​Bush Cabin Ute Camper. Live-In Comfort Without Compromising 4WD Capability
The Bushtech Bush Cabin is a premium 4WD ute camper designed for genuine off-road travel in New Zealand and World-wide. It delivers true live-in comfort without compromising where a capable 4WD ute can go.
Bush Cabin Ute Camper. Live-In Comfort Without Compromising 4WD Capability
The Bushtech Bush Cabin is a premium 4WD ute camper engineered for genuine off-road travel. This fully integrated ute-mounted camper provides a secure, insulated and exceptionally durable living space designed for extended travel in remote environments.
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Built in South Africa for some of the world’s harshest conditions, Bushtech products are proven globally and particularly well suited to New Zealand’s backcountry. The Bush Cabin is one of the most luxuriously appointed ute campers in its class, while retaining true 4WD capability.
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While many ute campers claim off-road capability, few are designed with a real understanding of sustained four-wheel-drive use. A Bush Cabin-equipped ute remains capable well beyond the limits of typical touring-focused ute camper designs and does not restrict where a properly prepared 4WD vehicle can go, while remaining quiet, stable and comfortable for everyday driving, touring and long highway distances.
Ute Camper vs Canopy + Roof Tent. What’s the Difference?
The primary difference between a ute camper and a canopy plus roof-tent setup is gaining internal living space, followed closely by a significant increase in total usable volume. The Bush Cabin's canopy-like section is substantially larger than a conventional canopy, allowing for a genuinely usable interior rather than simply storage.
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A canopy and roof-tent setup is fundamentally a live-around solution. Cooking, shelter and day-to-day living take place outside the vehicle, with the roof tent accessed via an external ladder. While this can be a practical and cost-effective option in settled weather, comfort and protection are limited when conditions turn cold, wet or windy.
A ute camper such as the Bushtech Bush Cabin offers true live-in capability. You can step inside a fully enclosed, insulated and heated interior, remaining warm, dry and comfortable regardless of conditions—an important advantage for extended travel, shoulder-season use and winter touring.
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Rather than climbing an external ladder at night, the Bush Cabin provides internal access to the sleeping area, delivering a markedly higher level of privacy and convenience while avoiding exposure to the elements —particularly appealing for those put off roof tents by night-time bathroom visits. While the sleeping section visually resembles a roof-tent layout, it is significantly larger and more refined in its execution, featuring double-layer premium canvas and a class-leading 100 mm thick luxury mattress. The result is sleeping comfort closer to a bed at home than a conventional roof-tent setup.
Engineered by Two of South Africa’s Most Established Overland Brands: Bushtech and EEZI-AWN
Bushtech Aluminium Canopies
Bushtech is renowned for producing some of the strongest, lightest and most dust-resistant aluminium canopies available, proven on permanently off-road vehicle fleets across Africa and internationally. These canopies carry dynamic load ratings at least 50% higher than many comparable systems, while remaining lightweight and precisely engineered.
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Each canopy is hand finished to a high OEM standard, combining structural strength with long-term durability and premium fit and finish. This same engineering approach—along with Bushtech’s proven 2.5 tonne static load test —carries directly through to the Bush Cabin design.
EEZI-AWN
EEZI-AWN is a globally proven overland brand with more than 42 years of dedicated roof-tent engineering. Its roof tents have been proven over decades across every major continent on Earth, in climates ranging from extreme heat to prolonged cold and heavy weather, earning a reputation for durability, weather protection, and long-term livability. As a result, EEZI-AWN roof tents sit in a fundamentally different category of pedigree and performance from the roof-tent brands typically sold in New Zealand, many of which are suited to recreational use rather than sustained expedition travel.
The brand is also well known for producing some of the most comfortable mattresses found in roof tents globally. For the Bush Cabin, EEZI-AWN has gone further again, incorporating a class-leading 100 mm thick mattress designed to rival a bed at home for comfort.
Together, these two Johannesburg-based innovators have created a camper system that combines unmatched strength and premium comfort—introducing a new benchmark in the world of expedition campers.
