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Old 02-20-2015, 02:26 PM   #1
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Hello Everyone,

I have been lurking here for months and am amazed at the knowledge here...you were a major player in our decision making! DH and I are getting close to retirement and RV travel was always in the picture. After reading just about every post here and recently going to an RV show, our choice is clear...Airstream it is! We thought we wanted a 25FB Flying Cloud, but after reading the posts here decided it might be tough for our TV, despite what our Ford dealer told us. So, we have decided on the 23FB Flying Cloud, thinking it will be just fine for two people and a little dog who probably won't spend more than a month at a time on the road. Since we are new to RVing, we decided to purchase new so we will have the warranty in place.

So, my question is...now that we have made the decision is there any reason to purchase now? We are two years away from retirement and realistically would only be able to use if for a week or two a year while we are still working. But, if the model would be discontinued, prices would go up substantially, etc. etc. we could purchase. Would love some thoughts from the experts here!
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Old 02-20-2015, 02:41 PM   #2
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Greetings from the Florida Panhandle

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

Since you're not pushed to get into this, you might use some of the time to further refine your research. This will give you time to shop and consider. You may also want to look at some of the appointments of the models that you are looking at. Be sure to look at fresh and waste water capacities. Also look at refrigerator size. Make sure that these items are also sufficient for you planned use.

Remember that tow vehicles come and go, but Airtsreams are usually around for a long time.

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Old 02-20-2015, 04:14 PM   #3
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Yeah, what Moosetags said.

Seeing as you do have a little time, you might want to look at all the models that Airstream has to offer.

Find a dealer with trailers on the lot and spend some time in each one. Pretend you are living in it. How does the bed fit? Sit in the bathroom, pretend to take a shower and dry off with a make believe towel. I think you get the idea.

When we started looking we thought we would like a 23 ft AS. After a lot of "role playing" we settled on a 31' Classic.

I pull it with a heavy half ton Chevy, and it does just fine.

BTW, you will definitley know the one when you find it, and you won't have to ask if you should buy now or later.
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Old 02-20-2015, 04:19 PM   #4
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I would wait until you are ready to travel more than a couple of weeks before buying the Airstream. Price increases between now and then are likely to be in line with inflation (+ or -) and who knows, something may happen between now and your retirement date that might cause you to reconsider the whole thing leaving you with the need to sell a nearly new unit at a big loss. Also, Airstream makes incremental improvements from time to time and if you are like me, you will want the "latest and greatest." Ducted air (not available on 23 foot models, yet) is a good example of a recent improvement in Airstreams that we missed by buying a 2014 (but we were ready to travel then, so oh well .)

I would not base my selection of AS model based on an existing tow vehicle. If you want a 25 and your existing tow vehicle is not capable of pulling that size of trailer, get a bigger tow vehicle. The cost of swapping your current proposed tow vehicle for one capable of pulling a 25 (of the same vintage as your current vehicle) is probably a small % of the total purchase price of the Airstream.

While you are at it, consider a 27 foot model, many people find the bed arrangement and larger on-board storage to be worth the cost.

FWIW, we have a 27 and love it. We spend six to nine months a year in it.
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Old 02-20-2015, 04:22 PM   #5
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Take the time to reconsider a 25'. It will work much better in every way for your retirement travel and camping. We started with a smaller Airstream and soon realized our mistake. Many advantages in storage, wheel and brake size, overall size, but most importantly is living room space in the front (25RB) or back (25)FB of the Airstream. Not easy to be truly comfortable in a little dinette as your only seating choice over the long term.

