I recently stumbled upon Tribe Trailers and their off-road tiny homes. I wrote about the Expedition 500 camping trailer and was quite impressed with how the company managed to fit all those features in a compact package. Naturally, I wanted to see more of what they’ve got, so today, I’ll discuss another type of product: the El Cap truck camper.
Tribe Trailers is an Arizona-based, family-owned company that seeks to enable adventurers to experience the outdoors comfortably. El Cap is the only truck camper they have and one of three products available, the other two being the Expedition 500 and the Basecamp trailers.

The company describes El Cap as “the ultimate all-in-one experience with your truck.” This camper has been in the works for the past year. After understanding what people need for adventuring, the company has developed a sleek, simple, and sturdy truck camper, claiming that it has every amenity you would need for an outdoor adventure. Let’s see if that’s indeed the case.

I’ll start with the exterior features. On the passenger’s side, you’ll discover a large compartment housing a telescoping ladder, straps for it, and a bag with ratchet straps. Although the simplest and most handy solution is to strap down all four sides of the camper to your truck bed, Tribe Trailers recommends purchasing an aftermarket chassis extension as a sturdier alternative.

On both sides, the truck camper features a Lippert HappiJac system, which enables you to raise and lower the pod by using a hand crank. In case you don’t want to tire your arm, there’s an included adapter that lets you use a drill. Moreover, you can easily remove them by undoing a latch.

Photo: Tribe Trailers

Next to the compartment I just mentioned, you’ll find the propane section, which hides two propane canister holders. One is connected to the rear of the camper, while the other leads inside.

El Cap offers outdoor protection in the form of a 270-degree awning. Furthermore, it features an unzip above the entrance, allowing you to mount the telescopic ladder and get into the roof tent. By the way, the door also comes with a separate metal screen door, which is sturdier than regular bug screens.

At the rear, you’ll notice a light up above, two 5.5-gallon (21-liter) jerry cans covered by Molle panels (one for water and one for gas), and a slide-out drawer meant to fit a camping stove, as it features the propane connection I mentioned earlier. And finally, the driver’s side of the truck camper houses a large Molle panel that comes as standard with an axe and a shovel.

Let’s step inside the camper. You’ll discover the kitchen on the left – it features a 10,000 BTU stainless steel dual-burner stove, a tiny sink with a wooden cover, an integrated diesel heater, and some cubbies for storage. Another notable element is a magnetic plate mounted on a wall, enabling you to hold utensils and other stuff.

Photo: Tribe Trailers

On the right, there’s a large box housing a portable toilet and a portable battery that provides energy for the camper. What’s more, the portable battery runs on both AC and DC and is connected to 100 W flexible solar panels on top of the camper.

The manufacturer uses German imported wood board for the furniture, while the floor is made from all-weather vinyl planks.

Tribe Trailers has put every single inch inside El Cap to use. For instance, behind the large box I mentioned above, there’s another vertical compartment connected to the outdoor storage I mentioned earlier. Furthermore, if you look above, you’ll notice an extra Molle panel and a 5.5-gallon (21-liter) water canister, complete with a hose, serving as a shower.

Move further inside, and you’ll find a seating area dead ahead, consisting of two benches with a dinette table in between. Moreover, you can lower the table, rearrange the cushions, and turn it into an extra bed for one.

Photo: Tribe Trailers

The main bedroom measures 81 x 52 inches (206 x 132 centimeters) and has a unique arrangement. In the standard setup, two people can sleep from side to side. However, the manufacturer added two flip-up tables above the seating area’s benches. You can add cushions on top of them, thus extending the bed space and allowing you to sleep from front to back.

The bedroom features five tiny windows around. By the way, I like that there’s a bunch of natural light shining inside El Cap via multiple windows – all of them come with bug screens and black-out shades. Other notable elements inside this camper are two overhead storage boxes mounted on L-Traks, so you can remove them if you want some extra room.

Tribe Trailers offers two ways to get into the roof tent. As I explained earlier, you can do it from the outside, but you can also enter from the interior via a hatch above the seating area. This tent offers enough space for two people to sleep – it measures 91 x 55 inches (231 x 140 centimeters). That means a total of five people can sleep in El Cap, which is quite impressive.

Overall, Tribe Trailers has created a convenient truck camper with unique features and a well-thought-of design. You’re probably curious how much of a dent El Cap will make in your bank account. This truck camper is now available for $35,000 (€31,731) – you can find out more about this tiny home on Tribe Trailers’ website.