How the Bush Cabin Compares to Other Ute Camper Setups
The Bushtech Bush Cabin stands apart from most ute-based campers in seven key ways:
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1. Genuine Off-Road Capability
The Bush Cabin is engineered for serious, sustained four-wheel-drive use, not limited to sealed roads and light gravel. While many ute campers claim 4WD capability, few are truly suited to genuinely demanding or technical off-road terrain.
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A Bush Cabin-equipped 4WD ute remains capable of accessing remote South Island wilderness areas, including isolated river valleys and high-altitude, challenging routes such as those crossing the Oteake Conservation Area—terrain that sits well beyond the practical limits of most touring-oriented ute campers and requires a true, properly prepared 4WD.
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2. Exceptional Flexibility in Use
The Bush Cabin design strikes a unique balance between a live-around setup and a traditional live-in camper. In warm conditions, the large gullwing side doors provide open, canopy-style access for roadside stops, cooking or daytime use. When the weather turns cold or wet, you can step inside, close the cabin and enjoy a fully insulated, protected living space—with the option of a diesel heater for genuine cold-weather comfort.
This flexibility allows the Bush Cabin to adapt to changing climates, seasons and travel styles, rather than forcing a single way of using the vehicle.
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3. Very Low Overall Weight and Excellent Strength-to-Weight
Constructed from aluminium, the Bush Cabin is significantly lighter than most comparable ute campers. In double-cab configuration it weighs only approximately 215 kg, with the effective installed weight reduced further by removing the ute’s no-longer-required tailgate.
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This lower overall mass helps preserve vehicle handling, suspension performance and off-road capability, while reducing long-term fatigue on the vehicle during extended travel. Load distribution is carefully managed, with the optional 55-litre water tank positioned forward of the rear axle. Combined with the Bush Cabin’s low closed height in transit, this contributes to excellent handling stability and confidence when traversing steep or off-camber 4WD terrain.
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The result is a camper that feels composed and stable both on-road and off-road, rather than heavy or cumbersome. Despite its light weight, the Bush Cabin passes a 2.5-tonne load test. As with all Bushtech canopy products, its strength-to-weight ratio is class-leading.
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4. Outstanding Insulation
All New Zealand-spec Bush Cabins have been upgraded to include Bushtech’s premium thermal foam insulation throughout the cabin—not just in the tent section, which also uses dual-layer premium canvas. As a result, the Bush Cabin is the most comprehensively insulated ute camper in its category.
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5. Best-in-Class Mattress
The Bush Cabin features a class-leading mattress specification for this category. While EEZI-AWN roof tent mattresses are already regarded among the finest worldwide, the Bush Cabin goes further with a 100 mm thick premium, multi-density foam designed to deliver comfort closer to a bed at home than a conventional roof-tent mattress.
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6. Superior Quality of Construction and Premium Finish
Close a Bush Cabin (or Bushtech aluminium canopy) side door from one edge, and you’ll notice the difference instantly. Unlike other similar products, Bushtech’s fully braced, internally framed doors show minimal flex under pressure. The result is superior door rigidity, unrivalled dustproofing, and a cabin that’s more secure.
Bushtech’s reputation for superior aluminium canopy engineering carries directly into the Bush Cabin. Where others cut corners by applying powder coat over unfinished welds, every Bush Cabin is meticulously hand-finished before coating. Only premium-grade powder coats are used, delivering a durable, corrosion-resistant finish with a level of fit and finish that reflects true OEM-level build quality.
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7. Excellent Value for Money
Unlike setups that start with a tray & canopy or wellside canopy, which still require a separate roof tent to be added, the Bush Cabin includes an integrated sleeping area as part of the overall design.
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While the Bush Cabin typically sits above a wellside canopy plus roof tent setup in overall cost, it is considerably more affordable than a tray & canopy–based touring configuration. As such, the Bush Cabin warrants careful consideration, offering a step into true internal living space while remaining more cost-effective overall.
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When viewed against the cost of other ute-based campers or motorhome-style alternatives, a Bush Cabin-equipped ute remains a comparatively affordable way to achieve a fully capable travel vehicle.
New Models Coming Soon:
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New Gen Ford Ranger and VW Amarok
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Isuzu D-Max
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Planned for 79 Series complete with an original Toyota 79 wellside
Trade, Fleet & Wholesale Enquiries Welcome
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