Is It A Boat, Is It A Caravan? Introducing The Sealander

Ok, so it is not actually a motorhome – it is a cross between a caravan and a boat. But this neatly-executed idea from German company Sealander is actually going into production and could be quite neat, especially when larger versions are available.

The Sealander is 389cm (12′ 9″) long and is powered by a 5 horsepower electric motor when it’s afloat. When it is on land, it is small and light enough (550kg-750kg) to be towed by a fairly small car – a VW Golf or Ford Focus, for example.

The Sealander is made from a one-piece moulded GRFP (Glass Reinforced Fibre Polymer) body, a material better known as fibre composite. The example in the pictures is a prototype but the Sealander is expected to go into production in 2012 costing around €15,000.

For that, buyers will get a properly-specified small two-berth caravan, including heater, table, cooker, sink, fridge, optional Porta Potti and seating/beds for two people. The Sealander will also have a rather nifty cabriolet-style fabric roof and will of course include an electric motor with rechargeable battery for use in boat mode.

I think it sounds rather neat, although it could be one of those things that does not have many practical uses – I don’t imagine it could stand rough seas nor travel very far on its rechargeable battery. It could work very well for lake fishing, however – leave your campsite pitch in the morning, hit the lake, then return at night, when you can plug in to mains electricity to recharge the motor battery.

Here are a few more pictures: