I cannot contain how excited I am with the app I’m about to share with you. I just learned about it and I want every single person who drives a Volkswagen bus to know about it!
It’s the VanAlert app and I think it is a really innovative way to connect with Kombi owners on the road. You see, its a community of helpers and a way to find help when you need it. There’s three main features, so lets check it out.
Stolen Vans
Now this is pretty cool and shows just how tight knit the VW community is. The VanAlert app features a listing of stolen Vanagons and VW buses. If you have your bus stolen, you can submit pictures and a description. There’s also a listing of people who have been reunited with their stolen buses. You can access a list of stolen buses through the “Home” menu option. To see a list of both stolen and recovered buses, you can select the “Stolen Vans” menu option.
Campsites
There are plenty of apps that list places you can sleep for in your bus. I don’t know if they are as cool as the way the VanAlert app does it, though. If you want to host VW’s either as a campsite or as a driveway, you can submit the details on the app. When you need a place to park and get some shut eye, you can simply go to “Driveway Camp Hosts”. This will list places you can park for the night or you can select “Camp Sites” for places to stay longer. The latter shows if places are paid or free, and you can even see places to shower if you just need a wash.
VW Repair
Now this is the feature that has me totally geeking out. There is a whole community of people willing to come rescue your ass if you break down! Filter by either “Vanagon Repair Shops” or “Bus Repair Shops” and you’ll find lists of shops that can work on your bus. You’ll also find people who are willing to come help you out if you’re stranded.
All of these features are map-based, so it will tell you exactly how far away you are from what you’re needing. This is helpful even if you’re trying to plan a drive or trip!
The last thing – this is a community-based app, which mean it requires the community to work right. If you or a loved one drive a VW, you can join their street team to help spread the word! Just fill out a little form on the app. Then, they’ll send you some business cards to leave behind on buses you come across in the wild.
Now, to be clear, I’m not affiliated with them and this is not sponsored, but also feel free to share this blog to get the word out!
You can get the app here for Apple, Android, and the web: Get the App
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