Airstream Just Released a Camper Van No One Saw Coming

It’s safe to say Airstream has never done anything like this before.

an airstream camper van drives through a puddle

Published August 26, 2024

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Airstream is arguably the first name in campers, and its streamlined aluminum-bodied trailers are timeless icons of twentieth-century design.

When I think of Airstream, I think of gleaming and beautiful campers with a retro aesthetic that harkens back to a more romantic era of extended highway travel. It’s classic Americana, wrapped in shiny aluminum.

That’s why I was so shocked when I caught a glimpse of Airstream’s newest camper van. A limited edition of the brand’s Interstate 19X Mercedes-Benz Sprinter that looks like it rolled right out of an episode of MTV’s Pimp My Ride circa 2006.

Airstream Interstate 19X LE Outland Edition

at Airstream

Party Time

Limited to a scant 30 vehicles, the Airstream Interstate 19X LE Outland Edition has some pretty wild features I’ve never seen on a factory camper van before … especially from a company as classic as Airstream.

To start, this crazy adventure van is equipped with a customizable multicolor LED underbody lighting kit that looks like it was sourced from the original The Fast and the Furious; your first clue that this isn’t your grandparents’ Airstream.

Continuing the party vibe is the van’s ridiculous sound system: A Sony DSX-GS80 digital media receiver with four 8-inch REV Black V2 speakers and a 400W subwoofer. The speakers can swivel to face out the back of the van, and they’re equipped with color-changing RGB lights because, apparently, you can’t have enough colored lights when camping.

an airstream camper van with lots of mutlicolored lights parked in the woods — Yo dawg, I heard you like LED lights on your LED lights.

The 3-in-1 platform bed system is unique to this edition of the van and a first for Airstream. Its bold bright red metal frame can function as an interior loft bed, it can slide out if you want to sleep in the open air while remaining elevated, or it can slide forward to open up more storage room in the back. It also features a mount for a chair swing.

The brash styling continues on the van’s exterior, which is treated to a vinyl wrap complete with a metallic finish and faux rivets to simulate the appearance of a classic Airstream aluminum trailer.

airstream camper van driving down a trail — A metallic vinyl wrap complete with faux rivets mimics the look of Airstream’s aluminum trailers.

The front lighting system is also more extreme than what we’ve seen from the brand previously, with a trio of 6-inch LED light bars on the brush guard and two more in the hood vents. A wrap-around 270-degree awning features even more LED lights. Between all the LEDs, the underbody lighting kit and the light-up speakers, the van can probably be seen from outer space.

Rounding out the party vibes is a Dometic CFX3 electric fridge that can be removed and taken with you on any excursions, effectively acting as a souped-up cooler.

dometic portable fridge inside an airstream camper van — The included fridge is a Dometic unit that’s both removable and portable.

The van’s interior is decidedly contemporary, with dark gray and black everywhere accented by the same bright red shade seen on the bed frame. The exterior dining table is also red and comes with a stowable induction cooktop that can also be used inside as part of the camper’s galley kitchen, which also features a sink.

All of this is going to soak up a lot of juice, especially if you’re constantly running all of your lights, so for extra peace of mind you have the option of upgrading the power system to Airstream’s E1 Package that includes a 12,000 watt-hour lithium battery pack and a 3,200-watt inverter.

a man stows some gear in an airstream camper van — Four swiveling 8-inch speakers with RGB lighting make up part of the insane sound system.

Airstream hasn’t revealed the price of the Interstate 19X LE Outland Edition, but since the standard Interstate 19X starts around $200,000, I’d expect this pimped-out version to be priced considerably north of that — especially since only 30 of them will be made.

If you’ve got a quarter-million or so burning a hole in your pocket and want to own the biggest off-road party on four wheels, then you can inquire about buying one of these crazy campers here.