The latest off-road camper from Japanese specialist Direct Cars is based on a 4×4 ute that is likely to join the Toyota fleet in New Zealand this year – the beefier Toyota Hilux GR.
The GR ute itself will no doubt slot comfortably into the country’s best-selling vehicle segment. On the other hand, the GR-based camper conversion is very much a factory-finished niche product, far removed from a DIY bed and breakfast unit on the back of a ute for a bloke looking for the best fishing spot.
For starters, the Tokyo company plucked the rear tray from the GR to pretty much seamlessly integrate Hilux and the camper module on the ute’s ladder chassis. Then it fitted out the tray with odds and ends, bolted on an axle and wheels, and turned it into a trailer for the camper.
The resulting package is what Direct Cars calls the four-door Hilux BR75. It was unveiled at the 2023 Japan camping car show and priced from around $NZ130,000. It can be ordered from the company’s website.
There are two variants, the standard BR75-G and the more high-end BR75-Z. Both come with a pop-up roof and side and rear doors, along with walk-through access into the camper from between the Hilux’s rear passenger seats.
Inside, there are cabinets and hanging shelves, dirt and scratch-resistant flooring, textile upholstery, and a dinette that can be turned into a full-sized bed. There’s also a second pull-down bed that’s big enough to sleep two kids.
The camper also gets external power outlets, a touchscreen control panel, 105-litre fresh water and 45-litre grey tanks, along with a 200Ah lithium-ion battery, 200W roof-mounted solar panels, and a 1500W inverter. They all help power the onboard water pump, portable fridge, and LED lighting.The touchscreen control panel gives controls and readouts for HVAC, lighting, battery, and water levels.
There’s a separate bathroom that comes loaded with a waterproof floor, a mirror, a slide-out counter table, a sink, modern fixtures, and doors that allow it to be accessed from inside or outside the camper. There’s no mention of a kitchenette in the online specs, but there is a sink with extendable hose.
Z-spec variants get a few extras like a side-mounted pull-out awning and an additional window on the rear hatch. There’s also the option of fitting a domestic air conditioner, with the external compressor located in the underbody behind a protective front guard.
In Japan, the Hilux camper runs a 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel engine churning out 110kW/400Nm. The Hilux GR ute Toyota NZ is looking at will carry the familiar 2.8-litre diesel donk.