As previously mentioned tow trucks come and go, Airstreams are expensive and should be more permanent. And you present truck may be good if properly set up for towing an Airstream. You would barely notice the difference towing a 23 or a 25 in actual experience, if at all.
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Old 02-20-2015, 04:30 PM   #6
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....if you "lurk" enough you'll find that many folks decide what they want, then do more research.....and VERY often the best advice is, yes, figure out which one you really like, then buy the next size larger. There is a lot of wisdom in this advice, I think. What may seem "cute and cozy" can become less so when the weather doesn't cooperate and you're stuck inside! When I bought my first Airstream I was set on a 25. Like you folks, I "lurked" on Air Forums before making the final decision....and when I did, I opted for the 28 instead. As I used it and enjoyed it on both short and long hauls I realized how smart this decision was (for me). And truer words were never spoken. You'll go through many tow vehicles before you go through many Airstreams!
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Old 02-21-2015, 11:14 AM   #7
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Thanks all for the great advice! To be honest, we only tried out larger models at the show because that's all the dealer had available. We based our decision solely on our F150 and the floor plan (in the brochure), so now I'm thinking we should probably make the trip to Colonial sometime this spring since it's not too far away and pretend we are living in it. I guess I am just excited to get going now that we have decided on an Airstream, but better to buy the right one then get caught up in the excitement and possibly make a mistake!
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Old 02-21-2015, 11:21 AM   #8
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I'm glad I bought when I did, 10 years ago. First I was glad to do it while I was still working. Made a big difference there compared to retirement income. Secondly I was able to get a slide out, which are no longer being produced. Finally you always have your health issues. Unfortunately you never know what life will be like in the future. New Classic models are $50K more than what list was for my slide out. Yep there will always be something new and better by holding out, but if the stars are aligned and you can afford it, buying now and enjoying it now has a lot of advantages. I have no regrets that I jumped in when I did.

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Old 02-21-2015, 11:29 AM   #9
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Dear DCMom - you DO have Safford RV, not right down the street, but just off of I-95 in Thornburg VA (just south of Fredericksburg). It's an hour drive from you, if that.

Unfortunately they rarely have more than 5-10 Airstreams in stock, but it's a far shorter drive to get an Airstream "fix" and they MIGHT have cleaned up their act a bit - though Colonial is impossible to beat from a fully stocked standpoint. (You might want to make a weekend trip going to Lakewood NJ - and then throw in a day at Atlantic City just for giggles.)

I'll definitely second the thought of taking your time and REALLY spending time in a model that suits YOU. There is no "right" or "wrong" Airstream - it's all what floats your boat.

I've been thinking that Colonial Beach would be a great spot for a spring rally for Airstreamers... HMM... Maybe we should just come to YOU.
(Bwah-ha-ha! As popular as Zombie shows are right now, it's time for you to learn about Aluminitis. It's a terrible thing and even shooting yourself in the head with a rivet gun isn't guaranteed to end your addiction.)

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Old 02-21-2015, 11:35 AM   #10
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If you are stuck on your TV, buy a used 23, to see how it fits your needs. When you retire you should have a better idea what it would take length wise to travel/full time.
I looked long and hard at the 25 EB when they first came out. I was full timing in a 40' toy house. I couldn't get past the "spice rack" for a pantry, and the small closet. I thought I could live with the crossways bed, but I didn't factor in the headroom available next to the pano. When the 27 was released, I jumped. Full timing it for just over a year now.
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Old 02-21-2015, 01:27 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Foiled Again View Post
Dear DCMom - you DO have Safford RV, not right down the street, but just off of I-95 in Thornburg VA (just south of Fredericksburg). It's an hour drive from you, if that.

Unfortunately they rarely have more than 5-10 Airstreams in stock, but it's a far shorter drive to get an Airstream "fix" and they MIGHT have cleaned up their act a bit - though Colonial is impossible to beat from a fully stocked standpoint. (You might want to make a weekend trip going to Lakewood NJ - and then throw in a day at Atlantic City just for giggles.)

I'll definitely second the thought of taking your time and REALLY spending time in a model that suits YOU. There is no "right" or "wrong" Airstream - it's all what floats your boat.

I've been thinking that Colonial Beach would be a great spot for a spring rally for Airstreamers... HMM... Maybe we should just come to YOU.
(Bwah-ha-ha! As popular as Zombie shows are right now, it's time for you to learn about Aluminitis. It's a terrible thing and even shooting yourself in the head with a rivet gun isn't guaranteed to end your addiction.)

Paula
Paula funny you should mention Safford RV....they were the dealer at the Richmond RV Show we attended and I had previously read your posts on them, which is why I am hesitant to actually purchase from them. They do have a 23 on the lot and if it ever stops snowing, we plan to take a trip and spend some time there. The sales manager was knowledgeable and didn't try to push us into one of the other big white boxes like all of the other dealers at the show were doing. And I do like the idea of having a dealer nearby to fix the issues (which I'm sure will come up) and I would guess if I purchased from them they may be a little more helpful!

