TerraLiner:12 m Globally Mobile Beach House/Class-A Crossover w 6x6 Hybrid Drivetrain

[Libransser]

This is the locomotive I was talking about before.

Just look at this beauty and imagine yourself living in there.





I wondered about a Tatra 8x8 or 10x10 chassis swap.

Ultimately, way too massive. But it makes you wonder what if.

When completed I would have name it The Iron Giant.

 

[Libransser]

View attachment 306537



But what exactly does the "first stage" of wind-protection mean? Is the Smartflower still operational after the first-stage kicks in?

It would appear so. From this image and the "first stage" name, it appears the flower reposition itself to reduce its lateral profile to the wind, while still producing energy like a non-tilting solar panel in a roof.

Interestingly, the wind sensor is not integrated in the Smartflower.

Have you already come across its weight?

 

[Libransser]

For coastal exploration, a purpose built RIB (rigid inflatable boat) would be much more useful, because it could handle truly rough seas.

This 14 m Pirelli RIB is of course much too large, and not what I have in mind from a size point of view. As I will explain further along, the ideal length for the TerraLiner's RIB would be more like 5.5 - 6.5 m. But Americans in general tend to be unfamiliar with the performance advantages of large RIBs, even though the American Armed Forces have used such boats for decades. Zodiac's attempt to introduce civilian Americans to the high-performance possibilities of large RIBs, via the CZ7 Hurricane, notoriously crashed and burned. So I included these videos of the Pirelli 14 m to "shock" American readers out of their ignorance.

"RIB" or "rigid inflatable boat" does not mean "toy boat." RIBs are the most lightweight-relative-to-performance, most seaworthy, and most versatile power-boat type that exists. Which is why the Zodiac RIB Hurricanes used by the U.S. Coast-Guard will outrun the Cigarette or Magnum "Go Fasts" used by drug-runners, any day of the week -- see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go-fast_boat . It's also the reason why the U.S. Navy will use Zodiac Hurricanes for fast SEAL insertion and extraction. And why the TerraLiner will want to carry something similar to this boat -- just more "glamped out", comfortable, and Euro-med -- for coastal and lake exploration, including high-altitude lake exploration. Hence, a turbocharged diesel engine.

For someone like me, even a plateau as landlocked as Tibet is "boating country", because it has so many large lakes. And the Altiplano all the more so, because Lake Titicaca strikes me as a wonderful place to explore dense marshes with a Hydrojet RIB.

Yes, by the time you are finished reading this posting series, you may feel completely water-logged. But if you love water and the ocean as much as I do, then this posting series will make your heart sing.....:wings:

For the TerraLiner's RIB you can get rid of the boat trailer and cut almost in half the proposed length of 5.5m-6.5m while towing if you take inspiration from the Tetrapod Trailer design:





Glamped out rigid inflatable boat that's unassuming while traveling, with all of the elements you find in common RIBs (cabin, controls, instruments, seats, what's the name of that rollbar thingy?, etc.) available and fixed to the floor of the half that doesn't fold, with bad-road capable suspension and wheels.

Carbon fiber hull, compartments to hide the inflatable parts when deflated, powerful integrated air pump (compressor?) to inflate/deflate.

Of course, you would have to scale it, check that all the RIBs elements mentioned before fit well when folded, have a mechanism that allows one person to fold it close and open it, figure out a way to remove the wheels to reduce the drag on water.

For the wheels you can do something similar to what Gibbs does to its Quadski, which by itself seems like a nice coastal exploration vehicle.



You should check out the other Gibbs' amphibious vehicles. The Terra Wind is like 80% land & 20% water, Gibbs' amphibious vehicles seem like 80% water & 20% land.

How do you move the RIB to and from water without other vehicles and without taking the TerraLiner too close to the water (especially the sea)? Use the powerful integrated air pump to drive a pneumatic drive located at the wheels, same principle as with the hydro-drive hubs, but with air instead of liquid. Just enough power to get the boat out of the water.

 

[Libransser]

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The question we are asking, however, is not how to construct the TerraLiner’s awnings so that they can remain in place during storms. Rather, we are asking what might be a “reasonable” wind speed limit that they should be able to sustain, so as to maximize their potential for solar energy production.

I reason that the natural occurring wind speeds in a certain location has a certain limit that is only surpassed by the influence of a meteorological event, like some kind of storm.

