OSM based camping app, looking for feedback & tips on how to handle OSM data

General talk
1

Hello everyone,

im an avid camper and grew frustrated enough with available apps for finding camping spots, that I started to build my own.

The main idea is finding camping areas or overnight spots for RVs/vans based on filters.

The foundation of all the available spots is OSM which then gets enriched in the app. I also encourage users to contribute back to OSM by prominent links. So far only europe is available.

I would love to get some general feedback about the app and also some information/tips on how to handle OSM, I learned an App writing back directly is not wanted by the project, thats why I just read from OSM and provide the users with links to all the OSM nodes the app uses to contribute themselves.

All core features of the map & search are and always will be free ofcourse.

2

Having the app edit directly is acceptable as long as you do it right. From looking at the mistakes of other apps, the important things would be:

  1. Users edit using individual accounts, not a single shared account for all users of the app.
  2. You provide a way for feedback (changeset comments, messages, and blocks) to be shown to the users.
  3. The editing interface is designed in a way that doesn’t require knowledge of OpenStreetMap to use correctly.
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3

Are you aware of https://www.opencampingmap.org/ ?

4

I have seen that yes, it looks nice for research/planning before a trip. I’m more focusing on mobile and I feel like my enhancement layer of comments, ratings, “current state” updates and such on top of the OSM data could be worth it.

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5

The app looks nice and I am sure I will find it useful.

One issue I can see is whilst it is mostly an English UI, there are a few German words such as Stell. Translate on duckduckgo gave Stell Platz as Pitch but I really don’t understand it in this context, a tent also goes on a pitch.

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6

Is the plan to eventually extend it worldwide, or stay in Europe only?

7

I see no reason not to go worldwide, i just limited to europe for now because I was and still kind of am fiddling so much with the OSM data import/mapping to my internal data layer. Just makes it easier to not constantly having to handle huge OSM files

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8

First full world import just ran.

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9

Thanks!

How frequently will updates run?

Couple of questions.

Places come up as RV site / campsite etc “Unknown” - what does unknown refer to?

& I also notice the list of conditions, which I assume refer to:

Surface - grass / concrete etc?

Noise - how noisy / quiet the site is?

Cell - is there mobile signal?

Max length - max length of caravans / motorhomes?

Max height - max height of caravans / motorhomes?

Status - ???

Some of these are features that can’t be mapped in OSM, so I don’t know where that info is going to come from?

10

Thats exactly what the additional data layer is I was mentioning before. I pull what I can from OSM and merge into my database while keeping the reference to the original OSM object. Then more community oriented things like current situation at the spot, comments and such are added.

The first unknown you see is likely the price.

the rest you assumed correct. Status was like a private/official thing I was trying to show, but thats not really implemented currently.

The rest are fields that can be added during check-ins/reviews by users, see this spot for example: Kartodromo | Bivouac

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11

Certainly is from that example.

12

One issue I have spotted is that you pick up sanitary_dump_station=yes but not =customers. I assume that applies to other tags too.

As a none American I am confused by what a RV actually is, maybe stick to the OSM tags.

From an OSM point of view we are missing a lot of tags. Things like toilets and showers which are a given on European campsites so aren’t seen as something important when mapping.

13

Thanks for the feedback, will see how to include the customers tags and make the naming more clear.
I dont understand what you mean by the last part? I do show towers, toilets and such

14

Just spotted this one Parking Spot | Bivouac which is the designated caravan parking area inside a gated residential estate Way: 1413630225 | OpenStreetMap .

It’s not a “camping site” as such as you can’t camp there, it’s just for residents to store their caravan.

Not sure how you’d like to handle that?

(& please, don’t take any of this as criticism - I’m loving the site! :+1:)

15

Interesting, thanks for the feedback. That combination of OSM tags makes it slip through my filter. Best way would probably be to completely ignore all access=private spots

16

For what reason, for example, is this motorhome site not being displayed?
https://osm.org/go/0JMeWsLg--?layers=CN&way=942510048

17

Looks like its dropped because of the explicit motorcar=no tag. I might have to be less restrictive for designated caravan_sites. Will be included soon after I cleanup the filter logic. Kind of strange to tag it like that on OSM side though tbh. But I’m not experienced enough about mapping in OSM

18

Although that would then block “members-only” sites?

19

Yes probably, but are people that are a club member somewhere really the target audience for an app like this?
People would use this to find camping/overnight spots in unfamiliar areas

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20

I don’t think that should be there, no?