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.
![Sealander Caravan and Boat Sealander Caravan and Boat](https://r54646.n3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/sealander-1-sm.jpg)
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:
![Sealander caravan with open front hatch Sealander caravan with open front hatch](https://r54646.n3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/sealander-2-sm.jpg)
![Sealander can be towed by a small car Sealander can be towed by a small car](https://r54646.n3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/sealander-3-sm.jpg)
![Inside the Sealander Caravan / Boat Inside the Sealander Caravan / Boat](https://r54646.n3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/sealander-4-sm.jpg)
![Sealander afloat Sealander afloat](https://r54646.n3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/sealander-5-sm.jpg)