To see several types of storms check this link at Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storm#Types

The issue with storms is that they are (usually) not just wind. Clouds, snow, dust or sand can be present and if they are, no reason to keep the awnings opened.

So maybe a good start will be to look at the storms' wind speeds when they begin to block the sun.

Giving a superficial look to this, I'm thinking maybe in the range of 50km/h to 60km/h.

Oh, on post #1924312 the last paragraph is duplicated.

 

[biotect]

Hi Libransser,

You really are in broad sympathy with the TerraLiner!!

I've written reams and reams of stuff about RIBs, jet-skis, and the problem of getting the boat to/form the TerraLiner, but haven't posted any of it yet. And sure, I've come across Gibbs products before......



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1. Gibbs


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Gibbs doesn't just make the Quadski, Gibbs also makes amphibious trucks like the "Humdinga" for the military, and the "Aquada" amphibious sports car -- see http://www.gibbssports.com , http://gibbsamphitrucks.com , http://www.gibbspress.com/aquada.html , http://www.gibbspress.com/images_standards.html , http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/a12726/4217933/ , and http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/14/a...ar-is-still-waiting-to-catch-a-wave.html?_r=0 :



[video=youtube;lDFcGBiwyOg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDFcGBiwyOg [/video]



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[video=youtube;0lvg_WS-xeY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lvg_WS-xeY [/video]


Because you mentioned Gibbs, I thought I'd take the liberty to post a whole gallery of videos.....:sombrero:



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2. The World Needs a Better Small Dive-Boat


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However, I basically need a scuba-dive boat. And a jet ski -- even one as large as the Gibbs Quadski (which is larger than even the largest typical Jetski, because it's much wider) -- is still just a Jetski. And it is simply no fun (and also a bit dangerous) to scuba-dive off a Jetski.

Gibbs does also make a Quadski XL, which is a bit longer, 3.56 m instead of 3.26 m, but the same width, at 1.587 m:








This XL Quadski might -- just might -- be usable as a dive boat, because of what appears like ample storage space aft.... Below the sun deck on which the model is lounging? If there's a space underneath that, it might be convertible into a place to put dive-tanks. But I strongly suspect that there's an engine under there instead, or at least something mechanical.

Furthermore, as I will write much further along when I post a long series about RIBs, I am really into Re-Breather diving. And Re-Breather diving is complicated. For the sake of safety, when one engages in Re-Breather diving, one doesn't just carry the main Re-breather backpack. One also carries at least one spare "regular" tank with regulator. So getting into and out of the boat with Re-Breather diving equipment is even more complicated than usual.

Another "pet peeve" of mine is the getting back into the boat part. In his famous television series, Jacques Cousteau included lots of über-cool shots of divers doing the classic elegant “backroll” entry from their Zodiacs – sometimes with the Zodiacs flying at high speed!!



[video=youtube;tDwT23h8OOY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDwT23h8OOY [/video] [video=youtube;k4iezzv9f6k]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4iezzv9f6k [/video]




Cousteau almost never shows his divers struggling to get back into their Zodiacs in a pitching sea; nor, for that matter, struggling to get back into the program’s famous mother-ship, the Calypso. That struggle is simply not a cool thing to film. Even when things are calm, unless a boat is specially equipped with a really usable dive-platform, getting back into the boat looks something like the following (skip ahead to 1 mintues 50 seconds into the video):






So one of my goals is to also design a better dive boat: a hydrojet driven boat with a full-width open transom, and a hydraulic dive platform that lowers into and under the water. Here I am thinking of a submersible dive-platform made by an Italian company called "Opacmare" -- see http://www.opacmare-americas.com/pages/transformer_list_en/230 and http://www.opacmare-americas.com/pages/3380_en/326 . It calls the platform the "Transformer":



[video=youtube;2MLr_K8T8-U]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MLr_K8T8-U [/video]



A Jetski -- any Jetski -- simply can't compare.

I am thinking of a narrow, small Opacmare "Transformer" that could fit into the back of an RIB, but one that would plunge even more deeply into the water than the models illustrated in the second video above: at least 3 feet below the surface. That way one could literally swim onto the platform, and then sit down, comfortably taking off one's gear before having to climb back into the boat.

Libransser, this is all very complicated stuff, and the topic of the TerraLiner RIB is worth at least 5 or 6 pages, meaning 50 or so posts, in its own right. Please be patient: I will eventually get to it. But right now, I have to finish filling in those 28 pages!!!

I'll leave you with just a few more thoughts.



