A few years back, South Africa's Bushwakka debuted one of the more creative Toyota Land Cruiser 4x4 micro-campers the world has seen, the Kamelback camper. Though it was built to house only two people, something about the multi-expanding camper module felt like it could easily fit more people. And now it does, as Bushwakka adds the Kamelback 4 to its lineup, fitting a two-bed expandable bunkhouse atop the bare rear chassis of one of the world's most rugged and trustworthy 4x4 platforms to redefine what it means to pack up the whole family and get away from it all.
Truth be told, the Kamelback was born to be a four-sleeper from the start, even if it debuted with a single double bed. Because that oversized bed was installed in a sleeper tent that folded out from the righthand driver's side of the camper box. That left the two-stage Z-shaped pop-up roof free of any bed, though it was clearly capable of housing one.
It took a few years, but Bushwakka has now put that inherent advantage to use, though it did have to make a few modifications. The company extended out the roofline to include a short cabover that adds enough space to house a bed without limiting standing height inside the camper. So owners can still enter naturally through the 6.2-foot-tall (1.9-m) rear door and stand inside on the floor before getting into one of the two beds.
Bushawkka also added a fold-down extension panel at the rear of the upper bed to create a 53 x 71-in (135 x 180-cm) sleeping area tucked into the front of the pop-up roof. The extension panel folds away during the day to free more interior space.
The new upper bed joins the lower 61 x 75-in (155 x 180-cm) bed in the fold-out side module, allowing the Kamelback to sleep a family of four comfortably. The 71-in length of the roof bed is on the short side for trying to sleep four adults, but could still work for those under 6 feet (182 cm) tall or who don't mind bent knees or dangling toes.
The Kamelback 4-sleeper camper module is the same 7.5-foot (2.3-m) length as the original Kamelback 2, but that includes the length of the alcove, meaning the lower bulk of the box is shorter. So Bushwakka had to reconfigure the kitchen around the smaller box, starting by creating a slimmer main pantry below a flip-up hatch. Instead of having a drop-down hatch door double as a worktop, the new camper has a separate bamboo worktop that folds away inside the hatch for transport. The pantry is smaller but very neatly organized with shelves and cubbies, including a foam insert fully stocked with a set of dishes for four.
The square cabinet toward the driver's cab is designed to hold a 90-L top-loading fridge/freeze on a drop-slide for easy access. A wide cabinet above that fridge area and an underbody cabinet below the main kitchen hatch deliver added storage space, while a bumper-mounted swing-out module adds an extra flip-up worktop. The kitchen also comes stocked with a standard dual-burner camping stove and a 180-degree awning overhead.
In one potentially inconvenient change, Bushwakka had to relocate the water heater and faucet around the corner on the rear wall next to the entry door. On the two-person Kamelback, it's located more conveniently next to the kitchen hatch. The new location does put it right next to the optional swing-out shower tent, but also means cooks will have to walk around the corner to wash produce and dishes. It shouldn't be a big deal, just a slight disadvantage of the rearranged equipment set.
The Kamelback 4 comes powered by an upgradeable 100-Ah lithium battery and includes a DC-DC charger. It features LED lighting throughout the interior and exterior. A 380-W roof-mounted solar setup is available optionally.
Like the original two-berth Kamelback, the four-sleeper is built atop a Land Cruiser 79 Series pickup, only this time with the double cab needed to seat all four campers. Bushwakka removes the standard pickup tray on the customer's 79 and preps the chassis before installing the Kamelback camper directly to it.
The 1,653-lb (750-kg) Kamelback 4 camper prices in at SAR546,924 (approx. US$33,675), which is actually slightly less than the R573,574 (US$35,325) two-person variant. The Land Cruiser itself is not included.
Source: Bushwakka
