- While it looks like Airstream’s Basecamp 20, the 20Xe is a battery-powered trailer that uses a 10.3-kWh lithium Battle Born battery pack, which provides energy to a fully inverted 30A electrical system.
- With sleeping space for four and a 600W rooftop solar panel, the 20Xe starts at $76,900.
- Options include a compostable toilet, an air conditioner, a microwave, and more solar capability.
Airstream’s first all-electric travel trailer, the Basecamp 20Xe, is here. The well-known trailer company has experimented with the electric camper idea in the Thor eStream RV concept, but the new 20Xe is the first such battery-powered trailer ready for the masses.
Airstream regularly releases special versions of its long-standing trailer line. The company worked with Studio F.A. Porsche on an urban-inspired camper concept in 2023. The eStream concept, released in 2022, used two electric motors that produced a peak combined output of 242 horsepower, and 80.0 kWh of energy capacity from a lithium battery.
The fact that the eStream used motors shows how different that concept was from the new Basecamp 20Xe. While the Basecamp 20Xe moves only when it’s towed, the eStream could use its ZF-developed powertrain and its 132 pound-feet of torque to either provide some help to the tow vehicle or use Airstream’s Move mode to maneuver the eStream remotely.
Details of the 20Xe
The Basecamp 20Xe has the same exterior size as Airstream’s Basecamp 20 trailer: seven feet, 9.5 inches wide and 20 feet, 2.0 inches long, with a GVWR of 4500 pounds. That means the two trailers share some of the same features, including two convertible sleeping spaces—one in the rear seating areas and the other in the main hall area—that can sleep up to four.
The heart of the electric trailer is the 10.3-kWh lithium Battle Born battery pack, which provides energy to a fully inverted 30A electrical system. If the battery runs low, there is a 600-watt rooftop solar panel (optional up to 900 W) and a 3000-watt inverter. Airstream doesn’t say how long the battery will last because that’s determined by how much you use things like the optional microwave and air conditioner. And how loud you pump the three-speaker JBL Audio sound system.
A 20-pound propane tank can be used to heat the camper or water since the Truma Combi eco plus System heating system can operate using only electricity, only propane, or both. A typically small RV wet bath combines the features of a shower, toilet, and sink with a Showermi$er recirculation system and a 23-gallon fresh-water tank to reduce waste. And did anyone say optional composting toilet upgrade? That’s available, too.
The single-burner induction cooktop is removable, so you can use it outdoors from any 110-volt outlet. Other outside-the-camper extensions include an outdoor shower option and several optional tent and awning attachments. Built into the floor near the rear door is a compartment that can be used as either wet storage or a cooler. Overall, the interior can be had with one of two fabric options: Granite Ridge dark charcoal with light tan accents or Sandstone Canyon (colors reversed).
The Basecamp 20Xe starts at $76,900. The standard Basecamp starts at $48,300 for the 16-foot model.
Sebastian Blanco has been writing about electric vehicles, hybrids, and hydrogen cars since 2006. His articles and car reviews have appeared in the New York Times, Automotive News, Reuters, SAE, Autoblog, InsideEVs, Trucks.com, Car Talk, and other outlets. His first green-car media event was the launch of the Tesla Roadster, and since then he has been tracking the shift away from gasoline-powered vehicles and discovering the new technology’s importance not just for the auto industry, but for the world as a whole. Throw in the recent shift to autonomous vehicles, and there are more interesting changes happening now than most people can wrap their heads around. You can find him on Twitter or, on good days, behind the wheel of a new EV.
Source: Motor - aranddriver.com