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3. Ideal RIB Length


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There is a superb guide to “Choosing an RIB over 4 m” at http://www.ribs.co.uk/app/download/10706357/Choosing+a+4+m+++Rib.pdf . It is oriented towards the UK buyer, and not the Mediterranean buyer, so as concrete examples it only gives Zodiacs intended primarily for waterskiing or fishing. It doesn't offer exmaples of Italian RIBs designed for sunbathing and socializing during warm, dry Mediterranean summers, because as it asks at the end, “How much sun bathing are you going to do in the UK??” There is a lot of good detail in this PDF, but most valuable is the chart at the beginning:









As this chart makes clear, an RIB under 5.5 m is simply not going to be that useful for coastal exploration. And for offshore seas above Force 4, one needs a larger boat. The longer the boat, the better it will be able to handle rough seas, and the better the potential weight distribution. Seakeeping is also improved by having weight further forward, as per most Hydrojets with their engines placed mid-ship, in contrast to boats with outboard motors.…. :ylsmoke:

Although waterskiing is not the primary intended application of the TerraLiner's RIB, this PDF also notes that in a boat under 5.5 m, “the skier will be able to move the boat around too much for it to be safe.” Waterskiing is possible with smaller boats that carry just 50 HP outboard engines, and I've done it myself. But this is not a good boat size for beginning water-skiers, and it's not a good boat + power size for single-ski water starts, slaloming, barefooting, etc.

As will be made clear, I consider the TerraLiner's RIB to be such an important “experience extender” for the TerraLiner, that I am willing to make major design compromises in order to facilitate carrying a good-sized RIB that will prove genuinely useful. So based on my own experience, and the above chart which more or less corroborates everything that I already know, I would say that the ideal TerraLiner's Hyrojet RIB would be 5.5 – 6.5 m long. This may seem huge, certainly in comparison to the short little portable 3.5 RIBs that Kimberley and other "expedition motorhome" providers sell. But those are boats suitable only for inshore use, small lakes, ponds, etc. They are not coastal exploration vessels, nor are they big enough to be truly comfortable as dive-boats.

I should also add that I grew up driving Boston-Whalers around the Florida Keys, and so the open-console stand-up driving position of most RIBs is very "intuitively" appealing to me. I have "sea legs", so I find that standing up is by far the best way to aborb the shock of rough seas. There now do exist shock-mitigation seats and "saddles". But standing up with just a "bench seat" to provide another point of traction, is usually good enough for me. Sorry, no time to illustrate all of this; but I will eventually do so, when I get around to the very long posting-series about RIBs.



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4. The Problem of Beach-Launching


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Now with all that said, the problem of getting in and out of the water has vexed me. In some places the TerraLiner might find itself with easy access to a marina, or at least a boat-ramp, where it could roll down the RIB into the water. But if one spends some time examining coastlines, in many places in the Second and Third world marinas and boat ramps are often few and far between. Furthermore, the place where one might want to glamp with the TerraLiner, is not necessarily the place that has a marina, or boat ramp. Let's face it, what one really wants to be able to do is "beach launch" the RIB. One wants to glamp with the TerraLiner near a beach, and when not on the water, one wants one's boat sitting high and dry on the beach, near enough to the TerraLiner such that the boat will be safe. And one does not want to have to engage in the constant hassle of transferring the RIB to a trailer, and using the SUV to beach-launch the boat, as depicted in some of the videos below. And one wants to be able to beach-launch even when the surf is fairly rough.

Here are some Youtube videos of various forms of beach-launching, all of them unsatisfactory:



[video=youtube;0fskmAjHmVA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fskmAjHmVA [/video] [video=youtube;0afKAV-01u0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0afKAV-01u0 [/video]


Libransser, it's simply fantastic that you identified this problem so early on, and began proposing possible solutions. Shows that you are really reading the thread, and you truly are sympathetic to the overall "spirit" of the TerraLiner. Furtheremore, I do have do admit that the problem has vexed me for a while, so I've been putting it on the back-burner.


