Amphibious RV Explores Land and Water

We’ve got campers for land and boats for water, but few mass manufactured motorhomes (or motorboats) are equally suited for both environments. Combining the utility of a four-wheeled boat trailer with parts of a conventional cross-country airstream, this unusual aquatic camper design has deeper meaning than is evidence on the surface.

In fact, the dual purpose Thansadet’s rather bland and boxy vintage-inspired design inherently proposes to democratize waterways for ordinary vacationers. As a (relatively) cheap buy or rental, it creates sale-priced possibilities to reach remote locations normally accessible only to someone with a luxury yacht or sailboat. Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing to you probably depends on whether you are able to enjoy the exclusivity that comes with wealth.

There is no attempt to make a streamlined project for jet-setting speedsters. Rather, the focus is on a livable floating space to accommodate up to a family of five. It is merely designed for short and slow trips on the sea or simplified pop-up-style camping on land.

Travelers are used to seeing unrealistic images of their would-be destinations – cropped and Photoshopped pictures that mislead them into believing a resort is truly isolated. In this case, though, the amphibious camper idea holds water (metaphorically), as it is easy to imagine truly escaping in such a vehicle along watery roads less traveled (assuming issues of salt, dirt, weather and wear can be addressed should this ever be built).
With a little bit of a design upgrade, this RV-boat-hybrid concept could easily be taken up by one of the major recreational vehicle manufacturers and made into a real product sold individually or as fleets to hot vacation spots around the world. Add a retractable awning and a more expandable deck and you’ve got a winning idea that millions of travelers would love to test out, reminiscent of the giant “duck boats” seen in cities like Boston.