Airstream Basecamp Inspection List

[stevep51]

Hey Y'all,


I'm purchasing an Airstream Basecamp 20X next month and in my process of becoming a new owner, I've searched the internet looking for a complied list of what to inspect on purchase. I haven't found anything that comprehensive. I've had a lot of good tips thrown my way but it looks like I/will end up building out a list myself. But before doing so, I was wondering if any of you more experienced owners have already done so? I would be greatly appreciative if you would be willing to share such a list. Cheers.

[BeachBrad]

Hi steveP51, I just purchased a Basecamp 2022 16X (to tow behind our Interstate) and created my own checklist after reading these forums, watching the Youtube Channel "Tails of Wanderlust" and having experience with some similar components in the Interstate. I haven't entirely updated this since I bought it (some of the checklist things are not relevant for the 16X or the 20X) but maybe some of it helps.

I haven't had much time to truly test the Basecamp but I did take it out for 2 nights and noticed that the handle to open/close the side door on our 16x can be really hard to use. Maybe it's unique to our unit but try opening/closing/locking/unlocking the side door. If it's really challenging, see what the dealer can do to make it easier. Could be just a design issue with Basecamps but that was the only really annoying thing I've noticed in our limited field testing of our Basecamp.

also, we asked the dealer to install the Victron Smart Shunt prior to me picking it up. I purchased the Victron Bluetooth Dongle and intend to install that myself so I can see the solar data on my smartphone.

more lessons learned to come.....

[stevep51]

This is fantastic! Thank you for sharing this information. I will make sure I take a look at the doors. Congrats on your new basecamp as well.

[BeachBrad]

Originally Posted by stevep51

This is fantastic! Thank you for sharing this information. I will make sure I take a look at the doors. Congrats on your new basecamp as well.

Happy to help. I had also gone through the manual which you can find online. Good luck!

[dkmcgrath]

Originally Posted by BeachBrad

I haven't had much time to truly test the Basecamp but I did take it out for 2 nights and noticed that the handle to open/close the side door on our 16x can be really hard to use. Maybe it's unique to our unit but try opening/closing/locking/unlocking the side door. If it's really challenging, see what the dealer can do to make it easier. Could be just a design issue with Basecamps but that was the only really annoying thing I've noticed in our limited field testing of our Basecamp.

Man, that door thing drives me a little nuts. I can't tell you how often my wife complains that the door is locked when it isn't -- it's just really hard to open!

I have noticed it's more pronounced the longer we're at a given site, so it may be a trailer settling issue. We have spent a lot of time on a site that has poor drainage and a lot of mud. I often have to re-level the trailer every couple days. And the first sign of that need? The door!

Anyway, we have a 20X, and the 2 biggest issues I've found on our unit is the water pump (didn't work properly from day one, now doesn't work at all) and the cabinet doors drive me insane. They just don't want to stay closed, and the magnetic handle falls off constantly. That last bit may be because we have a 3-year-old...

Only other issues were comfort issues (rear bed, sheet fitment, etc.). A couple useful things we've discovered that I haven't seen mentioned here:

• A twin fitted sheet fits perfectly on the front bed.
• A king fitted sheet is way to0 big on the bare cushions. Add 5" or so of memory foam on top, and it's a perfect fit.
• The rain cover for the fantastic fan sounds like a good idea. It looks tacky as all heck. We are replacing it with a maxxair model with integrated rain shield.
• That fan also lets in a ton of light. Amazon has covers that block it off great.
• Get a passive/rechargeable dehumidifier if you're going to use it in cold weather.
• There's a lot of storage, but they are vast yawning pits of disorganization. Container Store is your friend here.
• Carefully inspect ALL the cabinet doors, from all 6 sides! Bring a flashlight you can hold up to them as well. Ours were all cracked, but a couple I had to point out.
• Make sure they seal behind the sink.
• Check the seals around the ceiling in the bathroom. Ours already has rusted screws in only 4 months, with only about a half dozen showers and the bathroom fan running 24/7 to help with the humidity issue mentioned above.
• Check all USB ports on battery and shore power.
• If you have a 20(x or not), make sure you know where the front plug is (it's under the front dinette cushions, facing directly to the front of the trailer, invisible unless you're in front of it).

