Good Basecamp News?

[Twitterpated]

Does anyone have anything good to report about the Basecamp?

[OTRA15]

There is an Adventures thread headed in that general direction:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f404...es-167402.html

. . . but it has not gotten up a full head of steam yet.

[AWCHIEF]

Originally Posted by twitterpated

does anyone have anything good to report about the basecamp?

lol.

[4WetPaws]

Yes… They are great for those who love adventure. It seems that Airstream has fixed many of the initial issues. I'm happy to report that I have used mine in some heavy downpours and not a single leak.

[Trae and Ann]

We got ours out of dry dock 2 weeks ago and are taking her out the next 3 weekends in a row. Plus planned our fall trip. I take that as good news!!! Basecamp v2.0 . We never had the leaking issue but have new axle/tire, freshwater tank replaced, and black/grey sensor replaced. Took original delivery 12-2016. Hope to report back good things.. fingers crossed

[ColoradoBCer]

I took possession of my 2017 Basecamp yesterday. The dealer had a Red Rock with all options available at a comparatively fair price so I took it.

I'm typing this whilst laying on the bed which was surprisingly more comfortable than one would have believed given some of the comments on the forums. Before delivery, I ordered three Thermarest "Basecamp" pads (two R size and and one L) for a little extra bed padding. They're the kings of packable car camping pads. They arrive next week. I have no doubt the bed will be decadent with the pad upgrade.

I drove from the dealership in Lakewood, Colorado direct to the mountains above Grand Lake - about 2 hours to a National Forest service road pullout site. The BC towed like butter. The 18" wheels are a noticeable improvement from the smaller 15" I had on my past two trailers. I never felt the BC behind me even as I climbed from 5,000 feet, negotiated several switchbacks, crested a 10,300 foot pass and then four wheeled up the FS road. My gas mileage was strangely not affected. The dashboard MPG display was the same as usual the entire trip. This was a great discovery as I love a road trip.

I was happy to discover that the BC fits in a regular parking space! That's going to come in very handy at the festivals and mountain bike races we attend. I could also park easily when stopping for supplies by pulling thru two adjoining spaces at the outer edge of the Safeway parking lot. No more parking lot anxiety!

The additional ground clearance on the BC was appreciated but, I have to admit, I had my doubts. The low point, hot / cold drains and sewer hose pipe had me a little worried. On that note, you may want to shut off propane when traveling on unimproved roads. The propane line is exposed (as required by code). It could be damaged, leak, spark and cause a fire. Of course, I realized this after reaching my destination.

The TV is a '16 Tundra. I used a straight hitch (no drop). The few times I thought I might drag the bottom on the maintained FS road, I jumped out of the TV to check and it was riding higher than I'd imagined. All good!

I started the night on 100% charge. I ran the lights continually, the fan for a little while, charged my phone, charged and played the Bose speaker for approximately four hours and had 85 charge just before shutting down. I woke up this morning to 80% charge. The sun has been up about an hour but there's cloud cover - typical mountain morning. I'll monitor the solar today.

We had a couple of brief but heavy downpours last night - no leaks. I'm very happy with fit and finish. The doors and windows close snugly and securely. The rear screen and screen door are perfect. There is not a hint of light around the wet bath door when standing inside with the door closed. The entire trailer seems tight as a drum. I have the trailer leveled with the the stabilizers and hitch jack on blocks. The trailer is dead quiet when moving around.

The fridge has been running on propane all night. I don't have a thermometer to measure but it's definitely cool. The outside temp is 52 degrees - not exactly challenging conditions. The service tech that gave me the walk thru was aware that the BC fridges struggle on propane on hot days but said there was not a service bulletin from AS on this issue. He recommended giving the fridge an 8 hour head start to cool before filling it, parking in shade when possible and keeping the propane topped off. He kind of politely shrugged it off to "It's a tiny RV fridge running on gas in an enclosed space. Whaddya expect?".

I only have one minor grip so far: The propane tank cover is the weak link. It doesn't open or close with any confidence. It should have a lock on it. It's kludgey to open and even more kludgey to close. I appreciate that it's light, aerodynamic and somewhat protective but, down the road, I think I'll remove it and install a couple of polished aluminum propane tanks. I'll miss the storage but given that it doesn't lock... I won't miss it too much. I noticed several inexpensive tear drop trailers with better made tank covers as I was walking around the dealership. I'm betting that, if they stay in production, the first upgrade on future BC's is that cover.

