Surrey’s “Hillbilly Houseboat” Is Turning Heads!

September 24, 2026

An unusual floating RV spotted on Surrey’s Nicomekl River has become a major topic of conversation. Emilio Gilpo speaking to Global News  says his so-called “Hillbilly Houseboat” is a prototype that he is testing on the Nicomekl River in Surrey near Portage Park.

“I have to do what they call a ‘proof of concept,’ so I’m doing this,” Gilpo told Global News.

“If everything goes well, then it will be improved and see how it goes.”

The houseboat is a camper trailer, sitting on top of a makeshift barge of 36 round containers and some steel beams. Nearby residents told Global that they witnessed the floating home get assembled and then launched into the water using a crane.

“You can use it as a recreational vehicle, or a houseboat…something like that,” Gilpo said. “Once it is improved on, then it can help the economy.”

The City of Surrey said it had warned the vessel’s owner earlier this month. It did issue one parking ticket when it was located on city land. The ticket was still visible on the side of the trailer on Sunday.

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