Allstays Camp and RV - F.A.Q.

iOS Universal (One price for all devices: iPad/iPhone/iPod)

Welcome to a honest and straight forward F.A.Q. session about Camp and RV.

Q: Does the app include AllStays Pro? Does AllStays Pro include apps?

No. Apps are sold by Apple only. They control their stores and take their 30% cut of all sales. AllStays Pro is a separate service under the control of AllStays. AllStays Pro has thousands more places and some added features.

Q: Why not Android?

The app is on the Apple iPhone and iPad in the App Store. For everything else, AllStays Pro, off allstays.com works on Android as well as Apple devices, computers and laptops. You just open Firefox, Safari or Chrome and sign in.

Q: How do I share the app with family?

Apps are tied to their respective store accounts and can be installed wherever you are using that same account or have family sharing set up. That is set up with Apple and then all your purchases can be shared.

apple.com/icloud/family-sharing/

If you have already set it up, go to the App Store, tap the Updates tab, tap your profile image in the upper right. You should see a line for "Purchased". Look in there for family apps that for surely safe to install again. The App Store isn't smart enough to show you the download icon for family purchases. It shows the price like you are buying it again on the normal page. Usually tapping the price, on a leap of faith, will get you a screen that says a family member bought it already.

Q: I submitted changes to the data. Why isn't it showing right away?

The app uses a in-app/offline database. So updates have to go through Apple as a app update. This is done every couple of months. AllStays Pro is updated daily so you would see your change on their sooner.

Q: I paid before, how can I install the app on my new phone?

Apps are tied to their respective store accounts and can be installed wherever you are using that same account. Just login and download again from your App store using the same Apple ID.

Q: Map Search isn't working. Could not resolve location.

Make sure you entering a city like "denver co" or "denver, co". We try to have everything in there but the slightest typo of punctuation shift will probably cause a failure in the search.

Q: Too small. How can I increase the size of what is on the screen?

Go to Apple Settings - General - Accessibility - Turn on Zoom and Show Controller options. This allows for zoom on part of the screen or even full screen in the Apple options.

Q: App icon is dark, says "waiting", can't open, can't delete and reinstall.

Go to Apple Settings - Storage & iCloud Usage - Manage Storage - Allstays - Delete app. Then re-download from the app store.

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: Why does the app cost money? Why isn't it free?

Ask yourself how many books and maps you have bought 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? It might seem expensive for a app but considering it is being update every couple of months and you are not paying again, it is a decent deal.

We also work 18 hours a day, 7 days a week on this app and it's data. And right in the United States of America. We also get localized Canada data help from some living in Canada. We love it but we need to eat and support ourselves as well. We don't take money from companies to alter the listings. We don't push ads on you, track you or sell your personal data like most free apps do (and even many paids ones).

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 constantly work on the app myself and compile the work for regular updates. If you bought this app last year or even the year before, you paid one small fee and on your second or third 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 thirteen 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: 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.

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 add a place option or 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 three 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 model. 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 the website weekly. And the app is update every few weeks. 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.

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 Angeles 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 50,000 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?

This is under the Advance filter which is the first line on the filter screens. We are working on improving this for even better functionality.

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.

Many RV manufacturers have a pre-internet mentality about keeping their dealers a secret. They do not want you to easily find their official service places.

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

Media

Starbucks Featured app June 2012

"Whether you're looking for RV grounds with full amenities or far-flung campsites for a rough getaway, Camp & RV has you covered." ➤MacNewsWorld

"The essential camping app for iOS - This is a must have app." ➤appadvice.com

"Camp & RV app is a must." ➤Womans Day

"For those with more discerning tastes in campsites & RV spots." ➤NY Times

"Best iPhone App for a Road Trip" ➤- Techlicious

"By far the best of the camping apps" ➤Motorhome Forums

"When looking for a place to camp, nothing beats AllStays." ➤padgadget.com

One of "The 50 Best Travel Apps for the iPhone" ➤Art of the iPhone

Has data seen in "Harvard Business Review" & rated Excellent by Wired Mag in 2012

"Summer", "Sun", "Road Trip" & "Great Outdoors" features on App Store

Media

We are happy to provide logos, iTunes promo codes, do interviews or answer any questions you may have....PROMPTLY. Just email web @ allstays com.