Built an app for overlanders to find each other on the road — Android APK in comments, looking for real feedback
I've been obsessed with one problem for a while: you're out on a trail or a remote highway, you pass another rig that looks like it's been everywhere — overlander stickers, roof tent, the works — and five seconds later they're gone. No way to connect.
So I built something.
RoadMates is an app where travelers share their GPS location alongside their license plate. When you're on the road, you can see other RoadMates near you on a live map — their vehicle type, their plate, their flag. Tap them, send a wave, or invite them to meet at a nearby spot (gas station, trailhead, restaurant). No algorithm, no social feed. Just a live map of people actually moving.
What it does right now:
- Live map showing nearby travelers (cars, trucks, vans, RVs, caravans, motorcycles)
- Filter the map by vehicle type — so you can see only other overlanders, only vanlifers, etc.
- Send a wave (ephemeral ping, nothing stored)
- Share your GPS or a point of interest as a meetup spot
- Plate-based identity — you're your vehicle, not your username
- Works with Google login or email
What it doesn't do yet:
- iOS (Android only for now)
- In-app chat (intentional for now — keeping it simple)
- No social profiles, no followers, no algorithm
I ride solo a lot. The idea is not to replace the community you build over time — it's to make accidental connections possible. The person you'd have never met otherwise.
APK link + install instructions in the comments. Android only, side-load required (takes 2 minutes).
Honest question for this community: does this solve a real problem for you, or is part of the culture deliberately not connecting? I'm genuinely curious before I build further.