Camp and RV F.A.Q.

• 
  iOS Universal (One price for all devices: iPad/iPhone/iPod) - Also available on Android
• 
  Q: AllStays has all these apps. Which one has what? Which one is best?
  
  You can see this app feature chart here to help. Camp and RV is the main app that has most all of the exact same data that is in the other smaller apps. Truck and Travel adds more services and dealers specific to semi brands. The app is also handy in how it has filters specific for truck stop amenities that Camp and RV doesn't go into as deep. It is a good app to have for regular road trips and not just trucks or RVs.
  
  The main advantage of the smaller apps is that they have unique filters that allow for more depth rather than have hundreds of them in Camp and RV. So if you need a Walmart with parking and a Pharmacy, a Rest Area with a vending machine and security, a truck stop with FedEx and tire services, you may want the other apps as well. But Camp and RV is the most complete of all so start with that.
  
• 
  Q: Could not resolve location error in map search box (iOS)
  
  This problem was solved so please update your version of the app from the app store..
  
• 
  Q: I updated my device firmware (such as 4.3.4) and the app doesn't work
  
  In the few cases we have seen this, it is unknown what the cause really is. The solution has been to delete the app and download again from the app store. It is free to do so. Remember that you can always select the "Buy" button again to get a app. It is free to download a app any time after you have already paid for it once.. Contact me at apps<AT>allstays.com if you need any help. I am always here for customer service and support the apps 110%.
  
• 
  Q: Database Update Help (iOS)
  
  You may occasionally get a prompt about a database update. This is about a 12MB file, like 2-3 songs, and may take anywhere from seconds to a few minutes to download depending on your connection and network traffic. I recommend waiting if you are in a remote location with poor internet service. Because of the way the database is used locally, it won't fully update until you restart the app. On older 3.x devices, just close and re-open the app. On 4.x multitasking devices, this means double tap home button on device, hold for minus sign and exit the app. Then restart app. Contact me at apps<AT>allstays.com if you need any help. I am always here for customer service and support the apps 100%.
  


• Q: Why does the app cost money? Why isn't it free?
  
  Ask yourself how many books and maps you have boughten and how much they cost? How much is a RV Park in a big guide and how much is a boondocking spot that a user parked at last week? How many of your books have the Flying J-Pilot merge up to date through recent weeks? It might seem expensive for a app but considering it is being update every couple of weeks and you are not paying again, it is a decent deal.
  
  There are other camping apps out there and some that are even free. I can only say, go ahead and try them. Then come back and use Camp and RV. Some of the other apps have been updated only once in a year. I update mine every few weeks or less. If you bought this app last year, you paid one small fee and on your second year of use while some people bought multiple editions of books each year. You are ahead if you find one cheap overnight parking option here. I list almost three times (3X) more places and related places than any other app. Other apps may throw out a high number of campgrounds and have a bunch that don't even exist anymore. I have worked on this data here at AllStays for over ten years. It is a full time job. It is not outsourced like I know some others do. It is not restricted by corporate deals. Ever notice how some camping guides are always leaving some big segment out of their data? This app is not restricted by clubs or certain requirements. It is not restricted to just private or public places. I provide information and you make the decision.
  
• 
  Q: My display won't show any points on the map
  
  First thing to check is your zoom level and see if you are too far out. Then check your
  "Filters". Sometimes people leave them on for a search and then come back later and don't see anything else. I have done that myself.
  
  Although the app should still work without location turned on, I have noticed once in a very great while that Maps doesn't seem to cooperate and shows a clean map.
  
  So far, this has turned out to be a iOS device setting. Go to Settings > General and then location. You should see a list of apps with each one having it's own location control.
  
  Finally, the most thorough option is to delete the app, restart the device as in power off and back on again and redownload (select buy but Apple knows you bought it so they will say it's free) and install the app.
  


• Q: Will you please add reviews to the app
  
  This is always highest on the list of wishes. We added the review search because frankly, many more sources are better than one. No matter what source for reviews you would use, there are always places have more reviews on one website and not on another. We are constantly looking at our own review system but that will take quite a long time to reach a critical mass to be as useful as the web search. There are actually many reviews in the app. I do take them on the individual feedback email form. The challenge with reviews is that they are hard to verify. Here on Allstays, I receive what turns out to be false reviews and information every day. Parks report each other as closed and try to leave bad reviews on them to boost their own business. Only about 10-20% of the reviews, comments and corrections that I get are actually legit at all and I have to spend time and work on every one of them.
  


