Ember Overland Series vs Basecamp & Sol
Three trailers keep showing up on the same shopping list at our stores: the Ember Overland Series, the Airstream Basecamp, and the inTech Sol Horizon. All three are aimed at people who want to get off pavement and stay out a while. We stock the Ember Overland Series at both Motor Sportsland locations, so I spend a lot of time walking customers through the differences. Here is where the Ember earns its keep, point by point, using the numbers and equipment each brand publishes.
How the Ember Overland Series stacks up against the Airstream Basecamp and Sol Horizon
Start with the published specs that all three brands list. Cargo capacity is the one I point at first, because it decides whether you bring the bikes, the cooler, the firewood, and the water jugs or leave some of it home. Our in stock Overland Series units are rated from 1,350 pounds up to 3,230 pounds of cargo. The Basecamp 20X publishes a net carrying capacity of 800 pounds, and the Sol Horizon publishes 900 to 1,300 pounds. More payload means less math in the driveway on Friday afternoon.
| Point | Ember Overland Series | Airstream Basecamp 20X | inTech Sol Horizon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air conditioning | 18,000 BTU variable speed compressor with heat pump and remote | 11,000 BTU with heat pump | 15,000 BTU low profile with soft start |
| Rooftop solar | 1,200 watts standard | 300 watt system, optional | 200 watt option, 300 watts in the off grid package |
| Fresh water | 43 to 81 gallons by floorplan | 23 gallons | 45 gallons |
| Black tank | 35 gallons | 21 gallon waste tank | 9 gallons |
| Cargo capacity | 1,350 to 3,230 pounds | 800 pounds | 900 to 1,300 pounds |
Holding tanks tell a similar story. Our Overland Series units carry up to 81 gallons of fresh water and a 35 gallon black tank. The Basecamp publishes 23 gallons fresh and a 21 gallon waste tank, and the Sol Horizon publishes 45 gallons fresh and a 9 gallon black tank. Tank size is really just a measure of how many days you get before you have to break camp and go find a dump station.
Chassis, suspension, and the stuff under the floor
The Overland Series rides on CURT trailing arm independent suspension with heavy duty coil springs and dual shocks, mounted to a Trailblazer heavy duty off road tube steel chassis. The Sol Horizon publishes smooth ride torsion suspension. Independent suspension with coil springs and dual shocks lets each wheel work on its own over washboard and ruts, which keeps the trailer settled and is easier on everything you packed inside. The tires back that up: nitro filled 16 inch Hankook Dynapro AT2 off road tires on blacked out aluminum rims, compared to the Sol Horizon's 15 inch rugged ST235/75R15 on aluminum wheels. A taller, purpose built all terrain tire gives you more sidewall and better footing on the dirt roads up Mirror Lake Highway or out past Moab.
Construction is closer between these two. Ember builds a six sided aluminum frame with a powder coated exoskeleton and laminated Azdel Onboard composite walls, roof, and end walls, and inTech builds a fully welded aluminum cage frame with Azdel. Both avoid wood in the sidewalls, which is what you want in a trailer that sees snow in April and dust in July. Ember adds the Evermore aluminum framed composite floor with integrated Alumaduct heating, so warm air moves through the floor structure instead of just blowing past your ankles.
Hitching is worth a mention too. The VersaCoupler is a height adjustable bolt on system with an LED hitch light, where the Sol Horizon lists a 2 5/16 inch ball coupler. Being able to set coupler height means you can tow level behind a lifted truck or a lower SUV without hunting for a different ball mount. Getting into the trailer, the MORryde StepAbove composite steps with the Safe T Rail handle give you a wide, stable stair instead of a narrow folding step, and that matters most when the ground is uneven or wet.
Power, climate, and staying out longer
The MAX SOLAR package comes standard on the Overland Series: 1,200 watts of rooftop solar, a 3,000 watt Victron inverter, and a LiFePO4 battery. Airstream publishes a 300 watt solar charging system as an option on the Basecamp, and inTech publishes a 200 watt option or 300 watts with its off grid package, which also includes a 3,000 watt inverter. Four times the panel wattage of either published solar system means faster recharging on short winter days and a better shot at running the trailer without listening to a generator.
Climate control is where the Ember pulls ahead on paper. The 18,000 BTU variable speed compressor air conditioner with heat pump and remote is larger than the 11,000 BTU unit published for the Basecamp and the 15,000 BTU unit published for the Sol Horizon. More capacity cools a trailer down faster after a day baking in the sun at Lake Powell, and the heat pump takes the chill off a fall morning. For hot water and heat, the Truma Combi Comfort Plus is a combined water heater and furnace that carries Gold Standard cold weather certification, where both rivals publish an on demand LP water heater. The certification is the part I would care about for Utah shoulder season camping.
EmberLink is the smart RV control system on board, so you manage the trailer from one place. Tire Linc PRO monitors tire pressure, which is the kind of thing you only appreciate once.
Living space, sleeping, and gear storage
Interior height in the Overland Series is 81 inches, compared to the 6 foot 6 inch interior height inTech publishes for the Sol Horizon. That extra headroom is immediately obvious when you stand up out of the dinette. Our in stock floorplans sleep 4, 6, or 8, while inTech publishes a sleeping capacity of 4 for the Sol Horizon, so there is room to bring the kids or another couple.
Inside, you get solid surface countertops in both the kitchen and the bathroom, the same material category inTech publishes for the Sol Horizon, plus soft close hardwood maple cabinet doors with hidden hinges and magnetic latches so nothing rattles open on a forest road. The bed is a residential queen at 60 by 80 inches, matching the Sol Horizon's queen, mounted as a Murphy bed over a jack knife sofa so the floor space works twice. Dual pane acrylic caravan windows with integrated thermal shades and screens handle both the sun and the temperature swing, where inTech publishes frameless windows with blackout roll shades.
Gear is the other half of the equation. The repositionable EmberTrack E-Track system turns the same space into bunks or cargo tie downs depending on the trip, so a hauling weekend and a family weekend use the same trailer.
Come see one at Motor Sportsland
We have six Ember Overland Series trailers on the ground right now, four at our Millcreek and Salt Lake City store and two in Spanish Fork. Specs are useful, but headroom, bed access, and how the storage actually swallows your gear are things you have to stand inside to judge. Stop by either lot and we will open one up for you.
Frequently asked questions
Which Ember Overland Series floorplan should I look at first?
It depends on how many people travel with you and what your tow vehicle can handle. Our in stock units run from 22.5 to 28.25 feet long, sleep 4, 6, or 8, and carry dry weights from 4,580 to 6,765 pounds with hitch weights from 484 to 945 pounds. Tell us what you tow with and how many bunks you need, and we will narrow it to one or two before you even walk the lot.
How much off grid capability do I actually get out of the box?
The MAX SOLAR package is standard, so every Overland Series arrives with 1,200 watts of rooftop solar, a 3,000 watt Victron inverter, and a LiFePO4 battery. Pair that with up to 81 gallons of fresh water and a 35 gallon black tank depending on floorplan, and you have the ingredients for extended stays away from hookups rather than a system you have to add later.
Is the Overland Series set up for cold weather camping in Utah?
It is built with that in mind. The Truma Combi Comfort Plus water heater and furnace carries Gold Standard cold weather certification, the Evermore composite floor has integrated Alumaduct heating, the dual pane acrylic windows include thermal shades, and the 18,000 BTU air conditioner includes a heat pump for cool mornings. Come by and we will show you where all of it lives in the trailer.
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