Advertisement: A pick-up is a practical thing. It hauls, it tows, it shrugs off dirt and works as a family runabout too. What it lacked so far was an easy way to turn it into a little home for a weekend or a whole holiday, without converting it completely or blocking the garage with a demountable cabin when you don’t need it. Campwerk now offers a solution for that: three pick-up cabins that rise electrically, have fabric walls and, folded down, are barely higher than the roof of the pick-up.
Who is behind it
Campwerk from Velbert is known in the scene above all for tent trailers and roof tents. Much of that is made in-house, and the company has grown considerably over the years. For the pick-up cabins, Campwerk is the German distributor for Wild Land, and that is quite a statement.
Because Wild Land is, by its own account, one of the largest roof-tent producers in the world and manufactures as an original equipment maker for a whole range of well-known brands. So if you’ve ever noticed that a surprising number of roof tents from different suppliers look confusingly alike, that’s often because they come from the same factory, perhaps even from Wild Land’s.
The person behind Wild Land is said to be a tinkerer with a soft spot for electronics and photography. That is also why his factory produced, among other things, one of the first fully electric roof tents. That same fondness for automation now runs through the pick-up cabins.
The idea: living space without converting the pick-up
Many pick-up drivers fit a truck-bed rack or a roof rack onto the load bed and strap a roof tent on top. That works, but it has the drawback that the tent often sticks out over the cab. With the Wild Land pick-up cabins it’s different: they sit directly on the load bed, so you need neither a rack nor a roof carrier. Folded down, they finish flush with the roof of the pick-up, and the space underneath stays usable for tools or building-site gear. At the weekend the work vehicle becomes a camper on two levels with standing height, and the next Monday it’s an ordinary pick-up again.
Another point in favour of the Wild Land pick-up cabins is the non-destructive mounting. Pick-up cabins are often fixed by drilling. On some, the entire truck bed is even removed and replaced by the cabin. With the Wild Land cabins it’s different: they’re mounted without drilling at the existing fixing points and can be taken off again if needed, which in everyday use often isn’t necessary, because when closed they are neither higher nor wider than the vehicle. So the drive into the underground car park stays as you know it, and you can carry on using the load bed underneath as usual. No part sticks up into the bed either.
Wild Land Wingman X pick-up cabinWhat’s in every Wild Land pick-up cabin
You set the cabin up in the evening, once you’ve reached camp, at the push of a button, either with the remote or the app. The system extends entirely by itself, you don’t have to crank or unfold anything. The mechanism deliberately takes its time: the build runs more in slow motion, and for good reason. Real forces are at work here, and slow simply means safety. Even so, Wild Land has built in several protective mechanisms, from the double anti-pinch protection on the lift systems and an instant cut-off at the push of a button to acoustic warnings during the build.
Wild Land hasn’t scrimped on the surrounding tech either. A continuous power system feeds light, audio and USB ports, drawing either from the vehicle or from an external source. The lighting is modular, with lamps you can fix magnetically to the wall, hold in your hand or hang up. And should the electrics ever fail on the road or the battery run flat, there’s an emergency mode.
Wingman X: the two-storey cabin
Closed, the Wingman X looks like a slightly boxier hardtop; at the push of a button it grows into living space over two levels. Below, there’s an area with around 1.5 metres of interior height, where you can sit, change in foul weather or simply relax. It comes as standard with a MOLLE panel to attach odds and ends to, and a folding bamboo table. An integrated ladder takes you up to the upper level, which serves as a sleeping space at 225 × 146 centimetres and can carry up to 260 kilograms. A transparent, propped-open roof window gives you a view of the starry sky, or simply more light in the morning.
A few hard numbers: closed, the Wingman X measures 187 × 157 × 71 centimetres and weighs around 250 kilograms. It fits pick-ups with a load bed from about 1.50 metres long, 1.40 metres wide and more than 400 kilograms of payload. That means it fits common pick-ups such as the Toyota Hilux, Isuzu D-Max, Jeep Gladiator, VW Amarok, Fiat Fullback, RAM 1500 or the Ford Ranger.
Wild Land Wingman X pick-up cabinThe tent material is a 190-gram polycotton with a PU coating and a water column of 2,000 millimetres, plus a protective layer that is, among other things, waterproof, abrasion-resistant and corrosion-resistant. Included from the factory are a remote control, removable LED lights, a Bluetooth speaker and a stabiliser for the truck bed. The 270-degree awning, a small ladder and a shower tent are available as accessories.
Wild Land Wingman X pick-up cabin, unfoldedAnd then there’s the Symphony variant: with it you get a 360-degree sound system with six channels on both levels, 32 sound drivers, 111 watts and a DSP that adjusts the sound to the room in real time. The music comes via Bluetooth 5.0 or a MicroSD card. You can tell the person behind Wild Land has a soft spot for technology.
Trunk: packed flat, with a roof terrace up top
If you prefer it flatter, but more luxurious up top, the Wild Land Trunk might be something for you. Closed, the pick-up cabin is only 61 centimetres high and so all but disappears behind the cab. Once you arrive, the upper part slides up and back, then folds open to the front. The upper level then sits stably above the cab. Below, with the panel open, even people over two metres tall could stretch out fully. Folded up, you have a sleeping area of 300 × 145 centimetres on top. Two adults and a child can fit comfortably there.
