Is bigger better?

[Piggy Bank]

Also be sure to consider the twin bed layout.

Beds are longer in length than the queen.

Twin bedroom offers a nice aisle for a bit of room and privacy when getting dressed.

[NellBell]

Thank you to everyone for their advice! My DH and I pulled the trigger this afternoon and purchased a 2019 FC 25FB! He totally agreed that the 16' Bambi wouldn't work for our family and he liked the bigger fridge and layout of the 25' over the 23' FC. We were lucky and got a several-months past RV show price, which we might have received if we paid cash (which we wanted to do originally if we bought a used unit). But the price was too good to pass up and when we sat and hemmed and hawed about what to do, they came in and gave us our trailer hitch on top of it!

Now we get to go pick out a truck to tow it!🥴

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by NellBell

Thank you to everyone for their advice! My DH and I pulled the trigger this afternoon and purchased a 2019 FC 25FB! He totally agreed that the 16' Bambi wouldn't work for our family and he liked the bigger fridge and layout of the 25' over the 23' FC. We were lucky and got a several-months past RV show price, which we might have received if we paid cash (which we wanted to do originally if we bought a used unit). But the price was too good to pass up and when we sat and hemmed and hawed about what to do, they came in and gave us our trailer hitch on top of it!

Now we get to go pick out a truck to tow it!🥴

Good choice... you would be surprised at how many Streamers buy their cart to match the horse.

Sweet Streams...

Bob
🇺🇸

[dbj216]

Very generally I feel bigger is better with the tow vehicle. You wouldn't want to tow your new trailer with a Ford Escape. So select a vehicle that matches well or better to your Flying Cloud and all the weight you need to travel well.

David

[A W Warn]

Originally Posted by NellBell

Thank you to everyone for their advice! My DH and I pulled the trigger this afternoon and purchased a 2019 FC 25FB! He totally agreed that the 16' Bambi wouldn't work for our family and he liked the bigger fridge and layout of the 25' over the 23' FC. We were lucky and got a several-months past RV show price, which we might have received if we paid cash (which we wanted to do originally if we bought a used unit). But the price was too good to pass up and when we sat and hemmed and hawed about what to do, they came in and gave us our trailer hitch on top of it!

Now we get to go pick out a truck to tow it!��

Congratulations!!!
You are going to LOVE that 25' trailer!

Re the truck choice:
A minimum of 4 seats for your family, so a crew cab?
With the weight of your crew (of 4+ visitors?) & camping equipment in the bed & a bed cover or topper & tongue weight of a 25' & weight of the hitch, I doubt you will find a 1/2 ton pickup (or SUV) with enough payload capacity.
Happy hunting!

[NellBell]

Hmm, good point Alan! I just posted a question in the "tow forum" about TV and the 11K lbs the dealer recommended. I didn't take into account that I would eventually like a bed cover! I did take into account the four of us (maybe a "guest" traveling with. This truck will eventually become what my 15 year-old son drives next year when he gets his license, so we looking for something used but not so beat up I don't feel safe behind the wheel towing (or him when the time comes)!

[Flying Pig]

I can not imagine two teen boys in a 16’ er. If it rains you gotta put them somewhere. Husband and I bought a 19’er and plan on putting grands on dinette bed when/if needed. That would be my minimum with teen boys as the dinette will hold four to eat/play cards in the rain. They will prefer the tent to sleep! Some hate the dinette, we love it, use to paint, read, write etc. renting is a good idea to see what you and yours like best. As I recall male teen shoes can empty a small space with smell alone - never mind space.

[jwpaquette]

My response to your question:

It depends
It depends
It depends

There are so many variables that folks above have referenced plus more where those came from. My advice - try before you buy. Trading up a RV costs a lot of money so this requires you and your other to either acknowledge that the trial and error method of finding what best fits you will cost you a lot of cash (10's of thousands depending on the model you start with) or, you are going to live with you decision for several years until the sting of depreciation fades.

With this said - I have a the 30' bunk. Great unit but it does get tight when you add our teenagers to the mix. Add to the interior tightness a need to be really proactive in what we take with us to minimize the half day load in's and out's. Many of the other mfg's and their products have basement storage the alleviates the need to load and unload after each trip. Beyond these units not being AS, the downside to this is multifaceted. From the obvious fact that more storage equals more weight which can equal more tow vehicle capacity etc., to the nuances of going from all aluminum to something different - this list too goes on and on.

