We Went Camping In The Tesla Cybertruck…

Tesla markets the Cybertruck not just as an electric pick-up truck, but as an adventure truck that’s durable and rugged enough to go anywhere.

Such a pitch moves it out of the urban poseur camp and into a niche where owners actually camp.

So we borrowed a Cybertruck fully loaded with every accessory possible. And for context, put it up against EV rival Rivian, and its ground-up reimagining of the pick-up truck in the guise of the R1T.

So, who does the electric adventure truck better? Top Gear Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief, Jack Rix, and Head of Car Testing, Ollie Marriage, headed out in the desert armed with a steak and some fairy lights to find out…

WATCH MORE TOP GEAR:

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:02 Walkaround
03:13 Tent Mode
09:41 Rivian R1T

MORE ABOUT TOP GEAR:

This is a commercial channel from BBC Studios.

[TopGear]

Tesla or Rivian: which one are you spending the night in?

[edwardfletcher]

Why the Hell is it a manual hand pump when you're camping in a power station ??? 🤯

[ZakiSalem-zhgr]

3k for a tent? I'd just sleep in the back seat

[allzeenamesaretaken]

I love how they inadvertently showed how much better the Rivian tent set up was (or it was tongue-in-cheek on purpose which is classic top gear)

[noname-pjsv]

cooking that 2in steak on a pancake griddle is definitely a cybertruck guy kinda move lol

[motofan]

For people who are wondering, that Rivian roof top tent is $2800.

[Livlifetaistdeth]

Cybertruck: Simplified everything
Cybertruck Tent: Needlessly complicated

[Ryan_ringler]

Wait so the Cyber Cooler is not a 12v dc plug into the front frunk? Completely missed opportunity….

[BeleducMartello]

Why didn't you pump the tent up with that tire inflator?

[AleksanderHoff]

The CyberTruck should have been able to roll down the rear window! That way the tent could have made a seal around it and gotten aircon through all night!

[matthiaskettner]

So when there‘s some tiny hole in this tent and therefore it doesn’t hold the air, it won‘t be able to be installed? Why not just use tent poles like everyone does?

[kendexter]

If you trusted the lid you should put your own banana there

[captain_cgc]

My Ford Expedition also has tent mode. I open the back hatch, I climb in and sleep …

[pyroslev]

What I love is that the Rivian still just a truck first. It has 'just a roof tent' on it but that's perfect. Nothing extra really needed. Three minutes of setup.

[Felix]

It was later discovered that shining a light bar directly at the guy's bald head blinded an astronaught orbiting above.

[patrickdgarez]

Would have loved to have known how much power (mileage) was used after the extras (light bar, cooking, coffee etc.). Just out of curiosity.

[burakirtel]

I prefer the Grand Tour camps, Clarkson yelling and arguing with Hammond, and James talking about unrelated topics.

[BDMZ]

You've gotta love a Yakima or Tentbox (Same brand). Who needs a flashy truck? Just pop a rooftent on ur hatchback and off you go !

[tboscontroller]

Wow. Only takes 15 seconds to take down and stow the tents. Cool!

[glennmicheal]

Imagine if it was the original 3 who had done this trip. Missing them 🥹🥹