hello everyone!

[Arkansaskids]

Just want to introduce ourselves.We are from the great state of Arkansas and soon-to-be-retired at the young age of 60. Now that our 401k Is available, an Airstream is in our future.
We still have 2 girls, 19, and 14, living at home so a really small trailer is out of the question.
We don't like the the split lav of the 27-28', don't want twin beds either. We do like the 30' FB but not the rear bunk beds.
We Will not be full-timers Or living out of it But it will spend extensive amount of time on the road.
Our question is, What Flying Cloud model would You all recommend for us? We might want to add that we would like to stay at National Parks so we're not sure if a 30 foot trailer would be too long

[moosetags]

Welcome to the Forums. We're glad to have you with us.

We started Airstreaming in our late 50's. We have had two Flying Cloud 25FB's, a 2005 and a 2015. We have logged almost 1,800 nights of Airstream camping in the last eleven years.

Brian

[Cinmeredith]

Hello from another newbie! We are retiring in about 2 years but decided we wanted a small trailer for now to go on weekend and several week long trips. We got a 23 FC FB, which was the largest we could comfortably tow with my Jeep Grand Cherokee diesel. We bought that vehicle last year when we were still camping in a SylvanGo Tent camper with no plans to buy an AS. Anyway, we love our little haven/sanctuary.
We also love the 26U floor plan. If and when we trade up, we are strongly considering it. Things we love: Huge Dinette/lounge area, one large bathroom (not split), tons of windows everywhere, open feeling. Just seems to have a lot of good, usable space and good sleeping area for your kids if they join you!

Check it out!

[Piggy Bank]

You have a lot of things to consider with your purchase.
I think based on what you have said, that these areas are what you need to evaluate to make the best selection.

Number of Adults unit needs to support.

Room to really sleep 4 adults in MY opinion rules out anything less than a 25 foot model. (We have a 22 sport and I can attest from actual use that it cannot sleep 4 adults.)

Second thing to consider is storage space and bathing capacity for number of adults you will have along. Water capacity, food storage capacity, gear capacity needs to be considered.

Next to consider is how "versatile" do the sleeping arrangements need to be? This may be a reason to consider twins vs queen in the main sleeping area.

Based on your first post, I would suggest the 25 FB twin, the 26 U twin, and possibly the 23 D if you truly feel that you would be happy with the narrow 48 inch wide main bed (I would not)

[dbj216]

Hi Arkansas as well as the "kids". Welcome to Air Forums. Congratulations on your upcoming retirement. My folks retired in Eureka Springs and loved it. Best 15 years of their lives.

Considering there are four of you, you are not out of line considering the 30 footer. There isn't an Airstream bathroom that would satisfy two teenage daughters. Traveling is a minimalists activity, and you won't likely have everything you have at home. Your daughters will be deprived! For example, shower a week is adequate. And the girls are going to have to make up a bed at night. We did so when traveling with our teenage sons, one son on the couch, and one son on the dinette. Our idea was a pillow and sleeping bag. We didn't mess with sheets and blankets. An Airstream is so much more comfortable than a tent, but it still isn't like being home.

A thirty footer will be too long for most National Park campgrounds. Some parks restrict to 25' max. We "base" outside of the parks and take day trips to park attractions, like hiking trails. We look at the available campgrounds in the parks and wonder what the big advantage is. Sometimes you need a reservation a year in advance. Often the parks are so crowded you can't find a place to park at the attractions.

Visit your dealer, study Airstream.com, study other dealer videos, and imagine what floor plan will work for your family. U dinettes are great for meals and games and make into big beds. But you might be considering separate beds for the girls, thus the couch and separate dinette is valuable. The four of us traveled in the big 34' Limited and enjoyed it, one son on the couch and the other on the dinette. That same trailer is still in the family and our sons are middle aged now. Time flies.

David

[Piggy Bank]

Another possible idea would be to consider the 23 front bed model.
It has a nice all-in-one rear bathroom (with an operable window) and nice front queen bed. Possible to bring a tent along for the daughters if both come along. Or you could probably get 3 to a bed in the queen (unlike the 54 wide in the 22 sport which did not work for us with 3 in it--our daughters use a tent if both come along).

The 23 FB is similar in layout to the 22 sport that we have, but with a much better water capacity, and still is a great size for National Parks.

I agree with the poster above about having the daughters use sleeping bags.

You are probably going to need to choose between the center bath you don't care for in the 25-26-27-28, or the unit size that will fit in the National Parks best (23-25), or optimal space for 4 and lots of stuff. Of course the larger unit,the larger tow vehicle as well. With 4 people and gear your are already have a lot of payload just within the vehicle.