Basecamp, Sport 16, Sport 22, FC 19?

[PKI]

If I intended to tow with a smaller vehicle, the Sport 22 would get a great deal of consideration. It is narrower and therefore has less frontal area to push through all those miles of Airstream air.

It's a good idea to look at the 20, 22 and 23.

The 20 optimizes living space with minimum bathroom area. Also has good kitchen counter space. I think of it as a good small family coach.

The 22 gives you a nice bathroom, long bed and that narrow width for tight spaces. Nice for a couple.

The 23FB is dual axle and has a short queen bed, private bathroom, two closets, oven, microwave, and ducted AC in the new ones. Families look at the 23D bunk model. You give up the queen for more berths.

Your lifestyle choices will drive your decision. Be sure to look at the Oliver as well. It's not an AS, but a good choice for some.

Good luck with the investigation. Pat

[BambiCamp]

We ordered the Sport 16 (4 month wait) and it's been delivered to the dealer’s lot today! First requirement in our decision making was providing Amos (our dog) a safe, familiar and climate controlled dog house for the times we might occasionally leave him for shopping or what ever.
We have spent the past 40 years winter and summer in tents that you have to crawl around in. As far as a bathroom goes we have had to be creative and our kitchen is familiar to any backpacker. This is to say we are accustomed to camping small. The Sport 16 is not to be our home it is to be our vacation home. We REALLY liked the Base Camp especially the tent additions, but the price ... with no closet or TV and no dedicated bed made our choice easier. And now the roll-out problems Yikes! The Adirondacks is our backyard and the smaller trailers are suited to these NYS and DEC campgrounds. The Adirondacks enjoy lake effect snow and ran and getting off the wet ground has been a long time coming. If we get Cabin Fever in the Sport we have a “Red Dirt Cabin Tent” a 10x10 wall type tent that is storm proof, easy setup, light weight and can become our auxiliary room. Learned from this forum that lots of folks start small and quickly go big but hoping the Sport 16 will keep us out Rv parks- though if we lived west of the Mississippi we would rethink this choice. Updates to follow as we become accustomed to living big in Airstream’s smallest.

[Gallego]

Everyone is different and although you have already made your decision, I will tell our history in case it might be useful to someone in the future.

We are from Spain and we have camped for many years in a campervan (The famous VW California). Therefore as Europeans we are used to smaller sizes and as campervan users any Airstreams seems like the Taj Mahal.
We are a family of two adults, our son is 4 year old and daughter is 1 year old, living in Miami and camping mostly in South/Central Florida during weekends and long weekends. Cycling and Kayak are my prefered activities and wife likes the beach

After a long research we were decided to go for the 22 Sport, mainly because the decor was the most appealing to us (wife is a decorator and it is an important factor).At the dealer they showed us the 22 but also our current FC 19, and we decided to go with the 19 because of the following reasons:
-Ducted AC (at the time was not available in Sports). The Sport sounded like a Harrier jet taking off, while the FC is more like any Holliday Inn with window unit. We camp in Sofla, so AC is a deal maker.
-Wider Space. The "lobby" space created between the entrance door and the kitchen is wide enough for the kids to play in the floor and not blocking movement inside the trailer. This was super important to us because it rains a lot in the Sunshine State and sometimes we find ourselves trapped inside the trailer for couple of hours.
-Details. At the time we saw many little things to be upgraded in the FC, so the decoration was not so important.

We are very happy, I am 5 10 and over 200 pounds and I feel the rear bed comfortable with my wife, wile the kids love to share the front bed. Eventually one of them can sleep on a mat in the floor, since the space as mentioned before is wide.

There are things that we don't like. At my size it is impossible to sit on the toilet with the door closed, and we would have prefered a U shape table for lunch, but if I were to buy another one again, it would be a 19 International since we only regret having bought the FC decor.

Enjoy it, and spend time on Reserve America to make reservations on incredible places!!! Welcome to the family

[Len n Jeanne]

Originally Posted by lanceboyd

I'm trying to decide on a Sport 22FB or a Flying Cloud 20. I apologize with the answer is somewhere else on the forum as I couldn't find it; but does anyone have experience on whether the tow vehicle could be a Nissan Frontier or a Toyota Tacoma? I understand the specs but would be more comfortable if someone has or know someone who has successfully tolled with the smaller pickups.

There are a lot of debates here on whether you can tow more trailer than the specs recommend, with the right kind of hitch. We appreciate having sufficient power in the high country, however.

We were fine towing our 16' Bambi around the Rockies with a Tacoma-- and we live in the mountains. When we got the 19' Bambi, we thought the Tacoma was at the margins so got a Tundra-- which pulls over the big passes like a breeze.

We think "small is beautiful" but for anyone with some flexibility on the tow vehicle, we'd recommend a truck with a cap (canopy, topper) on the back. The living space inside both of the "little guys" was fine for us, but storage for a lot of camping gear would be a problem if you couldn't use your vehicle.

For the AS, in terms of "which one is best," it is really an individual matter, based on camping style. If you love to cook, the 20' model may be ideal. If you want to fit into old public campgrounds in the West designed decades ago for tents and small trailers (as we do,) 20' is a seriously reasonable limit.

