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Airstream Basecamp

High Proof

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Badlands
We rented one of these for a Florida to Colorado road trip. Pulled it behind a 2015 Wrangler JKU.

It's a nice trailer but it didn't turn out to be what we want. The quality level overall wasn't what you expect out of Airstream. The one we rented was a 2017 model year. That was the first year of production and it had a lot of quality control problems.

Assuming that they have the QC issues fixed now, it still wasn't the camper for us based on layout alone. What we learned on that trip is that it's nice to have a separate sitting area from the bed. Many small campers have a sitting area that converts to a bed. It's nice to be able to leave the bed made up as a bed. We also want a slightly larger bathroom if possible. The Basecamp would be cool if you want to carry a few bikes or a kayak inside. You'd need to take that stuff out to sleep, but you can travel with it in the camper.

We are focused on the TAB 400 Boondock now. Fits us better. One of us can be in bed and the other still has a place to sit if you want to be inside. The bathroom is really cool as well. It actually has a sink - rare in this size camper. It's a fold down sink. It also has a lot more storage than the Basecamp.
 

Rocketeer Rick

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FYI - if your expectation is quality comparable to the modern auto industry, the RV industry will leave you disappointed. I don't care which brand you're looking at, they are all at level subpar to what you might expect. I know I was certainly taken aback when I started looking a couple years ago. Stories of people buying fairly pricey campers and having dozens of dealer repairs are not uncommon.

That said, some are better than others, and Airstream has a good reputation (its a relative thing). But Airstream's extra price tag comes from the aluminum construction and high end furnishings and fittings (does one need granite countertops in a camper?) rather than being built like a Lexus.

I say all this because people should calibrate their expectations when looking at RVs, unfortunately... :unsure:

EDIT - one trailer family I was looking at the other day that might have a few Bronco-appropriate models is Rockwood's GeoPro series. The 15' model is light, relatively well built and has pretty good use of space, not to mention a good starting point for off-grid use.
 
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High Proof

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Badlands
FYI - if your expectation is quality comparable to the modern auto industry, the RV industry will leave you disappointed. I don't care which brand you're looking at, they are all at level subpar to what you might expect. I know I was certainly taken aback when I started looking a couple years ago. Stories of people buying fairly pricey campers and having dozens of dealer repairs are not uncommon.

That said, some are better than others, and Airstream has a good reputation (its a relative thing). But Airstream's extra price tag comes from the aluminum construction and high end furnishings and fittings (does one need granite countertops in a camper?) rather than being built like a Lexus.

I say all this because people should calibrate their expectations when looking at RVs, unfortunately... :unsure:

EDIT - on trailer family I was looking at the other day that might have a few Bronco-appropriate models is Rockwood's GeoPro series. The 15' model is light, relatively well built and has pretty good use of space, not to mention a good starting point for off-grid use.
Yes! Exactly. This was a surprise to us also as we started looking. The quality is far from what you get in even the lowest end automobiles.

The Basecamp in particular didn't live up to classic style Airstreams that we looked at though. Materials, fit and finish, etc. But then again it's a little less expensive than the other Airstreams. The first year of production at least was really bad. Just take a glance at this never-ending thread on the Airstream forums. https://www.airforums.com/forums/f404/2017-basecamp-issues-162632.html
 

sbledsoe

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Clubs
 
FYI - if your expectation is quality comparable to the modern auto industry, the RV industry will leave you disappointed. I don't care which brand you're looking at, they are all at level subpar to what you might expect. I know I was certainly taken aback when I started looking a couple years ago. Stories of people buying fairly pricey campers and having dozens of dealer repairs are not uncommon.

That said, some are better than others, and Airstream has a good reputation (its a relative thing). But Airstream's extra price tag comes from the aluminum construction and high end furnishings and fittings (does one need granite countertops in a camper?) rather than being built like a Lexus.

I say all this because people should calibrate their expectations when looking at RVs, unfortunately... :unsure:

EDIT - one trailer family I was looking at the other day that might have a few Bronco-appropriate models is Rockwood's GeoPro series. The 15' model is light, relatively well built and has pretty good use of space, not to mention a good starting point for off-grid use.
We're looking at the epro 19fd.

https://forestriverinc.com/rvs/travel-trailers/flagstaff-e-pro/E19FD/3557


Won't purchase it until 2022 though. That 3500lbs towing capacity limits your selection for sure.
 

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Rocketeer Rick

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That doesn't look like a bad package. Its fairly similar to the Winnebago Micro Minnie 2106DS that I wound up buying, save for the fact that the 2106DS has a slide out. The winnebago is also slightly longer, so overall about 700lb heavier. The murphy bed makes for a pretty flexible set up. I think that Flagstaff might have executed it better than Winnebago did; either way it amounts to about the same thing.

I'd just be cautious that the 19fd is heavy enough that you'd be up against the Bronco's limit with less than half its payload capacity. Of the margin you do have, you'd use half of it with a full water tank. So load carefully. Still better than off than what I'd have. Even bare and dry, the 2106DS is 200lb over the Bronco's rating. I guess I'll have to keep truck as well...
 
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rgwinn

rgwinn

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