The Honda Base Station is a prototype camper trailer(!) that the automaker sounds pretty serious about selling. The core concepts are modularity, lightness, and “democratizing camping.” It’s not being billed as a hardcore off-roader or apocalypse survivor, but it looks like a really fun and practical adventure vessel that could be towed by a compact crossover or EV.
Honda plans to reveal more details, “including future intentions” (whether or not it’ll go to production) in the coming months. All we know about price is that the Base Station trailer, if it were to be made for mass consumption, would be “priced competitively in the towable trailer segment,” according to Lance Woelfer, American Honda Vice President of Auto Sales.
At least one full-size prototype has been built, but so far Honda’s only released these two images of the Base Station:
In a presentation this week, Woelfer introduced the Base Station to the media. He mentioned modular construction, giving users opportunities for customization, calling out optional features like a shower and bunk bed, depending on the needs and wants of the owner.
Critically, he also said it would be “light enough to be towed by compact crossovers” and electric vehicles, specifically calling out the Honda CR-V and Prologue as viable tow rigs. The press release that went out today even name-drops the archrival, the Toyota RAV4, as something that could tow Honda’s trailer, effectively confirming it would not have a proprietary Honda-only hitch.
There aren’t any real specs to sink our teeth into yet, by Honda has stated that the pop-up roof “can be quickly raised to create seven feet of stand-up space, while a top-hinged rear tailgate enables free flow between the Base Station and campsite.” It’s supposed to be able to shelter a family of four “with a large futon-style couch that folds out to provide a queen-sized sleeping area and an optional kids’ bunk bed,” per the release.
And finally: “… the Base Station Prototype is outfitted with various accessories, including an air conditioner, an external shower, and an external kitchen complete with running water and an induction cooktop. 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,” Honda shared.
I bet Honda’s brass will be watching the public reception to the Base Station prototype very closely. Launching a product in an entirely new market segment is no small feat, and the brand definitely won’t jump in lightly. Then again, trailers are a lot easier to build than cars (far fewer regulatory hurdles, for one thing), and Honda’s no stranger to being creative when it comes to product diversification. This is the same outfit that also builds F1 engines, jets, lawn care equipment, generators, motorcycles, boat motors … the list goes on.
Honda Base Station Camp Trailer Pricing
We don’t know what Honda’s planning to list the Base Station at, if it goes to production at all, but we can make educated guesses based on the concept, brand, and “competitively priced” comment from Mr. Woelfer.
If it does go to production, I bet Honda will try to at least get the base model under $20,000.
The Honda Base Station’s hypothetical rivals would be things like the Happy Camper HC1 ($30,000 and up) and nuCamp TAB 320 ($28,000 and up). But Honda’s product appears to be uniquely lean—it looks less complex than either of those other two campers I mentioned. And Honda could potentially use similar metal-stamping strategies that it does with cars to bang these out a lot more efficiently than fiberglass camper construction.
A company like Honda’s not going to get into a new market as a pure undercutter, and it’s going to have to use high-quality materials to be light enough for safe compact crossover towing. But Honda must also be acutely aware that customers will be thinking about the price of this in relation to, say, the CR-V. Nobody’s going to buy a $35,000 crossover and then giddily spend that money again for an accessory, even a giant one. If Honda plans to sell these through its car dealerships (which would make sense), it can’t cost as much as the vehicle people are buying to tow it with, surely.
Honda’s been on a pretty good hot streak with products lately. The revived Passport‘s a huge hit, the current-gen Civic is the best in a while, that commercial-grade self-driving lawn mower looks cool … all this to say, I’m optimistic that the big H can and will deliver a cool camp trailer, and I’m looking forward to learning more about this idea.
Got a tip? Drop me a line at andrew.collins@thedrive.com.