Motorhomer App

[Admin]

I am trying to produce the prefect app for Motorhomer members. What I would like to know is what features you would really want in an app?

As an example if the app listed locations, what information would you need to know about that location?

I am also running a poll about offline mapping. Please vote.

The poll question is:

With data connectivity being so widespread and data now becoming much cheaper is offline mapping an important feature of an app?

 

[nabsim]

Didn’t we have another thread about what features folks would like Phil?

Regarding offline mapping, do you mean there will be a map that isn’t up to date or no map at all if we didn’t have offline mapping, e.g. we can still see where poi’s are? I can use my sat Nav or maps.me on tablet to view offline maps so the times I don’t have a signal doesn’t really matter if we can get the poi location and info when offline.

I haven’t voted yet as my decision would depend on the answers sorry

 

[Admin]

Didn’t we have another thread about what features folks would like Phil?

Regarding offline mapping, do you mean there will be a map that isn’t up to date or no map at all if we didn’t have offline mapping, e.g. we can still see where poi’s are? I can use my sat Nav or maps.me on tablet to view offline maps so the times I don’t have a signal doesn’t really matter if we can get the poi location and info when offline.

I haven’t voted yet as my decision would depend on the answers sorry

It would mean that you would have to be online to see locations on the map.

How often are you without data and have to work offline these days?

 

[nabsim]

Not too often Phil but this last year we found a few spots in Scotland and North Wales we had no signal. Didn’t have to drive too far to get one though. For myself I can manage fine without maps but was asking for other really.

Would the app not work at all offline or could you get coordinates to put into something like maps.me?

Alternately will it come with a set of POI’s we can put into an offline mapping app like the WC setup does?

 

[HurricaneSmith]

I'm only one voice, and others may disagree, but I would rather have off line mapping with an out of data set.

For me, as I travel light, I would like LPG and Aire type precise co-ords in one app. I can easily find my way to the exact spot if the mapping is a little iffy.

Be interested in others thoughts.

 

[wildebus]

For mapping, I would want to be able to use off-line and also be able to tie up with existing mapping data that would be on the phone.
I would see the convenience of working off-line to be a much greater benefit to having the very latest data set.

Info on Locations. are these Wild Camping type locations?
Access;
Weight Limits (is that likely?); Length Restrictions (could be a factor if say a Pub POI)
Height Restrictions;
Maybe a Rating System from previous users;
Photos would be interesting; (last two are kind of like a Trip Advisor sort of thing for Stopovers, I suppose);
Any 'gotchas'; (e.g. "popular with Doggers on Wednesdays")

 

[YOLO BUS]

Combining the sense of community on here with the data on searchforsites would be pretty close to the perfect app. - with an option to sync offline in small bites such as by country or region.

 

[Rockburner]

The VERY first thing I'd ask is : "What is your killer feature?" What is it that the Motorhomer app will do that dozens of other camper apps currently available don't do? You don't need to answer here btw - but I think it's something that you need to know, for sure, before you commit yourself to hours and hours of work and investment. If you have that killer feature then GREAT! I can't wait to see it. If the main feature is tying in with the Motorhomer forum, then I'd ask : "What will the app do that we can't do via a browser?" (and if so - why not just do it all in the website, that way we can do all the new funky stuff on our laptops as well).

Coming from a years worth of experience with various camper/motorhomer apps (and being a developer myself), I'd like to see any app have the following 'features':

- Full compliance with standard OS based interaction styles and systems (eg, don't use the OS back button to close the app, use the OS back button to go back to the previous 'view' the app just used)
- Keep iconography within an icon sub-file within the app's payload: don't litter the user's download folder with individual icon files.
- things like this may not seem important, or may be troublesome to code, but they go a long way to not upsetting the user. User's don't want, care, or need to know how anything works - they just want it to work seamlessly and seemingly magically (NEVER show them the trick!)
- Ensure the app is aware of on/offline status, and so (even if it's not got data), its works fine with what it does have when offline: eg, it doesn't try to work with online data and just sit there spinning and doing nothing.
- Ensure that any information useful to the usability of the app, eg what map icons stand for, is included within FAQ or Help information included within the app's payload. If we haven't used the app for a bit, so forgot what a map icon means, it's not good to have to go looking around the internet for it.
- Ensure that if your map interface includes custom interaction buttons, especially if some are only visible at certain times (such as when a POI is selected), that newly-showing buttons are not occluded by pre-existing buttons, or shown over the top of pre-existing buttons.


I desperately hope that I don't come across wrong here, I'm not trying to nit-pick, I'm trying to point out things that will make vast improvements to the user-experience. Part of my job for 10 years was QA-ing the work that went out of my department, so I think I'm very aware of what can kill the user-experience of an app or web-app.


