South Africa’s Bushwakka has taken the Toyota Land Cruiser 79 and done something more radical than bolting on a camper shell: it cut away the back of the pickup and replaced it with an aluminum living module. The result is the Kamelback 4, a four-person expedition rig with a hot-water shower, a double bed, and enough self-contained kit to make remote travel feel less like roughing it and more like moving your apartment onto a chassis.
This Bushwakka Land Cruiser 79 camper takes a different route from the usual pickup-based campers, which are often removable boxes built to sit in the bed. Bushwakka’s setup is closer to a factory-style conversion, and that matters because it opens up more usable space without the compromises of a drop-in module. It also taps into the growing appeal of expedition vehicles that can do family duty instead of just serving solo overlanders with very expensive hobbies.
Kamelback 4 sleeping and living space
The Kamelback 4 is designed for up to four people, not two. A pop-up roof creates a second sleeping spot above, while the lower section houses a fold-out double bed. Just as importantly, the cabin is tall enough for adults to stand up inside, which sounds basic until you spend a week ducking around in a cramped camper and start appreciating human spine preservation.
Once parked, the roof lifts, the beds open up, and Bushwakka’s 180-degree awning turns the vehicle into a sheltered outdoor room. That kind of wraparound setup is what separates a serious off-grid build from a nice-looking weekend toy.
Kitchen, shower and power equipment
Bushwakka did not stop at sleeping quarters. The camper includes a two-burner gas stove, cookware, space for a refrigerator of up to 90 liters, and a hot-water system with a 90-liter tank. If you are wondering whether a shower on a Land Cruiser is more marketing than utility, the answer is no: there is a pull-out shower cabin measuring 1 x 1 meter, complete with a roof, drain, and built-in LED lighting.
The electrical setup is equally geared toward independent travel, with a lithium power system, inverter, charger, sockets, and LED lighting. Solar panels of up to 380 W are available as an option. For buyers planning long stints far from hookups, that makes the Kamelback 4 look less like a novelty and more like a properly thought-through mobile base camp.
Price of the Kamelback 4
The living module mounts directly to the Land Cruiser’s frame and is said to be built for harsh conditions, with exterior compartments protected against dust and moisture. The complete Kamelback 4 package costs about $33,000, before you even buy the Toyota Land Cruiser itself. That is not cheap, but for buyers chasing a durable expedition build instead of a weekend conversion, the price lands squarely in the ”expensive, but at least it is doing something interesting” category.
The bigger question is whether more overland builders will follow Bushwakka’s lead and move away from removable camper boxes toward permanent rear-body conversions. If this catches on, the next arms race in off-road travel may be less about bigger tents and more about who can turn a pickup into the most convincing tiny house on wheels.