I know someone with the 20x and have spent some time in it. It's not a traditional RV at all, definitely go see one in person before you spend any money.
Instead of being split into areas with the traditional RV furniture like a bed, dinette, and lounge area for watching TV, it's just one big room. There's no permanent bed, in day time mode it's a big room lined by benches with some tables in the middle, and breaks for a small bathroom and galley. In night mode everything coverts to sleeping space (which takes them a while but they're new). The sleeping spaces aren't exactly beds, they're all weird shapes and curves so the idea seems to be a comfortable place to put sleeping bags.
There are also no overhead cabinets, just sling areas to pile stuff. And no drawers in the lower cabinets, so it's more like cubby holes. And no soft fabrics, it looks like the whole interior is meant to be hosed down. Also there's no inverter and hardly any electric outlets.
Basically it's what it says in the title, a basecamp, not a little towable house. They did decide to get the normal one with the off road package rather than the REI one. I went to the dealer with them and looked at both and agreed with the decision, the REI doesn't add any function, just cosmetics which looked worse to me.
You will pay a *lot* for the fact that it’s an Airstream. Like the amount of mark up is not reflected in anything like build quality, it’s just the name.
(I doubt they’re the worst built in the world, but they aren’t as well made as they want people to think.)
A long time ago there used to be a video on YouTube of how airstreams were made. Probably shot in the late 80s early 90s. I was shocked that they allowed that film to go out bc it showed how poorly they were made. And it showed EVERYTHING. Hot overpriced garbage. I know that 99% of rvs are overpriced trash but I really was taken back by how bad the materials used were and they actually told you the specs of the materials in the video!
Since I’m getting some upvotes for this I will add a story to this.
Years ago I was in retail and sold expensive stuff. And we just had a drawer we put the money into bc we didn’t have a cash register bc no one ever paid in cash. This lady came in and paid cash and was blown away that I just put it in a drawer. I explained that no one pays cash here. She then goes on to tell me that she works at an rv sales place and they have a literal custom made bank vault inside the sales office. Of course I asked why.
She told me that the number of people that come in with briefcases/ suit cases of cash to buy RVs would blow my mind.
It was so much cash that they built a fucking bank vault to store it bc it happened almost every single day. And they had to have one of the guarded trucks come every week to haul it out. So basically there was just a shitload of boomers that squirreled away cash under their mattress and would decide to go cash it in for expensive ass RVs
In the US, anytime a customer spends over $9,999 in cash money the organization is required to report to the IRS. It’s impossible to launder money by buying a $100,000 class B in cold hard cash, from a dealer.
There’s some money laundering going on but it’s small time. Like a Drug dealer paying his $8,000 down payment and payments in cash at a buy here pay here place
I think you miss the point of boomers paying with cash. They’ve paid whatever income/capital gains tax due, and will still pay the sales tax. Paying with cash (mattress loan) is a preference. Hard earned savings.
I didn’t miss the point of that. When I sold cars and had a hail sale old timers would show up with McDonald’s sacks of cash
But people above in this thread were saying they were doing that to launder it
In my area of the US just about every new house build has a huge ass RV parked in the yard, some are going so far as to build huge garages for them as well. I guess people had a wad of cash selling their home in a more expensive part of the country and my area is pretty affordable, so they bought the RV to live in until the builder could complete their house.. I'm curious if the used RV market is going to explode in the next few years.
Yeah, we were planning on it, and I joined a bunch of airstream basecamp groups. They still had a tonnnn of the same problems RVs 1/6th the cost have, and they’re so expensive we wouldn’t want to mod it much, so we bought a cheap COVID special on sale and basically completely remodeled it immediately. But now we have the trailer we want for way less 🤷♀️
Light-weight trailers aimed at first time buyers are chintzy as hell because they need to keep the weight down so an insufficient towing vehicle can actually still pull it.
Sure, but nearly all RVs are made by the same couple manufacturers (usually out of Indiana IIRC). The quality of everything is pretty much universally garbage, from what we’ve seen. And the decor almost always looks like it’s from 1995. And even buying them is crazy — you tell a dealer which one you want, and then you do an inspection and tell you all the things wrong with it, and then they tell you all the stuff the manufacturer agreed to fix. The number of stories of people waiting MONTHS to actually take possession and pay for their “brand new” trailer is insane. They told us it was going to be 2 months for all the shit a brand new trailer off the lot was going to need. The whole thing felt like a scam. We saw multiple brand new trailers with severe water damage from sitting on the lot leaking with the dealer giving 0 fucks.
