Pioneer Pick-Up Camper

Camping can be the most pleasurable pastime in the world. It can also be a chore. And this is why camp equipment specialists are always looking for the idea, concept or product idea that will change the way people camp. The one and only reason why camp equipment makers constantly update and review their designs is that the quest for simplicity and ease of use is foremost in their minds.

 

Recently, on a shoot for my TV show, 4WD Take A Deep Breath, I reenacted my very first off-road expedition done in my own vehicle. It was in a Range Rover in 1982. We had tents, a cool-box, no fresh food, no cold beers and not much equipment to help us stay comfortable. On my 2010 revisit, things were very different. Not only did I have a fridge freezer to keep things cold, fresh salads and cold drinks, I tested a brand new concept in tents.

Vehicle roof-top tents are nothing new. While they offer some security from wild animals, there are not many other advantages over one on the ground. In general, because they are so high off the ground, they can be tricky to erect and even more difficult to pack away. They add considerably to fuel consumption and make a vehicle top-heavy.

Enter the Pioneer. African Outback is a South African company developing equipment meant largely for the ever-growing 4x4 equipment industry, in which they are a major player. But this new piece of kit is aptly named Pioneer because it really is that. It’s like a roof-top tent that can be opened and erected in a matter of seconds. Yes. Seconds! And to pack away, there is no back-breaking contortions necessary to fold it up nicely. And it can be done in seconds.

I tested it. The second time I used it was a Sodwana Bay. I timed myself: Erect the tent, open the kitchen unit, fill a kettle and put it on the gas burner, open two chairs and sit to watch the sunset: One minute 42 seconds! No kidding.

 

You didn’t think something so brilliant wouldn’t come at a price, did you? The unit only fits onto single cab pick-ups, the one tested fitted to a Toyota Hilux 3.0 D4D. Its low profile meant the Toyota kept its good fuel economy and because of its flat load bay, other items such as bicycles or a canoe can be strapped on top.

The self-contained unit, primarily designed for the outback-eager couple wanting simplicity with immense practicality, can be removed by four people, in about 10 minutes. From then on, the pack-up can resume its normal weekly tasks without any sign that during the weekend and holidays, it is a brilliant and practical campervan. 

The Pioneer has surely got to be of great interest to 4x4 hire firms. Most hire 4x4s, consisting of a pickup with a glass-fibre canopy and a roof-top tent, are rented to couples. The canopies do not last because they are not designed for carry the weight of a tent and the lateral stresses incurred when a vehicle moves over rough tracks or off-road. The kitchen consists of a couple of boxes of kitchen things tossed in the back. The Pioneer is quite different. Here, the kitchen, water tank, gas and stove are all contained in long, pull out drawers. The tent, with mattress (add your own bedding) are hidden under the flat ‘roof’. To clips and up it goes! A shade awning can then be extended from the top. Securing it for travel is a matter of pulling it down, walking around poking any loose fabric underneath and then clipping it down. It took me on average about 30 seconds.

I took a prototype out for this test and took back a few recommendations of improvements, but there weren’t many. Brilliant!

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO ON THE PIONEER

The unit is built by African Outback products, tel. +27 (0) 11 392 1777
Our products are retailed through all leading 4x4 outlets
in South Africa as well as Botswana and Namibia.

African Outback products are based in Isando, Johannesburg, South Africa, and their products retail through 4x4 Mega World Stores (www.4x4megaworld.co.za)