Airstream's New Camper Van RV Starting at Almost $200,000: Photos

Airstream's newest camper van wasn't designed to be a cute little Instagram-perfect RV. Instead, it's rugged, well-equipped, and a whopping $200,000 at a time when RV interest has dwindled fast.

Anybody in the RV industry will tell you sales have looked better. From 2020 up until recently, RV makers were seeing interest at record levels, leading to multi-billion-dollar backlogs, packed RV parks, and younger buyers.

But these days, this frenzy is harder to find. RV sales dropped dramatically over the last year, leading to a wholesale shipment decline by 47.7% from 2023 compared to the same time in 2022, according to July data from the RV Industry Association.

While shipments for all towables plummeted 50.8% from July 2022 to 2023, camper vans only slipped 29.8%.

TikToks about camper vans have been viewed about 173.5 million times with several videos showing the inside of trendy conversions amassing millions of views individually.

Airstream already has a handful of vans in its lineup including the $147,570 Rangeline on a Ram Promaster chassis and the $310,400 Atlas on a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. The latter has the most expensive MSRP of all of its "touring coaches."

In June, Thor Industries announced its consolidated net sales for the third quarter of 2023 was $2.93 billion, a steep drop from $4.66 billion at the same time in 2022 and $3.46 billion in 2021.

"Market conditions continue to be challenging as dealers and consumers face increasing pressures from the macro environment," Bob Martin, president and CEO of Thor Industries, said in the earnings report. "While we are encouraged by our fiscal third-quarter results, we anticipate certain macroeconomic challenges to persist in the near term."

The RV maker has six models under the Interstate umbrella ranging from $178,640 to $246,35. However, the company declined to comment when asked how the new camper van could impact Thor's decreasing RV sales.

The four-by-four van — built on a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 chassis — capitalizes on quickly two growing segments of RVing: boondocking and off-roading. To make the van more off-grid capable, buyers can also upgrade it to an all-wheel drive Sprinter chassis.

There's no all-white aesthetic or marble countertops that have made some camper vans go viral. Instead, it's tough and ready to run off-road.

This includes a protective coat on the van's hood and lower body and a brush guard with lights.

The floor and aluminum walls and ceiling have an L-track system to keep big-ticket items like bikes and kayaks strapped in during a bumpy off-road ride.

The kitchen has a sink across from the counter with a refrigerator-freezer and movable induction cooktop.

The van can sleep two people but has the capacity to seat four. Sorry to the two other people who'll just have to pitch a tent outside.

For water supplying and dumping, the van has a 20-gallon fresh, 16-gallon gray, and 9-gallon waste tanks.

The Interstate 19X can now be purchased at Airstream's dealerships.

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