We Towed an Airstream Down the Oregon Coast Using an Electric Truck. Here's What Happened.
Unpacked by Afar | Travel Smarter, More ResponsiblyShow Notes
What happens when the person who knows how to tow has to leave — and you're left with a 5,000-pound Airstream, an electric truck, and 800 miles of Oregon coast ahead of you?
On this episode of Unpacked, host Aislyn Greene shares the story of the eight-day road trip she and her wife Jeannie took down the Oregon coast in August — towing an Airstream Basecamp 20 XE with a Rivian Tri-Motor R1T, with exactly zero towing experience between them.
What was supposed to be a fully sustainable cycling-and-camping trip with friends became a crash course in trailer physics, EV charging, and the unexpected generosity of the RV community.
In this episode you'll learn
How Aislyn and her partner, Jeannie, went from zero towing experience to navigating a 5,000-pound Airstream down 500 miles of Oregon coast—and what actually made it possible
The RV community secret nobody tells first-timers: once you've parked, everyone sits back and watches you do it
Why the Rivian R1T's onboard charging calculator made range anxiety a non-issue, even towing a trailer across eight charging stops
What Fort Stevens, Nehalem Bay, Cape Lookout, and Sunset Bay State Park each taught them about slowing down and asking for help
The case for traveling in a way that forces you to rely on strangers—and why it felt especially powerful right now
Plan your own Oregon coast trip
Stay at the campgrounds we loved: Fort Stevens State Park, Nehalem Bay State Park, Cape Lookout State Park , and Bay Point Landing in Coos Bay. For your sunset swim: Sunset Bay State Park, south of Coos Bay.
Plan your Oregon trip with Afar's Oregon guide.
Read more about Afar's guide to road trips, including EV trips
Borrow or rent a Rivian R1T and explore the Rivian Adventure Network — many sites along Highway 101 are designed for trailer-friendly pull-throughs.
Tow an Airstream Basecamp 20 XE — Airstream's small, off-grid-friendly trailer built in partnership with REI.
Chapters
00:00:00 The Plan vs. The Reality 00:03:30 Picking Up the Airstream Alone 00:06:10 First Drive on the Highway 00:08:30 Our First Parking Angel 00:11:00 The Nehalem Bay Disaster 00:14:30 Cape Lookout, Finally 00:18:30 A Bolt Falls Out 00:20:30 Why the Rivian Was the Hero 00:23:30 Sunset Bay 00:25:30 Coming Home
Be sure to subscribe to the show and sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, Travel Tales, which celebrates first-person narratives about the way travel changes us, and View From Afar, where we spotlight the people and ideas shaping the future of travel.
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