Wild Land Trunk pick-up cabin with roof terraceThe view in the Trunk is hard to beat. Eleven windows let plenty of light inside and offer a clear all-round view. The front area can be opened completely, turning the upper level into a roof terrace where you can sit and admire the landscape. Anyone who camps out in the open with a great view will love it in any case.
Wild Land Trunk pick-up cabin, closedThe Trunk comes in two sizes. The S version weighs 208 kilograms and measures 169 × 150 × 61 centimetres closed; it fits the Ranger, Hilux, Tacoma, L200, D-Max, Gladiator and a few more. The L version weighs 220 kilograms, measures 185 × 150 × 61 centimetres and is meant for the big Americans, so the F-150, RAM 1500, Tundra or Hummer EV.
The work is done by a double-layer cross-scissor lift system powered by a battery.
WinTopper: turning a hardtop into standing height
The WinTopper is a bit of an outlier, but it still fits the picture. The WinTopper isn’t really a living cabin. It’s a hardtop that can do more than just keep the load dry and secure. It’s built for people who already have a roof tent and want to keep using it. No new purchase needed, no getting used to a new bed, but more usable room below.
Wild Land WinTopper hardtop (image partly AI-generated)Because at the push of a button the WinTopper rises and creates standing height of up to 1.45 metres. That helps with loading and unloading and with getting changed. And when the weather is really grim, you have a cosy retreat.
Wild Land WinTopper pick-up hardtop (image partly AI-generated)The clever bit is in the platform: it takes up to 300 kilograms of static load and can therefore easily serve as a base for heavier roof tents too, or carry bicycles or a solar panel instead.
The load space underneath stays fully usable. Closed, the WinTopper measures 170 × 158 × 35 centimetres, weighs 130 kilograms and is weatherproof, dust-protected and lockable. It too is fixed to the vehicle without drilling. The WinTopper has a magnetic lighting system and four speakers with 86 decibels built in.
You can add a heavy-duty roof rack, a side awning, a shower tent or a solar panel to the WinTopper. All separately and one after another, you don’t have to decide on everything when you buy.
Accessories and DIY
There’s matching kit around the Wild Land pick-up cabins. A 270-degree wing awning makes a good seven square metres of shade along the side of the vehicle. Fit both sides and you get 360 degrees and up to 13.6 square metres. A side shower tent adds a separate space for washing or changing. There are also roof racks, a folding grab-handle ladder and plenty of small things to kit out the interior.
Everyday and travel in one vehicle
Anyone who drives the pick-up anyway doesn’t have to choose between work vehicle and camper. During the week the load bed stays free, at the weekend a fixed sleeping spot with standing height is ready in a few minutes. Campwerk also has tradespeople in mind: on the building site you have a lockable space with such a cabin straight away, a bit of privacy included.
Which cabin suits whom?
The question almost always comes down to a single point: do you already have a roof tent?
If so, the WinTopper is your model. Your tent goes on top of the platform, you don’t have to buy anything new or get used to a new bed. Below, you still gain standing height, and the load bed stays protected and lockable.
If not, it comes down to how much living space you want up top. The Wingman X gives you a classic sleeping cabin at 225 by 146 centimetres and, as the only model, a propped-open roof window over the bed. Below you have a sheltered area with around 1.5 metres of interior height, a MOLLE panel and a folding table. It’s the compact solution for two, who can also take three along.
The Trunk is the living-room option. Up top it offers considerably more space at 300 by 145 centimetres, eleven windows all round and a front area that opens completely. That turns the sleeping cabin into a roof terrace. Anyone who camps out in the open a lot and wants to gaze at the landscape with a coffee in hand in the morning is in the right place. Closed, the Trunk is still flatter than the Wingman X at 61 centimetres.
| WinTopper | Wingman X | Trunk | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleeping space | own roof tent required | 225 × 146 cm | 300 × 145 cm |
| View up top | depends on roof tent | panorama window, roof window | eleven windows, open roof terrace |
| Height closed | 35 cm | 71 cm | 61 cm |
| Weight | 130 kg | approx. 250 kg | 208 kg (S) |
| Build time | approx. 1 minute | approx. 1 minute | approx. 3 minutes |
Frequently asked questions about the Wild Land pick-up cabins
Will the pick-up cabin fit my pick-up?
For the Wingman X you need a load bed from 1.50 metres long and 1.40 metres wide. That covers the common models, so the Ranger, Hilux, D-Max, Amarok, Gladiator and the like. The Trunk comes in two sizes, S for exactly these vehicles and L for the big Americans such as the F-150, RAM 1500 or Tundra. The WinTopper fits a whole range of vehicles too. If in doubt, call Campwerk before you order.
Do I have to drill for the pick-up cabin?
No, not for any of the three Wild Land cabins. They’re mounted at the existing fixing points and can be taken off again if needed. That makes the cabins suitable for leased vehicles too.
Can I still use the load bed?
Yes, completely. On all three Wild Land cabins, no part protrudes into the bed. Tools, firewood or material have just as much room as before. That’s the difference from a classic demountable cabin, which takes the load bed away from you.
What happens if the electrics fail?
All three Wild Land cabins have an emergency mode. On the Trunk you connect a separate emergency cable to an external 12-volt source and drive both levels with it. Normally you won’t need it, because a built-in battery handles the build and take-down.
Can I use the pick-up cabin in winter too?
Yes. The living areas are waterproof, and the low build gives the wind little to grab hold of. For cold nights you add a night heater or a portable camping heater.
More info
All Wild Land pick-up living cabins at a glance are available from Campwerk: campwerk.de/pickup-wohnkabine.