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Allstays Camp and RV app By Roger Wiles #32797


THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF MOTOR- cycle and RV travelers. First, there’s the Meticulous Planner, who has a definite route programmed into a GPS, plus confirmed reservations at campgrounds, RV parks or other accommodations, paid for and in hand, for every night of the sojourn. The other traveling style, the Seren- dipity Tourist, wanders about the paved earth and begins thinking about overnight accommodations as the sun begins to sink in the west. But finding an acceptable campground (for tent-campers) or RV Park at the last minute can be trying. Enter All- stays Camp & RV app. Available for iPads and iPhones


through the Apple App Store, and for the Android users from Google Play, the cost is $10 for the full download. Either by entering a destination in the search window or using the “Present Location” selection, a map appears, displaying a variety of icons. These icons identify campgrounds, RV parks, national, state and city/county camping parks, Elk and Moose lodge locations, Wal-Mart locations with an icon that indicates if a particular Wally-World permits overnight RV parking, dump station locations, fuel at popular truck-and-RV chains such as Pilot and Flying J as well as fuel locations such as convenience stores, and so much more. By tapping any icon, an informa-


tion-available banner appears, and by tapping the banner, a full screen of information about that location appears, including phone number (tap to call), website (tap to view), a choice of either an Apple or Google map to show location and routing information, an image button that displays pictures of the facility (usu- ally), user-reviews (if any), and other


32 BMW OWNERS NEWS October 2015


rating information. The next section pro- vides name, address, club affiliations if any, directions, and latitude/longitude in Deci- mal format, rather than the DMm (Deci- mal Minute) format most familiar to GPS users. Fortunately, latitude/longitude con- verter apps, such as the “Coordinates” app (App Store, free) can help you if needed. The next section indicates price ranges


by a series of dollar signs ($$), the number of which describe the nightly fee. Informa- tion about the facility includes presence or lack of tent-camping sites, tent site costs, shower-houses, and RV site info that can answer virtually any question one might have. Also listed are amenities such as a pool, LP gas sales, dump station, laundry, cable TV, firewood, internet, elevation, Wi-Fi and pet info. Most campgrounds welcome pets, although some add “extra rules,” usually proscriptions against aggres- sive breeds. The final pane is a small-frame map of


the location, with zoom controls; however, it is much more enlightening to use the “A Map” or “G Map” button at the top to bring up a full screen, auto-routable map. Popular recreation and dense population


areas, such as the Blue Ridge Mountains or high Colorado, can be expected to display a veritable forest of icons showing on the opening main map, and it then becomes useful to use the “Filter” function on the opening map page to eliminate facilities that do not meet your needs and highlight those that have the amenities you desire. Thirty yes/no category choices include the type of campground, franchise affiliation, and special-admission sites such as Mili- tary, Moose and Elk, in addition to filtering for or against national parks and other government-owned sites, the ubiquitous Wal-Marts, a series of low-clearance choices for safe routing, aest areas, RV sales, service, repair, tires, towing, and finally, stores that travelers love, such as Costco and Cracker Barrel. RV-friendly


truck stop chains are also in the filter. Choosing those amenities, brands and


other criteria in the Filter then thins out the forest of icons on the main map, and allows travelers to choose the facility that’s right for them. Additionally, even if you


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