Oh, and quick edit: schedule a shake-down warranty service appointment when you pick up the trailer! Nearly every dealer seems to be booking way out for service, so getting it on the books at pickup let's you schedule it for a couple months out, after you've had time to live with the trailer a bit, find the things that don't work, etc. This was actually advice from our pick-up personnel.

[BeachBrad]

this is a great list! thank you

[ThB]

Great list dkmcgrath. Thank you. I noticed the area underneath and behind the sink was open. What did you, or the dealer, seal it with?

Thayne

[dkmcgrath]

Originally Posted by ThB

Great list dkmcgrath. Thank you. I noticed the area underneath and behind the sink was open. What did you, or the dealer, seal it with?

Thayne

I had them seal it with clear silicone, just like in a regular bathroom. They did a really good job, and it's barely noticeable unless you go looking for it.

[Pizzaman276]

Stevep51 congratulations! We love our 20x.
We have had one issue that was found now that there is colder weather and it’s the furnace. You will see some threads out there about how it is inefficient and over heats internally causing the safety switch to trip. I would suggest having them run the propane furnace for a good while outside in the cold. If your basecamp has the issue with the ductwork you will find out in short order. Sounds like your unit is hot off the presses so they may have already addressed it.
The inside bathroom wall wasn’t riveted to a stud. Don’t know if that was just my rig or if it is a common issue.
Dkmcgrath has a great list. I would highly suggest the fan cover. The wife and I were out in the wild and it rained all night. Without that fan cover open the trailer got pretty hot. Went out and installed the max air cover and don’t regret it, even though it looks like overkill from the outside.
I installed the easy start device on the AC unit so I could use a generator to power it if we needed to. Used it a couple times while alone at some harvest host sites.
I am planning on adding a pure sine wave inverter at some point so I can use the 120’s on battery power.
Can’t think of anything else that we had an issue with or added. Hope you enjoy.
Pizzaman

[WVDude]

Fantastic list! I am going to bring this with me when picking up my 20x!

[WVDude]

Fantastic list! I am bringing a copy when I pick up my 20x!

[stevep51]

Instead of starting a new thread wanted to share I picked my basecamp up! Very happy with it so far.

[JA15830]

Looks like you got a pretty good list if issues to check for. Some of the big issues we had were:

Stud in rear wall of shower "fell out" (ask if you want details).

Rear hatch leak. In the '22, I think they added a gasket under the rail above the door that seems to have taken care of it.

Furnace - serious issues with the ducting. In the '22 they moved one of the registers and increased the diameter of the ducting. It works better than the '21, but the bend headed towards the mid cabin register is too tight, and the flexible duct has collapsed. I will ask to have that taken care of at our next service appointment.

Our '22 had a cracked cabinet door. It is easy to miss.

The rear door lock on our '21 was funky. Now that we have a '22 it functions perfectly.

Looks like you have a Ford TV, you may have some issues with the 7 way plug. Airstream uses a cheap one, and Ford has their connector "upside down". Neither should be a big deal, but when you combine the two, you get issues. Your Ford may be newer and have the "right side up" connector.

Fresh water tank. The '21 came with a 27 gallon tank. The '22 comes with a 23 gallon tank. I am pretty sure that they just changed the spec. So, we may be carrying a lot of extra weight. With our '21 we couldn't get more than about 16 gallons out of it. After one trip with the '22, I suspect we have the same issue with it. I am thinking of starting a thread on this after I do some investigating. It would be nice to get Airstream to address this. There is a thread on hacking the dip tube to get lower in the tank, but I am very leery of doing anything that might affect warranties. Some people jump right in and start making modifications. We had so many problems with the '21 that I want to be very careful.

I figure my wife and I may be just about the only two people that have had two 20x's, so Our perspectives may be helpful.