Logan K. Carter/ Jalopnik
Honda has started pushing out more rugged, off-road oriented TrailSport versions of its Pilot, Passport, Ridgeline, and CR-V recently, and now to accompany them, the automaker is unveiling a prototype of a camping trailer called the Honda Base Station. The whole idea of the Base Station is to offer drivers of EVs and small crossovers a flexible, easily towable trailer option with the solidity and build quality of a Honda. Its unique appearance draws inspiration from Honda’s upcoming 0 Series vehicles, which sets it apart from any competitors, as they all still look virtually the same as trailers from 30 years ago.
Logan K. Carter/ Jalopnik
I got a firsthand look at the Base Station Prototype, and though I was not allowed to go inside of it or touch it, I was allowed to take photos and ask Honda representatives to show me its various features. Honda is targeting a curb weight under 1,400 pounds for the Base Station. It will have an expandable lithium battery that’s charged by standard solar panels, and modular options like an outdoor cooktop and sink, air conditioning, and a shower. It also has a pop-up roof that offers seven feet of clearance, and sleeping room for a family of four.
It was designed and developed by Honda’s U.S. team that developed the Motocompacto
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Honda wants to make camping more accessible and enjoyable for American families, so the Base Station Prototype’s light weight, spacious interior, and “competitive price” that hasn’t been published yet all aim to achieve that goal. Its compact size allows it to fit into a standard garage or one-car parking space, yet its interior is airy and bright thanks to five large side windows as standard, and a flip-open tailgate to provide an indoor-outdoor campsite space. Inside there aren’t any frills, but it does have a futon-style couch that folds out to provide a queen-sized sleeping area and an optional children’s bunk bed.
Though Honda hasn’t confirmed the future of the Base Station just yet, it says that it would be priced competitively against other small trailers that generally range vastly in price between $17,000 and $50,000. Honda also says it will be officially sold through Honda dealerships. Details beyond that are slim at the moment, but Honda did show off the trailer’s colorful ambient lighting, which emits a glowing ring around the windows on the side of the trailer, both inside and outside. I had the folks at Honda change the Base Station’s ambient light color to a more Jalopnik-y shade of orange for my time shooting photos. As a whole, the Base Station Prototype is a sleek, lightweight modular camper that could signal the future of the camper market with its clean sheet design.
Logan K. Carter/ Jalopnik
