Airstream, the purveyor of luxurious tenting trailers that might be nicer than maximum Car and Driver editors’ homes, has reintroduced its Caravel line of lightweight and comparably less expensive trailers. Unlike the agency’s fiberglass-bodied Nest trailer, the Caravel is instantly recognizable as an Airstream because it shares the long-lasting vivid aluminum construction, rounded roof, and wraparound front window of the emblem’s large fashions. Intended to attract (properly-heeled) first-time camper-trailer consumers, the compact Caravel lineup includes 16-, 19-, 20-, and 22-foot lengthy models, each with a unique floorplan with room for four campers.
A car parked at the aspect of an avenue: Airstream’s iconic outdoor design and contemporary indoor styling make the Caravel the most elegant compact trailer at the campground. © Drew Dorian – Car and Driver Airstream’s iconic outdoor layout and contemporary indoor styling make the Caravel the most stylish compact trailer on the campground. Since the unmarried-axle Caravel—our instance changed into the shortest, sixteen-foot-lengthy version—can be towed by a mean mid-size SUV rather than requiring half of- or three-area-ton pickup truck, we deliberate a long weekend getaway the usage of our long-term Subaru Ascent as a towing automobile.
We may be beginner campers, but armed with the Caravel’s owner’s guide and some tips from the nearby Airstream dealership, we set off for Michigan’s Grand Haven State Park at the sandy shores of Lake Michigan, a smooth three-hour power west from our headquarters in Ann Arbor. A truck is parked in a car parking zone: Airstream Caravel © Drew Dorian – Car and Driver Airstream Caravel.
Loaded up and Truckin
The Caravel proved pretty clean to tow behind the huge Subaru. The trailer’s happiest pace is cruising at seventy-five mph, monitoring directly and feeling hunkered down with minimal swaying within its lane. However, keeping that speed constant required consistently running the Ascent’s turbocharged 2. Four-liter flat-four, which buzzes noisily at 3000 pm. Tugging the Caravel, the Ascent’s continuously variable computerized transmission (CVT) regularly avoided strolling close to its maximum efficient pinnacle ratio, which helped drop our gas financial system to about nine mpg. After our trip, we briefly hooked up the Caravel to our long-time period Volkswagen Atlas to see if the VW’s aspirated V-6 and eight-speed automated may make less complicated paintings of transferring the Airstream; however, we managed the identical nine mpg and the trailer failed to experience as stable as it did at the back of the Subaru.
The Caravel’s short, normal length makes it clean to maneuver in the opposite, which becomes a boon once we reach our campsite. In only a few minutes (and best tries), we were subsidized into our website and ready to detach from the Subaru. However, leveling the trailer on a much less-than-tabletop-flat surface with its four manually retractable stabilizing jacks proved to be an extra hard undertaking. The integrated level at the tongue of the Caravel confirmed that we were always quite some distance off, regardless of what we did. It wasn’t until we retracted the jacks on one side so that the left tire changed into touching the floor that we got it right.
Airstream Caravel © Drew Dorian – Car and Driver Airstream Caravel
Hooking up to the website’s 30-amp electric provider was as smooth as connecting one side of the supplied electricity cord to the camper’s electric panel and the other quit to the energy source. The Caravel’s onboard inverter can strengthen the various outlets, USB ports, and appliances. Our look at camper got here geared up with the non-compulsory 90-watt solar bundle ($1700), which juices the Caravel’s onboard battery with enough electrons to keep the fridge cold for at least some hours while off the grid.
Getting Away from It All
Staying in the as-examined $65,284 Caravel rarely can be considered “roughing it.” Airstream has packed all the essentials plus luxuries, including an aircon, a gas furnace, an electric-powered warmth pump, onboard Wi-Fi, an incorporated Bluetooth stereo, a mini-fridge, a fuel stovetop, and a microwave into its smallest camper. Even the smallest version feels way roomier than its dinky outside measurements suggest. With the curtains fully drawn, the trailer feels open, ethereal, and quite at ease at night with the sun shades closed. The bedroom features a flat-display TV with an HDMI hookup, so we could spend some hours catching up on our modern-day Netflix obsessions. A roof-top antenna and an integrated Blu-ray player offer opportunities for leisure options.
Airstream Caravel © Drew Dorian – Car and Driver Airstream Caravel
Faux timber laminated half parts visually separate the bedroom from the relaxation of the Caravels indoors, and a patterned curtain may be pulled to offer privacy. The richly colored veneer contrasts sharply with the kitchen’s white-and-black motif and the trailer’s brilliant aluminum walls. The driftwood-colored vinyl floors mimic timber planks and became easy to keep clean with an easy broom. The carpet might have been a chore at our beachfront locale. The black vinyl cushions for the dinette are the sole letdown in an otherwise present-day and convincingly excessive give-up indoors. The material feels cheap, and the backs of the pillows are not secured to the wall so that they pass around, except you stay flawlessly nonetheless.
The major bed—positioned within the rear and snuggled up next to a 2D wraparound window in our take a look at model—is set the dimensions of a complete mattress. It is an intimate dozing situation that is satisfactory for two human beings and is perfect for couples who do not think close to proximity. The Caravel’s dinette may be transformed to house two more guests by dropping the desk element down and using the unsecured lower backrests to complete the bed. A bus sits on a desk: Airstream Caravel © Drew Dorian – Car and Driver Airstream Caravel.
