Apr 8, 2020

The 'Boaterhome' is Half Van, Half Boat, and Totally Awesome

By: Scott Way

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We've covered boating's strange fascination with the boat/RV hybrid before, but the 'Boaterhome' is the epitome of the concept. A rare truck/boat hybrid produced in the 80's and based on the Ford Econoline van, only 21 were ever produced. John Ortlieb from Las Vegas, Nevada has not one, but two of the legendary Boaterhomes to his name and they are totally awesome. He inherited the first from his father and kept it close to its original design which included a full galley, head/shower, and a king size bed. At 36 feet long it can travel up to 40 mph on water and over 100 mph on land (and has a wicked matching paint scheme to boot). The second Boaterhome is John's 'open concept' and is still in progress; his dream being to convert to a 'smart' boat operated by a phone. Not only does the Boaterhome perform impressively on water, it also serves as a party bus on the Las Vegas strip. Check out the video below to see John's story and how he's turned his Boaterhome into one of the coolest boat/home/vehicle hybrids that you've ever seen.