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Amphibious Encyclopedia · Amphibious boats

Sealander

The Sealander is a small German camping trailer with a sealed fiberglass hull, so it can be towed behind a car on the road and then rolled into a lake and driven as a motorboat with a small outboard [4][1]. Designed by Daniel Straub and first shown in 2011, it went on sale in about 2014 and was still offered in 2026 [2][6][7].

  • Amphibious boats
  • 2011 to present
  • Germany

History

German industrial designer Daniel Straub unveiled the Sealander at the Caravan Salon trade fair in Düsseldorf in September 2011 [2]. Early reports described a 380 kg (838 lb) prototype about 3.9 m (12 ft 9 in) long, tested on the road and on water, with a planned price of about 15,000 euros and sales due to start in 2012 [1][2][3].

Deliveries took longer than planned. Later reports say the Sealander went on sale in 2014 and was updated in 2019 [6][7]. The production version is larger and heavier than the first prototype. In 2026 TechEBlog reported a base price of 39,750 euros including German VAT, before options [7]. The current website is published by IBT GmbH of Großaitingen, Germany, and says the trailer is developed in Germany and built in Europe [4][5].

Design and how it works

The body is a hand-laid, double-walled fiberglass shell with a double floor, sealed with gelcoat, on a galvanized single-axle chassis with sealed wheel bearings [4]. Early reports said the double bottom was meant to keep it afloat if the outer skin was holed [1]. Inside, two benches and a table seat six and fold down into a bed for two, and the roof folds back for open-air use [4][7].

To launch it, the owner backs the trailer down an ordinary boat ramp, ties on a safety line, unhitches it and lets it roll into the water. A small outboard mounted on the stern is then lowered and started [4]. The maker says outboards of up to 6 hp can be fitted, which in Germany can be used without a boat driver's license, and the hull draws at most 47 cm (18.5 in) of water [4]. TechEBlog reported a speed of about 5 knots (10 km/h) with a small engine [7].

On the road the Sealander is towed as an unbraked trailer of under 750 kg (1,653 lb), so the maker says small cars can pull it [4]. It is certified by DEKRA for road use and by Lloyd's for use on water, as a category D boat for sheltered water such as lakes [4]. Early press described it as designed for inland waters only [1].

Sources

  1. Sealander amphibious camping trailer gears up for production, New Atlas (Gizmag) (2011-09-12). newatlas.com/sealander-amphibious-camper/19798
  2. Introducing: the Sealander, "The caravan that thinks it's a boat", Caravan Times (2011-09-13). www.caravantimes.co.uk/?p=10421
  3. The caravan that becomes a boat, Yachting and Boating World (YBW) (2011-09-19). www.ybw.com/?p=3889
  4. SEALANDER - Your floating home for land and water, Sealander. sealander.de/en
  5. Imprint, Sealander (IBT GmbH). sealander.de/en/imprint
  6. Sealander Is the Floating Camper You Didn't Know You Needed, The Manual (2021-04-21). www.themanual.com/?p=100991
  7. 2026 SEALANDER Amphibious Camper Shows What Happens When Land Meets Water Without Compromise, TechEBlog (2026-08-16). www.techeblog.com/?p=254305

Last reviewed November 2026. Spotted something to correct or add? Tell us and include a source.

About the Amphibious Encyclopedia

WaterCar has designed and built amphibious vehicles in Southern California for more than 25 years. We keep this encyclopedia so anyone curious about vehicles that cross between land and water has one place to start, with the sources listed for every fact.

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