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Airstream Recalls Nearly 2,000 Basecamp Travel Trailers Over Detaching Entry Door Window

On December 5th, the safety boffins at Airstream received a vehicle owner’s questionnaire from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The owner of a Basecamp travel trailer – a.k.a. caravan in British English - alleged that the entry door window had detached while traveling.
Airstream Basecamp travel trailer 10 photos
Photo: Airstream
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This wouldn’t be the first time Basecamp owners experienced this problem, though. Back in June 2020, the federal watchdog published recall number 20V-349 to address the poor window adhesion of 732 trailers produced for the 2017 and 2018 model years. The root cause is the improper preparation of the window surface, which didn’t allow the adhesive to properly bond the window to the entry door’s window frame.

Fast forward to December 8th, and the Safety Committee within Airstream determined that a recall is necessary for a further 1,992 examples of the Basecamp travel trailer. More specifically, the Jackson Center-based manufacturer is referring to 2017 to 2022 model year Basecamp 16 (as in a 16-foot floor plan) and 2021 to 2022 Basecamp 20 travel trailers.

100 percent of the recalled population is believed to exhibit poor adhesion, which can be detected by applying force to the entry door window. Speaking of which, 372282 is the part number of the recalled entry door window. Airstream says that all units manufactured after July 23rd, 2021 have a properly bonded window. Suspect trailers were produced between September 29th, 2017 and July 23rd, 2021 as per the attached recall report.

Dealers will be instructed on February 13th, 2023 to test the windows for proper adhesive bond strength. If the window shows any evidence of separation, the window will be replaced at no charge to the owner. What’s more, a trim strip will be installed to secure the window. The trim strip in question also has a part number, namely 204166 according to Airstream.

Designed to sleep two people, Basecamp 16 currently retails at $46,000 before options. 7 feet wide as opposed to 7 feet and 9.5 inches for its larger sibling, the Basecamp 16 offers a net carrying capacity of 850 pounds (386 kilograms). It further comes with a 21-gallon (79.5-liter) fresh water tank, a ducted furnace, a 12-volt refrigerator, cast-aluminum LED taillights, Goodyear 225/75 by 15-inch tires, and a full-size spare.

Optional extras worth mentioning include a microwave, a 200-watt solar package, heat-strip air conditioner, and X-Package. The latter option comprises tinted window guards, stainless-steel front stone guards, Goodyear 255/55 by 18-inch tires, stylized wheels, as well as a lift kit. The Basecamp 20 is slightly better equipped, retailing from a cool $54,400.

Capable of sleeping four people, the 20-foot version has a maximum trailer capacity of 4,300 pounds (1,950 kilograms), a net carrying capacity of 900 pounds (408 kilograms), and a 23-gallon (87-liter) freshwater tank.
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 Download: Airstream Basecamp recall (PDF)

About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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