• Q: Please add ways to keep custom notes
  
  Another frequent request and something I keep looking at doing. The biggest negatives is that users can spend a lot of time making their own notes and then possibly lose it all with a update or just a phone change, which people with smartphone do quite often. And when it goes wrong, maybe it's my fault, maybe it is the phone doing something totally out of my control. But no matter what goes wrong, users would blame myself and leave ratings that kill the app and make all the work worthless. I can't do this feature until it can be done well and be reliable. I care about the long term usage of my products.
  
• 
  Android Q: Some users on Droid phones have trouble installing apps. The solution for many was this sent in.
  
  I got this app to install by unmounting the sd card. Then redownloaded & installed, then re-mounted the sd. Works great!
  
• 
  Android Q: I recently started getting Download unsuccessful errors on my phone whenever I tried to upgrade an app. Luckily, the fix is easy.
  
  1. Open Settings
  2. Select Applications
  3. Select Manage Applications
  4. Select Market (You may have to press Menu > Filter > All to see it)
  5. Select Clear cache
  6. Back out of the screen and select Download Manager
  7. Select Clear data
  8. Also clear data for Google Apps , Google Talk , and  Checkin Service
  See if downloading from the Android Market works now.
  Of course, this works with any Android phone (Evo, Droid X, Samsung Moment, etc.)
  


• Q: Why does the app lists parks that are closed or out of season?
  
  I wish there was a realistic way of only showing places that are open at the time. But most parks vary their season each year. And many are very general and weather based. Most parks will list a season as May-Oct and adjust the actual dates accordingly. You can use the app to narrow your options down but you still may have to call to know for sure when they are open. Some parks close when they don't have many customers. They may just decide not to answer the phone or door that night.
  


• Q: Why do some places I know of not show in the app?
  
  First, you can always use the detail view of a place to submit another park that I've missed. Please do so and I will check on it. If they should be in the app, I will add them.
  
  Most often, when someone tells me a particular park is missing, I check and find out that it closed down. This happens all the time. Other apps just leave them in there forever and then look like they have more places when in reality, they are just wrong.
  
  I try to be as complete as I can but there will always be gaps. Places come and go. And the last two years have been really hard with hundreds of closures each year. Some places tell me they are closing down and then re-open or sell and open under new owners. Many great forest and state campgrounds didn't open this year. When I get closure notices, I remove the campground. Many people have emailed me about missing campgrounds. I ask for the name and it turns out they closed due to budget cuts or bad business. Please double check information before making any assumptions. (The alternative is listing more places and then you get there and they are closed or the campground is totally removed after you drove 10 miles on a washboard road. I prefer to error on the one side.)
  
  Seasonals: More and more RV Parks have converted to catering to residents and annual fees. I don't list those if that is their primary business. Or they at least need a number of nightly spaces available for drive ups. If they charge fees for months or a season, they don't need to be on your mobile device as you pass through the area. That is what websites and seasonal type of information is for. And to be frank, most of the worst RV park experiences I've had are with ones that have lots of low rent seasonals. They become the priority and often have a different set of rules than the overnighter.
  
  So the one by your house that isn't in the app just may not be very good to anyone who has stayed there or it may not welcome overnighters.
  
  Books are published every year or two. I publish my website almost daily. And the app is update every few weeks or less. Go ahead and tell me what has closed and what is missing. I will improve it right away for everyone. I'm not asking you to do my work for me, but only someone out on the road can know the very latest conditions.
  
  **iPhone is required for full GPS functionality & phone calls. App includes a manual city look up mode that works on all devices and does not require service.**
  


• Q: How do the cities work? I see things that aren't showing in the lists.
  
  This is always a challenge. Do I lump places in a larger city area or go strictly by their addresses. Where does one town begin and another end. Take a city like Los Angeles. Do you list everything under Los Angelse or break it down by the actual 30 different cities that make up the area. And how can I know for sure where one of 30,000 places should be listed. Many places in more remote areas don't have a good address anywhere near their actual location.
  


• Q: How do you list BLM, National Forest, Army Corps, etc sites? This COE spot is really in this other town and not the one you list.
  
  I receive emails that say this one is not under the correct city. The government office usually has one office address, like a ranger station, that covers a large area that may include several towns. Rather than pick and choose subjectively or try to figure out where the city boundary lines are on a map, I start with whatever address is provided by the station or district office. Any directions to a remote campground usually start from there. And that is what I use. So once in a while you may still find the odd campground that I haven't manually found or received a user report on, showing up at the administration office. It's not perfect but I correct several of these type of spots each week with your help.
  


• Q: Can I filter by a specific amenity such as hookups?
  
  Not at the present time. That is being worked on with the goal of being able to filter by at least a half dozen popular amenities.
  