This is why I suggest try first - see what you all like, don't like, what works, doesn't work etc. and then when you are ready to go all in - you have a decreased likelihood of buyers regret.

Best wishes on your next adventure!

[hendy]

* Two people, short trips? 26' or less, more is unnecessary
* Longer journeys? Have to cart more stuff? Think larger.
*Tiny tow vehicle? Don't kill it, stay small.
* Lots of mountains? Don't kill your tow vehicle
* Double axle is pretty important in a trailer if it's larger.
* Don't tow with full water + grey/dark water tanks full. It's costly and not recommended
* Insurance is a factor. Stay as small as you can, and can afford
* Four people require lots of room. Don't kid yourself.


We've used Class Cs, and smaller campers. Don't scrimp on the safety of an adequately matched tow vehicle, correctly outfitted, and certainly maintained. Maintenance is part of the cost, and you'll have lots of grief if you don't maintain it. A larger vehicle and trailer are proportionately more expensive to maintain, and you MUST budget for it. Tires, oil, transmission and coolant changes all add up. Be realistic.


Food costs, as well. Bigger fridges, more plates, more washing, all of this ratchets up the costs and expands the need for size. Think about what you want to do, and the edges of what that means.

[drbrick]

My view is that the AS 16 is simply a "Hard TENT" We camped with a T@B for several year before we pick-up the Int'l 25 CCD and I can say without question, was the best move ever.

The 25 is just the right size for comfort and ease of towing and set-up. Where we go anything above 25 feet becomes a liability for finding a campsite to fit into. Since we boondock most of the time maneuverability is key.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by NellBell

Hmm, good point Alan! I just posted a question in the "tow forum" about TV and the 11K lbs the dealer recommended. I didn't take into account that I would eventually like a bed cover! I did take into account the four of us (maybe a "guest" traveling with. This truck will eventually become what my 15 year-old son drives next year when he gets his license, so we looking for something used but not so beat up I don't feel safe behind the wheel towing (or him when the time comes)!

Don't forget...it does NOT have to be a PU truck.

Bob
🇺🇸

[kellycox7]

First, and only, TT is a 28' Airstream Int'l. Serenity, bought new in 2017. First pulled it about 6 months with my fairly new GMC 1/2-ton crewcab pickup, but soon traded up to a GMC 3/4-ton diesel (2500 HD). My stress, as the primary driver, went way down once I had enough horses and suspension doing the work. The 1/2-ton was just struggling too much for me to relax. Very happy I went to the bigger truck (and diesel), although I know I've made some sacrifices in everyday run-around comfort. Best luck on your decisions. P.S. Our 28' is exactly what we wanted, and we don't need anything longer. It's just us two, so we don't need a giant trailer with a million beds. Suppose you might need more with lots of kiddo's.

[gypsydad]

Welcome! We started with a used 25' ClassC MH after tent camping for years. We had 4 kids, which sometimes turned into 6....the Tent was fine but a pain to set up/tear down and if it rained...terrible. The Class C was fine but had it's share of issues with fridge, generator, transmission, AC, etc...got a large used pop up and that was pretty nice...pulled with a large Van which worked out well for a year. As the kids got older and moved into College, we got our first AS 25'; a 2006 Safari for just the 2 of us, mostly. The TV, a 2009 new Tahoe was not quite up to the job pulling the 25' Safari, so got talked into getting a new Tahoe by my friend who owned the dealership; once again, the "newer" engine was still underpowered, so moved to an F150 Echoboost 4x4; the echoboost was excellent in power and provided the extra storage capability for kayaks, bbq, generator, etc. Loved the 2006 25' Safari, but decided we wanted to downsize and got a Casita 17' for couple years...found ourselves not camping as much, so we got another used 2008 25' Safari...loved the 25' so much after that small Casita, we decided to get a new 2014 25' FC Twin. Continued with the F150 Echoboost. as primary TV. this combination worked great for us. We found we hated the lounge area in the new 25' and 27' models for watching TV or visiting with 3 or 4 people. We did however, love the twin for both outside storage and room inside offered only with the twin models. We decided we wanted a different floor plan after couple years with the 25'; I loved the U shape seating in the new 26'; however, the wife did not like the 26' hallway with fridge door and bathroom door, so after many hours at the AS dealer ships, we decided on a new 2017 28' Twin FC...this required a new, bigger TV...so we got the F250 6.7L diesel 4x4 King Ranch model. I agree with Kellycox7 above about getting the 3/4T TV if you go with a 27' or larger AS...

