Vanly

Vanly is the invite-only app connecting van lifers and nomads to date fellow travelers, find activity buddies, and get paid van-building help—all in a safe, verified community.

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Inspiration

The van life movement has exploded in recent years, with millions of people embracing the freedom of life on the road. Yet despite this growing community, there was no dedicated platform that truly understood the unique needs of nomads. Traditional dating apps don't account for the transient lifestyle. Finding trusted van builders means sifting through endless online forums. And connecting with fellow travelers often relies on chance encounters at campgrounds.

I asked myself: What if there was a digital home for the van life community? A place where you could find romance with someone who shares your wanderlust, build friendships with fellow road warriors, and connect with verified experts who can help you build your dream home on wheels.

That's how Vanly was born—where the road meets your tribe.

What It Does

Vanly is a comprehensive mobile platform designed exclusively for the van life community:

  • Invite-Only Community — A curated, authentic community of real van lifers through an exclusive invite code system
  • Dating & Friendship — Swipe-based matching with smart filters for location, interests, and travel style. Find romance or your next travel buddy
  • Builders Hub — Connect with verified van conversion experts, browse portfolios, read reviews, and request quotes
  • Real-Time Messaging — Instant chat with photo and location sharing, read receipts, and typing indicators
  • Rich Profiles — Showcase your nomad status, van details with photos, hobbies, and travel plans

How I Built It

I designed and built Vanly using a modern, cross-platform tech stack optimized for performance and developer experience:

  • Framework: React Native with Expo SDK
  • Language: TypeScript for type-safe development
  • Navigation: Expo Router with file-based routing
  • Backend: Supabase for Auth, PostgreSQL Database, and File Storage
  • Payments: RevenueCat for iOS & Android in-app purchases
  • State Management: React Context API with custom hooks
  • Styling: Custom design system with consistent brand colors

My development process followed these key principles:

  1. Mobile-First Design — Every screen designed for touch interactions and on-the-go usage
  2. Offline-Ready Architecture — Local storage with AsyncStorage and SecureStore for sensitive data
  3. Seamless Authentication — Multiple auth methods including Google OAuth, and email/password
  4. Real-Time Features — Leveraging Supabase's realtime subscriptions for instant messaging

Challenges I Faced

1. OAuth Integration Complexity

Implementing Apple, Facebook, Twitter(X), Microsoft OAuth across both iOS and Android required careful handling of platform-specific flows. I had to manage native auth sessions, handle callback URLs, and gracefully extract user profile data (name, photo) from different providers.

2. Image Upload Reliability

Getting profile and van image uploads to work reliably across platforms was challenging. I encountered timeout issues that blocked navigation, and had to implement a robust solution with proper error handling, 10-second timeouts, and platform-specific FormData approaches (using ArrayBuffer for iOS).

3. Cross-Platform Consistency

Ensuring a consistent user experience across iOS, Android, and web required extensive testing. I faced issues with animations, keyboard handling, and navigation transitions that behaved differently on each platform.

4. State Persistence During Onboarding

My 7-step onboarding flow needed to persist user progress even if they closed the app. I implemented a hybrid approach with local storage for onboarding steps while syncing critical data to Supabase.

5. Subscription Management

Integrating RevenueCat for in-app purchases required handling complex edge cases: restoring purchases, managing subscription states, and gracefully degrading features for free users.

Accomplishments I'm Proud Of

  • Built a fully functional cross-platform app with a polished, native feel
  • Implemented a complete authentication system with Google
  • Created an intuitive 7-step onboarding that captures rich user profiles
  • Designed a beautiful, consistent UI with custom amber-themed design system
  • Successfully integrated subscription payments for monetization

What I Learned

  • Expo SDK is incredibly powerful for building production-ready React Native apps
  • Supabase provides an excellent developer experience for backend services
  • TypeScript catches countless bugs before they reach production
  • The importance of progressive disclosure in onboarding flows
  • How to handle platform-specific quirks in mobile development

What's Next for Vanly

  • Events & Meetups — Organize and discover van life gatherings
  • Map Integration — Find and share camping spots, dump stations, and fellow vanners nearby
  • Video Profiles — Short intro videos to better showcase personalities
  • Group Caravans — Coordinate travel with other vanners
  • Builder Verification System — Enhanced vetting process with portfolio reviews
  • Push Notifications — Real-time alerts for matches and messages

Built With

  • affinity-designer
  • api
  • asyncstorage
  • authentication
  • figma
  • local
  • native
  • revenuecat
  • supabase
  • typescript
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