Early promotional materials for the tent gave the impression that it would be sleek, futuristic, and incredibly convenient. Tesla released a trailer for the Basecamp which made it appear as if it were self-inflating, and showed it looking smooth, structurally ridged, and perfectly in line with the angular aesthetic of the truck itself.
The Tent: one more reason to return that Tesla Cybertruckhttps://t.co/DnqVerCUNO pic.twitter.com/aEcJtBWQtd
— My pen weighs a ton (@philmandelbaum) March 10, 2024
It seems that the reality of the Basecamp is a little more mundane. The tent’s airframe is filled with a manual pump, and its design seems a bit more lackluster than the trailer’s careful cinematography originally made it appear. Several images of the tent have appeared since units have begun shipping, and they reveal … well, a tent. There’s nothing wrong with the Basecamp, per se, but it’s certainly not the same model as the one used in the image that appeared in Tesla’s original promotional materials.
The second problem that the tent’s critics have is the price. Most regular truck bed tents cost between $100-$300 — the Cybertruck Basecamp is currently retailing for $2,975. People don’t expect Tesla accessories to be cheap, but that number is a little hard to swallow given the differences between the promotional images and retail images. $3K would be a lot of money for any nylon tent, even if it was a hyper-futuristic, luxury model. However, it’s especially disappointing given the state of the Basecamp.
