Spring's most beautiful adventure requires two hands on the steering wheel
Ah, May! Do you feel your gas foot twitching? The snow has let go of its grip in the lowlands, the trees are budding, and the dirt roads are slowly but surely drying up. For us free campers, May is the real starting line. The car, regardless of whether it is an agile campervan, a spacious motorhome, or the family car with the roof tent fresh out of winter storage, is packed. The coffee is in the thermos. You are ready to find that magical, hidden spot down by the water.
But then there was this navigation. Let me take you on a little trip down memory lane – more specifically to last year's first May trip.
I came driving along a promising forest road in search of a spot I had picked out in the Fricamp app. The mobile was sitting in a slightly too cheap suction cup holder attached to the windshield. The car shook in time with frost heaves and spring potholes. Right as I was about to glance at the screen to see whether I should take a right or left at a crossroads, I hit a real washboard. Smack! The mobile flew off the window, bounced via the dashboard and settled comfortably under the passenger seat. There I stood. In the middle of the forest, with no idea where the free camp spot was, while I was on my knees over the center console to fish out the phone.
Does that sound familiar? Fortunately, we can now put such episodes behind us.
Welcome to the dashboard: Fricamp enters Android Auto!
This month, we at Fricamp have the pleasure of rolling out an update we know extremely many of you have been waiting for. We have listened to the feedback, and now it is happening: Fricamp is officially launched for Android Auto!
What does this actually mean for you and me out on the road? Well, it means that the moment you sit in the car and connect your Android phone (either with a cable or wirelessly, depending on your car), the Fricamp app will be available right on the car's large infotainment screen. The app has been tailor-made for the car screen to give you the safest and most seamless experience when you are on the go.
Why this changes everything for free campers
Regardless of whether you are towing a light Camp-let or steering a large integrated motorhome, driving on narrow, Norwegian spring roads requires full concentration. Here are some of the reasons why the Android Auto version is going to become your new best friend:
- Safety first: You don't have to squint at a small mobile screen. With Fricamp on the car's integrated screen, you have the map at eye level and can keep your focus on the road. This is especially important now in May when the road shoulders can be soft from meltwater.
- The big picture: Car screens are constantly getting bigger and better. When you bring up the Fricamp map in full width, it is much easier to see the big picture. You can catch potential overnight spots several kilometers ahead on the route, just with a quick glance.
- Better interaction in the cockpit: If you are driving with a co-pilot, that person can now easily navigate on the large screen without having to lean over and tap your phone. (Which also drastically reduces the chance of marital arguments over map reading!).
- Tailored view: We have removed all unnecessary noise. On the car screen you see exactly what you need: The map, your position, and the well-known icons that show where the next free camp gem is hiding.
A new way to be spontaneous
What I personally love most about this update is how it encourages spontaneity. Free camping is fundamentally about freedom. It's about not necessarily knowing exactly where you are going to sleep when you turn the ignition in the morning.
With Fricamp safely anchored in the car's system, you can just cruise along. When the afternoon sun starts casting long shadows and your stomach rumbles for dinner on the camping stove, you just cast a glance at the screen. "Look there, two kilometers ahead there is a spot down by the river that has gotten good reviews for campervans and roof tents!" You press the icon on the car screen, and presto – you get the route directly to the spot.
How to get started
It is playfully easy to start using the new feature. Follow this simple recipe before this weekend's May trip:
- Make sure you have the very latest version of the Fricamp app downloaded from Google Play.
- Make sure Android Auto is updated on your phone.
- Sit in the car, start up, and connect your phone like you usually do.
- Go to the app menu on your car screen, and look for the beautiful Fricamp icon.
- Press, drive, and let the adventure begin!
A little May tip at the end
Now that the navigation is solved and the mobile lies safely in your pocket, all that remains is to enjoy the spring. But remember: May can be a treacherous month. Even if the sun is baking and the asphalt is dry, the dirt roads in the shaded areas can still have frost heaves, and the soil on the tempting grassy plains down by the water can be bottomless.
Today's tip: Use the new, gorgeous screen to find the spot, but use your head and eyes before you turn completely off the road. Stop the car (preferably on firm gravel), get out, and step a little on the ground where you intend to park. Is it soft? Especially for those of you with heavy motorhomes and campervans, it is incredibly easy to spin yourselves stuck in the spring mud. And nothing kills the free camp idyll faster than having to call the farmer with a tractor before you have even managed to fold up the roof tent or jack down the stabilizer jacks.
We on the Fricamp team are incredibly proud of this launch and hope it makes your trips even safer and more fun. (And to those of you with iPhones: We haven't forgotten you. Stay tuned, exciting things are underway in the apple orchard too!).
Drive safely, enjoy the big screen, and happy spring free camping!