Shady Side for Van Life shows when the sun will reach your van’s sliding door at your exact spot, for whichever way you park. Turn the van on the compass, watch the door’s sun hours change, and park the way that suits the day: sun in the door on a cold morning, or shade all afternoon on a hot one.
Free version on the App Store for iPhone (iOS 17 or later), with a one-time $4.99 upgrade to Pro. There’s no Android version yet, but there’s more about that below.
Why I built it
I live full time in a Ram ProMaster with two cats, and one of the simplest ways to stay comfortable in the van is choosing which way I park. On a cold morning in the mountains, I want sun coming in the sliding door. On a 95 degree afternoon, I want that door in the shade so the cats and I can stay cool. For a long time I guessed, or stood outside squinting at the sky, and I often got it wrong.
The sun’s path is predictable. If you know your location and the date, you can work out where it will be at any moment. So I made the tool I wanted: point your phone the way the van’s nose points, and see when the sun will come in the door today. Then I added a few things I kept wishing for, like finding which way to point for shade between 1 and 5 PM, or where to aim a portable solar panel.
I’m an SEO and content writer by trade, not a programmer. This is my first app. I built it in the van, tested it in the van, and I use it every time I pick a spot.
What it does
Free version
- Live compass with today’s sun path drawn over it
- When the sun comes in the sliding door for your heading, updated as you turn
- The van’s shadow on the ground, so you can see which side is in shade and when
- Real van dimensions (Ram ProMaster presets, or enter your own), so a high sun that only lights the outside wall doesn’t count as sun in the door
- An awning option
Pro (one-time $4.99, no subscription)
- Find heading: tell it when you’d like sun in the door, or shade, and it shows you which way to point the nose
- Solar panels: best aim and tilt for a portable panel, set once or re-aimed morning, midday, and afternoon
- Plan ahead: scrub to 7 AM tomorrow, next week, or the winter solstice before you pick a spot
- Sun by side: a sun and shade timeline for every face of the van
Privacy
Everything is calculated on your phone using NOAA’s solar position equations. There’s no account, no tracking, and no ads, and nothing leaves your device. It works without a signal, which is handy when you’re parked somewhere lovely and remote. The privacy policy is short because there’s nothing to collect.
Android
For now, Shady Side is iPhone only. The Android version is built and working, but before it can go public, Google Play asks new developers to run a two week closed test with at least 12 testers. If you’re on Android and would like to help test it, get in touch and I’ll add you to the list.
Questions or bugs
You can email me at tee@teecorleytravels.com. I read everything. If the door times look wrong where you’re parked, I’d really like to know, especially if you can tell me your van model and which way you were facing.