Dobbertin surface orbiter2/24/2023 ![]() ![]() The finished orbiter headed out, compared with Orbiter’s naked hull. Although radio trouble and internal fuel spills caused difficulties. By most standards, the experimental vehicle was a huge success. Dobbertinhydrocarīy the time they reached the end of the line, the Orbiter had been stopped by the DEA and FBI, posed for a picture with Colombian guerrillas and was the first amphibious vehicle to navigate the Panama canal. Rear of the Orbiter’s cabin with storage on the left and kitchen on the right. The couple set out on what Dobbertin believed would be a one year trek around the world, but ended three years later when the funds ran out. Little did she know he would sink their life savings and over 14,000 hours of labor into building the vessel. When Dobbertin first suggested the idea to his wife, she assumed he was just dreaming. Orbiter cockpit land controls on the left, sea on the right. It is capable of holding 340 gallons of diesel fuel and features duel controllers, one side for land, one for sea. The truck is powered by a 250 hp, 6.5 liter GM V8 turbo, with a Penninsular Marine conversion. The finished vehicle was over 30 feet long, over 7 feet wide, 10 feet high and weighed over 9 tons when fully loaded. Dobbertinhydrocar Heading down to the beach for launch. Front and rear views along with the original milk tank and the bare frame. Before it was over, Orbiter, although short of its round-the-world goal, had traveled 33,000 over-land miles and 3,000 miles of open ocean. The goal was a self-sustaining voyager that could make the trip without accompanying support vehicles. ![]() It took over 4 years to cut and weld the tank into a suitable capsule and build the drivetrain. The Orbiter started out in life as a 1959 Heil Milk Tanker. The Surface Orbiter with two other Dobbertin creations. Rick Dobbertin of Syracuse, New York was an award-winning hotrod car builder when he hatched the idea to build an amphibious RV able to circumnavigate the entire globe. Just sit right back and you’ll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip… But instead of a three hour tour, this one was designed to be a one year, around-the-world cruise in a custom built RV. ![]()
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