Ten years ago, we saw an amphibious motorhome that did not hide the fact that it was a bus that swims. As it turns out, in a time way before the birth of Terra Wind, there was a similar concept called “Boaterhome” coming from an Idaho outfit called Highwave Boaterhome 2000.
Called Boaterhome, it wasn’t an amphibious vehicle like Terra Wind, though. It was a part van, part boat. It was essentially a Ford Econoline van with a boat in tow. The Ford van had a modified rear end that allows a boat to seamlessly integrated into it. The result is one limousine-like vehicle that did not quite look like it was also a boat. The only giveaway that it is a boat (also), was the oh-so-a-boat propeller at the back. Very clever.
Part of the van’s modification includes reconfiguring the drive type to front-wheel drive as opposed to the original’s rear-wheel-drive since the rear was too long to be practical to serve as its drive. In other words, more than half of the vehicle was essentially a trailer.
In fact, Highwave Boaterhome 2000 referred to the van part as ‘the hauler’. That could not be any more truer since the boat part was where all the RV stuff is. Speaking of which, the boat features a living/sleeping area, a fully kitted out kitchen, and a bathroom complete with a shower, as well as the boat’s helm.
As a land-going RV, users are able to move freely from the van to the boat when the two were as one. When there is a water body with a proper ramp or inclination, all the user has to do is to back it into the water and launched the boat for a water-based camper experience.
As a boat, the original 80s Boaterhome makes 40 mph (on 64 km/h or about 35 knots) on water and a respectable 100 mph (160 km/h) on land. But you probably wouldn’t want to go that fast on land. Just saying…
The first Boaterhome was built in the 80s and there are just 21 in existence today. The company, Highwave Boaterhome 2000, appears not to be in existence today. However, if you are curious to learn more, you can find its website archived HERE with all the original details, including specifications of both the hauler and the cruiser (i.e. the boat).
Images: YouTube (Barcroft Cars).
via designboom.
