Cool Expandable Form Camper Deploys From A Truck Bed
Form Camper has revealed an interesting new camper that would work with multiple truck models. The Form Camper would work with everything from the coming Tesla Cybertruck to the class-leading Ford F-150 pickup. While the camper appears to have been designed specifically to work with the yet released Cybertruck, it's not limited to that vehicle specifically. It uses a rectangular box form that can fit in the bed of just about any truck.
Once it's deployed from the bed of the truck, the camper fully expands using an electric actuation system. A portion of the Form Camper stays in the truck's bed, creating a sleeping area while the rest of the deployable camper extends off the back of the truck creating a room that sits on ground level. A hard roof covers all of the space inside the camper.
When deployed, the camper would have 71 square feet of floor space inside along with a door allowing the user to go in and out of the camper as needed. Form Camper would also have two nylon ripstop canopies deployed from each side to provide some protected outdoor space. When being used in an environment where the truck owner might want to go off-roading or use the pickup for other purposes, the entire camper can be deployed away from the vehicle as a standalone unit.
According to the manufacturer, the entire deployment and setup of the camper will take five minutes to set up. The double bed fits in the pickup bed and is folded in half to store inside the camper. Users will have to slide out the kitchen cooktop and sink and the separate worktop as needed.
The kitchen area does include a refrigerator/freezer unit along with drawers and cabinets for storage. Another interesting feature is that the camper utilizes bidirectional slides and double-sided cabinets to allow the kitchen to be used inside or outside the enclosure. There is also a cushioned bench at the rear wall of the enclosure for comfort, and the bench can be removed to double as a wet bath with a portable toilet, wall-mounted shower, and privacy door.
The camper is expected to run entirely off battery power using either a 300-Ah deep-cycle lithium-ion battery or the battery pack from an electric vehicle such as the Cybertruck or F-150 Lightning. However, to help extend the battery life, the Form Camper does have a 400-watt solar charging system on the roof. It also has the capacity to store 189 liters of fresh water under the bed and is fitted with a reverse-osmosis system to purify water from lakes and rivers.
The camper is built using an aluminum honeycomb sandwiched between carbon fiber. The estimated dry weight is 1000 pounds, and when filled with water, it would weigh 1300 pounds. It would be offered in a single size measuring 9.8 by 4.4 by 3.4 feet when compressed into its box form. It would fit in any truck bed ranging between 5.5 and eight feet long. However, it would work with shorter truck beds but would require a hitch-mounted support arm for stabilization during expansion.
While the Form Camper is aimed directly at users of electric pickups, it won't work for the Rivian R1T because that truck has a very short 4.5-foot bed. The company plans to complete its second prototype by Q2 of 2022 and notes that its specifications and features could change. Production is expected to kick off in the second half of 2022 with a limited run of 500 units. Pricing is expected to be around $69,500. However, those who put down a $10,000 deposit will get a unit for $49,500 with supply limited to only 25 units.