When you’re an RVer, one of the most stressful parts of travel is making reservations or finding overnight accommodations. Whether it’s full hook-up resorts or dispersed camping locations, Campendium makes planning easier. You can easily find campgrounds, dump stations, National Forests, and more with the app. So let’s learn more about how Campendium works and how it can help you plan those road trips! Let’s dive in!
What Is Campendium?
Campendium is a free app helping RVers find campsites. Other RVers have vetted and reviewed these campsites, making Campendium one of the travelers’ most downloaded apps. Whether you want boondocking sites or resorts with all the amenities, you can search by location to find what’s available along your route. The listings have links to websites, camper reviews, amenities, cell service reports, and more to help you make the best decision for your traveling needs.
Who Owns Campendium?
Campendium was started by co-founders Brian Easterling and Leigh Wetzel. The full-time RVing couple launched the website in 2015 to create a better and easier resource for RVers to find great camping wherever they roamed. In 2021, Togo Group acquired the crowd-sourced website and mobile app.
TOGO, a platform that seeks to improve every aspect of RV ownership, now owns Campendium. TOGO also owns Roadpass Pro, providing exclusive benefits like RV-friendly GPS navigation, camping and gear discounts, and the Roadtrippers road trip planning app. With a Roadpass Pro membership, you can access Campendium’s premium features, like viewing cell coverage maps, public land map overlays, and trail maps.
The Campendium app is free. You can search for campgrounds, dispersed camping locations, and dump stations without a paid Roadpass Pro membership. However, the membership gives you access to more benefits and ad-free browsing.
What Else Does the TOGO Group Own?
TOGO RV owns Roadpass Pro, including Roadtrippers, Campendium, Overnightparking.com, and RVillage, the largest social network of RV owners. With the Roadpass Pro membership, you can also find RV mobile technicians and receive recall alerts for your specific RV. For RVers, the discounts and savings are outstanding. You can get a discounted Harvest Hosts and Boondockers Welcome membership, save on tires, receive 10% off Encore RV locations, and more.
Pro Tip: We uncovered the Best Boondocking Apps for Amazing Free Camping you should download!
How Does Campendium Work?
If you’re looking for Bureau of Land Management locations that permit dispersed camping, you can find them on Campendium. If you’re looking for a Jellystone Park with fun activities and amenities for your kids, you can find it on Campendium. Plus, you can locate dump stations, casinos, Walmarts, and other overnight RV parking spots in the search filter. Whatever style defines your travel, Campendium can help make planning easier.
App and Desktop
You can download the Campendium app or go to the desktop website to search for locations. If you’re traveling and need a place to stay for the night, it’s easy to pull over, search on Campendium, and make a reservation or drive to your destination. If looking at a larger screen is more convenient, the website offers the same information, reviews, and links to websites the app provides.
Free versus Paid Version
You don’t need a paid version of Campendium to use its features. For example, you can search for KOAs near Denver, Colorado, with the free version or paid version. However, the paid version will unlock more benefits like cell phone coverage maps, ad-free browsing, trail maps, and more. Either way, you’ll have access to this massive database of thousands of locations.
The paid Campendium version comes with a Roadpass Membership, which costs $49.99 per year.
Ways to Search for Campgrounds
If you’re looking for campgrounds or overnight accommodations in a specific location, you can type that location in the search bar. For example, if you want to find dispersed camping areas in California near Joshua Tree National Park, you can type in “Joshua Tree National Park” and filter your search results.
If you don’t have a particular place in mind but want to stay in Florida, you can type in “Florida” to view a map of all the locations and filter your search. You can easily search results by price, type of hookups, size of your rig, and more to find the perfect destination.
Information on Campgrounds
It’s crucial to read all the information about campgrounds. Some have size limits like maximum length or height. Some have age limits, like no children or 55+ only. Pay attention to the amenities. If you’re looking for a quick stopover, the amenities like a laundry facility, swimming pool, or dog park may not matter much. But if you’re looking for a week-long vacation, you’ll want to ensure you know what’s available on the property. Also note the hookups; no hookups, partial hookups, or full hookups. This can also vary the pricing.
Reviews
One of the best features of Campendium is the camper review section. Reading through the reviews gives you a good picture of what the place is really like. Photos on a campground’s website aren’t always the best indicators of what to expect. For example, you might read several reviews that mention how rough the dirt road leading to the campground is or how you shouldn’t follow a particular route because of a low clearance bridge. Other reviews will mention how clean or dirty the facilities are and how hospitable the management team is.
Once you’ve stayed at a location, return the favor and leave an honest review of your experience. This can help other RVers using the app. Including your rig size is helpful so people with big rigs know if it’s a good location for an overnight stay.
Cell Phone Coverage Data
Another popular feature is cell phone coverage data. Because so many travelers also work remotely, this information is vital. For example, say you want to camp at Gulpha Gorge in Hot Springs National Park. You can scroll to the cell phone coverage and see that dozens of users claimed that Verizon is pretty reliable. However, if you’re looking for dispersed camping in Wyoming, you can also see that T-Mobile and AT&T are very limited at Upper Teton View.
It’s also crucial to note the date. If the last report was in 2020, much could have changed since then. Perhaps call the campground to ask about cell phone coverage and internet connectivity. This isn’t feasible with dispersed camping sites, but often those areas change less due to their remote locations.
How Reliable Is Campendium?
As long as users continue to update cell coverage and post honest reviews, Campendium is one of the most reliable resources for RVers. Once you’ve stayed on BLM land or at a state park, go to Campendium and write a review, especially if the last review was months or years ago. Taking the advice of travelers who have visited and stayed at these locations is much more reliable than browsing a campground’s website.
Pro Tip: Can you just pull up to a campsite without planning and spend the night? Find out Do You Really Have to Reserve a Campsite in Advance?
What Is the Best Way to Use Campendium?
If you have an iPhone, download the Campendium app for free and start using it today. If you have an Android phone, visit the website and create an account. Campendium is good for both planning ahead of time and finding a last-minute overnight parking spot. If you want even more access and benefits, you can also consider purchasing a membership. However, we’ve been using the free version for years and it works great.
The best way to use Campendium is frequently and to find wonderful campsites. Be sure to pay it forward and leave updated reviews, photos, and knowledge for the next campers. Also, remember to practice Leave No Trace and find your campsite better than you found it so we can all continue to utilize awesome camping spots around the country!
Do you use Campendium? What is your favorite feature? Tell us in the comments!
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