Sealander Schwimmcaravan

What do you get when you cross a caravan with a boat? No, this isn’t a joke, it’s a serious question and the forehead-slappingly clever Sealander Schwimmcaravan (you do the translation) is the frankly unlikely punchline.

Built in Germany, this amphibious camping trailer can be towed like any other middle lane bothering caravan. But drive to a lake or any other expanse of relatively calm water and you can back it in to the wet wobbly stuff and enjoy the tranquil surroundings as you bob around, propelled by a 5hp electric motor which doubles up as a source of energy for various on-board mod cons. Wunderbar!

Just like any other caravan?

Roll the roof back on a nice day

Sail effortlessly across the lake

Don’t get any ideas about crossing the Atlantic because the Schwimmcaravan is strictly for use on shallow inland stretches. But that’s not to say this state-of-the-art mash-up isn’t as comfortable on water as it is on land. Its reinforced fibreglass shell has a double hull, so in the unlikely event that the outer shell springs a leak, only the sub-floor fills with water. And the band plays on…

Just think, with this luxe baby hooked up to your car you can settle down for a night at the campsite and then amaze fellow campers in the morning by going for a cruise on the lake. Onlookers won’t know whether to applaud you or throw you a life ring.

Along with a removable roof, the Schwimmcaravan comes complete with a cooking-washing module, cooler, heater, table and two benches that can be converted to enlarge the deck area. Sealander can also pimp-up this floating thingummy with various optional extras, including a loo (but that doesn’t mean its manufacturers advocate ‘messing about’ on the water). They’ll even deliver it in whatever colour you fancy.

The inevitable downside of all this innovative show-offery is the price. But if you’ve got the cojones to back a caravan into a lake as crowds of cagoule-clad campers gawp, money is clearly no object. Float on!