TownBiz
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Hereās my take after spending more time with the Basecamp: itās a well made product and fun camping setup for 2 adults (maybe 1 adult + 2 kids) - itās worth the $3K price tag if youāre already sold on the āroof-topā tent (RTT) premium which is typically $2-3K+. For purposes of this review, letās assume whoever is considering purchase of the Basecamp has rationalized the value of a $3K RTT already - and yes there are plenty of nice ground tent setups that offer tons of great things at a fraction of the cost of the Basecamp or any other RTT for that matter.
With all that said, unless you really āneedā an RTT for an upcoming trip, I donāt recommend buying the Basecamp right now for two reasons:
Hereās what I like the most about the Basecamp:
And the things that I like the least about it come at the start of setup and end of takedown:
For people who decide to buy the Basecamp, there are a few things to be careful with - it would be nice for Tesla to improve these too, but not critical:
A couple final notes:
With all that said, unless you really āneedā an RTT for an upcoming trip, I donāt recommend buying the Basecamp right now for two reasons:
- - If/when a 3rd party develops a set of crossbars that can be installed on the vault rails to make a flat surface, you may find that other generic/compatible RTT options are either easier + quicker to setup/takedown or cheaper (although they can also be more expensive too).
- - āTent Mode,ā the software option expected to enable suspension leveling on uneven ground, is currently in beta testing and unavailable for consumers. If Tent Mode is released to all Cybertrucks (rather than only Basecamp owners), third party RTT options could be even more attractive. If Tent Mode is exclusively enabled for Basecamp owners, that would be major selling point as well (similar to Model Y owners adding a 1st party tow hitch that is accompanied with access to āTrailer Modeā vs. a 3rd party tow hitch which doesnāt have it.)
Hereās what I like the most about the Basecamp:
- - Easy to install and remove the packed 90 lb kit from the bed/vault of your Cybertruck. The Basecamp relatively light and compact. Strong folks can move it solo or you can find a buddy to make it even easier. Other high end RTTs are usually heavier and bulkier so you are more likely to need a friend to help - which will make removal a lot less convenient. Because itās so compact, it installs nicely in the CT bed without sacrificing much room or reducing aerodynamics because you can still close the tonneau cover while itās installed.
- - For the most part, Basecamp uses quality materials and smart design. Heim Planet, the Basecamp tentās manufacturer, makes premium tents and this is no exception. The inflatable design is intuitive and easy to setup + takedown. After familiar with it, people should be able to take <10 minutes on either task. The tent design takes advantage of every inch of CT bed space and it feels really well made.
And the things that I like the least about it come at the start of setup and end of takedown:
- - Removing and reinstalled the CT āAeroflapā takes away from the ease of use and overall premium Basecamp experience. The first step of setup is is removing the CTās āAeroflapā (long metal piece right between the can and the bed). Itās tricky because you are blindly reaching the two T30 bolts that keep it in place and if you drop those bolts into the abyss below (likely falling into the area that the tonneau retracts into), bad things may happen and you will probably need to visit the SC to chase down the runaway bolts at a minimum. After do it a a few times itās not terrible, but between removing the bolts and then forcefully popping out the Aeroflap, it just feels like a less than premium experience. Per another CT Owner forum memberās conversation w/ his SC tech, there will be a toolless way to remove the aeroflap and once it's ready, people who bought the tent should be able to get it from their local service center. That would be a major improvement.
- - Takedown is a breeze until you need to fit the folded Basecamp platform back in its fabric storage container. Because the tent is designed to make the most of the full width of the truck bed, there isnāt much room on the sides of the folded Basecamp, which can make fitting the platform back in the bag and zipping it back up a bit frustrating. The good news is that after doing it a couple times, the fabric seems to loosen up and it gets much easier. Still annoying.
For people who decide to buy the Basecamp, there are a few things to be careful with - it would be nice for Tesla to improve these too, but not critical:
- - When installing the packed Basecamp on its vault rail mounts, use a flashlight and carefully align T25 bolts to secure the tent box to the rails or you may misthread the mounting bracket.
- - When unfolding or collapsing the tent platform legs, make sure to fully compress the press the locking pin release buttons to release/fold/collapse the tent platform legs or you may snap the holding mechanisms.
- - When doing the absolutely last step of storing the folded tent, avoid pulling hard on the cobra buckle straps or you may pull apart the super weak stitching. These straps are meant for light duty, keeping the fabric tent storage bag closed more than anything else.
- - Although then manual says you can leave the small two red tent positioning straps connected below the Aeroflap for future use, this isnāt a great idea because they can easily be caught in the tonneau cover and crunched.
A couple final notes:
- - If you think the tent is ugly, great, do you. Similar to the CT, itās more āfunction over formā and some people will think it looks awesome while others think itās ugly AF.
- - If you think you can get better ātraditionalā ground tent gear for a fraction of the cost, youāre right! Great, do that if it checks the blocks you need.
- - If you think a $3K tent is absurd and totally unnecessary, youāre also right. While I wouldnāt call the CT itself absurd because I think itās a great truck and fantastic for many reasons, itās also a luxury. There are plenty of solid second-hand traditional gas trucks out there which you can buy at a fraction of the cost too. So buy the Basecamp or another great $3K RTT if you want to or go camp on the ground under the stars for free - have fun out there!
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