Anyways, I think this qualifies as Good Basecamp News! I love it!

[OTRA15]

Thanks for the report and welcome to the forum!

FYI these other threads have info on the BC fridge situation:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f404...ne-169937.html
http://www.airforums.com/forums/f404...es-162632.html

Other than this weak link in the design chain, the Basecamp is a great little Airstream, and we were considering down-sizing to one someday. Not any time soon probably . . .

Good luck!

Peter

[Al and Missy]

Congratulations and it sounds like a great first trip. We need pictures!

re: " I have the trailer leveled with the the stabilizers and hitch jack on blocks. The trailer is dead quiet when moving around"

I'm not a basecamp guy, and I may have misinterpreted your statement, so I may be wrong, but for all other Airstream trailers, the stabilizers are not intended to be used to level the trailer. The trailer is leveled side-to-side with some kind of blocking (I use 2x6s) under the tires and front-to-back with the tongue jack. If basecamp is different, or you used blocking, please ignore.

Al

[Jazgrass]

I just got a letter from AS extending my warranty for another 12 months. Its a great letter !
jaz

[Gail Miller]

Originally Posted by Jazgrass

I just got a letter from AS extending my warranty for another 12 months. Its a great letter !
jaz

I got my letter today too :-)

[FricknFrack]

Originally Posted by Gail Miller

I got my letter today too :-)

Hmmm how do you score one of those letters?

[Lmnhead]

Originally Posted by FricknFrack

Hmmm how do you score one of those letters?

The good news is you don't have to sweat getting the letter. It says the extended warranty is automatically extended based on VIN on all 2017 BCs, so you are covered!

[Gail Miller]

I don't want to start sounding like a Casita person (they are always commenting on sightings)... but, my sister (also from Arkansas), is camping near Gunnison right now and she called today to tell me that she saw a Basecamp pulling into Gunnison today.

[AThiker66]

Originally Posted by Twitterpated

Does anyone have anything good to report about the Basecamp?

I've had mine since the end of February and I love it. I've been on five trips and it's performed well. I did take it in for the axle recall and they fixed the seal on the bathroom door as well as the fridge vent. Since then, the only issue I've had is the difficulty of detaching the short leg supports from the table tops. I e used graphite (don't do this!-very messy) and silicon. Nothing works. I pulled so hard last time out that the flange pulled right off the table, stripping the screws. I had to drill new holes and used longer screws to repair it. Other than that, no problems. It tows easily and I don't need side mirror extensions. It's a little problematic to back because of the short wheelbase but as long as I have room to maneuver, so I can back straight up with tv and trailer in-line, I can get in a fairly small space. I've enjoyed all my trips in the BC.

[Jazgrass]

In Dallas now on my way to New Mexico from the Gulf Coast, wonderful ! Pictures to follow...

[Gail Miller]

Originally Posted by Jazgrass

In Dallas now on my way to New Mexico from the Gulf Coast, wonderful ! Pictures to follow...

Outstanding, I wondered if you'd started your trip yet. Keep us posted.

[camperguy58]

Originally Posted by AThiker66

I've had mine since the end of February and I love it. I've been on five trips and it's performed well. I did take it in for the axle recall and they fixed the seal on the bathroom door as well as the fridge vent. Since then, the only issue I've had is the difficulty of detaching the short leg supports from the table tops. I e used graphite (don't do this!-very messy) and silicon. Nothing works. I pulled so hard last time out that the flange pulled right off the table, stripping the screws. I had to drill new holes and used longer screws to repair it. Other than that, no problems. It tows easily and I don't need side mirror extensions. It's a little problematic to back because of the short wheelbase but as long as I have room to maneuver, so I can back straight up with tv and trailer in-line, I can get in a fairly small space. I've enjoyed all my trips in the BC.

Hi AThiker66,

What solution did they do for your refrigerator?

Thanks

[AThiker66]

They put some kind of kit on it; the receipt wasn't specific. I think they may have done something to the vent.

[AThiker66]

I just went out and looked and I think they may have put an additional vent on it.

[camperguy58]

Originally Posted by AThiker66

I just went out and looked and I think they may have put an additional vent on it.

Thank you, that's helpful.