When Airstream launched the Rangeline as its most affordable camper van in 2022, it laid it out in standard European style with a rear fold-away bed and front dinette – safe, proven and comfortable territory. With the all-new 21PL, it moves into a more experimental space, designing a floor plan that's every bit as capable and comfortable for four people as it is for two, all without any need for a pop-up roof.
As the new Trakka T7 Trakkadu reminded us earlier this week, floor rail-based camper vans always prove themselves among the most versatile RV designs out there, allowing owners to adjust the interior layout on the fly. Sometimes that flexibility even extends so far as swapping between a fully loaded camper van, a large family-size everyday commuter and/or an empty commercial-style cargo hauler.
Airstream uses its floor rails a little differently than the typical builder but in a way that appears as smart and effective as any design out there. The four rails serve as the basis of a flexible multi-position lounge space, securing in a two-seat bench that can slide all the way back close to the dual tailgate doors or farther forward, closer to the central wet bathroom and kitchen block. In this way, the two belted seats can be positioned forward for the drive to camp, clearing load space for luggage and gear, then slid all the way back into lounge form at camp.
As far as lounge mode, the two-seat bench pairs with the long fixed passenger-side sofa bench to create an inviting L-shaped seating arrangement. The removable dual-leaf table secures to the side console, supported by a single leg, turning that breezy lounge into a temporary dining space for up to four people.
Usually a van like this would include a standard or optional pop-up roof to sleep a family of four, but Airstream keeps Ram's factory roof right where it is. That's where the "PL" – Premier Loft – comes in, alluding to the electrically actuated double bed that stores over top the rear lounge during the day, lowering down at night to create a bunk room. The lower bunk is made by folding the two-seat rear bench flat so it can team with the side bench to create a double bed at ground level, completing the four-sleeper layout that accommodates the whole family inside four hard walls and a hard roof.
The two beds measure in quite comparably – the loft is the largest at 74 x 57 in (188 x 145 cm), while the lower bed is just a touch narrower at 74 x 53 in (188 x 135 cm). Both beds stretch longitudinally, preventing any need to crawl over top the other person to use the bathroom, though they will require a little maneuvering around the rear kitchen and bathroom walls, not to mention the ladder blocking much of the lower bed.
We'd go the opposite of Airstream's photo below and have the adults on top, kids on the bottom, since little ones can crawl and squeeze through small spaces more easily. But that's for each family to decide for itself.
For those trips when parents are able to get away for a few days by themselves, the Rangeline PL transforms seamlessly and quickly into a roomy two-sleeper. The two-seat rear bench removes, clearing full-length aisle space for bicycles, kayaks, skis and other long gear while opening more free living space at camp. The rear lounge still exists thanks to the fixed side-facing sofa, and the dining table can set up there or secured on the front kitchen wall to serve the two cab swivel seats. And while the dual-bed capability disappears with the removal of the bench, the powered loft bed is there to sleep two.
"We took everything owners loved about our original Rangeline and added features to offer greater standard sleeping capacity, more storage solutions and freedom for owners to customize their travel," said Bob Wheeler, Airstream president and CEO, in introducing the 21PL this week. "Rangeline 21PL adapts to everyday life on the road, whether that’s hauling gear, hosting family or having a more comfortable place to rest."
The 21PL's kitchen and bathroom occupy the space between the driver's cab and the rear lounge. The passenger-side kitchen block has a stow-away induction cooktop, sink and cabinetry, with the 122-L compressor fridge and microwave stacked together aft of the wet bath across the aisle. A flip-out worktop on the back of the passenger-side block brings cooking, food prep and cocktail space just outside the sliding door, below the awning.
Airstream powers the latest Rangeline up with a 3.5-kWh lithium battery, 3,000-W inverter and 200 watts of solar charging. There's also a 2.8-kW gasoline generator for those times battery and solar aren't getting it done on their own.
The 21-foot (6.4-m) Rangeline PL is based on a Ram Promaster 3500 that relies on a 276-hp V6 engine and nine-speed automatic transmission to channel power exclusively to the front wheels. Airstream adds in an upgraded suspension system to better fine-tune the ride for the payload being carried, whether that's a solo trip with just the driver and an empty cabin or a fully loaded family camping excursion with all the gear that can fit.
The Rangeline 21PL will soon arrive to Airstream's nationwide US dealership network. Prices start at US$173,400, a $12K premium over the $161,400 original Rangeline, now named the Rangeline 21PS (Premier Suite).
Source: Airstream