• Q: What is with the RV dealers selection. I know they service more than that.
  
  Many dealers service all kinds of RVs but they may only be on certain dealer lists. I went by the manufacturer lists for the app to be more concrete. With so many that went out of business, it is difficult to keep on top of the latest information with lists and who will do what. I try to offer a guideline but ALWAYS call and ask first.
  


• Q: What about a Android version?
  
  The app is out on Android. Android is a challenging app system. If you use the app, please leave a positive note in the market and help support the app. If real users don't support apps they like, and leave it to just the few who can't use a app, improvements don't get done.
  
  With all the various levels of Android phones out there, I can't test on every device. I can only design and test for the most mainstream of Android devices. You need to move the map enough, in out or around to reload the map with the current points. Sometimes there is a slight delay with Google maps in this regard.
  


• Q: What about a Android tablet version for Xoom or others?
  
  I am looking at this right now. It is hard to tell what the leading tablets will be on Android. The Xoom hasn't sold well and needs a lot of custom work. With all the custom work involved as well as costs of buying devices (no one provides them as a incentive to create apps that work well on their own devices), it is a tough decision.
  


• Q: Past Users: Why did it change so much for 3.0?
  
  The exit view concept came from my interstate app called iExit. I am no longer part of that app. It was just too difficult of a challenge to do that app and do it well. At first it seemed like a good idea for camping but I admit it turned into a bit of a confusing mess. Places are only connected to a nearby exit. 85% of campgrounds are not near exits and it is nearly impossible to connect them to the best exit from 75 miles away. Points only showed at one exit. This led to lots of points not showing as they should. I received daily reports about this Flying J or that one not showing up. Well, it was there but it was showing up on the cross highway that is was faced on and not the one the RVer was currently on.>
  
  Some users never went beyond the initial view telling them there wasn't anything at the closest exit. They would see a sign for something somewhere and think the app was bad without looking at the more complete map view. Or they would look up a highway exit and assume it should list everything for a town like some apps do. The new app has the city lookup that people expect and the map views. It still has the filtering and I plan on adding much much more very soon now that I have the space that the exits took up.>
  
  Crashes. I have had a small percentage of users who experienced crashes at startup or it may not work at all until more than one app install was done. This was very frustrating to both users and myself who wants to put the best product out there. I spent three months, with all kinds of help, trying to solve the problem that some other apps were having as well. It was I couldn't duplicate myself so it was like trying to solve why a ghost wasn't seeing his shadow. In the end, it's time to focus more on data and provide something that is both great and useful for everyone.
  


• Q: What is this Windows option?: On Christmas Eve, the Windows version is here! It will work on any Windows 7, XP, MeeGo/Moblin machine. It is a Adobe Air application so it is one file and installs easily on everything from simple netbooks to high-end desktops. You can get it here from Intel's new AppUp platform. This means you can take it with you on your netbook in your RV or play with it at home on your desktop computer. Everything works with internet but it has a offline lookup mode. This will still provide amenities, phone numbers, etc even without internet service. It is version 1.0 and using some pretty new concepts unlike anything out there, so please let me know of any bugs you may find and it will be fixed.
• Q: When is a Windows Mobile version coming out?
  
  There are no current plans to release it yet but I am looking closely at this one.
  


• Q: When is a Blackberry or Palm WebOS version coming out?
  
  There are no current plans to release on these devices but I am always watching the markets and number of users. The Blackberry app system is basically a mess. All the various phone markets use completely different programming with different capabilities. It's not easy.
  


• If you have any questions or technical issues, please send me a note from the app or contact me, Adam at apps AT allstays.com
  

Compare Camping App Features

• Which one to choose? Compare here.
  Camp and RV, Camp and Tent, Regional versions, Truck and Travel. What do they each have and not have?

Apps on iPhone | iPod | iPad (TM)

Apps on Android

• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Camp & RV
  The number one camping app for iPhone, iPods, iPads and Android. From resorts to hike-in spots. Amenities, maps, truck stops, rest areas, Wal-mart and casino parking, low clearance alerts, RV dealers, sporting goods stores and much more. Two modes: one uses GPS and maps that you can filter. One is an offline manual lookup mode for when you don't have service.
• And many more simple travel apps...

Want A Custom Mobile App?

• Do you have suggestions or even a idea for your own app? Developing apps is very expensive and time consuming. If you have a idea that could use our location technology, maybe we can work together.
  
  Email us now or call 505-401-1297.
  
  
  

AllStays LLC

• PMB 466
  7 Avenida Vista Grande B-7
  Santa Fe, NM 87508
  505-401-1297 (general office)
  
• Contact us
  
•