Sealander Is the Floating Camper You Didn’t Know You Needed

By Geoff Nudelman March 25, 2019

Camping under the night sky is great, but what do you do when solid ground just seems … predictable? Enter Sealander, one of the first towable trailers meant for both ground and waterborne camping.

German designer Daniel Straub developed the concept that officially went on sale in 2014, but the Sealander has since been updated for 2019. “It’s for someone that needs more flexibility and freedom in a vacation,” he explains.

sealander camper trailer boat — Sealander

And that someone will get their adventure via a very unique design. The classic teardrop trailer shape encloses space big enough for up to a handful of adults (the included table and seating can fit six people) with double-tinted panoramic glass to enjoy the skies above. It also features a convertible top that rolls up so you can feel the aqua breeze as you churn along. Sealander has a small outboard motor meant for wading more than moving at any sort of speed, but you can still hit about 5 miles per hour.

As far as creature comforts, Sealander will sleep two comfortably. Both benches fold out into a bed and its small kitchen can be optioned with a sink and fresh water tank. The whole thing is light enough to be towed by a car the size of a VW Golf. And, because it’s so small, you don’t need any extra towing accessories to haul it from your home to the lake or river.

sealander camper trailer boat — Sealander

sealander camper trailer boat — Sealander

When you’re ready to plop the trailer in the water, the process is pretty simple. All you have to do is back in and un-hitch like you would with a regular boat.

Sealander pricing starts around $21,040, which is a hefty price tag for a trailer. From there, Sealander’s curated add-ons can turn the trailer into a solid living option. Buyers can customize their trailer with everything from power converters and an onboard shower to a cooking station, which may make you the envy of every other boater. We’d also want to splurge the audio package to play music while we’re having a party on the water.

Ready to dive in? You can start your own marine journey here.

Article originally published May 30, 2017.

Editors' Recommendations

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Geoff is a former contributor to The Manual. He's a native Oregonian who’s always up for a good challenge and a great hike…

Outdoors

Turn Any Pickup Into a Full-Featured Overland Camper With Port-Lite Expedition

port lite expedition truck mod

There’s never been a better time to be an Everyman Expeditioner. Modern cruise liners now take ordinary passengers to the farthest reaches of Antarctica; any moderately fit adventurer can buy a ticket to the summit of Mount Everest; and, sometime next year, well-heeled soccer moms could be practicing yoga aboard a legit space hotel. Now, one Maine-based builder is promising to outfit almost any pickup truck owner with the tools to get far, far off-grid.

The Port-Lite Expedition can convert most factory pickup trucks into legit overland campers. The concept of similar in-bed campers is hardly new, but most models from the last three decades were built solely with affordability in mind. They’re often flimsy, not well-insulated, and poorly made. The Expedition series is lightweight and durable, built to the standards of hardcore overland campers looking to go almost anywhere. The exterior is a fully-molded composite construction with an aluminum flatbed, marine roof hatches, and marine hardware throughout. Port-Lite promises it can easily survive the rigors of off-road travel.

Outdoors

World-Class Runner Caryn Lubetsky Didn’t Run Her First Marathon Until She Was 40

caryn lubetsky badwater

Think getting yourself back in shape is hard? Well, it can be, sure, but you can do it.

Now, do you think getting yourself into world-class ultra-marathon-winning shape is hard? Yeah, you're right. But it can be done, too. And in the case of world record-holding ultra runner Caryn Lubetsky, she ran the first of her many, many races on the occasion of her 40th birthday. This was while balancing the other aspects of her life, including being a lawyer, a law professor, a high-school cross county coach, president of a parents’ association, and life long advocate for those in need, something she does primarily for The Childhood Cancer Project and her own foundation, HELP, the HIV Educational and Law Project.

Outdoors

Coast’s all-new Model 1 solar electric trailer is a luxe, off-grid-ready stunner

Sleek and luxurious, with a solar power system designed to run almost indefinitely off-grid.

Coast Model 1 solar electric travel trailer/RV parked near a pond.

The last decade has seen an explosion in tech innovation in the RV and travel trailer industry. With batteries and mobile solar setups getting cheaper, better, and more ubiquitous, many of today's recreational vehicles are finally capable of keeping up with the demands of today's tech-obsessed travelers. Case in point: Coast's all-new Model 1. It's a solar-powered travel trailer designed to take you just about anywhere without having to leave your gadgets behind.
Get the details on Coast's Model 1 solar electric trailer

From afar, the exterior of the Model 1 has the same recognizable silhouette as many of today's premium travel trailers. But, decked in jet black or two-tone black-on-white (it's also available in all white), it feels sleeker, more modern, more ... premium. The glossy shell appears vaguely futuristic, a hint of the solar-heavy tech that lies beneath. The genuine composite structure is made by, in Coast's words, "combining differing fully recyclable, re-purposable, and environmentally friendly natural components [that are] virtually waterproof."