9 Road Trip Hacks That Will Change the Way You Travel
Published Date: February 20, 2025
By Shalee
There is truly no better feeling than hitting the road, with nothing but stunning landscapes and days filled with exploration and beauty lying ahead. To make your trip easier, whether going for one week or six months, you'll want to add these road trip hacks to your trip:
Road Trip Hacks That Will Change the Way You Travel
1. Download Maps for Offline Use
Not every road trip destination has reliable cell service. Before you hit the road, download maps for offline use, this ensures you can still navigate even when you're off the grid. You can download small areas (a national forest) or large areas (an entire state), but the larger your download area, the longer the download takes and the more storage it needs. You can also download numerous places at once. For example, if you know you will be visiting the Grand Canyon and Capitol Reef National Park, you can download both areas prior to your trip.
Google Maps
- Open Google Maps – Make sure you're signed into your Google account.
- Search for a Location – Type the name of the city, region, or area you want to save.
- Tap on the Location Name – Once the place appears, tap on its name or address at the bottom of the screen.
- Select ‘Download’ – If you don’t see this option, tap the three-dot menu (⋮) and choose ‘Download offline map.’
- Adjust the Area – A box will appear; zoom in or out to include all the areas you need.
- Tap ‘Download’ – The map will begin downloading. You can check progress in the Google Maps app under ‘Offline maps.’
Apple Maps
- Open Apple Maps and search for your desired location.
- Tap on the Location and scroll down to find the ‘Download’ button.
- Adjust the Map Area to include the necessary region.
- Tap ‘Download’ to save the map for offline use.
2. Keep a Portable Car Jump Starter in Your Car or Truck Camper
Expect the unexpected while road-tripping! Turns out you, or maybe someone else, will need help with a jump along the way. If a jump is needed in a crowded parking lot, no big deal, but if it happens somewhere remote, like a campsite or 4×4 road, a portable car jump starter will save a lot of time, money, and stress.
3. Download Road Trip Apps like Sekr or iOverlander
If you’re planning to spend a lot of time camping in your truck camper or trying to find free campsites, you’ll want to download a road trip app like Sekr or iOverlander. These apps are extremely helpful when finding places to camp or sleep along the way. The apps show details like:
- Free & paid camping spots
- Ratings, reviews, and pictures of camping areas
- Cell coverage information
- Dump stations
- Showers for use (RV parks, gas stations, recreation centers, etc.)
- Etc.
We have an entire blog post dedicated to the best apps & websites to find free campsites.
4. Buy the Project M Truck Topper
Road trips are so much better when you have a pop-up truck camper that provides all the comforts without the hassle of towing an RV. The Project M is our go-to minimalist pop-up topper that changes the way families and individuals road trip. It’s affordable, lightweight, has a king-size bed, and allows you to quickly set up camp in under five minutes just about anywhere.
If you’re someone who frequently road trips, an investment into the Project M topper or one of our slide-in campers will change the way you travel.
5. Download Fast Food or Restaurant Mobile Apps for Deals
Even if you have the perfect plan to eat homemade sandwiches for lunch or cook over an open fire every evening, chances are you’ll sometimes need a quick meal on the road. Before deciding where to eat, download the mobile app of your desired restaurant or fast food chain. Many times, they offer either app-only deals or a free appetizer/coupon for downloading the app.
6. Make Sure Your Playlist & Podcasts are Downloaded Offline
On those long road trip days, you might lose service for extended periods of time, especially when driving out west in places like Montana, Wyoming, or Nevada. If you love listening to your playlist or podcast to get through long drives, make sure they are downloaded offline so you still have access to them, no matter what.
7. Place Dryer Sheets Under Your Seat to Keep it Smelling Fresh
Road trips, whether with your family or by yourself, tend to give your car a little extra funk. Funk is the sign of a great adventure, but it also isn’t the most pleasant thing to deal with! If you want to keep your car smelling fresh while on a road trip, try stashing some dryer sheets under all the seats. They absorb the smell and work better than many car air fresheners.
8. Buy a Monthly Gym Membership for Showers
If you are looking for easy access to showers, look into getting a gym membership at a nationwide fitness center such as Planet Fitness, LA Fitness, or Anytime Fitness. Before you buy the membership, check your road trip route to make sure there are branches along the route. This works best when you know you’ll be driving through populated areas big enough for the gym chains to exist.
9. Invest in a Small Portable Power Station
If you don’t have a Four Wheel Camper that has built-in power & solar solutions, you’ll want to invest in a small, portable power station like the Jackery or Ecoflow, especially if you plan to spend most of your time camping. This ensures a hefty power bank that is more than enough to keep everything you need charged, such as phones, camera batteries, headlamps, or even your Starlink.
