Now that almost everyone has a smartphone (and possibly a tablet too), we have all come to rely on them heavily. For many of us, our phones are practically an extension of our hand and we cannot imagine going anywhere without them, let alone on holiday. Next time you’re hitting the road with your caravan in tow, or packing up the car and heading off to your static, why not combine two of your favourite things by using some of these caravan-themed mobile apps?
UPDATED - 30th June 2016 - added in new apps for all devices.
iPhone / iPad
- £1.99 – Includes details of over 6000 sites for caravans, camping, static caravans, pods, wigwams, lodges and more
Camping and Caravanning Club Siteseeker
- Free – Information on approximately 1,500 Camping and Caravanning Club sites right at your fingertips. Extra features available to club members
- Free – Over 850 AA recommended campsites across England, Wales and Scotland
- Free – Search and book campsites across the UK and 16 European countries
- £0.79 - Is a crowdsourced database of campsites, caravan parks, backpacker hostels, day stops and more
- Free – Find places to park motorhomes and campervans overnight or stop for a picnic. Includes user reviews
- Enabling users to view, navigate and download the most up-to-date Ordnance Survey Landranger (1:50 000) and OS Explorer (1:25 000) maps of Great Britain in amazing high-resolution
- £0.79 – Find the nearest services with the facilities you need before breaking your journey by exiting the motorway
- £34.99 - Full TomTom sat-nav with turn-by-turn voice navigation and many more fantastic features
- Free – Find the nearest Quality Standard accredited butchers, then use the recipes, tips and video guides to cook your purchases to perfection
Classic Camping Cookbook & Meal Planner
- Free-Based on recipes by Coleman®, the app allows users to find the perfect meal based on food type, category, and ingredients
Trail Chef
- £2.29 - 60 easy to follow recipes, all available offline
- £7.99 – A satellite finder app which will take the stress out of installing your dish
- £2.29 – A very handy app for installing and aligning your Freeview aerial
- £1.49 – Just place your phone on your caravan floor for voice instructions on how to move it to make it level
- £1.99 - Can speak the amount in degrees your caravan is out of level front-to-rear and side-to-side, then confirm when it’s level in all directions
National Trust
- Free - Find the nearest National Trust property when you’re stuck for day trip ideas
AA Days Out Guide
- Free - Contains information on over 1,800 stately homes, theme parks, zoos, castles and more across the UK
Android
- Free – Search for sites and access a range of tips, checklists and more
- Free – Over 850 AA recommended campsites across England, Wales and Scotland
Camping and Caravanning Club Siteseeker
- Free - Information on approximately 1,500 Camping and Caravanning Club sites right at your fingertips. Extra features available to club members
- Free – Search and book campsites across the UK and 16 European countries
- Free – Find places to park motorhomes and campervans overnight or stop for a picnic. Includes user reviews
- Free - Is a crowdsourced database of campsites, caravan parks, backpacker hostels, day stops and more
- Enabling users to view, navigate and download the most up-to-date Ordnance Survey Landranger (1:50 000) and OS Explorer (1:25 000) maps of Great Britain in amazing high-resolution
- £34.99 - Full TomTom sat-nav with turn-by-turn voice navigation and many more fantastic features
- Free – Sat-nav app with turn-by-turn voice instructions and offline navigation mode. In app purchases may be necessary
Camp Chef
- Free - Loads of recipes and videos for outdoor cooking
- Free – Find the nearest Quality Standard accredited butchers, then use the recipes, tips and video guides to cook your purchases to perfection
- Free - The database of over 6200 club sites is designed to help point a digital TV aerial for best Freeview reception
- Free – Use this app to test and adjust the levels of your caravan
- Free – Find the nearest National Trust property when you’re stuck for day trip ideas
- Free – Contains information on over 1,800 stately homes, theme parks, zoos, castles and more across the UK
ATM Locator - Free - Find the nearest banks and ATM machines
Windows
- Free – Over 850 AA recommended campsites across England, Wales and Scotland
- £0.79 - Is a crowdsourced database of campsites, caravan parks, backpacker hostels, day stops and more
- £1.19 – Find the nearest services with the facilities you need before breaking your journey by exiting the motorway
CoPilot GPS
- Free - Sat-nav app including offline maps. In-app purchases may be necessary
Camping and Outdoor Recipes
- £0.79 - 80+ recipes that can be cooked simply in a caravan, motorhome or even on a fire
- £0.99 - Helps you align your TV aerial to a suitable transmitter
- £3.09 - A powerful app that provides reliable directions for satellite antenna installation
- Free - Find the nearest National Trust property when you’re stuck for day trip ideas
ATM Finder - Free - Find the nearest ATM machines
The actual apps which are most useful to you will depend on your personal preferences and what other equipment you have. For example, if you already have a sat-nav unit, there is little point paying £30 for a TomTom app but, if you don’t have a standalone unit, the £30 is far cheaper than investing in one.
Entertainment, games and more
Both app stores also have hundreds of games, news, entertainment and other apps which could prove invaluable for keeping you and your family occupied during long journeys or rainy days. If you’re a keen reader, why not download the Kindle app rather than lugging numerous heavy books around with you? The free app is available for iPhone and Android and can be used to access your existing Amazon Kindle library and to purchase new titles.
If you subscribe to Sky television at home, you will be able to watch TV using the Sky Go app on your smartphone, tablet or laptop.
Caravan magazines with digital subscriptions
Given the popularity of mobile devices now, it comes as no surprise to find that many magazines now offer digital subscriptions. If you want to keep up with the latest news in your favourite magazine while you’re on your travels, make sure to sign up before you go to avoid having to find decent 3G or Wi-Fi signals on-site.
- Caravan
- Practical Caravan
- Park Home & Holiday Caravan
- Practical Motorhome
- Motorcaravan Motorhome Monthly (MMM)
Controlling your caravan’s heating by mobile phone
Some newer caravan heating systems have mobile phone controls enabled, meaning you can use your favourite device to adjust the temperate and timer settings on the system. Of course, the instructions and details will vary from model to model, so check your user manual to find out if you can add yet another useful app to your phone!
Do you have an app that you can recommend? If so we'd love to hear about it so please leave us a comment below.
Make sure that the insurance for your caravan is first class. We have three industry-leading policies to choose from - why pay more than you have to? Call our dedicated caravan team on 01480 402460 for a chat about your requirements.