It will be 2 years now in June...we have put 25K miles on the AS and 56K miles on the F250....love the size and functionality of the 28' FC Twin...only thing I would change is the L-lounge cushions could be more dense foam...looking into that. Nice to have separate dinning area and lounge area, however. We drool over the 30' Classic couch also.

I think overall, the 25' twin model, is a great size if you don't want to go bigger...25' is easy to tow, park, roomy inside for 2-4, and resale is great also. What ever you decide on the tow vehicle, make sure you check the payload carrying capacity so you can carry along your extra gear without exceeding the vehicle's limits;.many threads here where people overlook that important part of the equation…. Good luck!

[HHPJ]

25FC, technically, the 25 is 25’11 inches. Perfect for getting into State Parks with size restrictions...

[Overstreet]

A tent.
A pop up trailer.
A pop up truck camper.
A 27 ft travel trailer.
A 30 ft airstream.

Always had a truck since 1980.

[rastapoodle]

We had 2 pop-ups before we looked and looked for a trailer or motorhome. Husband, now a retired mechanic, said unless we were driving a MH a lot, we needed a trailer (no engine to sit). I tried to find something other than an Airstream to love, but there was nothing that came close. This was about 2007-8, going to all the RV shows, dealers, etc. We never saw any Airstreams but I've wanted one since the '60s.

We stopped at a dealer in Columbus on our way to visit friends in Dayton and that was our 1st time inside any Airstreams.

The one we bought was found on eBay, closer to us. We went to see it but did not bid on it. The eBay auction never got a bid, so we made the deal after the auction was closed.

It's a 2004 Classic 31 and had everything we wanted, walk around bed (you'll thank me later) no dinette (more floor space for our 3 standard poodles), more storage than you can fill. The floor plan was the most important thing to us. There is really a great amount of space even w/no slides and it has two fold down tables, so we can spread out, eat indoors if the weather is not great. One Airstream owner came in and said we have a 'ballroom' in ours.

We have since had a tremendous amount of work done, structural and cosmetic, to make it our own. All in, we've got about $65,000 in it. We're in our early 60's and expect to have this one the rest of our lives. We also have a big-ass Chevy Duramax diesel to pull it, but it's very easy to pull, backs easily. I know a lot of people say that the sweet spot in Airstreams is 25'-27'. We've never run into any problems w/finding camping, parking it, etc.

Buy the biggest you can find/afford/pull. Although we were still working and the economy had tanked, it was the best purchase we ever made.

Go big!

[butercup]

That was a great synopsis Pat. We bought our 22’ Sport last year and realized that I will need a future hip replacement if I have to keep crawling over my husband in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. We love our Sport but sadly, have outgrown it. At the time we had an SUV and it was all we could pull weight-wise. Bought a Tundra thinking a used Pendleton might become available. Haven’t had any luck so we took the plunge and ordered a 30’ Signature as they are being phased out and I like the dark decor. I’m having nightmares of the Long, Long Trailer but we will get used to it. I love to cook so the added storage and counter space will be welcome as well as the couch/lounge plus dinette.
The Sport is fine, but if someone is working remotely at the dinette and it’s pouring rain outside, the other person is relegated to the bed. The 22’ is a nice layout though but having the additional width is important if you want to move around the cabin. It certainly got us out on the weekends and made us want to do this full time soon. Good luck and have fun with whatever you buy!

[LiamG]

We have a 34' Excella that is our first and only Airstream (and there probably won't be another until the kids move out).

We tow with a Ford Flex. Since airstreams are SO aerodynamic, you can definitely tow even the large ones with a powerful V6 if the hitch receiver is put on by someone who knows what he's doing and reinforced with some welding to the frame.

The Flex is also a great tow vehicle due to its low height and overhang and long wheel base (very stable). We got our hitch receiver put on at Can Am RV in London Ontario. They have info on their site about towing comfortably with a V6.

[Jimroll]

Also consider where you might be camping. In some National Parks you might find a larger AS to be too long for some campgrounds, limiting your options.

[rapz]

I have a 25' and think it's just fine. We've never had twin beds, but in the AS it actually gives you a lot more walking room, esp in the bedroom area. Feels bigger than my 30' AS which had a Queen bed, took up too much space. Also tow it with my 2015 Ford F150 with the ecoboost V6 without any problems.