The summer season is the ideal period to enjoy vacations on the coast, the time to travel and enjoy the most attractive destinations, by the sea. The most restless usually choose to travel with a caravan anchored to their vehicle, a solution that allows them to carry the house on their backs. But what if that house was also a ship? Such are the Sealvans caravans, amphibious versions capable of offering the best of two worlds.
Sealvans is a Turkish start-up headquartered in Bursa that started its activities in 2020, but has half a century of experience in the automotive and maritime sectors. It was born with the vocation of specializing in a barely exploited market niche, such as amphibious caravans. They have not been the first, but their models offer very high levels of design and technology.
There are two options of amphibious caravans to choose from, called Seal 4.20 and Seal 7.50. The first, the Seal 4.20 model, is a very compact version of a caravan-boat that weighs less than 750 kg, a circumstance that allows its use with the only requirement that it have its own documentation in order.
For its maritime use, the Seal 4.20 does not require any maritime license from the driver, as it is equipped with an engine with a power of less than 10 CV, which is combined with a battery with a capacity of 3 kWh.
Among its advantages is the exemption from passing the ITV and that, when it is towed on the road, it can be driven with the B permit, provided that the vehicle and trailer combination does not exceed 3,500 kg. In addition, it does not require an additional plate, it is enough to use the same vehicle registration in the caravan.
Designed so that a couple can live comfortably, the Seal 4.20 offers the possibility of camping on land and, in turn, sailing on water thanks to an external motor. The interior spaces are small, but they are very well used and include a circular sofa that can easily be converted into a bed.
With a maximum width of 1.7 m and a maximum height of 1.98 m, the feeling is spacious thanks to its panoramic windows and it has protection curtains. It also has a kitchen space that includes a fridge and freezer, as well as a ceramic hob and integrated oven.
The Seal 7.50 model responds to greater space needs. In this case, four people can share the space with great luxuries and comforts. This caravan-boat can be divided into two separate rooms at night and has a dining room, living room, fully equipped kitchen and a spacious bathroom.
This model has a double axle to be more stable on the road and is equipped with a powerful 50 CV Honda outboard engine that allows it to reach a maximum speed of 13 nautical knots (about 24 km/h) and its list of options also includes the possibility of equipping two electric motors.
To sail with the Seals 7.50 caravan-boat, the driver must be in possession of the Amateur Maritime Certificate. This vessel is CE certified and, consequently, has access to the ports of the coastal cities of the European Union. To tow it with the vehicle, a specific license plate and the B E driving license are required.
In both models, Sealvans offers an interesting list of optional equipment which includes elements such as air conditioning, satellite TV, alloy wheels and even a panoramic roof in the 7.5 m long version.
