Since its inception in 1931, Airstream has arguably been the single most innovative outfit in the RV space, being responsible for an enormous slew of industry firsts — from being the first RV maker to feature onboard toilets, refrigerators, and showers, to being the first brand to produce a fully self-contained model. For its latest release, Airstream is pushing the RV envelope once again, this time rolling out its first-ever all-electric capable trailer with the Airstream Basecamp Xe.
The Basics
Spanning just over 20’ in length and measuring around 8’ in width, the Basecamp Xe is fairly compact as far as towable RVs go, however, it still manages to cram a ton of amenities into its footprint. The RV maintains the usual features you’d expect to find in a modern Airstream, while adding a state-of-the-art solar and electrical system that enables its users to be more self-sufficient and remain off-grid for longer periods.
Sleeping & Storage
The Basecamp Xe features a main side door, along with a 26” x 46” rear door. Moving inside, you get 126” of available cargo depth running from the rear door all the way to the galley cabinets — without zero obstructions along the way. The main cabin also neatly divides into two separate sleeping areas — with the bedroom at one end, and the convertible dinette at the other. This setup allows the Xe to comfortably sleep up to four adults.
Off-Road-Ready Hardware
The Basecamp Xe doesn’t merely aim to allow its inhabitants to stay off-grid for longer, it was also engineered to allow for deeper exploration into off-road territory thanks to a slew of go-anywhere bits that all come as standard. This includes a 3-inch factory lift kit, black protective-coated aluminum stone guards, protective fender flares and side skirts, and all-terrain wheels and tires. The decidedly rugged overall build quality of the trailer furthers its off-road prowess.
Bathroom & Kitchen
Despite only spanning around 20’ in length, the interior of the Basecamp Xe is surprisingly well appointed, as the thing truly is brimming with household creature comforts. The RV’s wet bath boasts a shower, sink, and toilet — the latter of which can be upgraded to an optional composting toilet. The kitchen come loaded with a refrigerator, a furnace, an induction cooktop, and a myriad of other electric appliances. There’s also a 20-pound propane tank that can be used for outdoor grilling or can double as a backup fuel source for Xe’s furnace and hot water heater.
Onboard Electrical System
Able to power practically every appliance and feature it contains, the Basecamp Xe comes loaded with a fully inverted 30A electrical system that’s been paired with a 600-watt of rooftop solar array. It doesn’t end there, however, as the new model also gets a 10.3kWh lithium Battle Born battery pack coupled with a 3000W inverter.
Why We Love It
There are a lot of factors that make the Xe-spec Basecamp so special in our eyes. For starters, it manages to cram an enormous amount of features and amenities into a surprisingly small footprint — and a single-axle one at that. Its go-anywhere capabilities are also objectively impressive, and we love the off-grid autonomy that its onboard electrical and solar systems offer. And, while we also thoroughly appreciate the Basecamp Xe’s off-the-charts versatility, the real icing on the cake in our opinion is the fact that the entire thing can easily be towed by practically any mid-size or compact SUV — with even some sedans being able to haul this new model.
Spec Sheet
Brand: Airstream
Model: Basecamp 20Xe
Length: 20’ 2”
Width: 7’ 9.5”
Interior Height: 6’ 7”
Axles: 1
Sleeps: 4
Interior Windows & Skylights: 8
Max Trailer Capacity: 4,500LBs
Starting Price: $76,900
Pricing & Availability
The Airstream Basecamp Xe is available for order now, with pricing starting at $76,900.
Recap
Airstream Basecamp 20Xe Camper Trailer
Airstream unveils the off-road-ready single-axle Basecamp Xe — the brand’s first-ever all-electric capable trailer which aims to deliver more off-grid autonomy than ever before.
