Hardware/Software

Will it run on iPhone OS 2.x?

No. CT RVParks requires at least OS 3.0. The application uses features that were introduced in 3.0, such as the in-application maps.

Will it run on OS 3.0?

Yes. As of CT RVParks version 1.0.1, OS 3.1 is no longer required; OS 3.0 is just fine.

Will the app work on iPod touch®?

Yes, as of CT RVParks version 1.0.1. Of course functions that use the phone do not work. Location services on the iPod touch are very limited, so the Search At-Me feature will rarely be available.

The app did not completely install.

Sometimes an iPhone application will fail to install, or will not run after it is installed. The conventional wisdom seems to be that this is caused by a communications glitch during download. The fix is to get rid of all bad copies of the application and start over.

Downloading directly to the iPhone

Delete the app from the iPhone. Re-do the download.

Downloading to iTunes

Delete the app from the iPhone and iTunes. Reboot your computer; this may be overkill, but some people have apparently found it to be necessary with some apps. Re-do the download and synch with the iPhone.

 

Registration, Updates

Will updating the app also update the database?

Starting with version 1.0.2 updating the application (i.e., downloading a more recent version than the one you currently have) will update the RV park database if it needs to be updated. But, it can only update the database to the state of the database on the date the new version of the application was submitted to Apple. So the updated database will likely be two weeks out of date by the time it is available for download on the App Store.

So: if you have been using the update facility built-in to the application and have more recent RV park data than the new version will, and the database on the phone will be left alone; and, if you have not been doing updates, then the data in the new version of the app will be more up to date, and the database on the phone will be replaced with the new one.

The best way to keep the RV park data on your iPhone up to date is to use the update functions built in to the application.

How do I register for database updates?

The documentation is currently here: CT RVParks: App Settings: Account.

Why should I care about database updates?

RV parks are currently being added. By updating the database you get these new listings on your iPhone.

Also, the information for RV parks is being updated. The changes are mostly improvements to location accuracy as online aerial imagery improves, but may also include corrected contact information. RV parks are bought and sold, or they may join or drop out of franchises. There are often name changes, web site URL changes, and so on.

Valid server account does not work on CT RVParks.

You have an account and password that logs into the ContinuousTraveler.com web site, but when you try to do an Update you get an error message saying "Account/password stored in Settings invalid."

The problem is generally a typo.

Under Account in Settings on CT RVParks:

1. Check your email address for typos. This is relatively easy, since you can see the email address unless it is very long.
2. If you change your email address, tape the Done button on the keyboard before moving to the password field.
3. Re-enter your password. THE PASSWORD IS CASE SENSITIVE. If you can log into the ContinousTraveler.com server, then the password you used there is okay; enter it on the iPhone exactly as you did on the server.
4. If you edit the password field, tap the Done button on the keyboard before moving to the email field.
5. In any case, you tap the Done button to dismiss the keyboard and accept changes to the last field edited.

RV Parks

Is every RV park in the database?

No. The Continuous Traveler RV park database is growing daily, but it will never include all RV parks. As of May 2010 the online database includes over 7,000 RV parks. The total number of RV parks in the USA and Canada is estimated at between 6,000 and 18,000, depending upon how "RV park" is defined, and who is doing the estimating. So, not only do we not have all RV parks, we don't even know what percentage we have.

Here are the characteristics of RV parks likely to be in the database, or likely to be added to the database in the next year:

1. Has a web page, and the page is findable via web search engines.
2. Has at least electrical and water hookups, if such information is available (or at least electric for governmental parks).
3. Can handle RV's of at least 25 feet, if such information is available.
4. Is open to the public (i.e., not members only), and appears to have no agenda other than RV'ing.

If your favorite park has not yet been added to CT RVParks, see "How can I add/edit a RV park?", below.

Are state/provincial/county/city/etc. parks included?

Governmental parks are being included in the RV park database if there is at least one campground with electric hookups. This is a lower standard than for private parks because public parks tend to have fewer facilities, but are generally in much more desirable locations.

Parks in all states/provinces/counties/cities/etc. have not yet been added. If parks in a particular state/province are of special interest to you, please send email to bump those state parks to the head of the line for data entry. And of course, if there is a particular park you want to have added, please provide details.

Is every city in the database?

No. The At City spinner in Search Settings only includes a city if a RV park uses the city as part of its address.

The reason for this is size of the data. MOST place names in the USA and Canada are not used by RV parks as addresses. For example, as of April 2010 there are a little over 5,000 distinct place names used by RV parks in the database, while there are over 60,000 total place names in the online database at ContinuousTraveler.com. Including all place names would make CT RVParks larger and slower, and complicate selecting a place name during searches.

On the plus side, if a city is listed in the At City spinner, then there should be at least one RV park that uses the city as its address.

How do I find RV parks near a city with no RV parks?

As noted above, not all cities are listed by the At City spinner in Search Settings. So how can you find RV parks near such an ommitted city?

Map Search

When the map is displayed, you can use it to Search At Center GPS. Slide or zoom the map so that the area around which you want to find RV parks is at the center. Tap the Search At Center GPS icon at the top right of the map. If it does not find enough parks, use the At GPS settings in the Search Settings to increase the search range.

At City Search

If you do not have a good Internet connection, you cannot use Map Search. So: use the At City spinner to select a city near where you want to find RV parks, and set the "Near City" distance to a large range, such as 0-150 miles. You may need to consult a paper map.

What is the source of the RV park information?

See the GPS Coordinates page, and the section on RV Park Information on the Copyrights page.

How can I add/edit a RV park?

Send me an email with information about the RV park. At the moment RV parks can only be added or changed by Continuous Traveler.

Please send at least the URL for the RV park web page, or as much of the following information for the RV park as you can:

• name
• URL for web page
• phone number
• street address
• city and state/province
• GPS coordinates

Cool iPhone Trick: Send RV Park's GPS Coordinates

Use the iPhone camera to snap a photo of the RV park's sign and email the photo to me. Be sure to answer "OK" when the iPhone asks if it can use location information. The GPS coordinates are automagically embedded in the Exchangeable image file format (Exif) data in the photo.

I would like to see more RV parks near a particular location.

Got a destination in mind, but not happy with the selection of RV parks shown at your destination by the app?

Tell me where you are going and I will try to find more RV parks at your destination. I need at least the city and state/province in the USA or Canada.

Miscellaneous

I want a refund.

If someone is really unhappy with their purchase, they should be able to "undo" it ...

Sorry CT RVParks is not what you expected, and you do not want it any longer. I believe that you have 90 days from the date of purchase to request a refund. It is up to Apple to decide whether to give a refund.

This appears to be the procedure. You will need the order number from your emailed receipt for CT RVParks:

1. In the iTunes application, go to the ITunes Store.
2. In the upper right corner under Quick Links, click Account.
3. About half way down your account information page, click the Purchase History button.
4. At the bottom of your purchase history, click the Report a Problem button.
5. Click the arrow to the left of the item for which you want a refund.
6. You will see a page with just that item. Click Report a Problem in the right column.
7. Fill out fields, calmly explaining why CT RVParks is not suitable.