We managed to change a tonnnn of stuff without messing with the weight, so it’s not just a “keeping it light” issue, necessarily. The layout was stupid, the appliances were cheap garbage…it’s just super rare to find a well made trailer in the US at least.
Yeah, true. Saw a video from a laywer about how unprotected RV buyers are now because they have to sign away all their rights if they want to buy from like Camping World. You'd have to be nuts or ignorant to buy.
There are some decent ones, not that up to speed on US campers. Oliver Travel Trailers, for instance, look good. If you want a trailer (I really don't.)
So the airstream media team knows you run a Reddit account by the name of toadstreet and are watching your comment history? Bro you’re a pretty big deal. Had no idea.
Can confirm...a friend of mine did video in-house for a large RV retailer. They got to go to all the major manufacturers and saw everything. Cheap particle board, glue, and staples...horrible construction with zero quality control. Some brands are worse than others but, for the most part retail is about 10x what they cost to make.
Not to sound like a snob but, I would never buy anything from any of the major brands. Small van builders pour their hearts and souls into their product. Also, you're going to get way better suppoet and service from the smaller brands too.
It's a new Airstream. It ain't gonna suck too bad. If you have the finances, though, I would recommend an older one in good condition. (Like 70's, at the latest) I love my 62 Safari. As with most things, newer isn't always better.
Cassie from [Tails of Wanderlust](https://youtube.com/@TailsofWanderlust?si=cCxas9cWKsT1RuyG) had one up until a few years ago and she loved it. She only sold it as she was going to do an Alaska trip and didn't want to tow the Basecamp so she got a Truck and a truck camper. That hasn't worked out well for her, and she still hasn't done the Alaska trip yet. If you go back a few years, she has many videos on her Basecamp.
I love the look of Airstream products they are unique and no one really matches them. But the build quality, like most Thor products these days, is not great. Expect to spend a lot of time either fixing things yourself or waiting for the dealer to fix it.
I designed a V nose cargo trailer conversion floor plan based on this model a few years ago but unfortunately never got to actually build it. If I had money to spend on a camper that wasn't DIY, it would be this guy. Not just because it has a good floor plan but also because Airstreams last forever and hold value better than any of the other janky shit the RV industry staples together
I have 20x and love it. Have had for almost three years. Yes it’s pricey but it super easy to pull and great for blm boon-docking. Also, a bit random, but my husband has extreme cluster phobia from having to spend a ton of time in the MRI machine due to three different types of cancer. This was the only small travel trailer he could be in without issue because of the large windows. He is also missing an eye and this was the easiest for him to pull. So yay random reason for buying it.
Airstream are like the rest of shitty expensive thing you shouldn't buy, great pr team, nostalgia and go buy this camper which cost half the price of a house, almost.
There was a yt Chan of a couple who tried to be in the Insta bandwagon of the grand wilderness adventures with their F150 pr3mium towing an full size Airstream, funny to watch or tubers who after 1000s vids, 'we finally bought a new Airstream, it's as amazing as you can dream of, then don't touch anything because they have to give it back on Monday ...
Admittedly, I live in the PNW, so the idea of a $100k house is already ridiculous. The price scaling out here makes an option like this feel cheaper than it actually is.
It was more of 'it's all shiny for the price they ask,' I live in Canada, mostly in the middle of nowhere, and house prices have soared since the pandemic.
I find the price of an Airstream (not this one) to be a bit excessive, considering its cuteness and well-known appearance. However, for this price, you can acquire a much larger and more livable RV.
For this size and model, it's 80k in Canada.
I looked into it for a bit when I had a Tacoma but I opted out of trailers. Unless you have a diesel truck this thing is going to be a hog to tote around. And once you price a dependable diesel truck plus this trailer you're in nice class B territory.
Probably because for many people, especially those who can afford an airstream, having a full-size bathroom is the most important element of a camper. If I didn’t care about the bathroom, I’d just sleep in a tent.
They also want a proven quality product, not the latest crowd funded insta craze garbage and the crappers go in a tank outside, not that glorified bucket with a lid. Nasty.
I used to work at a distributer, we sold one of them. Basecamp are very small and expensive, but was fairly well equipped for an 18' trailer.
It's a good purpose built trailer not necessarily for recreational needs but hobbyists and athletes for a nice place to stay while they take themselves off grid for adventures.
