EZRV TravelEZRV vs a Garmin RV Unit
A Garmin RV is a dedicated box on your dash with maps stored on the device. EZRV is an app on the phone you already carry, with CarPlay and Android Auto putting it on the same dash. Both route around low bridges. The difference is what you pay up front, what happens when the maps age, and how much of the trip lives in one place.
The short answer
Pick EZRV if you'd rather spend $0 to start, keep planning and navigation in one place, and have the maps and campground data update themselves.
Side by side
| EZRV Travel | Garmin RV unit | |
|---|---|---|
| Up-front cost | $0 — the planner runs in a browser | Typically $300–$800 depending on model |
| Ongoing cost | Free to plan; Pro $9.99/mo or $74.99/yr for navigation | None on most models, but map updates depend on the unit |
| Hardware to buy, mount, replace | None — uses your phone | A separate device on the windshield or dash |
| RV-safe routing | Truck-grade, costed to height/weight/length/propane, plus an automatic 6-inch height margin and a post-route clearance re-check | Yes — routing from an RV profile you enter |
| Works with no cell signal | Your planned trip stays readable offline; new routing needs a connection. Free printable directions as a paper backup | Yes — maps live on the device |
| Trip planning (driving days, overnights, costs) | Full day-by-day ledger with driving limits, overnights, weather, and a running cost total | Limited — planning generally happens elsewhere |
| Federal campgrounds | Every recreation.gov campground, with campsite-level rig-fit checks | Points of interest, varies by model and map version |
| Book campgrounds | Yes — live availability at 1,600+ campgrounds | No |
| Live diesel prices | Yes — nearly 3,000 truck stops | Varies by model and subscription |
| Stays current | Updates itself; campground and fuel data refresh continuously | Manual map updates; data ages between them |
| On the dash | Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with Pro | Built-in screen |
Where a Garmin is genuinely ahead
Dead zones. A dedicated unit with on-device maps keeps navigating in country where a phone has no bars at all. EZRV keeps your planned trip readable offline and gives you free printable directions as a backup, but if you spend serious time boondocking well off the grid, that's a real argument for the hardware — and plenty of RVers carry both.
Where EZRV is different
- Nothing to buy to find out. Plan a real route for your rig today, free, and see whether the routing suits you before spending anything.
- Planning and driving are one trip. The driving days, overnights, and fuel stops you planned are the ones you navigate.
- The data doesn't go stale on a shelf. Campground availability and diesel prices refresh continuously, not at map-update time.
- The safety margin is automatic. Six inches on top of your stated height, because posted clearances go stale and repaving raises the road.
Written September 2026. Competitor pricing and features change — verify current offerings before you buy. EZRV's own numbers are measured from our live database.
Still weighing it up?
This page covers one comparison. For the wider picture — hardware units, car navigation apps, and planning-suite subscriptions side by side — read the honest guide to choosing an RV GPS, or see what EZRV costs.
Try the free planner and judge for yourself
Plan a real route for your rig in your browser — no signup, no card.