CyberTent (Basecamp tent) install, setup, interior look, and pack up (with video)

[bwilliam79]

I picked up a Basecamp tent yesterday and got around to installing it in the truck today. My wife was kind enough to work a camera while I go through the process of unboxing the tent, installing it, setting it up, a look inside, and packing it back up.

The thumb screws I mention for the aeroflap were purchased from Amazon: https://a.co/d/c2Dk9kt

Sponsored

 

[Wraven]

Really appreciate the video, gives a much better perspective of some of the struggles that have been highlighted in longform.

 

[bwilliam79]

Given this was my first time setting it up and taking it down, it did take a little longer. I feel pretty confident both the set up and take down could be accomplished by a single person in less than ten minutes, though. There are really only two struggles I see being consistent:

1. Taking the aeroflap off and putting it back on every time. It's a little bit of a pain, but not terribly so now that I have the thumb screws for it. Rumor has it Tesla will be providing a solution to that to Basecamp owners to address this in the future, so we'll see if that gets better at some point.

2. Keeping the zippers of the bag out of the way when packing it up. The tent platform does a good job of using all of the bed space from side to side, so there's not a lot of room to keep the zipper on the bag from getting folded into the tent when packing it up. Something I'm sure I'll get faster at in the future, but it did take me 2-3 minutes of messing with it the first time.

 

[cgladue]

@bwilliam79 so for $3,000 for a tent and you get a manual pump ? seriously

 

[bwilliam79]

There are solutions both existing and coming to market which will make that a non issue IMO. A pass through window would be nice for just letting air into the cab or maybe carrying a longer item, but I'm not so sure it would be great for heating and cooling a significantly larger area than the HVAC system is designed for.

Other options worth considering are a portable AC, or the guys at Campstream (https://www.campstreamgear.com/) are working on a product for the Cybertruck. I have the Campstream product for our Rivian and it's a pretty nice kit which allows me to duct air to a RTT or ground tent with very good air flow thanks to the vent adapter they have designed..

 

[bwilliam79]

@bwilliam79 so for $3,000 for a tent and you get a manual pump ? seriously

I hear you and I thought the same thing at first, but it only takes 20 or 30 pumps to get it inflated, so I don't see it as a big deal since it only takes 8psi to fully inflate and the pump pushes air on both the up stroke and down stroke. I do have an electric pump I keep in the truck (https://a.co/d/4ZX9yij) which can be used to inflate tires or things like an air mattress and plan to give it a shot in the next couple of days. The trick is making sure you don't overinflate it and not all electric pumps have a way to monitor pressure while inflating. The pump I have is one where you can set the desired pressure and it will automatically shut off once it reaches it, so I'm happy to share if/how it works when I get a chance to test it.

 

[cgladue]

I hear you and I thought the same thing at first, but it only takes 20 or 30 pumps to get it inflated, so I don't see it as a big deal since it only takes 8psi to fully inflate and the pump pushes air on both the up stroke and down stroke. I do have an electric pump I keep in the truck (https://a.co/d/4ZX9yij) which can be used to inflate tires or things like an air mattress and plan to give it a shot in the next couple of days. The trick is making sure you don't overinflate it and not all electric pumps have a way to monitor pressure while inflating. The pump I have is one where you can set the desired pressure and it will automatically shut off once it reaches it, so I'm happy to share if/how it works when I get a chance to test it.

but the point is for this price, it should be included, not that it isn't easy to inflate, but you shouldn't HAVE to manually do it, for the price it's already insane for what it is

 

[bwilliam79]

but the point is for this price, it should be included, not that it isn't easy to inflate, but you shouldn't HAVE to manually do it, for the price it's already insane for what it is

Ok, then buy a different tent.

 

[countryboy]

Other options worth considering are a portable AC, or the guys at Campstream (https://www.campstreamgear.com/) are working on a product for the Cybertruck.

YES! Do you know if they have ETA for CT? If they get oem-quality integration with Basecamp, I'm in!

 

[bwilliam79]

YES! Do you know if they have ETA for CT? If they get oem-quality integration with Basecamp, I'm in!

I’m working with the guys at Campstream personally and next step is to get them some 3D scans of various parts of the truck,. Unfortunately, I don’t know of an ETA, but I know it’s being worked on and will see how much they are comfortable with sharing through the development process. They’re super cool guys, though, and I can’t say enough good things about them.

 

[Noblelr3]

Thanks for the demo. Make it more likely that I’ll go ahead and purchase. Just might wait a while until FIRST i get my truck, and second see if anything aftermarket comes out within a year.

 

[Gigahorse]

I’m working with the guys at Campstream personally and next step is to get them some 3D scans of various parts of the truck,. Unfortunately, I don’t know of an ETA, but I know it’s being worked on and will see how much they are comfortable with sharing through the development process. They’re super cool guys, though, and I can’t say enough good things about them.

Very cool, keep us posted on what you can of that.

 

[MJH]

A: You appear to be a vet, so thanks for your service.
B: Thanks a ton for the video unbox/install.

This helps for making my decision on the tent if they ever give me a chance to order my CT.

 

[bwilliam79]

A: You appear to be a vet, so thanks for your service.
B: Thanks a ton for the video unbox/install.

This helps for making my decision on the tent if they ever give me a chance to order my CT.

I'm not a vet personally, but my father and father-in-law are and your thanks are very much appreciated.

Sponsored