The Daily Observer London Desk: Reporter- Sarah Marshal
There’s camping, and then there’s camping Cybertruck-style.
A clever new attachment, the ‘Space Camper’, has been unveiled for the Tesla Cybertruck, turning Elon Musk’s much-hyped electric pickup into a mobile home.
The device, which is priced at £19,500 ($24,000), is slotted neatly into the vehicle’s truck-bed. When it’s activated, it extends outwards and upwards, creating enough room for two people to sleep on an inbuilt bed. Though it’s an enclosed camping space, the attachment can also open up on one side to allow drivers to sleep under the stars in ‘stargazing mode’, if they so desire.
According to the company behind the model, Cybertruck drivers will be able to ‘pull up anywhere and set up camp in minutes’ with their ‘wedge-style’ Space Camper.
A range of nifty accessories can also be purchased and added to the model, such as a film projector, a shower, and a fully-functioning kitchen.
A novel new accessory, the ‘Space Camper’, has been unveiled for the Tesla Cybertruck, turning Elon Musk’s much-hyped electric pickup into a mobile home
The base Space Camper is priced at £19,500 ($24,000), but a range of nifty accessories can be added to the product
Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveiled the Cybertruck for the first time in November 2019 and famously managed to shatter two of the vehicle’s ‘bulletproof’ windows during the launch event.
The truck’s body is based on a 1976 Lotus Esprit sports car Musk owned in 2013 and the rest of the design pulls inspiration from vehicles in Blade Runner, Mad Max, Back to the Future and Alien.
The prototype hit the streets of Manhattan in May of 2021, leading hundreds of New Yorkers to line up outside the Tesla showroom to catch a rare glimpse of it.
Crowds of New Yorkers gathered in the Tesla showroom in Manhattan to see the Cybertruck prototype in 2021
According to the company behind the model, Cybertruck drivers will be able to ‘pull up anywhere and set up camp in minutes’ with their Space Camper in tow
A film projector can be installed in the camper
However, it’s expected that mass production of the vehicle won’t begin until 2024.
To install the Space Camper into the electric pickup, Cybertruck owners will take their vehicle to the Space Campers’ headquarters in San Luis Obispo, California, where the camper will be secured to the bed of the pickup with a series of small clamps.
Once it’s in place, drivers are ready to camp. How does it work? Once the driver has unlatched the Space Camper’s roof and ‘flipped a switch’, the camper will be raised in ’30 seconds or less’, with awning-style poles extending out and propping up the roof.
Next, they roll down the Space Camper’s tent wall and strap it into the truck tailgate. Once it’s zipped closed, it functions fully as a tent, with 8ft (2.4m) of standing space at its highest point and 6ft (2m) at its lowest.
Inside, there’s a bed with a four-inch (10cm) memory foam mattress, that sleeps two. In ‘stargazing mode’, the space between the awnings opens up, so campers can sleep in the open air.
When removed from the Cybertruck, the bed doubles as a dinner table, or even a projection screen for outdoor movies.
With benches and tables stored integrated into the design, the camper can be turned into a workspace
When removed from the Cybertruck, the bed doubles as a dinner table
Campers can open up the space between the awnings at the front of the accessory and sleep under the stars in ‘stargazing mode’
There are plug sockets and USB ports for firing up your electronics
Collapsible benches and tables for dining or catching up on work are stored at the end of the bed.
Touch-activated lights are fitted to the interior and exterior, and to fire up your electronics, there are several plug sockets and USB ports.
Loose odds and ends, meanwhile, can be stored in a series of storage nooks built into the side of the camper.
The add-on kitchen accessories include a sink with instant hot water from portable freshwater tanks, an induction cooktop and a portable electric cooler.
‘With optimal wall storage, you’ll have no problem finding a place for your pots, pans, mugs, plates, and spices,’ says Space Campers.
The shower accessory, meanwhile, is mounted to the camper’s exterior and uses hot water from the portable freshwater tanks. A portable toilet can be placed in the outdoor shower, Space Campers reveals.
The bed can be used as a projection screen for outdoor movies
The shower accessory (left) is mounted to the camper’s exterior. Odds and ends can be stored in a series of storage nooks (right) built into the side of the camper
The campers will be installed at the Space Campers’ headquarters in San Luis Obispo, California
Touch-activated lights are fitted to the interior and exterior
A rack system can also be installed on the roof of the camper to accommodate solar panels or bicycles
A rack system can also be installed on the roof of the camper to accommodate solar panels or bicycles.
The Space Campers come in stainless steel or matte black, though the company notes that the attachments can be personalised to the buyer’s specifications.
The base model of the camper weighs 470 lbs (213 kilos) and is entirely powered by the Cybertruck’s existing battery.
It adds that once the production is up and running, it will take around two weeks to construct each Space Camper.
The Space Camper isn’t the only attachment that sets out to give the Cybertruck a camping twist. In 2021, similar accessories known as the Form and the CyberLandr were unveiled by different companies.
Elon Musk seems to approve of the latter – he tweeted that it was ‘cool’.
