Quick Start
Start HerePlan your first route in under two minutes:
Visit console.groq.com, sign up free (no credit card), create an API key. See the API Key guide.
Paste into the GROQ API KEY field at the top. Status turns green and the bar auto-collapses after 1.5 seconds.
Type your START — autocomplete suggests matching Australian towns as you type. Add your END and any + Add Via Town stops.
Pick overnight accommodation type, tick POIs, set traveller toggles, enter departure date and max daily km if needed.
Click Plan My Route. Expand any day card and tap ↗ Drive A → B or scan the ▣ QR Code.
Getting Your Free Groq API Key
RequiredThis app uses Groq to power AI route planning. Groq's free tier covers thousands of plans per day — no credit card required.
Sign up with Google, GitHub, or email. No credit card.
Name it RV Route Planner and click Submit.
It starts with gsk_ and appears only once — copy it immediately.
The bar auto-collapses. Your key is saved in the browser for next time.
Planning a Route
Fill in the left panel before clicking Plan My Route.
Big Lap, Regional Loop, Coastal Run, or Custom. Pre-fills sensible defaults.
The AI uses this for seasonal advice, wet season warnings, and timing recommendations.
Optional km/day limit — the AI will not create legs longer than this.
Sets road capability, beach access, and 4WD track suggestions automatically.
Free Camp / Caravan Park / Hotel-Motel / Mixed. Affects POI suggestions and the budget estimate.
Free text — solar setup, fuel range, attractions, health considerations, anything.
Waypoints & Via Towns
Add towns to drive through — the AI creates a separate leg for each segment.
Autocomplete filters 500+ Australian locations as you type — including hinterland towns (Yandina, Maleny, Montville), outback stops (Birdsville, Daly Waters, Innamincka), and remote WA (Monkey Mia, Coral Bay, Gibb River Road). Include the state: Gladstone QLD.
Click + Add Via Town. Each creates a separate leg. Example: Gladstone → Clermont → Townsville creates two legs.
If end = start, the app detects a Loop Route — distance is shown once (not doubled) with a 🔄 badge. The AI is also told not to double-count.
Default start: Click ☆ Set Default on the START row to save your home base. Pre-fills automatically on every new session and restores after clearing a trip.
Overnight Stops
NewTwo ways to control where the AI plans overnight stops:
Method 1 — Mark a waypoint town as overnight:
Every via town and the end destination has a 🌙 button. Click to toggle it as an overnight stop — becomes a solid 🌙 Night Stop pill. The AI prompt receives the towns listed and ensures leg endpoints land there with appropriate accommodation.
Method 2 — Pin a specific POI as overnight:
Click a leg to open it.
The POI row turns indigo-tinted with a 🌙 Overnight badge on the name.
Clicking another POI moves the pin. Click the pinned one to unpin.
Travelling With
NewSix toggle chips that add specific context to every AI request:
| Toggle | What it tells the AI |
|---|---|
| 🐕 Dogs | Dog-friendly camps and beaches, leash rules at national parks |
| 🐱 Cats | Pet-friendly stops; quarantine zone notes |
| 👧 Kids | Family-friendly activities, safe swimming, shorter legs |
| 🧍 Solo | Camps with other travellers, good phone coverage, safety notes |
| 👫 Couple | Couple-focused suggestions, scenic and romantic stops |
| ♿ Accessible | Sealed paths, accessible facilities, avoid rough terrain |
Points of Interest
Tick what you want — the AI includes each selected category in every leg. 15 categories total:
| Icon | Category | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| ⛺ | Free Camps | WikiCamps, rest areas, station stays, bush camping |
| 🏕️ | Caravan Parks | Powered sites, holiday parks, showgrounds with facilities |
| 🌿 | National Parks | National parks and conservation areas |
| 🚿 | Dump Points | Grey and black water disposal stations |
| ⛽ | Fuel Stops | Service stations and roadhouses with fuel |
| 🍳 | Roadhouses | Outback roadhouses and country diners |
| 🏔️ | Lookouts | Scenic lookouts, gorges, viewpoints |
| 💧 | Swimming | Swimming holes, waterholes, lagoons |
| 🍷 | Wineries | Cellar doors, local produce markets |
| 🛤️ | 4WD Tracks | Off-road routes — auto-enabled when 4WD rig selected |
| 🏛️ | Heritage | Historic sites, museums, missions |
| 🚰 | Water Refill | Fresh water taps and tank refill points |
| 🏟️ | Showgrounds | Showgrounds and saleyards with overnight caravan camping |
| 🌊 | Waterfalls | Waterfalls and gorges |
| 🏖️ | Beaches | Coastal access — adapted to rig (4WD rigs get beach driving; caravans get sealed access only) |
Each POI has: 🌙 overnight pin · 📍 Maps search link · × delete. POIs are never shown at your origin/departure town.
