VistaBound User Guide — how to plan and drive an RV trip

Getting started3

What VistaBound is and how it works

A plain-English tour of VistaBound — what it does, how the AI planner works, and the quickest path from a destination to a complete, drivable itinerary.
How to set up your RV profile and preferences

Enter your rig's dimensions and travel preferences once. VistaBound uses them to route around hazards your RV can't clear and to score every campground for fit.
How to plan your first RV trip (quickstart)

The fastest path from a blank map to a complete itinerary — create an account, enter your rig, tell the AI where you're headed, and save the trip.

Core concepts4

How RV-aware routing works

Why VistaBound's routes differ from a car GPS — how your rig's length, height, weight, and propane setting keep you off roads your RV can't legally or safely drive.
Understanding the campground Match Score

What the 0–100 Match Score means, what goes into it, and how to change the ranking by editing your rig details and amenity preferences.
How AI review summaries and ratings work

How VistaBound turns camper reviews into a quick, readable summary — the overall sentiment and recurring themes — plus star ratings and photos from other RVers.
Free vs Pro plans — what's included

What you get on the free plan versus a paid plan, current pricing, and how the 7-day trial works.

Planning & editing trips7

How to plan a trip with the AI planner

How to generate a full day-by-day itinerary from four simple inputs — start, destination, days, and daily drive time — and what the results give you.
How to edit your itinerary — days, nights, and stops

The AI's first draft is a starting point. Here's how to change nights per stop, add and remove stops, mark bookings, and add notes.
How to swap in a different campground

Replace any campground pick with a better-fitting alternate, ranked by Match Score, or drop in a specific campground you already have in mind.
How to add attractions and points of interest to a trip

Every stop suggests nearby attractions. Here's how to add the ones you want, remove the ones you don't, and browse more from the map.
Plan a trip you can actually book

The Campground availability setting decides what the planner does when a campground is already booked for your dates — from swapping it for a bookable one to watching it for a cancellation.
How to save and manage your trips

How to save a trip, find it again in My Trips, and rename, duplicate, or delete it — plus how saved trips sync to the mobile apps.
How to import a trip from a GPX file

Moving from another trip planner? Export each trip you want to keep as a GPX file and import it — VistaBound matches the stops to its campground database so the trip arrives ready to edit and navigate.

The Explore map6

How to use the Explore map

Browse the full campground map without planning a trip — search, open detail cards with reviews and photos, and check availability and direct booking.
How to filter campgrounds by brand and network

If you carry a KOA, Thousand Trails, Good Sam, or Passport America membership, filter the map to the parks where it counts.
How to find dump stations and free overnight parking

Two map layers for the practical side of RV travel — where to empty your tanks, and thousands of free places to park overnight between paid stops.
How to book a private RV park in-app with Spot2Nite

For private parks in the Spot2Nite network, book and pay right inside VistaBound — filter the map, pick dates and a site, and reserve without leaving the app.
How to see active wildfires on the map

A map layer for fire season — active wildfire incidents and mapped fire perimeters across the US and Canada, so you can spot trouble near your route before you drive into it.
See cell coverage on the map

Coverage layers for T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon plus a per-carrier signal readout on every campground card — so you can pick a stop your phone (and your remote work) can live with.

Sharing & collaboration2

How to share a trip (view-only)

Send a read-only link so friends and family can see your plan. No account needed to view, and they can't change anything.
How to collaborate on a trip with travel partners

Send an editable link so travel partners can pitch in — swap campgrounds and reshape days. Changes are logged and the owner is emailed.

Trip Journal3

How to keep a Trip Journal

Capture each stop as you go — photos and a note per campground and attraction — then post entries so anyone following your trip can see them.
How to let people follow your trip and get email updates

Send a follow-along link, invite people by email, and let them subscribe for an update every time you post a new journal entry.
How to publish a journal entry as a review

Already journaled a stop? Publish it as a public review — your rating, photos, and notes help the next RVer, without retyping anything.

Exports & offline1

How to export your trip (PDF, GPX, calendar, spreadsheet)

Take your itinerary anywhere — a printable PDF, a GPX for your GPS, a calendar file, or a spreadsheet. Here's what each format is best for.

Mobile apps & navigation3

VistaBound on iPhone and Android

What the iPhone and Android apps do — sync your saved trips, then navigate them with rig-aware turn-by-turn directions, offline maps, and head-unit support.
How to navigate a trip with turn-by-turn directions

Hand a saved trip off to spoken, rig-aware turn-by-turn navigation on your phone — and put it on the head unit with CarPlay or Android Auto.
How to use offline maps, satellite, and weather radar

RV travel goes where cell service doesn't. Download maps for offline navigation, switch to satellite, and watch live weather radar from the apps.

Costs & reviews2

How to estimate trip costs (fuel and lodging)

See what a trip will roughly cost before you go — fuel based on your rig and live regional prices, plus lodging — and adjust the numbers to match reality.
How to write a campground review

Share what a campground was really like — a rating, a few words, when you stayed, and photos. Here's how to add a review that helps the next RVer.

Account & billing1

How to manage your account and subscription

Where to change your name, sign-in method, and RV profile, plus how the trial, upgrading, and canceling work.

Help3

Troubleshooting common issues

Quick fixes for the issues RVers hit most — saving, generating, sign-in, rig-fit picks, and syncing to the apps.
VistaBound frequently asked questions

Quick answers to the questions RVers ask most about VistaBound — pricing, the free plan, big-rig routing, the apps, and campground data.
Glossary of RV and VistaBound terms

Plain-English definitions for the RV and app terms used throughout this guide, from boondocking and full hookups to Match Score and GPX.