We looked at the 22' Sport, but didn't care for the bathroom blocking the rear, as the view out your back window is often the best one. (Front view=your vehicle, side views may be neighbours with monster 5th wheels with slide-outs.) And seriously, at our last BLM campground in Utah, we fit into a great site because our AS was only 19' long.

If you get a Sport, you can get the stone guards, rear bumper, and/or metal propane tank cover added at the dealership.

We solved the narrow bed problem by folding down the dinette every night. Slightly inconvenient, but not a big problem'

We like the Flying Cloud's warm, bright-looking interior. Something to think about if you'll be indoors on a rainy day or shoulder season camping.

Hygiene can be an issue in the one-sink 16-footer. We solved it with baby wipes in the loo, and cleaning the sink out with Lysol wipes after tooth brushing. We also often washed dishes in a rectangular plastic tub.

[Len n Jeanne]

Originally Posted by BambiCamp

We ordered the Sport 16 (4 month wait) and it's been delivered to the dealer’s lot today! First requirement in our decision making was providing Amos (our dog) a safe, familiar and climate controlled dog house for the times we might occasionally leave him for shopping or what ever.
We have spent the past 40 years winter and summer in tents that you have to crawl around in. As far as a bathroom goes we have had to be creative and our kitchen is familiar to any backpacker. This is to say we are accustomed to camping small. The Sport 16 is not to be our home it is to be our vacation home. We REALLY liked the Base Camp especially the tent additions, but the price ... with no closet or TV and no dedicated bed made our choice easier. And now the roll-out problems Yikes! The Adirondacks is our backyard and the smaller trailers are suited to these NYS and DEC campgrounds. The Adirondacks enjoy lake effect snow and ran and getting off the wet ground has been a long time coming. If we get Cabin Fever in the Sport we have a “Red Dirt Cabin Tent” a 10x10 wall type tent that is storm proof, easy setup, light weight and can become our auxiliary room. Learned from this forum that lots of folks start small and quickly go big but hoping the Sport 16 will keep us out Rv parks- though if we lived west of the Mississippi we would rethink this choice. Updates to follow as we become accustomed to living big in Airstream’s smallest.

Way to go. After tent-camping for many years, the 16-Bambi felt like a palace. We would still have it if it hadn't been totaled in an accident.

You might think about whether you want stone guards or a rear bumper added at the dealership.

You'll probably get very creative with your use of space. There is a long-term thread here called "small space living" about how to maximize the storage space that you do have.

[lanceboyd]

Originally Posted by OTRA15

Quite welcome! Airforums.com is an incredible resource.



PS -- When you have a few days to read the 20-footer thread, you might enjoy our "fan club" --

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f542...rs-127845.html

The best model in the AS line-up until you get up to 25' IMO.

Wally: I appreciate your response. The link is no longer valid. Could you tell me what the best model was for the 20 footer group?

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Airstream Forums mobile app

[lanceboyd]

Originally Posted by Len n Jeanne

There are a lot of debates here on whether you can tow more trailer than the specs recommend, with the right kind of hitch. We appreciate having sufficient power in the high country, however.

We were fine towing our 16' Bambi around the Rockies with a Tacoma-- and we live in the mountains. When we got the 19' Bambi, we thought the Tacoma was at the margins so got a Tundra-- which pulls over the big passes like a breeze.

We think "small is beautiful" but for anyone with some flexibility on the tow vehicle, we'd recommend a truck with a cap (canopy, topper) on the back. The living space inside both of the "little guys" was fine for us, but storage for a lot of camping gear would be a problem if you couldn't use your vehicle.

For the AS, in terms of "which one is best," it is really an individual matter, based on camping style. If you love to cook, the 20' model may be ideal. If you want to fit into old public campgrounds in the West designed decades ago for tents and small trailers (as we do,) 20' is a seriously reasonable limit.

We looked at the 22' Sport, but didn't care for the bathroom blocking the rear, as the view out your back window is often the best one. (Front view=your vehicle, side views may be neighbours with monster 5th wheels with slide-outs.) And seriously, at our last BLM campground in Utah, we fit into a great site because our AS was only 19' long.

If you get a Sport, you can get the stone guards, rear bumper, and/or metal propane tank cover added at the dealership.

We solved the narrow bed problem by folding down the dinette every night. Slightly inconvenient, but not a big problem'

We like the Flying Cloud's warm, bright-looking interior. Something to think about if you'll be indoors on a rainy day or shoulder season camping.

Hygiene can be an issue in the one-sink 16-footer. We solved it with baby wipes in the loo, and cleaning the sink out with Lysol wipes after tooth brushing. We also often washed dishes in a rectangular plastic tub.

Wow, thank you so much for responding! You have given much to think about.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Airstream Forums mobile app

[OTRA15]

20-footer thread here:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f542...rs-127845.html

[lanceboyd]

Originally Posted by OTRA15

20-footer thread here:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f542...rs-127845.html

When I select the link, it states that the administrator has deleted the link. Thanks much as I appreciate your willingness to assist.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Airstream Forums mobile app

[OTRA15]

Both links work for me. Try the blue search box above and to the right, entering "20-footer thread" and see what happens.

PS -- It is a crazy long thread . . .