Rig Capability Intelligence
NewRoad advice, POI descriptions, and warnings adapt automatically based on your rig. A badge appears under Rig Type:
| Rig | Badge | Roads | 4WD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caravan | 🛣️ Sealed | Sealed + graded gravel | ❌ |
| Motorhome | 🛣️ Sealed | Sealed preferred; watch height/weight | ❌ |
| Campervan | 🔀 Gravel OK | Sealed + most graded gravel | ❌ |
| Ute Canopy / Swag | 🛤️ 4WD Capable | All terrain — sandy, creek crossings | ✅ Full — auto-enables 4WD Tracks POI |
| Ute + Caravan (4WD) | 🛤️ 4WD Capable | Graded unsealed + light 4WD — caravan limits extreme terrain | ✅ Light 4WD |
| 5th Wheeler | 🛣️ Sealed | Sealed only — check height, width, bridge limits | ❌ |
| Pop-top | 🛣️ Sealed | Sealed + well-maintained gravel | ❌ |
Vehicle & Fuel Calculator
OptionalYour vehicle profile saves automatically and reloads next visit — no need to re-enter every time.
Click ⬇ Import from LogMyJourney — reads L/100km, tank size, and fuel type from the same browser. Profile saved automatically.
Click ✏️ Enter Manually — L/100km, tank size, fuel type, rig name. Also saves automatically.
A regional estimate appears based on your start location (e.g. $2.85/L for Birdsville, $2.10/L for Brisbane). Adjust to your actual price and hit ↻ Recalculate or press Enter.
Towing penalty: If LogMyJourney detects a caravan/towing setup, +35% is applied to fuel consumption. Shown on the vehicle pill.
Regional price estimates — update automatically when your start location changes:
| Region | Diesel | Unleaded |
|---|---|---|
| Very Remote (Birdsville, Uluru, Halls Creek) | $2.85 | $2.75 |
| Outback (Alice Springs, Mt Isa, Broome) | $2.55 | $2.45 |
| Far North QLD / NT (Cairns, Darwin) | $2.35–2.40 | $2.28–2.32 |
| Regional (Townsville, Ballarat, Dubbo) | $2.22–2.25 | $2.15–2.18 |
| Metro (Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne) | $2.10 | $2.05 |
Trip Budget Estimator
NewAfter planning, a green Trip Budget Estimate card shows a cost breakdown for the whole trip.
| Cost | How calculated |
|---|---|
| Fuel | Your L/100km × total km × fuel price (estimates 15L/100km if no vehicle set) |
| Accommodation | Free Camp = $0 · Caravan Park = $55/night · Hotel/Motel = $160/night · Mixed = $28/night |
| Food | $45/person/day self-catering — scales with traveller count |
| Activities | $20/day for entry fees and attractions |
Google Maps Links
Clean A→B driving directions for that leg. Tap on mobile to launch Maps navigation directly.
All via towns as waypoints in one link. Google Maps supports max 8 waypoints.
Opens a Google Maps search for that place — shows photos, hours, and reviews.
Scan with phone camera to open Maps. Plan on laptop at camp, scan in the morning.
QR Codes
Handy on the RoadA modal opens with the leg's Maps URL encoded as a QR code.
Tap the banner → opens Google Maps navigation. No typing required.
Click ⬇ Save QR to download — print it or share to a travel companion.
AI Chat
The AI Chat tab lets you ask follow-up questions. The input bar is at the top — type and press Enter or click Send. The AI has full context of your planned route.
Things to ask:
"Is there enough fuel between Camooweal and Tennant Creek?"
"Which free camps near Longreach allow dogs off-leash?"
"Is the Gibb River Road suitable for a 7.5m caravan in June?"
"Leaving in April — clockwise or counter-clockwise for the Kimberley?"
Pre-Departure Checklist
NewThe ✅ Checklist tab has 40 items across 7 sections. Progress saves automatically and survives page reloads.
| Section | Items |
|---|---|
| 🚐 Rig & Vehicle | Service, tyres, bearings, brakes, lights, hitches, seals (10) |
| ⚡ Power & Water | Solar, batteries, gas, fresh water, grey water (7) |
| 📄 Documents & Insurance | Registration, insurance, roadside assist, towing compliance, licences, Medicare (7) |
| 🧰 Safety & Emergency | PLB, UHF radio, first aid, fire extinguisher, spare tyre, recovery gear, water, snake kit (8) |
| 📱 Navigation & Tech | Hema Maps, Fuel Map app, satellite comms, dashcam, backup nav (6) |
| 🍳 Kitchen & Supplies | Fridge, pantry, cooking gear, dump hose, water hose, spares kit (6) |
| 🐕 Pets | Vaccinations, registration, food, dog-friendly research, tick prevention (5) |
Items tagged urgent are safety-critical. Items tagged important are highly recommended. Click Reset (top right of checklist) to start fresh.
Export & Share
Downloads a .md file with your itinerary — open in Obsidian, Notion, or any text editor. Filename includes the date in DD-MM-YYYY format.
Raw structured route data for importing into other apps or integrations.
Full itinerary as plain text to clipboard — paste into messages, email, or notes.
Opens the browser print dialog with a clean print layout — all day cards expanded, nav hidden. Save as PDF from the dialog.
Generates a URL with your full plan encoded. Anyone opening it gets the route loaded. No server or account needed.
Resets route, chat, fuel, budget, overnight pins and waypoints. Keeps your saved default start and vehicle profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
rv_groq_key. Sent only to Groq's servers when planning. Never share it publicly.triplog_settings from the same browser and device. Vehicle profile saves automatically and reloads next visit.☕ Buy me a coffee