Airstream Is Making A Ridiculous Nightclub Of A Camper Van With Underglow, Big Speakers, And A Patio

One of my favorite things is looking around the ‘net for truly weird or ridiculous RVs. Too many RVs are just boring boxes, so when a company or person takes the unbeaten path, I appreciate it. My latest weird RV find goes very far off the path indeed, and it’s from Airstream of all brands. 

Not content with just having a capable camper van, Airstream decided to go nuts with a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, outfitting it with all kinds of neon lights, big speakers, and even a bed that slides outside as a sort of weird stargazing patio. It’s called the Interstate 19X LE Outland Edition, and the best way to describe this thing is “nightclub in a van.”

Camper vans have been seeing an increase in popularity over the past years. Not only do you not have to worry about the walls rotting off of a van, but a van is easier to store, easier to drive, easier to maintain, and can be decently off-road capable. Yet, still too many of them are boring. Airstream, of all brands, has come up with a van that looks like it consumed a few too many Monster energy drinks and I love it.

Your Personal Nightclub

Airstream is known best for its iconic riveted aluminum travel trailers. But for decades, the brand has also sold some form of motorhome. In the past, buyers were able to buy a Class A Argosy coach, but today the brand focuses on the lucrative Class B camper van space.

This new limited-edition van is based on the Interstate 19X (below), which was introduced in 2023 as Airstream’s smallest off-road camper van. For the price of $217,900, Interstate 19X owners get a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 4×4 with some knobby tires, protective coatings, and the bare minimum you’d need to boondock for a few days.

A few days ago, Airstream rolled out the Interstate 19X LE Outland Edition at Overland Expo Mountain West and it’s something else.

Let’s start with the exterior. The base Interstate 19X is largely present here. The van is still a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 4×4 and it’s covered in body cladding, a front bumper with a protective coating, and a hood covered in the same. That’s a good base, so this limited edition gets crazy starting with the lighting. The brush guard has three six-inch LED light bars and two more six-inch light bars now live in the van’s hood vents. The van’s fog lights have also been thrown in the trash for two more LED off-road lights now residing in the lower portion of the front bumper.

That’s clearly not enough lighting, so Airstream has covered the underbody from the wheel wells to the running boards with RGB LED underglow. Do you remember the last time you saw a pickup truck with super bright rock lights and such? Yep, Airstream’s done the same but with a van. I love how Airstream’s PR firm “churched up” this underglow, which will almost certainly be set to bright red while the stereo pelts out some club music: Multi-color LEDs have also been added to the undercarriage allowing owners to curate lighting to their preferred ambiance.

If that still isn’t enough exterior lighting for you, Airstream has added a 270-degree batwing-style awning with, you guessed it, even more LED lighting. You also get a nice exterior table and can access a Dometic CFX3 powered cooler from either inside or outside of the van thanks to a neat articulating mount, which is nice.

I should get back to the bling because Airstream didn’t stop with the lights. The van’s standard black wheels have been swapped out for 18-inch polished face wheels for that extra pop. Oh, and now we arrive at the silliest option here. At your request, Airstream will wrap your Interstate 19X LE Outland Edition to look like an Airstream travel trailer. Yes, it’s a wrap to give your camper van a fake aluminum look complete with fake rivets and I cannot express how much that makes me giggle.

Okay, we have to talk about that interior now because it’s somehow even louder than the exterior.

Alright, the first thing you’ll notice is that the interior of the Interstate 19X LE Outland Edition has extremely bright red accents. I’m laughing here because Airstream usually tries to go for a luxurious look and feel, but this is the exact opposite. It’s like something from Pimp My Ride in there.

Before you ask, yes, this interior is covered in RGB lighting and that also includes the four eight-inch REV Black V2 speakers and 400W subwoofer. The speakers are sort of just hanging out and glowing and Airstream says they’re powered by a Sony DSX-GS80 receiver. So, I can see someone parking this out near some sand dunes blasting music way too loudly out of the rear.

The other big news with the interior is a nifty bed loft system, which can turn into a patio of sorts, from Airstream:

Sleep under the stars on the loft bed system that extends out the van’s back doors or slide it in for an indoor sleep setup. You can even slide the bed forward for more rear storage or remove it completely to maximize interior floor-to-ceiling storage space. A removable headboard offers even more versatility, and a chair swing mount under the bed frame lets you lounge in comfort while planning your next escape.

Here’s what that rivet wrap looks like:

In terms of cooking, you get the aforementioned Dometic CFX3 powered cooler, which could be used inside, outside, or removed completely from the van and used elsewhere. There’s also a portable induction cooktop and Airstream is seemingly making the most of the limited space of a 19-foot van. The sink’s faucet folds down and covers up so you can use that area as a meal prep surface and the induction stove sits on top of a cutting board countertop.

The interior rounds out with an aluminum ceiling plus a bathroom with riveted aluminum accents to nod to the company’s trailers. In terms of holding tanks, you’re looking at 20 gallons for fresh water, 16 gallons for grey water, and 9 gallons for waste.

The base level van gets a pair of 100 Ah Battle Born lithium batteries, a 2,000W pure sine inverter, a 2.5 kW propane generator, a 13,500 BTU air-conditioner, 250 Watts of solar, and a Truma combo heater and hot water system. Airstream says you can get an optional package that upgrades those specs to:

Volta 12,000 Watt-hour Lithium (NMC, or nickel manganese cobalt) Battery Pack w/ Built-in Battery Disconnect
Timberline 2.0 Diesel-Fired Hydronic Heating & Hot Water System
1,100-Watt Single Burner Induction Cook Top
3,200-Watt Pure Sine Wave Inverter
Two 30 AMP DC-DC Converters with 12V Continuous Power
Secondary 51 Volt, 6,900W Alternator
Victron 100-20 Solar Charge Controller

All of this is wrapped up in a van powered by a 2.0-liter turbodiesel four making 208 HP and 332 lb-ft of torque, which is delivered to all four wheels.

Weird Marketing, Fun Van

I think what gets me in my sides the most is how Airstream is marketing the Interstate 19X LE Outland Edition. It’s not marketed as a sort of rolling nightclub for you and three more of your bros, but completely and totally without a shred of irony. The release reads: Expanding on the fan-favorite Interstate 19X model – with its nimble stance and rugged features – the Outland Edition takes modern mobile adventures to the max with comfort, multifunctionality, and overlanding ability.

The whole press release has that super-serious tone. The van also gets a 5,000-pound tow rating so what I said about partying in the desert can be a real possibility. I’d love to see someone buy one of these vans with the rivet wrap and tow a side-by-side with equal amounts of RGB lights and a rivet wrap of its own. That’s the kind of not taking things too seriously that I love.

What will be serious is the price. Sadly, Airstream is making just 30 of these things. Airstream also won’t say how much the coach will cost, but the base Interstate 19X is $217,900 and I wouldn’t expect this to be cheaper. The company is taking orders right now, though.

I think being silly is really the draw here. The marketing copy lacks the joy this thing brings, but I’m not sure how you could be rolling around in a 19-foot nightclub. It’s all unnecessarily odd and fun, which I think camping should be whenever possible.