I’ve always had a thing for Airstream travel trailers. The shiny aluminum-shelled campers look like they’re from the future and the past at the same time. The interior spaces are always a cut above the canned ham competition, and they just radiate cool. When I think about the best-of-the-best in travel trailers, I think about Airstream. I’ve never been able to act on this crush, unfortunately. Airstream’s travel trailer lineup has always been out of my price range, for one thing. Even if I had been able to find an affordable previously-owned Airstream, storing it between trips would have been a challenge, or a big expense. So, when I was offered the opportunity to test a 2017 Airstream Basecamp for a weekend, I cleared my calendar.
The Basecamp is the smallest travel trailer that Airstream currently offers, and breaks from the traditional shape and form of the rest of the lineup. The two-wheeled trailer is 16’3” long, 7’ wide and 8’6.25” tall (including the optional air conditioning unit). It weighs 2,585 lbs (including batteries and LP gas), and has a hitch weight of 410 lbs. You can load up to 915 lbs of gear and water into the Basecamp, up to its 3,500-lb GVWR capacity. It will fit into a standard parking automobile space, and if your garage door is tall enough, you may even be able to squeeze it into your garage.
The 2017 Airstream Basecamp.
Keeping with Airstream tradition, the exterior is shiny aluminum – fluorocarbon treated UV protected aluminum sheeting, to be specific. The basic structure underlying the exterior is also aluminum, a “semi-monocoque aluminum superstructure,” according to Airstream, with hand-crafted welded extruded aluminum window frames holding tempered tinted windows.
Breaking with tradition, the Basecamp introduces a new exterior shape to the Airstream lineup. A picture is worth a thousand words, so please look at the attached photo gallery. But I’ll toss a few bonus words in here anyway. The front of the Basecamp is rounded, with big wrap-around tinted windows that look a bit like Terminator sunglasses. An entry door is incised into the front third of the curb (right) side. The rear rounds and tapers, with another, bigger door in the back for loading and airflow. The roof is flat, and slopes a bit from front to rear. A black ABS plastic housing lives at the front of the trailer between the cabin and the hitch, and provides a protected mount and home for two standard steel 20-lb LP gas tanks and a two-stage regulator. The Airstream name is displayed discreetly on the front and rear of the Basecamp. The whole package is sleek and attractive, and retains enough of the Airstream vibe to connect to the brand, while setting a new standard all its own.
The galley of the Basecamp.
Inside, the Basecamp has a Swiss Army knife elegance. If’s compact, but not cramped. A two-burner gas stove at the front, compact round stainless steel sink on the left and laminate counter space on the right form the kitchen, with enough cabinet space below to accommodate cooking tools. A refrigerator, which can run on electricity or LP gas, is below the stove top. The interior height is 6’3.5” at a minimum, and is higher in most areas. I’m 6’2”, and I didn’t feel cramped. There’s a cargo bar above the kitchen, convenient for storing soft luggage and other items in its attached netting.
The bathroom is understandably tiny, with a rear-facing toilet and floor drain for wet room usage with a hand-held shower head. The Basecamp can carry 22 gallons of fresh water for drinking and washing, and has a 29-gallon black water tank – there’s no gray water tank onboard. A roof vent fan exhausts unwanted gases and prevents condensation.
The cabin of the Basecamp.
The rear half of the cabin has a pair of built-in benches on the sides, each of which flips open to reveal storage space. A pair of table tops mount onto steel pole bases to create a dining/conversation area. The same table tops and bases can be reconfigured to support the bench cushions and backrests to for a 76” x 76” sleeping platform. The windows come with blackout curtains. The floor of the Basecamp is a single seamless piece of vinyl, ideal for cleanliness and easy maintenance. The interior walls and ceilings are aluminum, isolated from the exterior walls with a thermal barrier.
The details have been included to make the Basecamp truly modern and efficient. All the interior lighting is LED, so it adds minimal heat. USB outlets in the sleeping area and in the kitchen, along with a 110-volt outlet are provided to power accessories and devices. For winter use, a heater is standard, as is a 12-volt tank heater to keep the water supply from freezing.
The Basecamp is ideal for remote camping.
The design and ambiance inside the Basecamp is more boutique hotel than Super 8. The material selection and simple, elegant design is soothing, calm and restful. The compact dimensions didn’t trigger any claustrophobia, even when I invited a friend inside to explore.
My test Basecamp was decorated in the “River Stone” scheme, one of three design selections available from the factory. It also had an optional fully-enclosed patio tent, which added about 80 square feet of external space to my environment.
I towed the Basecamp from Los Angeles up to Los Osos, California, about 200 miles, using a 2017 Infiniti QX80 as my tow vehicle. The Basecamp was easy to hook up, and towed along without incident. The QX80 had compatible standard connections, and built-in Trailer Sway Control, not mention a powerful 5.6-liter V8 engine, and I barely noticed the trailer humming along behind me. Airstream fans made a point of pausing beside me as I drove along US 101, giving me a thumbs-up to indicate their approval of the Basecamp. A quick gas stop turned into a half-hour coffee klatch, as a group of trailer enthusiasts stopped me to ask about the Basecamp and to tour the interior.
Basecamp set up with two optional tents.
In Los Osos, I parked at a pad on my sister’s ranch (it’s good to have a successful sister), where my brother-in-law has thoughtfully installed a water supply and 240-volt power source. I set up the Basecamp for stationary use, deploying the stabilizer feet and connecting the water and power with the supplied cords and hoses. I set up the tent, turned on the LP gas and lived out of the Basecamp for two nights.
Using the Basecamp was great. It was comfortable, secure and relaxing. Not that it was perfect. There were a few annoying weaknesses, and a steep learning curve for the intricacies of operation. A balky power adaptor prevented electricity from flowing to the batteries. On the first night of my stay, I didn’t realize that I was draining the onboard batteries by using the heater (it got down to 39 degrees that night), so I woke up shivering at 3:00 am. I toughed it out, and the next morning went to the hardware store to buy a $7.99 adaptor that solved the problem, replacing the cheap adaptor that came with the Basecamp’s kit. My next night’s sleep was much better. I should have been able to figure out that the batteries weren’t charging, but the cryptic power display in the Basecamp didn’t reveal its secrets to me. The side and back doors of the Basecamp require different, unique keys, which is annoying in a luxury travel trailer. The optional tent was easy to put up, but there’s no dedicated storage for it, or for the hookup hoses and wires that operation requires.
A Basecamp being towed behind a Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Despite these minor inconveniences, I loved the Basecamp. I’d find a way to store the tent, hoses and wires eventually, maybe adding a jockey box on the back or hitch. I’d also probably add an air mattress to improve the comfort of the bed, as the included cushions are a little bit futon-like for my delicate back.
As an entry to the Airstream family, the 2017 Basecamp is a fantastic choice. It is perfectly sized for a single traveler or a couple, and has many options and connections that would make it a delightful, modern traveling home. Opt for the available solar package, satellite television connection and other conveniences, and the concept of “roughing it” ceases to apply. It’s not cheap (starting at $35,900; $38,550 as tested), but the package feels like a good value, and sets the stage for answering the call of the open road.
The Basecamp on the road, viewed from the rear.
