American drivers have taken the first step into a new element with the amphibious motor home - which will sail off at a cost of up to a cool $1 million
From the country of fridges the size of three-bedroomed houses, six-litre combustion engines for the school run, and fries served in buckets the size of dustbins, you wouldn't expect anything less.
As hurricane season hits America's southeastern retirement towns, a firm in South Carolina has begun production this month of what is believed to be the world's first amphibious motor home, or recreational vehicle (RV) as they like to call them Stateside.
The Terra Wind began, er, floating off production lines this month and already there is reported to be keen interest from those who like to hit the road and take a cruise while they're at it.
The Terra Wind is to the VW camper what the Empire State is to Liberty Hall and, not surprisingly, has a price tag to match its stature.
"We have deposits on two," John Giljam, president of Cool Amphibious Manufacturers International (CAMI) told The Irish Times this week. "The people buying them are extremely wealthy individuals," he adds. Just one, with all the extras, will set you back up to $1.2 million (and that's about €988,000). The entry model starts at a bargain basement price of $650,000 (around €535,000).
So what do you get for your money, apart from a pretty unwieldy looking bus that apparently floats? Giljam describes the Terra Wind as a "high-end RV with the added benefit of being a yacht also".
It has the ability to travel on roads at speeds of up to 130 kilometres per hour, or as a yacht it can move at 7 knots. It has a Caterpillar engine, Allison transmission and Neway front and rear air suspension.
"It is built by highly skilled staff who are as much engineers as they are workers," Giljam adds. "We build the entire vehicle inhouse. It is not a conversion."
Its makers say the Terra Wind has been designed with the "ultimate in luxury in mind", and we would have to agree. According to the brochure on the company's website, the Terra Wind top-of-the range model includes GPS navigation, leather interior, teak wood trim, granite countertops, marble floors, a 42-inch plasma TV, as well as video, DVD and CD players with surround sound.
If that's not enough, it has a jacuzzi and a swimming deck at the back, as well as all the usual appliances you would expect - dishwasher, washing machine, fridge, rubbish compactor, cooker, and microwave oven.
Giljam warns those who might have ideas of taking to the high seas to reconsider. The Terra Wind is designed only to navigate lakes and rivers.
"They are designed for waves of less than one metre. A large wave could break the wind-shield," he adds.
CAMI makes other vehicles including an amphibious tours vehicle and a sports car that can take to the water. Giljam says the amphibious RV was a "natural progression".
"Our business is amphibious vehicles. We are people who enjoy the water."