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5. The Iguana


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As luck would have it, just recently I came across a very interesting solution. It's a new French product called the "Iguana 29", an amphibious boat deliberately developed for the northern coast of France, where the beaches are huge, the tides are also big, and boats that launch from the beach would prefer to get to the water via caterpillar track -- see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iguana_Yachts , http://www.iguana-yachts.com , http://www.iguana-yachts.com/iguana-29-french-haute-couture-ambition/ , http://www.iguana-yachts.com/technology/, http://www.iguana-yachts.com/configurator/, http://www.iguana-yachts.com/photos/ , http://www.iguana-yachts.com/history/, http://www.iguana-yachts.com/amphibious-news/ , http://www.iguana-yachts.com/contact/ , http://www.gizmag.com/iguana-29-amphibious-boat/20486/pictures , and http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2068199/Meet-Iguana-29--boat-thats-car.html :



[video=youtube;Jtj3E3jk7Wg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jtj3E3jk7Wg [/video] [video=youtube;gf7v3M3jM6A]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gf7v3M3jM6A [/video] [video=youtube;LCYp0314GyQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCYp0314GyQ [/video]
[video=youtube;wjK4xjSuVMs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjK4xjSuVMs [/video] [video=youtube;5cMtZWvxaEE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cMtZWvxaEE [/video]



The Iguana shown in the first two videos above is a 24 foot model, which is 7.3 m, about one meter too long for the TerraLiner's needs. Also see http://www.gizmag.com/amphibious-iguana-24/22491/ and http://www.gizmag.com/amphibious-iguana-24/22491/pictures. But the caterpillar tracks are not that long, and seem like they could be easily adapted to a boat just 6.3 m long instead. Oddly enough, the Iguana still has an outboard engine and not a water-jet, which seems kind of strange in a boat that is supposed to drive up onto beaches. So a collaboration between Williams, Zodiac MilPro, and Iguana, to produce the perfect self-launching Hydrojet Hurricane RIB coastal exploration dive boat, would seem timely.....

Like Gibbs products, this is not vaporware, and it is serious technology. For lots of still images, see http://www.gizmag.com/iguana-29-amphibious-boat/20486/pictures , http://www.iguana-yachts.com/photos/ and http://www.iguana-yachts.com/photos/. Again, I don't have time right now to post a huge gallery of stills, because still-images are so slow to upload. The videos above should suffice.


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Like a Zodiac Hurricane, the Iguana has a deep-V planing hull. If you are a boater, you will know what this means, and how important it is for coastal exploration. As near as I can tell, the larger Humdinga and Phibian amphibious products made by Gibbs do not have hulls that are nearly as capable as a Zodiac Hurricane -- see http://gibbsamphitrucks.com/products.php . Sure, Gibbs claims that its amphibians can do up to 30 mph on the water. But in the videos they are not shown dealing with heavy seas. Rather, they are only shown driving through protected bays and deep, calm-water channels. The contrast to the Zodiac Hurricane could not be more evident:



[video=youtube;D5Et3OIj1S0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5Et3OIj1S0#t=14 [/video] [video=youtube;0wKFsgbX60s]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wKFsgbX60s#t=26 [/video]



For the full gallery of Zodiac Hurricane videos, see http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...edition-RV-w-Rigid-Torsion-Free-Frame/page157 .

Note that Zodiac makes Hurricanes in various sizes, but the shortest one is still 6.7 m long -- see http://zodiacmilpro.com/hurricane-ribs/customization/ and http://zodiacmilpro.com/hurricane-ribs/turnkey-solution/ . The shorter version of the all-aluminum "Sea-RIB", also a professional product, is 6.7 m long as well -- see http://zodiacmilpro.com/rigid-inflatable-boats/sea-rib-aluminium/ . But the "SMRN" series, first developed for the military, is available in 5 - 6 m lengths, and the "Responder" series is available in lengths from 4.2 m to 8.7 m -- see http://zodiacmilpro.com/pt-br/rigid-inflatable-boats/multipurpose-srmn/ and http://zodiacmilpro.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/TDS-EN-SRMN-range-IT.pdf , http://zodiacmilpro.com/rigid-inflatable-boats/responders/ , http://zodiacmilpro.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/TDS-EN-SRR-range-IT.pdf , and http://zodiacmilpro.com/rigid-inflatable-boats/technical-specifications/ :



[video=youtube;9QKgN48Yt74]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QKgN48Yt74 [/video]
[video=youtube;a8rE1UhnPRY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8rE1UhnPRY#t=28 [/video] [video=youtube;Ez0JHKmrAiE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ez0JHKmrAiE [/video]
[video=youtube;Pltgh1vnYxY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pltgh1vnYxY [/video] [video=youtube;BWMkUAZ3SKk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWMkUAZ3SKk [/video]



Perhaps the Gibbs amphibians could actually handle seas as heavy as those familiar to Zodiac Hurricanes, or Zodiac Sea-RIBs? But Gibbs does not seem to advertise this as a capability.

