Does anyone know if the "Drifter" brand housboat is still made. Also who made it and where was it made? Someone told me it was orignally made in TN.

Thanks....Jim

Hi Jim,
the Drifter series houseboats are no longer built. They were made in TN by Houseboat Corp of America. This Co. eventually built Harbor Master Houseboats.

Drifters were built in the 70's. The hull material was steel. They were good river boats and utilized interior space well. Some of the later models had a design which was copied in fiberglass.

By now, the steel hulls might be thin and in need of repair. These boats can be restored and should give you comfortable cruising for years to come.

I just bought a 53' Drifter Cruiser..I understand that it was built in Galleten Tenn.( not sure that is spelled right) They are not in buissness anylonger, but if you happen to find any info on them could you please foward. my email is This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

I obtained a salvaged hull a few years ago. I built an all-out 2-story barge from it, all electric, laundry room, 2 baths, etc. Just traded for an RV I hope to sell to raise gas money for my great circle trip. I have a page from a 1975 houseboat catalogue. The new boat (which I obtained the hull from, 14 x 45) cost only $15,000 new.

I recently purchased a 48 foot Drifter on Lake Lanier. After reviewing the original records, I came across the original 4 page color brochure and sales receipt ($19000). I would be happy to fax anyone a copy of the brochure, I have not been able to find any additional info on these great boats, but there are a lot of them still on this lake which must count for something.

I've just begun what is looking like an extensive restoration of a fiberglass 40' Drift-R-Cruise. The boat was through some good owners, but saw its share of reckless patch-job attempts. I've gutted it down to some badly rotted wood flooring and interior plywood structural sheathing. The hull's in good shape, but it'll take a good bit of new truss and glass work at the flooring and superstructure level. Can I assume this is an epoxy glass structure, without polyester? It's quite thin in place and I'll likely put another _layer_ on the outside as well. Any original structural information would be great.