Amphibious RV lets you cruise in more ways than one
Take to the water anytime in the Terra Wind motor home
As outrageous motor homes go, it would be hard to beat the Terra Wind.
That’s because this luxury RV not only can barrel down the interstate at speeds up to 80 miles an hour, but it can also chug through a lake at 7 knots.
Yes, it floats. Cool Amphibious Manufacturers International of Ridgeland, S.C., created the amphibious RV about a decade ago but is still looking for sales.
Owner John Giljam said he has had some interest from potential buyers now that the economy is strong. At $850,000 for a Terra Wind, buyers haven’t exactly lined up.
How did he come up with a RV that’s at home on land or water? “Our business is amphibious vehicles,” Giljam said. “I wanted to build an RV as well, so I thought, why not make it float?”
In some ways, it’s a typical RV with comfortable furnishings, a modern kitchen and washer and dryer. But its marine heritage is omnipresent, from the heavyweight, military-grade aluminum hull below the water line to its high-end fiberglass shell above deck and the polished teak cabinetry in the interior.
The 32,000-pound behemoth, fully loaded, shifts its power from the wheels to a pair of 19-inch bronze propellers when it takes to water. The Terra Wind is meant for fresh water — quiet lakes and streams — not the ocean. For extra stability, there’s a pair of pontoons on either side.