Frequently Asked Questions

1. Open the Zephyr app, or go to zephyr.travel and tap Launch App. Sign in. You need an account to calculate a route.
2. Make sure 🚛 RV Mode is selected.
3. Starting Point: type a place and pick it from the list, or tap 📍 to start from where you are.
4. Destination: type a place and pick it from the list.
5. Set your Departure Date and Departure Time. Zephyr works out the wind for when you'll actually be at each point.
6. Under RV Specifications, choose your RV type and enter its height, weight and length.
7. Tap Calculate Route.
8. In the Android app, tap Navigate with Zephyr for turn-by-turn directions.

Your route appears on the map within a few seconds, and the route card lists the checks still running:

• ⏳ Wind along your route… (when Show Wind Icons is ticked)
• ⏳ Hills and grades…
• ⏳ Low clearances… (when Avoid Low Clearances is ticked)
• ⏳ Fuel stops… (when Show Gas Stations is ticked)

Each turns into ✓ when it's done, for example ✓ Clearances checked. If a check couldn't run you'll see ⚠️, for example ⚠️ Couldn't check clearances. The list disappears 3 seconds after everything finishes.

After Calculate Route, the card sits over the map. In its small form it shows ▲ Route Summary, the distance · total time, and Navigate with Zephyr. Tap it to open it. Tap ✕ to shrink it again.

The open card shows:

• Distance and Drive Time, plus Total w/ Stops if you've added stops (30 minutes each).
• 🌬️ Wind: the average wind with a Low, Moderate or High badge, plus ⚠️ wind alerts when there are any.
• ⛰️ Elevation: the steepest grade with an Easy, Moderate or Challenging badge, plus ⚠️ steep sections over 4%. It says Not Available when grade data is missing.
• ⛽ Fuel Stops: how many stops you've added.
• 🛣️ Road: Smooth, Good, Fair or Rough. Tap Rough spots for the highway and mile markers.
• Show on map: tick or untick ⛽ Fuel, 💨 Wind and ⚠️ Clearances to show or hide those markers without recalculating, and pick which fuel stations to show.
• 🕐 Departure Time Pro: see Departure time.
• ▶ Preview Route in 3D: flies a tilted map along your route. Use ▶ Play / ⏸ Pause, tap the speed button to cycle from 0.5x to 5x, and tap ✕ Close to finish.
• Navigate with Zephyr: starts turn-by-turn in the Android app.
• 🚧 Report a Road Hazard: see Road hazards.

Yes. Go to zephyr.travel, click Launch App, sign in, and plan the same way.

On a computer, Navigate with Zephyr offers to take you to the Zephyr app on the Google Play Store, because turn-by-turn directions run in the Android app. To drive a trip you planned on your computer, save it and open it on your phone (see the next question).

• On your computer: after Calculate Route, click 💾 Save This Route below the trip summary and give the route a name, like "Denver to Moab".
• On your phone: open the Zephyr app, signed in to the same account. Tap ☰, then 🧭 Saved Routes, then Load next to your route. Zephyr fills in the plan and calculates the route again with the latest wind and road information. Then tap Navigate with Zephyr.

Zephyr saves your start, destination, departure date and time, and rig, not a fixed route, so the route is always worked out fresh. To remove a saved route, tap 🗑️ next to it.

On your phone, tap ☰, then ⭐ Favorites.

• Add one: type a label (like Home) and start typing the address, pick it from the list, then tap Add Favorite.
• Use one: tap From to make it your Starting Point, or To to make it your Destination.
• Remove one: tap 🗑️.

When you type a favorite's label into Starting Point or Destination, it shows at the top of the suggestions. Campgrounds you save with ⭐ Save to Favorites appear here too.

Car Mode plans a route the way an ordinary car would drive it, ignoring your rig's height, weight and length. Use it when you've unhitched and you're driving just the truck or tow car, for example into town. To use it, tap 🚗 Car Mode at the top of Route Planning.

In Car Mode, Zephyr turns off Avoid Low Clearances and doesn't check for low bridges, and turn-by-turn reroutes as a car too. Switch back to 🚛 RV Mode before you drive your RV.

1. In Route Planning, under Display Options, find Route Through a City.
2. Start typing a town or city and pick it from the list. It shows as a tag under the box. You can add more than one.
3. Tap Calculate Route. The route goes through each city you added.

To remove a city, tap × on its tag, then tap Calculate Route again. Cities stay on for every route you calculate until you remove them. If you go off route during turn-by-turn, the new route still goes through your cities (app version 1.3.2 or later). Without Pro, the box is greyed out and shows Upgrade to Pro.

1. Under Display Options, find Avoid a City.
2. Start typing a town or city and pick it from the list. It shows as a tag under the box.
3. Tap Calculate Route. The route stays out of that city.

You can only avoid a whole town or city. If you pick a street, address or landmark, Zephyr says Pick a town or city to avoid. If your start or destination is inside the city, Zephyr still gets you there. If you go off route during turn-by-turn, the new route still avoids the city (app version 1.3.2 or later). To stop avoiding a city, tap × on its tag and calculate again.

In the open route card (and under the route summary on a computer), drag 🕐 Departure Time to any time from 12 AM to 11:45 PM, in 15-minute steps, on your departure date.

Zephyr re-checks the wind for the same route at that time. The wind markers and the card's wind line update, and the card dims while it works. Your departure time changes to match. The route itself doesn't change.

Use it to find the calmest time to leave. Without Pro, the slider shows Upgrade to Pro instead.

1. Calculate your route.
2. Tap a fuel station or campground on the map.
3. Tap ➕ Add as Stop (+ Add as Stop on a campground).

