Full Review | 2019 Carado Axion | A Short, Affordable Lithium-Powered Class B Camper Van
Neil Balthaser Neil Balthaser
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 Published On Nov 15, 2018

One of the shortest and most affordable class B camper vans available here in North America is perfect for a single person.

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đź”´ More about this video

Carado is the entry level brand for the Erwin Hymer Group of North America and was created to allow those just starting out in the RV lifestyle a chance to get into van life at an affordable price. It's built on the Ram Promaster 1500 chassis which means this van is the shortest class b camper van available here in North America clocking in at just 17' 9"! That short length means the Axion drives like a car and easily fits in a standard parking space with feet to spare.
Like all Promasters the Axion is powered by a 3.6L V6 Pentastar gas engine with a 6 speed transmission that's capable of delivering up to 280hp and 260 lbs-ft of torque. This engine coupled with the Axion's small size and weight means you've got plenty of power and get-up-and-go. It's designed for a single person and other than the cab seatbelts there are no other seatbelts in the coach. The Axion competes with the Tofino by Pleasure-way - another entry-level camper van that's also built on the Promaster 1500 chassis and a few other 19 foot gas powered camper vans including: the Zion SRT, the Hymer Aktiv 1.0 and the Carado Banff. This is not a 4 season coach which means that its water lines and tanks are exposed to the elements and it will need to be winterized.
There's one layout option which features a large, rear, 3-piece wetbath - wetbath means that your toilet, sink and shower all share the same area; a galley along the passenger side and your lounge/bedroom opposite the galley along the driver's side. The galley comes equipped with everything you need including a compressor refrigerator, a 2 burner propane stove, a microwave, sink and plenty of storage. When the cab seats are swiveled around the lounge has seating for 5. There's an optional 24" LCD TV and when seated on the couch there's a flip up extension in the galley that can act at a workstation. There are also USB and AC power outlets in the lounge. You can sleep on the large bench seat as a single bed or you can easily extend it out into a double. A pedestal table can be setup in the lounge or between the two cab seat when swiveled around. You have only 1 interior décor option which is a faux walnut laminate for the cabinets and vinyl flooring in a wood pattern, the couch color on newer models is a cream faux leather.
The Axion is an entry-level coach and as such it doesn't come with a lot of bells and whistles but it does have some nice, standard features like: dimmable rope lighting, the Swedish made Alde heating system and in the cab Sirius Xm, Bluetooth and gps navigation. Some pricier components like a standard generator are missing however. Your lead acid batteries are charged from your engine alternator. But unlike some of its competitors you can opt for lithium batteries, solar and a second alternator that acts as an underhood generator for faster charging of your batteries. And that's the sum total of available upgrades. All together these upgrades come in around $10k. As of the date of release of this video, dealer advertised prices for fully equipped Axions that have every option I just listed are around $80k. So that means base models are less than $70k. Finally, the Axion comes with a 2 year warranty and 2 years of roadside assistance.

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