iPhone Users ???

[Ray Davis]

I have been wanting write an iPhone application for awhile, and I thought it might be fun to write something that would be appropriate for POG members, or RV owners in general.

The question is, "what to write?"

So, if you could have the ultimate killer iPhone app for RV/POG use, what would it do? I'm looking for ideas.

Off the top of my head, this might include things like:

1. Trip logging app, where you enter mileage, fuel stops, amount, price etc per leg, and you can get a trip report out automatically at the end.

2. Location reporting. Use the location finding hardware to report where you are when on the road. This could potentially interface to something like Dales or Bill's member maps, giving an automatic update of location?

3. Campsite review app, which might ultimately connect to a central server (or maybe rvparkreviews.com), to allow uploading of reviews of campsites. Might arrange for it to send email to specified addresses, like friends, other POG members, maybe even to the Big Rigs people?


These are just a couple of ideas I've had in limited thinking about it. I'm hopeful that many of you have ideas for that "killer app", and would be willing to be beta testers?

Let me know.

Ray

[merle&louise]

I feel like the AFLAC duck!

TO START PRESS ANY KEY. WHERE'S THE ANY KEY?

[garyde]

Hi Ray. How's about technical questions or on the road Aid.

[jasperjr]

I think you should write a search engine for the Acme supply company. Perhaps, P.O.G. members can describe an event and the engine can spit out potential ideas?

[adamdegraff]

Ray,
I think the first person who can write an app that is easy to use, organized and with up to date info is going to make a lot of $$.

Here is what I would like.

Open the Ray Davis super duper RV app.
Then, some choices? What do you want to do? Find dump station/fresh water? Find overnight stay? (dry camping, walmarts, etc.) I would make it work so you can use the GPS function and search for your closest one AND make it work so you can find one in/near a specific place.

For now, I use www.rvthereyet.cc. It is fair at best. Much of the info is out of date. I only use the find dump and find RV stop.

I don't care about fuel stops. There are so many. And as for least expensive fuel in the area, that, I would think, should be a separate app.

I would use and app for dumps/fresh water, and overnight stops all the time and, if it were good, I would pay $10-$20 for it easily. I know about a thousand musicians that would use this too. You'd have to find a way to keep the info updated.

Great idea. Can you hurry up and get it done. :-)

Adam

[phorner]

The things that I typically need to know while travelling regard the location of fuel, repairs and places to stay.

Maybe a link to our list of contacts so that we know where they are located?

I also would use the trip finance function. Janice does this now on an excel spreadsheet but it's cumbersome and much more that we really need.

Pre-programmed phone numbers/addresses to the major repair numbers we might need (Detroit, Prevost, Allison, NAPA, etc.) might be more handy than digging through my pile of business cards or searching the forum again because I didn't bother to write the number down when I didn't immediately need it

Sounds like you're onto a great idea!

[Gary & Peggy Stevens]

Ray it looks like you have gotten lots of great information, and MAN, have you got your work cut out for you ?

I noticed one of the apps that Paul would like to see is a better method for keeping up with finances and fuel puchases. We started using the TravelTrak application, and I think it works great. Check it out, you can even try it free for 30 days, and then if you like it, it only costs $ 30.00 Lewbucks. Not bad to watch where all your money is going, as if we didn't already know...!

TravelTrak by Sad Seagull http://www.sadseagull.com/

[Ray Davis]

Thanks for the input guys. For a lot of this to work, I would think that you have to have an external website participating with the app to provide much of the data. The phone itself doesn't generally have enough memory to hold a lot.

But, there are other apps which do similar functions, i.e. the one that finds local restaurants comes to mind. So, I will do some investigations.

Thanks for the thoughts.

Ray

[Yankee802]

How about a video IM type app for troubleshooting? This may exist already, I don't have an Iphone, but instead have a PPC. Using the internal camera and voice cababilities, it would be nice to have another POG in a chat (MSN, Yahoo, AOL, etc messangers) and be able to stream video and voice when getting help on a specific issue or whatever.

Geoff