00:00Everyone loves the boater home.
00:04Good times, good energy, good fun.
00:08Yeah, it's always good times.
00:15270 miles from the sea on a dusty Nevada road,
00:19the last thing you'd expect to see is a boat.
00:23But John is the proud owner of this boater home,
00:26a half boat, half van hybrid.
00:28It's really convenient, it's fun, it's unique.
00:32It's just exactly like an RV, but it floats.
00:34It's amazing.
00:36The features of the boater home, just besides the fact
00:38it's a boat and a van, it's an RV, basically.
00:43It's a floating RV with a few extra bells and whistles
00:46that I put into it.
00:48Only 21 of these unique vehicles exist,
00:50having been built in the 80s and based on a Ford Econoline van.
00:54This boater home has been in John's family
00:56since they were originally created.
00:59I was about 10 years old when my dad called my mom
01:03and said, bring the kids outside and come see what I'm coming home in.
01:06So we're in the street and here comes this boater home
01:09coming around the corner.
01:10It was so big and it was all white at the time
01:13and I didn't know what the heck it was.
01:15He saw it in Popular Science magazine in the early 80s
01:19and he's like, I gotta have that.
01:21About right here is where they chop the van off
01:23and then the rest is fiberglass back
01:25with the seamless boat connection.
01:28Custom swim deck, alpha drive, ladder,
01:33underwater lighting.
01:35Gives a good about 35 foot sprawl of blue or white or mixed.
01:38Very pretty.
01:43So this is the boater home.
01:45It's the inside.
01:47Right here we got our kitchen counter.
01:49Our stove.
01:51AC unit.
01:53Conventional oven, microwave.
01:54Right here is the fridge.
01:55Dining table area.
01:57This goes down, things pull out
01:59and makes a bed nice and comfortable for two people.
02:02This is the bathroom and shower.
02:04Almost, probably 75% of the boater home is original.
02:06I've done a little bit of work to it.
02:08Made it a little bigger inside.
02:10A little more roomy.
02:12But the design of what the guy laid out
02:14is pretty much original.
02:16And then more little hangout area.
02:19Two couches.
02:20These fold together and make the bed.
02:22So it's bigger than a king this way.
02:26Captain chair.
02:27Helm.
02:28This is where I drive.
02:29So this is my gauge.
02:31I got my fuel.
02:32My trim.
02:33Miles per hour.
02:34My stereo.
02:36My charger.
02:37Train horn button.
02:41You don't have to tow a boat with your RV
02:43and then back the boat in
02:45and do all that trailer work.
02:46It's really a one man program.
02:47I can do it all by myself.
02:49Nice and easy.
02:49Never have to get wet.
02:50That's the great part.
02:53It's been all over the country with my dad.
02:55Personally, I've taken it to California.
02:57Dumont Sand Dunes.
02:59Camped in it there.
03:00Lake Havasu.
03:01Catalina Island.
03:03We're hitting Lake Powell this year, hopefully.
03:10Incredibly, John has also come into possession
03:12of a second boater home.
03:14Almost ten years ago,
03:16I found another boater home online.
03:18The guy was asking almost 30 grand for it.
03:20I'm like, okay, let's fly down and check it out.
03:22And this thing was not at all what he described.
03:24It should have almost been in the junkyard.
03:26So, ended up picking it up for around 11 grand.
03:29It's a big project ahead of me,
03:30but I'm excited about it.
03:31I'm going to completely remodel it and update it.
03:34Make it basically a 2020.
03:35It's got two Mercury, 275 Odorado,
03:37supercharged with shorty drives.
03:40Got to finally test it a couple weeks ago
03:42after all those years of putting money into it.
03:44And yeah, she's pushing 70.
03:46So this one's actually going to have
03:48a whole nother seating arena up there.
03:49So it's going to be a double decker.
03:51So I'll be able to drive up top as well as below.
03:54I want it to be a smart boat.
03:56Before I get to the launch ramp,
03:57I could, on my phone, turn the AC on,
03:59get all the updated technology in the 80s boat.
04:03First one's definitely my dad's.
04:04It always will be.
04:05And it's a family heirloom.
04:07This one's a blank slate, complete,
04:09and I get to build it from the ground up.
04:13And it's not just used as a boat,
04:15home and vehicle.
04:18It's also a unique party venue.
04:21You go straight from here, straight to the strip,
04:24and then party on the strip with everyone in it,
04:26like a limousine.
04:27Party rolling.
04:35Oh my gosh.
04:36I don't plan none of this, I swear.
04:40So it's like a party bus, boat, RV.
04:44It's amazing.
04:45Check it out.
04:45Yep.
04:46You are like sitting down.
04:48You do not want to sit down.
04:48You are like a lady.
04:49Let's play with your dog.
04:49You are like a dog.
04:49She's like a dog.
04:49You can't be a dog.
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