There are hardcore adventure enthusiasts who like to carry their home on wheels, and then there are ones who like to keep things toned down for the occasional skirmish into the woods for a day. For the former, there are countless options on the market, and for the latter, there’s a niche still left wide open for exploration.
A New Zealand startup wants to give Tesla Model Y owners a reason to head out of the city limits. The company wants to offer a simple yet efficient solution in the form of a sleeper platform that sits snugly behind the rear seats. When it’s time to set up a temporary camp, the make-shift camper platform flings up giving access to the trunk and expands into a two-berth bed. Thus, transforming your Model Y into a micro-home to catch a quick nap in the late afternoon.
Designer: Teraglide
We do love the idea of full-blown camper kits for hatchbacks and crossovers, but for occasional users, this is a practical solution that does what’s needed with maximum conviction and the least hassle. This makes sense for people who like to preserve their rear seat space. Ones who want to take along a camping stove and a compact tent. The extending camping bed is tailor-made for the Tesla’s mid-sized SUV, as it fits perfectly in the rear section with a few interlocking slats.
Once fitted, the lightweight platform (not heavy like the full-blown camper kits that affect range) slides on top of the folded rear seats and extends into a stable base to sleep two adults without breaking a sweat. To add more width, the two detachable front wings attach to both sides. This presents a bed platform measuring 73 x 50 inches that folds back down to a 36-inch platform fitting in the back of your trusted electric SUV.
One feature that instantly resonated with me is the tilting-up hinged design that rises so that one can clear all the mess from the sunken space in the trunk. This also doubles as a two-tier storage system, as the upper shelf can be used to store frequently used cargo and the lower section to stash things that are not used frequently. Another feature other than this useful utility is a couple of slide-out tabletops that double as a bed or outdoor side tables.
The platform bed by Teraglide is crafted out of premium birch plywood with a protective soft-touch film for extra durability. Best of all, the assembly doesn’t rely on any hard mounting and can be easily done with the help of a buddy. The maker is serious about pitching its product worldwide and is looking for manufacturing associates in the US and Europe to bring down shipping costs. Priced at approximately $850 for the base model, the startup has also got a $970 version that comes prefitted with a self-inflating memory foam mattress.
