" and leave it at that.

I know that RVs are considered luxury items, but RVers often get a bad rap at the pump especially when gas prices start going up. It is as if some think we're there just wasting gas. Not true I say. The truth of the matter is that RV travel is often more economical than flying, eating out, and sleeping in hotels. Most of us RVers already know this and would add "it's just a better way to travel." But the reality is that gas prices are rising again. So what do we do? Do we stop using our RVs?

I try not to let rising gas prices get me down. But for many, rising gas prices have a strange affect on their psyche. There are many ways to mitigate the rising cost of gas while traveling. We just have to get creative and watch our overall spending. Staying longer and driving less, is also a great way to cut costs especially if you are full-timing. In the Summer of 2008 we covered several thousand miles in 11 days visiting Yellowstone, Mt. Rushmore and other sites. It was right at the peak of the last gas crisis. We averaged $3.79 to $4.40 per gallon on the trip. It was also one of the most memorable and fun trips I've ever had.

2006 to 2011 average gas prices from GasBuddy.com

The fact of the matter is that average gas prices are still .60 cents below what they were in July of 2008. So plan well and have fun. Sure it might cost a little more than last year, but it's still worth it. I'm really looking forward to hitting the road this year in the RV and I hope you are too.

By the way, what kind of mileage does a 747 get? I have no idea but it can't be that good.

~T

Remember !!!
Don't forget to enter my giveaway this month. You could win a free copy of 2011 Microsoft Streets & Trips software with a GPS receiver. 

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Fueling up for the weekend

Fueled up for the weekend drive. The cheapest I could find was $3.45 per gallon at ARCO. It was a two transaction fill-up. You big rig guys know what I'm talking about. -T

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