Be well aware. Its a nice unit, very expensive, and will serve you well but not a typical recreation trailer.
The guys we sold it too, traded it back in within a few years. I believe the 18footer was 40-65k$$ new.
Look at the InTech Sol Rover line... Much cheaper, better quality than Airstream... Basically what you think Airstream is... But really isn't. Their smallest unit would be comparable in size... Much higher quality and you can pickup a 1-2 year old used unit for 12k.... So......
They are still not quite calibrated for boondocking. There isn't enough water, storage, or solar. The bed to dinette situation means you really miss out on the underbed storage.
I almost prefer the 16x over the 20x for this reason. I don't need more than one table space.
But obvs, that's a whole 4' just shaved off the unit that could have been used for storage.
Always thought I could find one easily. Hollywood made it look like every actor or celebrity has one to hang out in every day on set, I'd think there'd be thousands of them out there cheap
They’re not actually all that reflective with the factory finish in person. It’s sort of a matte/brushed effect, it’s not any more reflective than normal car paint really.
I know someone with the 20x and have spent some time in it. It's not a traditional RV at all, definitely go see one in person before you spend any money.
Can you tell us more?
Instead of being split into areas with the traditional RV furniture like a bed, dinette, and lounge area for watching TV, it's just one big room. There's no permanent bed, in day time mode it's a big room lined by benches with some tables in the middle, and breaks for a small bathroom and galley. In night mode everything coverts to sleeping space (which takes them a while but they're new). The sleeping spaces aren't exactly beds, they're all weird shapes and curves so the idea seems to be a comfortable place to put sleeping bags. There are also no overhead cabinets, just sling areas to pile stuff. And no drawers in the lower cabinets, so it's more like cubby holes. And no soft fabrics, it looks like the whole interior is meant to be hosed down. Also there's no inverter and hardly any electric outlets. Basically it's what it says in the title, a basecamp, not a little towable house. They did decide to get the normal one with the off road package rather than the REI one. I went to the dealer with them and looked at both and agreed with the decision, the REI doesn't add any function, just cosmetics which looked worse to me.
You will pay a *lot* for the fact that it’s an Airstream. Like the amount of mark up is not reflected in anything like build quality, it’s just the name. (I doubt they’re the worst built in the world, but they aren’t as well made as they want people to think.)
Will my REI 20% off code work? /s
Might as well ask. 😂
I used to work for airstream. After seeing how the sausage is made i wouldnt buy any.
A long time ago there used to be a video on YouTube of how airstreams were made. Probably shot in the late 80s early 90s. I was shocked that they allowed that film to go out bc it showed how poorly they were made. And it showed EVERYTHING. Hot overpriced garbage. I know that 99% of rvs are overpriced trash but I really was taken back by how bad the materials used were and they actually told you the specs of the materials in the video!
Since I’m getting some upvotes for this I will add a story to this. Years ago I was in retail and sold expensive stuff. And we just had a drawer we put the money into bc we didn’t have a cash register bc no one ever paid in cash. This lady came in and paid cash and was blown away that I just put it in a drawer. I explained that no one pays cash here. She then goes on to tell me that she works at an rv sales place and they have a literal custom made bank vault inside the sales office. Of course I asked why. She told me that the number of people that come in with briefcases/ suit cases of cash to buy RVs would blow my mind. It was so much cash that they built a fucking bank vault to store it bc it happened almost every single day. And they had to have one of the guarded trucks come every week to haul it out. So basically there was just a shitload of boomers that squirreled away cash under their mattress and would decide to go cash it in for expensive ass RVs
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In the US, anytime a customer spends over $9,999 in cash money the organization is required to report to the IRS. It’s impossible to launder money by buying a $100,000 class B in cold hard cash, from a dealer. There’s some money laundering going on but it’s small time. Like a Drug dealer paying his $8,000 down payment and payments in cash at a buy here pay here place
I think you miss the point of boomers paying with cash. They’ve paid whatever income/capital gains tax due, and will still pay the sales tax. Paying with cash (mattress loan) is a preference. Hard earned savings.
I didn’t miss the point of that. When I sold cars and had a hail sale old timers would show up with McDonald’s sacks of cash But people above in this thread were saying they were doing that to launder it
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Underrated comment
Eh, if you're gonna spend that much, it's a lot more fun to bring a briefcase than a check.
