Vandr

The super-app for van life. Find your co-pilot, build your caravan, and hire mobile builders to fix your rig—safely and intentionally.

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Inspiration

Van life is lonely. We built Vandr in direct response to Quin Gable’s brief about the isolation of life on the road.

Current social apps are broken for nomads. By the time you match with someone on Tinder, you’re already driving to the next state. Van-lifers don’t just need to know where people are now—they need to know where they are going.

On top of that, the community is fiercely protective. letting a stranger work on your electrical system or sleeping in a BLM spot near new people requires immense trust. We were inspired to build a platform that solves loneliness through better matching and safety through community verification.

What it does

Vandr is the ultimate co-pilot for the modern nomad. It connects the dots between location, trust, and community through four core features:

  1. Dual-Mode Matching (Dating vs. Friends):

    • Location Matching: See who is currently nearby for a quick coffee or climb.
    • Route Matching: This is the magic. Vandr analyzes your future itinerary and matches you with people who will be in the same place at the same time next week or next month.
    • The Toggle: Users can clearly switch between "Dating" and "Friends" modes to avoid mixed signals.

  2. The Builder Marketplace:

    • Building a rig is hard. Vandr creates a "Gig Economy" for van builds.
    • Users can post "Builder Requests" (e.g., "Help installing 400W Solar" or "Diesel Heater fix") and find verified experts nearby to come help.

  3. Trust & Safety (The Vouch System):

    • We built a gamified 4-Level Verification System to make meeting strangers safer:
      • Level 1: Email.
      • Level 2: Vehicle Photo (License plate check).
      • Level 3: ID Verification.
      • Level 4: "Community Vouched" (You must be endorsed by 3 other Level-3 members).
    • Crucial Detail: Only verified users can access the Builder network.

  4. Vandr Pro (Monetization):

    • Powered by RevenueCat, users can upgrade to unlock:
      • Ghost Mode: See others and find routes without revealing your live location on the map.
      • Unlimited Overlaps: See route matches further than 7 days out.
      • See Who Liked You: Instant access to admirers.

How we built it

We didn't just build a prototype; we built a functional full-stack application.

  • Mobile (Flutter): We used Flutter to ensure a smooth, high-performance experience on both iOS and Android. The UI uses glassmorphism and dark mode by default to match the modern "van life aesthetic."
  • The Brain (Backend): We built a custom Node.js backend with a PostGIS database. This allows us to actually calculate the complex geometry of two moving vehicles intersecting in the future, rather than just faking it on the phone.
  • RevenueCat: We used RevenueCat to handle all subscription logic. It was the "easy button" for monetization—we set up entitlements (vandr_pro) and webhooks that automatically sync a user's payment status with our database to unlock features like Ghost Mode instantly.

Challenges we ran into

  • The "Moving Target" Problem: Matching two static people is easy. Matching two people moving at 60mph in different directions is hard. We had to design a logic that looks at "Route Vectors" (Start Point → End Point + Dates) to find overlaps, rather than just GPS dots.
  • Designing for Trust: The hardest part wasn't code; it was human psychology. How do you make a solo female traveler feel safe using this app? We spent a lot of time refining the Vouch System—making trust a currency you have to earn, rather than something you just buy.
  • Map Clutter: Rendering hundreds of users, routes, and job posts on a map can look messy. We had to refine the UX to group items intelligently so the map remains beautiful and usable.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

  • It's Real: We moved beyond a simple UI demo. The app actually has a backend, it actually calculates route overlaps, and the RevenueCat integration actually processes purchases.
  • The "Vouch" Logic: We love the Community Vouched feature. It incentivizes users to meet in real life to verify each other, which strengthens the actual community fabric.
  • Seamless Monetization: The paywall feels natural. It doesn't block the core experience (finding friends), but offers genuine value (Ghost Mode privacy) for power users.
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