I want the TerraLiner to have a real boat, not a toy boat.


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6. An RIB Iguana?


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The Iguana also seems like the upper part of its hull could easily be replaced by buoyancy tubes, as per an RIB. The stowage compartments for the caterpillar tracks don't appear to go "all the way up" into the hull, but rather, seemed confined to a watertight compartment no higher than hinge of the door that opens to reveal them:










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Whereas I am not so certain that a Gibbs vehicle could be so easily adapted to an RIB hull format.

RIB hull design is important for many reasons. For instance, when the buoyancy tubes deflate, and the center console drops down (yes, there are RIBs that have center consoles that fold down), the overall height of the boat is dramatically reduced. Which makes storing the boat that much easier.

RIBs with buoyancy tubes are also lighter than full-hulled boats, and they handle better in rough seas. This is not commonly known. Many think that the buoyancy tubes are just there to act as dock-bumpers, or as flotation devices to ensure that the boat doesn't sink if it gets swamped. But buoyancy tubes in the best RIBs -- like Zodiac Hurricanes -- are deliberately designed to "give" with the waves in heavy seas. They function as "heavy seas" shock-absorbers. There are additional reasons why a RIB boat is strongly preferred for serious coastal exploration, but by now you should have gotten the general drift.

If you like, think of a 5.5 - 6.5 m RIB as a "milestone". Think of it as a "fixed point of reference" in overall TerraLiner design. It's s fairly non-negotiable requirement for me, if only because I can't imagine a Surf-Glamper worthy of the name that does not have a boat big enough for serious coastal exploration.

Believe me, I really have considered the alternatives. But now that you've understood my operational requirements -- scuba-diving, and serious coastal exploration that will entail travel through open seas -- if you can think of a better solution, I am all ears!!



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7. What about a Jet-Ski for Tow-In Surfing?


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“Tow-in surfing” is the kind of surfing in which a jet-ski is used to tow a surfer into a huge wave, a wave whose speed and height would otherwise render it unsurfable. The jet-ski provides the initial speed-assist.

Tow-in surfing was pioneered in Hawaii, and is now used worldwide to ride giant waves – see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tow-in_surfing . The following classic surf movie, “Riding Giants”, provides a full explanation of tow-in surfing’s genesis:






The necessity of Jet-Skis in the context of big-wave surfing is indisputable. Without that Jet-Ski speed-assist, it would be literally physically impossible for anyone to surf some of the planet's truly big waves. They just wouldn't be able to paddle fast enough to make the drop:



[video=youtube;cq4udhRyCKk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cq4udhRyCKk [/video] [video=youtube;4NYGJNpvT7A]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NYGJNpvT7A [/video]


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[video=vimeo;20197441]https://vimeo.com/20197441[/video] [video=vimeo;2166570]https://vimeo.com/2166570 [/video] [video=vimeo;32555680]https://vimeo.com/32555680 [/video] [video=youtube;_I_CmXTwsNU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_I_CmXTwsNU [/video]
[video=youtube;47rsFNAqIfo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47rsFNAqIfo [/video] [video=youtube;gfpJBAJqKC8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfpJBAJqKC8 [/video]



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[video=youtube;kAHRz-TkRL0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAHRz-TkRL0 [/video]


There is no question that some really great reef-breaks in the open ocean are not negotiable without tow-in assistance.

But as with many sports, when things get technologically assisted, much of the fun disappears. See the following interesting article that critcizes jet-skis and tow-in surfing, at http://www.redbull.com/en/surfing/stories/1331678772726/five-reasons-not-to-buy-jet-skis . There is even a movement now to ban tow-in surfing at "Mavericks", one of the big-wave surfspots in northern California where tow-in surfing was first pioneered.

Personally, my surfing skill set is not sufficient to ride monster waves, and I suspect that very few surfers have the skill-set necessary. Big-wave riding is a niche-obsession in the surfing community. So even if the TerraLiner's ideal customer would find the vehicle attractive as a coastal “Surf glamper”, they would not necessarily want or need the TerraLiner to carry a Jetski for tow-in surfing.