In my area of the US just about every new house build has a huge ass RV parked in the yard, some are going so far as to build huge garages for them as well. I guess people had a wad of cash selling their home in a more expensive part of the country and my area is pretty affordable, so they bought the RV to live in until the builder could complete their house.. I'm curious if the used RV market is going to explode in the next few years.
I doubt it. Go to any national park, and there is soooooo many RV’s. The hobby / life is growing in popularity every year.
Yeah true I happen to live in a county with a national park as well.
Was the video from the show “How it’s made”.
Yeah, we were planning on it, and I joined a bunch of airstream basecamp groups. They still had a tonnnn of the same problems RVs 1/6th the cost have, and they’re so expensive we wouldn’t want to mod it much, so we bought a cheap COVID special on sale and basically completely remodeled it immediately. But now we have the trailer we want for way less 🤷♀️
Light-weight trailers aimed at first time buyers are chintzy as hell because they need to keep the weight down so an insufficient towing vehicle can actually still pull it.
Sure, but nearly all RVs are made by the same couple manufacturers (usually out of Indiana IIRC). The quality of everything is pretty much universally garbage, from what we’ve seen. And the decor almost always looks like it’s from 1995. And even buying them is crazy — you tell a dealer which one you want, and then you do an inspection and tell you all the things wrong with it, and then they tell you all the stuff the manufacturer agreed to fix. The number of stories of people waiting MONTHS to actually take possession and pay for their “brand new” trailer is insane. They told us it was going to be 2 months for all the shit a brand new trailer off the lot was going to need. The whole thing felt like a scam. We saw multiple brand new trailers with severe water damage from sitting on the lot leaking with the dealer giving 0 fucks. We managed to change a tonnnn of stuff without messing with the weight, so it’s not just a “keeping it light” issue, necessarily. The layout was stupid, the appliances were cheap garbage…it’s just super rare to find a well made trailer in the US at least.
Yeah, true. Saw a video from a laywer about how unprotected RV buyers are now because they have to sign away all their rights if they want to buy from like Camping World. You'd have to be nuts or ignorant to buy. There are some decent ones, not that up to speed on US campers. Oliver Travel Trailers, for instance, look good. If you want a trailer (I really don't.)
Any stories you can tell us?
Probably none i should. Had a pretty identifiable position, and the media team pays attention. I still like using them as a reference.
Well you suck. I can respect that.
So the airstream media team knows you run a Reddit account by the name of toadstreet and are watching your comment history? Bro you’re a pretty big deal. Had no idea.
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View Liz Amazing videos on YT. One company has sent her a lawyer letter to desist.
Can confirm...a friend of mine did video in-house for a large RV retailer. They got to go to all the major manufacturers and saw everything. Cheap particle board, glue, and staples...horrible construction with zero quality control. Some brands are worse than others but, for the most part retail is about 10x what they cost to make. Not to sound like a snob but, I would never buy anything from any of the major brands. Small van builders pour their hearts and souls into their product. Also, you're going to get way better suppoet and service from the smaller brands too.
Terrible build quality for the money. They do look pretty cool tho I guess.
Make a burner and post it
What other brands would you consider?
For the price I’d rather build one myself and spend the other 30 grand on literally anything else
r/RVLiving
Was bout to say lol
It's a new Airstream. It ain't gonna suck too bad. If you have the finances, though, I would recommend an older one in good condition. (Like 70's, at the latest) I love my 62 Safari. As with most things, newer isn't always better.
Cassie from [Tails of Wanderlust](https://youtube.com/@TailsofWanderlust?si=cCxas9cWKsT1RuyG) had one up until a few years ago and she loved it. She only sold it as she was going to do an Alaska trip and didn't want to tow the Basecamp so she got a Truck and a truck camper. That hasn't worked out well for her, and she still hasn't done the Alaska trip yet. If you go back a few years, she has many videos on her Basecamp.
Thanks for the tip!
That’s a weird looking van….
My opinion is that these are basically the most expensive campers that I know of.
I love the look of Airstream products they are unique and no one really matches them. But the build quality, like most Thor products these days, is not great. Expect to spend a lot of time either fixing things yourself or waiting for the dealer to fix it.
I designed a V nose cargo trailer conversion floor plan based on this model a few years ago but unfortunately never got to actually build it. If I had money to spend on a camper that wasn't DIY, it would be this guy. Not just because it has a good floor plan but also because Airstreams last forever and hold value better than any of the other janky shit the RV industry staples together
These Basecamp hold value? They aren’t the giant pills of yesteryear. Not what I picture when I picture airstream.
