Take your RV trip to the next level with add-ons to your smart phone that improve security, safety, entertainment and photography.

Navigation

Get there safely, without balancing your phone on your knee or squinting to read the onscreen display with smart phone add-ons that help you keep your eyes on the road and your trip on track.  Consider a heads-up display navigation add-on that keeps your eyes on the road and your trip on track. Head-up display projects navigation instructions directly onto the windshield of your car so you can enjoy a safe and comfortable drive.  While some newer vehicles may include a heads-up display, or HUD navigation projection, affordably priced after-market smart phone add-ons are available for Android as well as iPhone.

Security for Your RV

Give an old smart phone new life and add some security to your RV.  Your RV is your home on the road, loaded with valuable possessions and can be a target for thieves.  Build a simple security system with an older smart phone, a security app and a few external add-ons.  There are several apps available Android and iOS devices that allow you to use an older phone as a security camera; some free, some fee-based.  Most apps will offer features such local streaming, cloud streaming, recording and storing footage locally or remotely, and motion detection with alerts. Once you have selected and set up your app, add on a mobile phone mount or tripod to position your phone-turned-security camera; a car dash suction cup mount is an affordable and effective choice.  If your view is too narrow, consider adding an inexpensive wide-angle lens to your phone’s camera.  Streaming is power-intensive; add on a micro USB or lightning cable to keep your smart phone security monitor running 24/7.

Weather

Life on the road has its perils; eliminate weather uncertainty with smart phone add ons that help you create your own weather monitoring system.  Go beyond apps that forecast and collect data by putting together a smart-phone compatible weather station that can travel with you.  From complex to basic, weather stations can measure things such as temperature, wind speed, humidity, pressure and more at a transmission range of up to 350 feet. The stations can record daily, monthly and gather all-time highs and lows, and chart history, working in real-time with your smart phone.

If your pleasure or safety depends on wind speed, consider an add-on wind meter that plugs directly into your smart phone to measure wind speed and direction.  Meters can record the wind speed — average and gust — direction and location.

When keeping your RV mold and mildew free is an issue, consider a smart phone add on to measure humidity. Hygrometers can detect humidity and moisture in your RV and push the information to your iOS or Android smart phone.

Photography

Take capturing your RV adventure memories up a notch with smart phone add-ons that improve the quality of your photography and video recording.  Add light, zoom, remote capabilities and improved audio with add-on accessories. Portable lenses that fit over your camera’s built-in lens can capture shots in fisheye, zoom in on distant objects, or offer intimate close-up looks. Lenses are manufactured by several companies and are available at a range of prices.

Selfie sticks are ubiquitous but consider a tripod that can do double duty as a selfie stick.  A tripod enables low-light shots, remote group shots and timed exposure.

For professional-quality sound add on a microphone to enhance videos.  An add-on spot light works like an external flash for your smart phone, improving the quality of night still photographs, resulting in clearer, crisper images.

Entertainment

From pocket projectors to top quality speakers, add- ons can turn your smart phone into an entertainment hub.  Pocket projectors transform your RV into a theatre. From cardboard to boardroom-ready, portable projectors can make family night on the road a big production.  Project on the wall of your RV or a makeshift screen outdoors with one of many projectors available for your smart phone.

Fill the sounds of silence with top quality sound with first rate speakers.  When you’re the only music aficionado in the RV, keep the silence golden while you enjoy the concert with blue-tooth ear buds.

Power Supplies

When boondocking or staying off the grid, maintain power to your smart phone with travel-friendly cases and power supplies. From traditional power banks that draw power from electrical outlets powered by your generator, to solar powered chargers that will not only power your phone but do double duty as a flash light, power banks are essential to staying connected with your smart phone. New generation power supplies are available as part of a multi-tool, perfect for those who are traveling smart and lean.  Look for power supplies that can transfer a full-charge to a phone as quickly as possible.  For those who like high-powered, lean traveling, look for at the new generation of smart phone cases that incorporate a small back up battery.