Personally, I think it would be lovely to have map-pois for things like LPG stations, Water sources, Laundromats, Aires, WildCamp spots, etc, etc - but all of that data is HIGHLY dependant on the users filling in the data, as well as sourcing licensing deals from existing data-holders. One way around this will be to ensure that day-to-day users can upload 'reviews' (comments/feedback/whatever) for each and every POI, wherever it came from. It may be possible that the existing data holders will allow for their data to be updated by the MHApp users - There's every possibility of that I would think. It would be great to have all this data available within 1 killer app, providing that the app integrates seamlessly with the data-feeds and provides a user-experience that is superior to the existing sources of all that data.

 

[Rockburner]

Access;
Weight Limits (is that likely?); Length Restrictions (could be a factor if say a Pub POI)
Height Restrictions;

A good way to do this would be to have a 'Van Profile' (possibly mutiple per user), where the van's relevant details are entered (width, height, length, fuel type, etc) and the POIs on the map are then, when shown, greyed out if the information for that location contravenes any of the van-profile information. Further, you could have 3 states for the POI:
1: Fully shown: POI contains information relevant to van profile and van conforms (ie van will fit).
2: Partially ok: POI does not contain information relevatn to van profile
3: Definitely not ok: POI contains information relevant to van profile and van does not conform (ie van is too high/wide/long whatever)

But I'd definitely say - do NOT hide POIs that don't conform to the van profile (3) - keep them available so users of the app can make their own decision. It could be that the POI data is out of date, it could be that the van owner likes living dangerously, so never hide information, just grade it and let the users make their own decision.

 

[Admin]

Offline maps ...........but only if they are more comprehensive than the two market leaders.

For offline mapping the normal solution is a version of Open Street Maps. This could be from Mapbox or another provider. The problem is that there is too much data for a mobile device to be able to store.

 

[Admin]

The VERY first thing I'd ask is : "What is your killer feature?" What is it that the Motorhomer app will do that dozens of other camper apps currently available don't do? You don't need to answer here btw - but I think it's something that you need to know, for sure, before you commit yourself to hours and hours of work and investment. If you have that killer feature then GREAT! I can't wait to see it. If the main feature is tying in with the Motorhomer forum, then I'd ask : "What will the app do that we can't do via a browser?" (and if so - why not just do it all in the website, that way we can do all the new funky stuff on our laptops as well).

Coming from a years worth of experience with various camper/motorhomer apps (and being a developer myself), I'd like to see any app have the following 'features':

- Full compliance with standard OS based interaction styles and systems (eg, don't use the OS back button to close the app, use the OS back button to go back to the previous 'view' the app just used)
- Keep iconography within an icon sub-file within the app's payload: don't litter the user's download folder with individual icon files.
- things like this may not seem important, or may be troublesome to code, but they go a long way to not upsetting the user. User's don't want, care, or need to know how anything works - they just want it to work seamlessly and seemingly magically (NEVER show them the trick!)
- Ensure the app is aware of on/offline status, and so (even if it's not got data), its works fine with what it does have when offline: eg, it doesn't try to work with online data and just sit there spinning and doing nothing.
- Ensure that any information useful to the usability of the app, eg what map icons stand for, is included within FAQ or Help information included within the app's payload. If we haven't used the app for a bit, so forgot what a map icon means, it's not good to have to go looking around the internet for it.
- Ensure that if your map interface includes custom interaction buttons, especially if some are only visible at certain times (such as when a POI is selected), that newly-showing buttons are not occluded by pre-existing buttons, or shown over the top of pre-existing buttons.


I desperately hope that I don't come across wrong here, I'm not trying to nit-pick, I'm trying to point out things that will make vast improvements to the user-experience. Part of my job for 10 years was QA-ing the work that went out of my department, so I think I'm very aware of what can kill the user-experience of an app or web-app.


Personally, I think it would be lovely to have map-pois for things like LPG stations, Water sources, Laundromats, Aires, WildCamp spots, etc, etc - but all of that data is HIGHLY dependant on the users filling in the data, as well as sourcing licensing deals from existing data-holders. One way around this will be to ensure that day-to-day users can upload 'reviews' (comments/feedback/whatever) for each and every POI, wherever it came from. It may be possible that the existing data holders will allow for their data to be updated by the MHApp users - There's every possibility of that I would think. It would be great to have all this data available within 1 killer app, providing that the app integrates seamlessly with the data-feeds and provides a user-experience that is superior to the existing sources of all that data.

