Amphibious StabiX 250UC Opens Remote Shores That Stay Out of Reach for Most Campers

Drive along a rough coastal road, and the StabiX 250UC camper just continues rolling, right to the water’s edge. Instead than stopping or scrambling to load supplies into a second boat, the driver simply keeps going, tires gripping the wet beach and driving straight into the waves. The movable legs perform their job and lift those wheels clear, then the main outboard takes over and you’re gliding along.

The 250UC, built in New Zealand, begins as a 25-foot boat hull before engineers add a specific land drive system for getting it onto the beach or along a private access road. Four enormous 26-inch tyres on moveable legs, powered by a 40-horsepower Briggs & Stratton V-twin engine. A drive-by-wire system at the helm simplifies things; you can travel at up to 5.6 miles per hour on land if necessary, and the technology is primarily designed to get you from the dirt to the water without the need for a trailer or ramp.

Once afloat, the 250UC is powered by a conventional 300 horsepower Mercury or Yamaha outboard engine, or anything you like. Water speed increases into the low 40s in miles per hour. A decent 300-liter fuel tank will bring you out for full days of cruising, and the hull handles the waves nicely, making it an easy fish or a quick journey to an island with no appropriate docks.

If you’re just traveling, the 8.5-foot-wide cabin can accommodate five or seven people. At night, it all changes into sleeping accommodations for three or four people, with a V-berth in the front, dinette seating that folds flat into another bed, a galley area with a two-burner diesel cooktop, sink, and compact drawer fridge, as well as an electric toilet. You can also install diesel heating to keep the space warm regardless of the weather. Roof vents provide fresh air, and you may add solar panels or extra navigation screens as needed.

It’s relatively modest at 25 feet long overall, but the base price is starting to become a little high, around 467,500 New Zealand dollars ($271,615). However, if you add an expanded roof, canvas side walls, a roof rack, and a full galley setup, the price might reach just about 525,000 New Zealand dollars. Not a bad price for a high-end boat, but with only around 25 built each year, you can be certain that each one is heavily customized in terms of paint colors, upholstery patterns, and so on.
[Source]