Furthermore, where tow-in surfing seems desirable and necessary, there will almost always be professionals living and working in the local neighborhood who have their own Jet-Skis, and who would be happy to take one out for a day of fun, for a price. They are professionals, and chances are they will bring out two or three Jetskis to service the same number of clients in a small group. When it comes to big-wave riding and tow-in surfing, there is safety in numbers, because if one Jetski gets caught in the surf, at least there are two more "back up" Jetskis available to rescue it. Tow-in surfing is really not something one wants to do with just one Jet-ski and two people.

So should the TerraLiner carry around two or three Jetskis? Needless to say, this would be ridiculous. Better to just "rent" Jet-ski assistance when and where it's needed.



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8. Why a RIB is far more useful than a Jet-Ski


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So apart from tow-in surfing, I can't really see the value of a Jet-Ski. Jet-Skis are not nearly as much fun to use as small runabout center-console RIBs, and I speak from experience. You can't lounge around and sunbathe on large horizontal surfaces on a Jet-Ski, because they don't have any; it's very unwise to get drunk on a Jet-Ski; you have to wear a bathing suit or wet-suit on a Jet-Ski, because you will almost certainly get wet, even in relatively calm seas; you can't scuba-dive easily from a Jet-Ski (although some do); it's a weird vehicle to use for fishing (although again, some do fish from their Jet-Skis); and a Jet-Ski does not have even a fraction of the storage capacity of a proper boat.

Finally, and I hope I don't get slammed for this, you have to be an acrobat to have sex on a Jetski.....:sombrero:... Whereas I lost my virginity on a Boston Whaler -- see http://www.bostonwhaler.com and http://www.bostonwhaler.com/Page.aspx/pageId/29575/Montauk.aspx.



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9. The "Panther" Watercar


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I am definitely still open to other possibilities. For instance, the original "Python" Watercar seems to be significantly larger than the Gibbs "Aquada", because it's a 5-seater. Furthermore, the most recent production version of the Watercar, called the "Panther", seems to be deliberately designed to look like a small SUV -- see http://www.gizmag.com/python-watercar-amphibious-performance/13323/ and http://www.gizmag.com/python-watercar-amphibious-performance/13323/pictures , https://www.watercar.com/index.php , https://www.watercar.com/about , https://www.watercar.com/photos , https://www.watercar.com/product , https://www.watercar.com/product/fiberglass-hull , https://www.watercar.com/product/specifications , https://www.watercar.com/faq , and https://www.watercar.com/videos :






From the point of view of the TerraLiner, this seems a significant improvement over any of the products offered by Gibbs. However, as the fine print states in the Watercar's FAQ:

The Panther can be used in open water but it is a 15 foot boat and limited as to how rough of a sea in which it can be safely operated.

In other words, the Watercar "Panther" is not a Zodiac Hurricane, and it's not a true "coastal exploration" vessel. However, as a TOAD to fetch groceries, it's just about nearly perfect, even better than a G-wagen, a Jeep Rubicon, a Landrover Discovery, or a Toyota Landcruiser:










It looks like a Jeep, it seems like it can handle sand (if the above photographs are to be believed), it probably has some rock-crawling capability, and if a local Third-World bridge has been swept away by a flood, well, no problem.....:sombrero: It merely needs to be fitted with a custom-made, ultra-light (carbon fiber?) hard top, which would also need to be configured so as to function much like an Earthroamer-type "camperette", similar to the XV-JP -- see http://www.earthroamer.com/tab_xpedition_vehicles/xvjp5_specs.html, http://earthroamer.com/employees-facilities/previous-designs/xv-jp/, http://www.earthroamer.com/galleries/xv-jp_first_photos/index.htm , http://www.earthroamer.com/galleries/xv-jp_interior/index.htm , and http://www.earthroamer.com/galleries/xv-jpinaction/index.htm .

Unfortunately, the Watercar "Panther" runs on gasoline, because it has a Honda V-6 V-Tec -- see https://www.watercar.com/product/engine , http://www.autoevolution.com/news/honda-vtec-engines-explained-64368.html , and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VTEC . Recall that this was a serious sticking point for the marketability and global usability of the Earthroamer XV-JP. Earthroamer was hoping that Jeep would soon come out with a diesel-fueled version of the Rubicon, but it never did. Jeep may still do so in 2016, but don't hold your breath! So Earthroamer discontinued the XV-JP .

Needless to say, the TerraLiner's TOAD must be diesel-fueled, which would be no problem if the TOAD were a G-wagen, a Landrover Discovery, or a Toyota Landruiser.....


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