Meet Tommy Campers’ latest S6X super build: a stretched Volkswagen Amarok PanAmericana TDI600 with a custom tray, REDARC power, 400W of solar and enough off-grid capability to disappear into the bush for a while.
Not that long ago, if you wanted a serious slide-on camper build, the answer was almost always a 79 Series LandCruiser. Big chassis, big diesel, big payload, big price tag and, let’s be honest, big compromises in comfort.
But this new Volkswagen Amarok XL build from Tommy Campers asks a pretty interesting question: what if you could have a proper off-grid slide-on camper setup without sacrificing the comfort and technology we’ve come to expect from a modern ute?
Built around a 2025 Volkswagen Amarok PanAmericana TDI600 supplied by Southern VW in Adelaide, this setup pairs the Tommy Campers S6X with an XL wheelbase extension by Adaptive Manufacturing, a Pedders 3800kg GVM upgrade, a custom Tommy Tray and a serious REDARC power system.
In other words, this isn’t just a ute with a camper chucked on the back. It’s a purpose-built touring package.
The base vehicle is a Volkswagen Amarok PanAmericana TDI600, which already gives you a much more modern starting point than the average old-school workhorse. You get the comfort, safety and drivability of a current dual-cab ute, but with the sort of touring hardware needed to carry a slide-on camper properly.
The big-ticket item here is the XL wheelbase extension by Adaptive Manufacturing. The Amarok has been stretched by 298mm, which is doing the same sort of important work as the stretch on Big Tom. It helps shift the camper weight into a better position over the chassis instead of leaving it hanging out the back like a fully loaded hiking pack after day one on the Overland Track.
There’s also a Pedders 3800kg GVM upgrade and a 2-inch lift, giving the Amarok the legal payload and stance needed for this kind of setup.
One of the traps with slide-on builds is treating the tray like an afterthought. This one doesn’t.
Tommy Campers built a custom tray specifically for the Amarok XL and S6X camper combination. It measures 2100mm long and 1900mm wide, uses 100mm RHS construction and is finished in Protex Matte Black with clear white colour-coded toolbox doors.
There are front and rear alloy toolboxes with locks and seals, a rear under-tray trundle drawer, an integrated 35L-40L headboard water tank and a water outlet tap. The fuel filler is also integrated into the headboard, which helps keep the setup neat and practical.
It’s not just there to look tough. It’s there to carry the camper properly, keep the weight where it should be and give the whole build the storage it needs for real touring.
Mounted on the tray is the Tommy Campers S6X slide-on camper, finished to match the tray in Protex Matte Black with colour-coded white doors.
The S6X is the same basic idea as the camper used on Big Tom, but this Amarok build has its own flavour. Standard inclusions include a queen-size 5-inch foam mattress, four lift-off legs, LED ceiling lights, a 12V roof console with USB ports and a 75L water tank.
From there, this build steps things up with an interior couch with storage, a pull-out table, an extra-width under-bed drawer, a Porta Potti, custom diamond stitching, twin Sirocco fans, rear LED step lighting and extra dual-colour LED lighting in the gullwing doors.
It’s compact, but it’s not roughing it.
The kitchen setup keeps things practical, which is exactly what you want in a touring camper.
There’s a regular satin black kitchen, a 130L Bushman upright fridge, dual 75L water tanks, tank sensors, a second water outlet on the driver’s side, a 12V water pump and a Duoetto MK2 10L electric hot water system.
Cooking is handled by a Travel Buddy 12V oven, which is about as Australian touring as it gets. Chuck lunch in before you hit the road and arrive at camp with a hot feed ready to go. Simple.
The electrical system is one of the headline parts of this build.
At the heart of it is a REDARC Manager Alpha 75, paired with a 300Ah lithium battery, TVMS Rogue, an additional RedVision display, a 3000W REDARC inverter, a 15-amp shore power plug and two 200W semi-flex solar panels on the roof.
In normal human speak, that means this Amarok has the sort of power setup that lets you camp off-grid properly without constantly stressing about battery percentage.
The RedVision system gives you one simple interface to monitor battery levels, control lighting and keep an eye on the water tanks. It’s exactly the kind of system that makes sense in a premium touring build because it removes the need to scatter switches, gauges and guesswork all over the camper.
The touring gear doesn’t stop with the camper shell and electrical system.
This build scores a Bushwakka Darkness PRO 270-degree awning, heavy-duty awning brackets, Bushwakka Extreme shower ensuite, rear tyre carrier, Maxtrax recovery boards with mounting pins, a satin black TC billet aluminium handle, a Tommy Campers dirty gear bag by Crashpad and a Muk Mat caravan bundle.
It’s the sort of accessory list that suggests this thing has been built to actually be used, not just parked at a show with tyre shine and a spec board.
That’s probably the most interesting part of this build. The 79 Series build still has its place. It’s tough and ridiculously well supported by the aftermarket. But it’s also expensive.
This Amarok XL build feels like a different take on the same problem. It’s still engineered properly. It still has the wheelbase extension, GVM upgrade, custom tray, serious power system and proper slide-on camper. But it starts with a more modern, comfortable and everyday-friendly platform.
For people who want a premium slide-on camper setup but don’t necessarily want to live with the agricultural charm of a 79 Series or spend over $200K on the entire build (including the vehicle), this could be a very compelling alternative.
| Component | Details |
|---|---|
| Base vehicle | 2025 Volkswagen Amarok PanAmericana TDI600 |
| Wheelbase extension | Adaptive Manufacturing 298mm XL conversion |
| GVM upgrade | Pedders 3800kg GVM upgrade |
| Suspension | Pedders 2-inch lift |
| Camper | Tommy Campers S6X slide-on camper |
| Tray | Custom Tommy Tray, 2100mm long x 1900mm wide, 100mm RHS construction |
| Storage | Front and rear alloy toolboxes, rear under-tray trundle drawer |
| Water | Dual 75L camper tanks, headboard water tank, second driver’s side outlet, tank sensors |
| Kitchen | Satin black kitchen, 130L Bushman upright fridge, Travel Buddy 12V oven |
| Comfort | Queen mattress, interior couch, pull-out table, extra-width under-bed drawer, Porta Potti, twin Sirocco fans |
| Power | REDARC Manager Alpha 75, 300Ah lithium battery, TVMS Rogue, RedVision displays, 3000W inverter |
| Solar | 400W roof-mounted solar |
| External gear | Bushwakka Darkness PRO 270 awning, Bushwakka shower ensuite, rear tyre carrier, Maxtrax, dirty gear bag |
| Camper package value | $179,990 drive away |
This Amarok XL build shows where premium slide-on touring might be headed. It’s still serious, still engineered and still packed with off-grid capability, but it feels less like a compromise you put up with for toughness and more like a complete touring vehicle you could actually enjoy driving every day.
Big Tom was the monster 79 Series dream build if money was no objection. This Amarok feels like its more within reach of the every day tourer.
And Tommy Campers isn’t done yet. Their next Super Build is due to land on the Sunshine Coast in early July, based on a Space Cab Ford Super Duty with build partners including Dometic and Enerdrive.
We’ll be getting a closer look at that build once it arrives, so stay tuned. If this Amarok is anything to go by, the next one is going to be something special.
This article contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.
