River Adventures | Raft Boat

It’s always fun to play with your Matchbox in your youth when they are basing the vehicles on real life. Some of them may not be licensed, and it becomes interesting when it is based on a theme. It may be about off-road or a vehicle that you see in the city. The novelty of the concept is one of the core identities why Matchbox a beloved brand, and it shows why it’s still around. Some of them are not even vehicles, but can be a trailer with a gimmick as an add-on to your existing Matchbox vehicles. It can be hauling a camping trailer or watercraft that would look good on your 4x4 vehicle.

There’s one that had been around and recently retired, and that’s the Raft Boat, released in a 5-pack. The Raft Bost is formerly the Whitewater Raft Boat, originally produced from 1999 to 2017, and last released with a Hitch & Haul version in 2022. This is part of the River Adventures 5-pack released in 2017, which is the second to the last time the Raft Boat was produced. It was first released as an individual Matchbox vehicle in the mainline in the year 1999. For the succeeding years, it was produced as part of a 5-pack.

Matchbox is known for making trailers that carry water vehicles, camping equipment, a camper, or particular add-ons to a Matchbox vehicle, as most of the castings produced in the 70s, 80s, and early 90s had a toe hook. It’s something that most would probably wonder why even a sports car had one. But it is part of why Matchbox had this as the brand’s identity.

TIKI Cruises

This Raft Boat’s deco features the TIKI Cruises, which is a tow vehicle for the Honda Ridgeline, which is a complement to the reason why the 5-pack stands out with these two partnering together. The construction of the Raft Boat consists of two parts of the boat and the trailer platform on which it rests.

The trailer platform on which the Raft Boat sits is entirely made of plastic, while the Raft Boat, with its hull, is entirely made of die-cast, and the top is plastic with a moving engine that used to be removable until it was retooled to stay permanent, beginning its reproduction in 2012.

This vehicle/trailer is a Matchbox Original by Matchbox.

Key Features of the Raft Boat below:

• Year Release: 2017 | River Adventures 5-Pack
• Base Color: Red
• Base: Grey/Metal
• Trailer Colour: Brown
• Tampo: TIKI Cruises
• Interior: Red

Boats do not float

Of course, for play value, the Raft Boat is an add-on to your Matchbox vehicles. But kids would think if it floats. Unfortunately, the Raft Bost does not float since its entire hull is made of a die-cast part. But for those into toy photography, the challenge in making it “float” is the ingenuity of how you make it appear to be like what boats do.

But the novelty around the Raft Boat is that it can be hauled by any vehicle with a toe hook, and it’s rare to see Matchnox produce this as a single-carded vehicle. Some of the “trailers” get retooled and retired due to the gimmick built into the vehicle. The Raft Boat would be considered to have “Moving Parts,” and why it is no longer sold as an individual Matchbox vehicle in the mainline.

Overall, the Raft Boat is a novelty add-on trailer to Matchbox vehicles that have a built-in toe hook to haul it. There might be trailer-type vehicles that would succeed it, but after being discontinued, there are no other trailers that are similar to it, and the closest is the water ski trailer that‘s only available under the Hitch & Haul and the current Adventure Pack Series.

Raft Boat is a Matchbox Original, which is part of the River Adventures 5-pack released in 2017, which was acquired during a special 20% off sale at Kids Depot last May 2023 in Ayala Malls Market Market for ₱ 640.20 Pesos ($ 17.63 | $ 11.29 USD**). Matchbox is distributed in the Philippines by Richwell Club.