Bote Lono Review | Possibly the best option for Vanlife

The Bote Lono could possibly be the best boat option for your nomadic lifestyle. This kayak/stand up paddle board hybrid boat packs down into a bag on wheels and allows for extreme versitility. We are excited to take these along when we hit the road full time in our converted ambulance camper. Join us for this unboxing and initial review of our Bote Lono kayaks.

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0:00 Intro
0:16 Why we chose Bote Lono
1:27 What's in the bag?
5:14 Inflating the Bote Lono
5:43 Walkaround
7:07 Attaching Rear Netting
7:29 Attaching the Seat
9:16 Attaching Rear Deck
10:16 Attaching the Port Hole
11:19 Attaching Side Pockets
11:44 Bottom of the boat
12:18 Initial Thoughts
12:57 Inflating the 2nd Bote Lono
13:37 Final Thoughts
14:44 What does Lincoln Think?
14:56 Packing it up

Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
License code: RNH8UGZYPO4R45S2

[CharlesETerry]

And things like that a phrase you might want to hear yourself 10 to 15 times and see how you feel, very good video.

[maximovincente]

Those look awesome!!! I need to try them out!

[HangsFun]

Anytime you can actually store them back easily in the bags they came in is a win for me ;-) looks like at the end they go back in with ease.

I really like how versatile and customizable they are. Will be interested to see how well they hold up on your trips.

[kassandralopez]

I’m definitely not about this life but that looks awesome 👏🏼

[phdyoutubedegree]

do you have to purchase their peddle system or can you use other brands with no problem. I just feel $800 is a lot.

[Landonlawrence]

Have you considered calling it the “Vanbulance” !?

[josephcali]

I’m so disappoint in this kayak and the awful customer service I received. The service started out good and they have been friendly but man they really are trying to get over on me. The kayak I received was defective straight out of the box, the seams were peeling up in multiple spots on both sides of the boat. There were also scratches all over both sides of it through the graphics and hull, although the top of it was fine. The scratches were covered up with what appears to be touch up paint streaks running down both sides, that look pretty awful.

I contacted them about it immediately and while they were responsive, all they did was deflect around it and tell me that “the great news is that it doesn’t affect how it floats).. well on the seams that is yet to be seen but on the aesthetics of it. I certainly did not pay over $1500 for a kayak that is defective in multiple ways straight out of the box. The paddle that I was sent by them was also defective, it came with two right sides and no left. So one of the paddles was upside down, also one of the holes to lock the ends into place was not machined correctly so it would not pop in and secure into place. After experiencing these issues and expressing my concerns to Bote support, they did acknowledge that both the kayak and the paddle were defective. They also however placed all of the blame on their manufacturer and told me that it’s essentially a warranty issue between me and them. However something that is defective straight out of the box is not a warranty issue it is something that Bote should have directly taken care of since it was zero fault of mine and I bought the kayak from Bote, not their manufacturer.

After seeing the quality of the products that I was sent and the treatment that I received, I requested a refund numerous times and they refused. They have offered to replace the kayak but said they don’t have the ability to inspect it before sending it out for defects, they also do not have the one that I ordered in stock so I’d have to pick a completely different color. They have also offered to accept a return minus a 20% restocking fee and I have to pay for return shipping (on a kayak that they acknowledged as defective). Honestly I have so little faith in this company at this point that I really don’t even want any replacement, this whole experience and feeling of being ripped off has been too stressful.

I’ve submitted a dispute with my credit card company in hopes that they can speak on my behalf and get my money back. I should not be forced to accept a defective kayak, one that I didn’t order, or pay a bunch of fees to return it. I have proof (pictures, videos, emails, etc.) so hopefully this will work out in the end for me. If anyone’s on the fence about one of these extremely expensive products out there just know that in my experience they won’t give you much recourse if they don’t hold up their end of the transaction.