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What 'Apps'

Jack

By Jack
in Motorhome Matters

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Jack Enthusiast

Jack

Posted
Posted

Just a simple query....perhaps.

 

What apps, for phones, tablets or laptops, do you find useful when you are away in the van and do you have any Webb sites already downloaded (linked to traveling in the motorhome!?

 

Jack.

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Brock Veteran

Brock

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None, sorry! We motorhome in the UK for a maximum of three weeks at a time and find a basic mobile phone sufficient. Even when we've been over to the Continent for up to 3 weeks - booking before we go, we've never seen the need to keep in touch or pester someone.

 

It's just nice not to have to carry all the technology around.

 

To me, IT connectivity is an enabler, not an end in itself. Therefore, for an extended spell away, I might find access to iCloud useful so that I could use my email, calendar, and a task list [probably Wunderlist]. I'd then add apps to support whatever I was doing and could interpret e.g. Google translate, Apple or Google maps, public transport information. If I was a self employed businessman, I'd take everything!

 

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Steve928 Mentor

Steve928

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We use two apps primarily;

- CamperContact full version, with offline maps downloaded to cover all countries that we might go to.

- Maps.Me with bookmarks loaded for all CamperContact, iCampingCar, AireCampingcar, Archies, LPG and supermarket points of interest.

 

The same POIs are loaded onto the Garmin Nuvi too.

This, plus a selection of mapbooks, works for us.

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Steve928 Mentor

Steve928

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As an aside, I'm just in the process of updating all the stuff I mentioned above for a forthcoming trip and all 3 update processes have failed for one reason or another but basically because the software developers haven't thought the process through and covered all the possibilities that might arise. It's really poor.

 

- Started the Garmin Nuvi update on my wife's PC (because Garmin Express won't even install on mine) and left it running. Checked back a few times then went off and did something else. In the meantime the PC enters sleep mode; clearly Garmin Express doesn't bother to inform Windows that it is working and shouldn't sleep or inform the user that sleep mode is enabled and needs disabling. Both very easy things to do at a software level. Restarted the PC, reconnected the Nuvi and it's visibly downloading again on the router but the download timer in Express is stuck so I suspect it's going to download for 4 hours and THEN tell me it failed..

 

- Set the map update process going in MapsMe to update 6Gb of map data (which probably would have been quite OK anyway). Shortly after starting it I walked through to the kitchen and the wifi signal dropped for a mere second or too. MapsMe announces that the update process has failed.... but has deleted my old 6Gb of map data anyway!

 

- Resubscribed to the full version of CamperContact and started the app. It asks me whether I want to write the database to the system memory or the SD card? Good question I think, I'll close the app and go check where it is at the moment. With my answer prepared I go back in - but it doesn't ask the unanswered question again, it just writes it to the system memory which is the wrong place...

 

As a retired software developer I can cope with and recover from all these things but it must be really difficult for those without computer knowledge. I wouldn't have let stuff this bad out onto the market in my day... :-D

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Will86 Veteran

Will86

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Never tried them and doubt if I will. I go as uncluttered as possible. A paper map, an ancient Satnav and a turned off mobile phone, and certainly no TV.

 

When away I like to go uncluttered and free from all outside interferences

 

PS considering Steve's comments above, is one of the reasons I refuse IT systems.

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Brian Kirby Grand Master

Brian Kirby

Posted
Posted
Jack - 2016-08-02 7:22 PM

 

Just a simple query....perhaps.

 

What apps, for phones, tablets or laptops, do you find useful when you are away in the van and do you have any Webb sites already downloaded (linked to traveling in the motorhome!?

 

Jack.

Microsoft Autoroute (sadly no longer available), Garmin MapSource (for checking/managing POIs), and ACSI campsites of Europe.

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  • 3 months later...
AdventureTess Rookie

AdventureTess

Posted
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Brock - 2016-08-03 9:22 AM

 

None, sorry! We motorhome in the UK for a maximum of three weeks at a time and find a basic mobile phone sufficient. Even when we've been over to the Continent for up to 3 weeks - booking before we go, we've never seen the need to keep in touch or pester someone.

 

It's just nice not to have to carry all the technology around.

 

To me, IT connectivity is an enabler, not an end in itself. Therefore, for an extended spell away, I might find access to iCloud useful so that I could use my email, calendar, and a task list [probably Wunderlist]. I'd then add apps to support whatever I was doing and could interpret e.g. Google translate, Apple or Google maps, public transport information. If I was a self employed businessman, I'd take everything!

 

For me it's a must actually. I blog about our travels, so a constant available internet connection is a must, along with many helpful apps and web tools. I find whatsapp practical in general for travel to stay in touch, since you never have to worry about your phone service, merely need a wifi connection. Having a good internet connection on the go is usually the problem, but we've experimented with a couple of options and otherwise made a stop or two at McDonald’s. Learned about "Feel at Home" from this forum actually and want to give that a try, since most people were saying good things about it.

 

But yes, back to your statement, my entire life (even the travel and explore relaxing part of it) is a very plugged in one and I need to be able to access everything. Like you mentioned, not having to carry all the technology around is nice, which is why I have cloud storage to access all of my documents, photos, what have you – anything I might need for blogging purposes. I used to be skeptical and worry about all of my files being safe in some random cloud online, but once I looked into it and learned more about what it is and how it works and experienced how easy it made everything, I was converted. So that’s all accessed via an internet connection and I don’t need extra tech lying around, like external hard drives. Aside from that, I also have my calendar and email always handy and of course my task list with a notification system making sure I can keep on top of responding to people or my social media posting schedule. And then as you mentioned, having Google maps handy while in commute is also an asset. So I guess I do take everything! lol

 

All in all, I would say the technology improves our travel experience, it doesn’t hinder it. But, as I said before, I’m blogging about our travels, so for me it would be a completely different travel experience in general than someone just travelling to escape and enjoy.

 

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kevina Community Regular

kevina

Posted
Posted

Mentioned before:

 

Campercontact, paid version with downloaded maps for offline use

 

CoPilot, paid europe version as full time sat nav. Campercontact poi's loaaded.

 

Maps.me, ideal for sussing out stop offs.

 

Also; Translate and the quirky but novel WordLens.

 

I've got more but these are the ones in daily use.

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