Zephyr works out the route again so it goes through your stops in order, and turn-by-turn follows that route. Each stop adds 30 minutes to Total w/ Stops on the route card, and the wind is re-checked for the later arrival times. On a computer, the trip summary lists your trip from Start through each ⛽ stop to the 🏁 Destination.

To take a stop off, tap it on the map and tap ✕ Remove Stop. The route is worked out again without it.

• 🚛A stop from Zephyr's own list of RV-friendly stations.
• 🚛An RV-friendly station.
• ⛽A regular station.

Tap a station to see:

• how many travelers report pull-through access, or ✓ RV-Friendly
• 📍 how far it is from your start, and 🏁 how far it is from your destination
• the exit and amenities (diesel, RV Dump, propane, restrooms and more)
• the address and phone number
• ➕ Add as Stop / ✕ Remove Stop and ✓ Rate this stop for RVs

Use the Show on map choices on the route card to pick which stations appear.

Sign in, tap the station on the map, then tap ✓ Rate this stop for RVs. Answer Yes or No to Is it currently open?, Pull-through access for RVs? and Does it have diesel?, then tap Submit Verification.

Stations then show how many travelers report pull-through access, and well-rated stations show ✓ RV-Friendly — confirmed by [number] travelers.

Only report when it's safe: pull over first, or ask a passenger.

1. Sign in and calculate a route, then tap 🚧 Report a Road Hazard on the route card.
2. Choose the type: 🚧 Road Damage, ⚠️ Low Clearance (add the height if you know it), 🌬️ Wind Advisory, ⛽ Fuel Stop Issue, 🏔️ Grade Warning, 🪨 Debris/Rockfall, 🚗 Accident or ✅ All Clear.
3. Add a short note if you like.
4. Tap 📍 Report where I am (on a phone) to report it where you are now, or 🗺️ Pick the spot on the map and tap where it is.

After you calculate a route, hazards reported within about a mile of it show on the map with their emoji, for example 🪨. Tap one for the note and how long ago it was reported.

Reports disappear on their own: accidents after 2 hours, wind after 3 hours, all clear after 6 hours, debris and fuel stop issues after 24 hours, road damage after 7 days, and grade warnings after 30 days. Low-clearance reports stay.

• Zephyr gets the wind forecast for points along your route at the time you'll actually be there, based on your departure date and time.
• It compares that with wind limits for your RV type, adjusted for your rig. Taller, lighter and longer rigs get lower limits.
• Forecasts only reach 5 days ahead. For a trip further out, calculate the route again within 5 days of leaving.
• Pro: drag the Departure Time slider to see the wind at other times of day, and get live wind and spoken crosswind warnings while you navigate.

Each wind marker on the map shows the wind speed and the time you'll be there:

• 12 mph2:30 PMSafe
• 26 mph3:15 PMCaution
• 33 mph4:00 PMDangerous
• !26 mph3:15 PMThe windiest point on your route

Tap a marker for gusts and direction. The full method is on the Wind Safety Thresholds page.

In 🚛 RV Mode, with Avoid Low Clearances ticked (it's on by default):

1. Zephyr plans the route with truck routing that uses your rig's size.
2. It checks the route against its database of low bridges, overpasses and other height limits.
3. If the recommended route goes under something lower than your rig, Zephyr switches to another route option without one, when there is one. Otherwise it warns you.

Enter your rig's height to its highest point, including the AC unit and antennas. The database can't include every height limit, so always obey posted height signs.

On the planning map, a circle marks each clearance:

• ⚠️WILL NOT FIT: lower than your rig.
• ⚠️VERY TIGHT: less than 6 inches to spare.
• ⚠️TIGHT FIT: less than 12 inches to spare.

Tap one for the clearance, your rig height and the margin. On a computer, a banner under the route summary lists them.

While navigating (Android app), a road sign shows the height:

• A low clearance ahead.
• Your rig won't fit.

Spoken Pro: about 3 miles before each one, Zephyr says "Low clearance ahead. [height] at [place]. Your rig is [height]."

If Zephyr couldn't check clearances on a route, it tells you: "Couldn't check low clearances on this route — watch for height signs."

After you calculate a route, Zephyr shows campgrounds within about 15 miles of it on the map:

• 🏕️More amenities.
• 🏕️Fewer amenities.
• 30-amp or bigger RV hookups.

Filters Pro: in the planner under 🏕️ Campground Filters, tick what you need: Full Hookups, Pull-Through, Showers, WiFi, Pets or Dump Station. Set Max Rig (filled in from your rig length). Choose to sort by Distance or Rating, and tap Apply Filters.

In Australia, Zephyr shows caravan parks. National park campgrounds and free camps aren't included yet.

Tap a campground on the map to see its type, hookups, maximum rig length, amenities and price notes. The amenities are shown as ⚡ Electric, 💧 Water, 🚰 Sewer, ↔️ Pull-Thru, 🚿 Showers, 🚻 Restrooms, 🚽 Dump Station, 🥤 Potable Water, 📶 WiFi, 🐕 Pet Friendly, and 🔥 Campfires or 🚫 No Fires. Then:

Australian caravan parks also show 🏊 Pool, 🍳 Camp Kitchen and 🧺 Laundry where the park lists them, and a 📞 phone number you can tap to call.

• Reserve / Check Rates → opens the campground's own website to check availability and book. Only some campgrounds have this link.
• + Add as Stop fits it into this trip (see adding a stop).
• ⭐ Save to Favorites Pro keeps it in Favorites, so later you can tap To to plan a drive there.

Sign in, tap the campground on the map, then tap ✓ Been here? Verify this info to confirm the details are right. Once 3 travelers have verified it, it shows ✓ Verified instead of Unverified.