Jan 26

Jan 26 Honda unveils travel trailer prototype

In a surprise move, automaker Honda unveiled a prototype of a new travel trailer aimed at the North American market. The small, lightweight trailer offers some unique build qualities and design features but can also serve as a smaller cargo trailer and is designed to be towed by most Honda-branded vehicles. The new offering features a pop-up roof system similar to a vintage VW Westphalia camper as well as an outside kitchen and rather spacious cargo hold that also houses the bed, which folds into a couch.

“Base Station is a perfect example of what can happen when you let a team of researchers, designers and engineers pursue bold new ideas to create new value for our customers,” said Jane Nakagawa, vice president of the American Honda R&D Business Unit. “Just like the Motocompacto, Base Station is the product of fresh and innovative thinking. We designed it to make camping more accessible and enjoyable for families across America.”

At its core, the Base Station is a large box with three windows on the road side and two on the camp side. There is also a door, the same size as the windows, on the camp side.

The entire back of the trailer is a huge hatchback of sorts which provides the main access to the interior space. Inside the Base Station you’re greeted by a couch which can slide along tracks to become a queen-sized bed. Honda’s designers said that many people prefer providing their own organization and storage solutions so there really aren’t any built in to here that were apparent. There is a provision to add a bed into the space the pop top provides, again like an old Westphalia camper, so that puts the number of sleeping spaces in here at four.

The large windows on the sides of the trailer can be removed and replaced with modules that will become available. Those modules include an outdoor kitchen that incorporates a two-burner induction cook top, cutting board and sink featuring a water pump. There is reportedly water storage aboard but, again, details are limited.

Other modules Honda spoke to were an air conditioner and outdoor shower.

The company stated that there was a lithium power source aboard to operate things like the electric furnace and also the optional outdoor kitchen.

Zero emissions power off the grid is enabled through a standard lithium battery, inverter, and integrated solar panels. External power sources, whether campsite hookup or Honda generator, can be quickly connected for extended stays.

While the company’s press release spoke to solar panels the prototype shown didn’t appear to have them and this was a rough prototype although it appeared very well thought-through and detailed - what you would expect from a company like Honda.

The basic structure of this is an aluminum frame and aluminum chassis with a fiberglass outer shell. This is similar to how companies like inTech build their trailers.

Things not shown include the furnace and details about outside storage, specific size and weight of the trailer were also not provided. The company did state that this was intended to be able to be pulled by vehicles like the CR-V, Pilot and Passport which figures around 1,500 pounds for the boxy build.

Incidentally the last major vehicle manufacturer in the US to build an RV was GMC with their GMC Motorhome in the 1970s. Coincidentally Honda’s R&D is celebrating half a century in the US and the GMC Motorhome was in production at the time Honda started this operation.

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