I am on the same page as you.

I am not going to discuss in this thread where we are with the app, or what features it will have as I have already had many ideas ripped off.

The data for the app has been collected over the past 3 years, but it will not contain data from the Wild Camp POI database. There may be data that also appears there but it will not be the source.

My concern is over complicating things. I do not want so many location attributes that it becomes overwhelming for the users. It needs to be boiled down to a logical set that matter, the rest of the data can come from the description and user reviews.

 

[GeoffL]

I voted for offline mapping, but that's only because I get that with Copilot Caravan edition, which also has vehicle profiles so that you can enter height, width, length, weight etc. and also choose route type preferences. Google maps frequently dropped out when we were in France last year and sometimes had to find somewhere to park to let the Google maps 'catch up'. I'd rather not have that in an app likely to be used on the move. If, however, offline mapping would be largely irrelevant if it would only be used when stationary.

Regarding features: To be honest, I can't think of anything that a Motorhomer app might provide that either isn't done by something else I have on my phone or that can't be done via Motorhomer/WC websites. I have issues with phone internal storage and so need to move as much as I can onto the SD card. Google has a nasty habit of moving everything it updates back to internal storage, leaving me with the PITA of painstakingly moving all updated apps back to the SD card. Because of this, I've uninstalled most apps that I don't use regularly (I can always reinstall then if needed). An additional app would mean more of this PITA, so I suspect I might end up giving the Motorhomer app unless it has a really killer feature that I couldn't do without. HTH, Geoff

 

[Topmast]

I an not complaining as I enjoy being a member of this and wildcamping forums, however before getting further apps please please could you sort out the problems with poi. Map.,I-am unable to get it to work and by reading the reviews obviously a lot of people have the same problem.Sorry rant over.

 

[Admin]

I an not complaining as I enjoy being a member of this and wildcamping forums, however before getting further apps please please could you sort out the problems with poi. Map.,I-am unable to get it to work and by reading the reviews obviously a lot of people have the same problem.Sorry rant over.

Hi, I was not aware there was a problem with the POI map.

 

[Topmast]

Hi, I was not aware there was a problem with the POI map.

Thanks for your reply Phil. After an awful long time I finally got the app to download and was faced with a lot of question marks that refused to do anything,it was impossible to add poi. Or even open it. Reading the reviews obviously a lot of people are experiencing the same problem,in desperation I gave up and reverted to search for sites etc. Perhaps it has something to do with living abroad. Thanks again.

 

[Admin]

Thanks for your reply Phil. After an awful long time I finally got the app to download and was faced with a lot of question marks that refused to do anything,it was impossible to add poi. Or even open it. Reading the reviews obviously a lot of people are experiencing the same problem,in desperation I gave up and reverted to search for sites etc. Perhaps it has something to do with living abroad. Thanks again.

This issue is with the app not storing the data correctly. This only happens on Apple devices and is caused when the OS prevents the app saving all the data. For most people making sure that they have at least 2GB of free storage then rebooting the device normally works. If not reapeadly fotcingvtge app to update until you get a success message also works.

The app development is for both sites, it will be almost the same code but with different features and server backend. This will then replace the old apps.

 

[Vanterrier]

Off line maps preferred by me too as I tour areas with very little or poor signal. As said earlier, if you go this way please package maps into areas ( a la Osmand) as I don't want to take up space on my phone or SD card with maps of areas I am not going to.
Ideally, if I was downloading your maps I would like them to replace the Osmand maps I already have with no loss of information.
Cheers
K

 

[Barge1914]

I am trying to produce the prefect app for Motorhomer members. What I would like to know is what features you would really want in an app?

As an example if the app listed locations, what information would you need to know about that location?


I am also running a poll about offline mapping. Please vote.

The poll question is:

With data connectivity being so widespread and data now becoming much cheaper is offline mapping an important feature of an app?

On our wanderings we have too many times ended up in spots with no viable signal, so yes, offline mapping please.

 

[Barge1914]

Oops. That shouldn’t have happened...I typed a reply, presumably in the wrong place in the text and it appeared in the middle of Phil’s message?

 

[Topmast]

This issue is with the app not storing the data correctly. This only happens on Apple devices and is caused when the OS prevents the app saving all the data. For most people making sure that they have at least 2GB of free storage then rebooting the device normally works. If not reapeadly fotcingvtge app to update until you get a success message also works.

The app development is for both sites, it will be almost the same code but with different features and server backend. This will then replace the old apps.

Thanks for explaining to someone as thick as me what the problem was ,I will try again. Trouble is in my days at school computers were a thing of the future and we do not have 5 year old kids to help.