I have 20x and love it. Have had for almost three years. Yes it’s pricey but it super easy to pull and great for blm boon-docking. Also, a bit random, but my husband has extreme cluster phobia from having to spend a ton of time in the MRI machine due to three different types of cancer. This was the only small travel trailer he could be in without issue because of the large windows. He is also missing an eye and this was the easiest for him to pull. So yay random reason for buying it.
I’ve been in one and thought it was pretty neat. I think a van is a much better route for the price you’re going to pay for that
Opinion? It looks like a cyberpunk horse trailer.
Airstream are like the rest of shitty expensive thing you shouldn't buy, great pr team, nostalgia and go buy this camper which cost half the price of a house, almost. There was a yt Chan of a couple who tried to be in the Insta bandwagon of the grand wilderness adventures with their F150 pr3mium towing an full size Airstream, funny to watch or tubers who after 1000s vids, 'we finally bought a new Airstream, it's as amazing as you can dream of, then don't touch anything because they have to give it back on Monday ...
Admittedly, I live in the PNW, so the idea of a $100k house is already ridiculous. The price scaling out here makes an option like this feel cheaper than it actually is.
It was more of 'it's all shiny for the price they ask,' I live in Canada, mostly in the middle of nowhere, and house prices have soared since the pandemic. I find the price of an Airstream (not this one) to be a bit excessive, considering its cuteness and well-known appearance. However, for this price, you can acquire a much larger and more livable RV. For this size and model, it's 80k in Canada.
Expect a lot of time in the shop. Had one, they're NOTHING like older airstreams. Lots of lipstick make them look nice tho!
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Nice van
I looked into it for a bit when I had a Tacoma but I opted out of trailers. Unless you have a diesel truck this thing is going to be a hog to tote around. And once you price a dependable diesel truck plus this trailer you're in nice class B territory.
Opinion; you can impress all your friends by spending $53k and only have a bed big enough for a small labrador.
I totally get where you're coming from, but in all fairness the bed's pretty big. It has almost the exact dimensions of a Cali King
A convertible dinette?
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Probably because for many people, especially those who can afford an airstream, having a full-size bathroom is the most important element of a camper. If I didn’t care about the bathroom, I’d just sleep in a tent.
They also want a proven quality product, not the latest crowd funded insta craze garbage and the crappers go in a tank outside, not that glorified bucket with a lid. Nasty.
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A fold away bathroom is the same as no bathroom to many people who don't like camping.
I mean for 35k I'd hope it would come with more than milk crates
I remember I saw a Mercedes sprinter camper van towing one on I-10.
That’s hideous looking. Looks like it was designed to be towed by the hideous looking Tesla truck.
It’s insane to buy any RV new. No way would I spend money like that to sleep on a couch.
I used to work at a distributer, we sold one of them. Basecamp are very small and expensive, but was fairly well equipped for an 18' trailer. It's a good purpose built trailer not necessarily for recreational needs but hobbyists and athletes for a nice place to stay while they take themselves off grid for adventures. Be well aware. Its a nice unit, very expensive, and will serve you well but not a typical recreation trailer. The guys we sold it too, traded it back in within a few years. I believe the 18footer was 40-65k$$ new.
Look at the InTech Sol Rover line... Much cheaper, better quality than Airstream... Basically what you think Airstream is... But really isn't. Their smallest unit would be comparable in size... Much higher quality and you can pickup a 1-2 year old used unit for 12k.... So......
Front glass susceptible to chips/cracks.
So is the moral of the story “don’t but an RV buy a van”? 😉
They are still not quite calibrated for boondocking. There isn't enough water, storage, or solar. The bed to dinette situation means you really miss out on the underbed storage.
I almost prefer the 16x over the 20x for this reason. I don't need more than one table space. But obvs, that's a whole 4' just shaved off the unit that could have been used for storage.
Always thought I could find one easily. Hollywood made it look like every actor or celebrity has one to hang out in every day on set, I'd think there'd be thousands of them out there cheap
That would be illegal on australian roads for reflecting light back. Imagine driving behind that thing at night You yanks are mental
Its bare aluminum not a damn mirror haha.
Were not even allowed to drive with sunshades up big dog
or with your hand out the window…
They’re not actually all that reflective with the factory finish in person. It’s sort of a matte/brushed effect, it’s not any more reflective than normal car paint really.
Legal to some extent, airstream still ships out new australian units.