It’s not every day you see a truck that can float on water – so when Deals on Wheels came across one that can float on water and breathe fire, we had to know more!
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The special truck is well-known by fans of SeaWorld Marine Park on the Gold Coast, where you can spot it during the Thunder Lake Stunt Show, which runs twice a day, every day of the year except December 25.
The show was launched in 2019 in partnership with Australia’s biggest provider of theme park live shows, ShowTime Entertainment Group.
It features a host of water-ski, jet-ski and BMX performers — as well as the famous half-truck, half-boat.
Village Roadshow Theme Parks Chief Operating Officer, Bikash Randhawa, says the Thunder Lake Stunt Show is a fast-paced, visually spectacular show featuring non-stop action.
“The Thunder Lake show centres around the Sun State All Stars and the Bay City River Rats, with the two rival groups colliding in a showdown of extreme stunts to once and for all decide who rules the lake.”
The truck boat, or “troat” as it’s affectionately known, spits huge plumes of fire, tooting the horn as it speeds around the lake.
One of the performers then slides down a ramp on the back of the troat on a jet-ski before taking off with a splash, somersaulting through the air.
Gary Reid, the director of ShowTime Entertainment Group, tells Deals: “The truck is used at the end of the show — it’s driven by our comedy character.
“He has failed all through the show, then he drives out at the end from backstage, shooting flames and blowing the air horns.
“The kids love it, even the big kids. It’s a huge hit!”
The troat was made from a 2010 Western Star 4800 that was purchased from a truck wrecker in Brisbane.
“The truck wasn’t in too bad a condition when we got it,” Reid says.
“It just needed a good clean and a paint job.
“We wanted the truck to look old, so we had a graffiti artist — Jamie from Lost Soul on the Gold Coast — spray paint it.”
The ShowTime team only used the cab and sleeper from the truck, adding a 150hp Yamaha outboard boat motor, and custom building a pontoon boat deck, aluminium chassis and fiberglass wheel.
“The interior has a driver’s seat, steering wheel and outboard motor controls.
“The steering wheel controls the motor, the same as a boat.”
While a floating, fire-breathing truck might seem a little dangerous, Reid assures us that it undergoes rigorous safety checks and is operated by trained professionals.
“Our team perform daily checks on all equipment in the show, including the troat,” he adds.
The troat isn’t the only big rig owned by the ShowTime team — they also have a 2023 610 Kenworth SAR.
The gleaming white SAR transports ShowTime’s fleet of display cars that they use for on and off-track demonstrations and displays at Supercars rounds all over Australia.
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