I was born in Japan in 2018, as a Toyota pick-up with a two-seater cabin, model GRJ 79. After a stopover in the Middle East, I was brought to the workshop of the company "Extrem Fahrzeug" in Schwenningen, Germany.

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Based on their experiences with rental vehicles with roof tents in southern Africa, Manfred and Maya had already given a lot of thought to what would become of me and communicated this to the experts at Extrem. So they combined their knowledge with the ideas of Manfred and Maya and developed a homely space miracle in which you can live comfortably when the weather demands it and, above all, spend time outdoors easily and comfortably. The first destination should be southern Africa, where in many places you can't buy everything around the corner and therefore need a lot of cooling and storage space. By the way, I was named Bushbaby because these little African animals are small, fast and pretty and can move quickly anywhere - as I am supposed to do in a wide variety of landscapes. And of course because Manfred and Maya love bush babies.

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In place of my loading area, a living cabin made of insulated aluminum sandwich was installed, with a roof tent running the entire length over the driver's cabin, a roof window, side windows, a door at the rear and some flaps to make everyday life easier. The cabin width is divided into three parts: kitchen and bench, with the aisle in between. There is a 100 liter water tank, a boiler, an auxiliary heater and lithium batteries that store the solar energy from the three panels so that we can charge and use our devices. 

My V6 engine drinks from two tanks that hold 90 and 105 liters of gasoline respectively. I need between 16 to 20 liters per hundred kilometers, of course depending on how I drive and how I drive. Of course, I have four-wheel drive that can be switched on manually, a gear reduction and a differential lock so that I can get through rough terrain. However, my height (2.65m, with roof box approx. 3m) is the biggest obstacle, or at least causes the most fears.

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Since everything wasn't technically perfect, the "vehicle upgraders" in Neuheim/Switzerland upgraded and improved it. So today everything works perfectly and a socket allows you to work outside - as we all know, it gets dark very early in southern Africa. On my roof and the former bike rack there are three huge boxes attached to lashing rails in which tents, spare canisters, snorkeling gear and everything that is not used so often is stowed away.

 

I am particularly proud of my inner life. The cabinets, made of the finest quality wood, have folded doors so that no (or at least very little) dust gets in. A bench hides a huge material box, the batteries and the emergency toilet (portapotti with bag principle). Thanks to an additional open storage space, it not only allows you to sit comfortably but also offers an emergency shelter, just like the floor on which you can make a bed with mats if the roof tent has to remain closed exceptionally for weather or safety reasons. The drawer with two separate refrigerators can be used to freeze or cool according to your needs.

Thanks to cupboards and drawers we can carry a huge amount of household items and clothes, games, books and whatever else we need. A small pull-out table allows you to work or eat inside. Of course, you can also illuminate the living room with numerous lights and there are enough sockets and USB ports.

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The bed on a board with a ship's mattress can be lifted up to the tent when the tent is opened, which takes about two minutes and is always the first thing to do in a new place, so that the entire interior offers standing height.

 

One of the most brilliant things about me are the outside flaps. For example, they make it possible to remove the table and chairs when the tent is unopened, to store workshop equipment for my maintenance or for small breakdowns, and to store the kitchen. This can be accessed both from inside and outside. The two-flame gas stove is attached to the flap on the outside, so that cooking can be done with little effort - connecting the gas hose to the bottle hanging outside. 

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To improve the comfort and to ensure vital mosquito protection, Manfred and Maya have a mosquito tent with them and a tarp, a fine sheet, can be pulled into a rail on both sides of me so that I can sit under it in the shade.

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Manfred and Maya are thrilled to be traveling with me and are very, very proud of me and of the implementation of their ideas!