Colonial Beach would be a great little town for a spring rally...several Tiki Bars on the water, live music in the summer, great fishing, although nothing like Virginia Beach it's a fun golf cart friendly town! Come on down and we'll take you for a boat ride
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Old 02-22-2015, 10:39 AM   #12
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Buying a used AS now would give you the benefit of smaller initial outlay. Your useage would be the learning curve, and, how that size works for you. You may find a larger size or different floor plan is what you will need to full time. We hashed back and forth on 25', 28' and 30' . We found a great, used 08 Classic 30' and are glad we didn't go for a smaller unit. If we had found a 28' used, we would have sold and traded for a new 30' for certain. Ask those who bought new, then traded up to a longer new what the hit was. Those who bought used, then traded up for longer and newer lost far less, and, depending on timing, may have gained....


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Old 02-22-2015, 10:53 AM   #13
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Just read your post and thread. Puzzled as to why you think and F150 is not capable of handling a 25' AS. My wife and I started our AS travels with that set up. It was a first year Ecoboost and did a fantastic job all within legal load limits. We also towed a 30' FC with the same truck and decided it could do it but not for me, so we switched to a F250 Diesel and now have an F350 Diesel, for a 25' you do not need diesel in my opinion and unless you have a "light" under powered F150 it should do fine.

As others have posted you can always dump the F150, they are in pretty high demand as used vehicles and go for the F250 and then you could tow any AS. We like the 30' as we travel with our Lab puppy 60 pounds worth and often a foster Lab as well.

We bought our long before we retired so we could take great two week vacations and some long weekends. Don't regret the decision at all. Only regret was trading our 30' and F250 for a "dreamed" about MoHo, which is pretty obvious we did not like as we now have a 2015 30' FC and an F350 Diesel.

Good luck, our thought process is do it as soon as you can, hate to be morbid, but no one knows what tomorrow brings.

Best of luck, welcome.

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Old 02-23-2015, 09:30 AM   #14
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Such great advice from everyone...thanks so much!

One of the reasons we are thinking of taking the plunge sooner rather than later is we would have some time to get the kinks worked out and figure out what the heck we are doing before taking off on a month long journey across the country. We could always do some long weekends and a couple of week long vacations and as paiceman said...you really don't know what tomorrow will bring!

Regarding our tow vehicle...we are the kind of people who keep our vehicles until they wear out, so I don't think trading it in will be an option for us. Had we found this forum before purchasing we may have done things a little differently but hindsight is always 20/20.

We truly love the 25FC with the rear twin beds (and we have been in this one!). The reason we changed our minds is that the stated GVWR for that model is 7300 and the sticker on our F150 shows the GVWR as being 7200. The Ford brochure states that depending on the options we should be fine with 9400 to 9700 lbs so I'm not sure where the disconnect is. Maybe I'm missing something?
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Old 02-23-2015, 09:58 AM   #15
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Disconnect is usually in the suspension and wheels/tires. If you don't have a towing option on your F150 you probably have D rated tires. Changing to E rated will change the load capacity of your truck, but not the door sticker. Depending on motor you have and I am guessing by the tow rating its a V8 you are ok with towing the trailer performance wise. The v6 Eco can tow up to 11,500 pounds with a trailer tow package.

Again check your drivers side door sticker on the truck it is what your individual truck is legally capable of towing or carrying.

Good luck,

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Old 02-23-2015, 06:19 PM   #16
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Forgot to mention, our TV is a Ford F-150 Ecoboost, 10800 rating. We are under that by a good margin, and, the truck handles our rig with ease. A Hensley or similar hitch will eliminate sway when towing, and give excellent weight distribution to the tow vehicle. Your truck is a little light, but, if you don ' t want to trade, consider some aftermarket modifications. Springs, tires, oil and transmission coolers, will enable your truck to better handle the load you envision.

Keep in mind though, the closer you get to the manufacturers rating, the quicker you wear the truck out. So, even though you may think keeping the truck is less expensive, your maintenance and repairs will be more than the cost of a trade in while the current truck is in newer, better, less worn condition.



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Old 02-23-2015, 07:23 PM   #17
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Let us know you tow vehicle and engine. Look at the yellow tire and load label on the drivers door and let us know the allowable load.

If you have an F150 with Ecoboost reconsider the 25. Wait until the 2016s start showing up on the lots and the 2015s start to closeuot. No reason to wait much longer as Airstreams keep getting more expensive. I'd be less likely to buy one after I retire worrying about living on a fixed income. You can still use it on weekends and vacations until you retire. As doesn't change its floorplans often.

Your GVWR of 7300lbs means the maximum weight your vehicle should be limited to including curb weight plus all the stuff you load. Your payload may only be about 1400lbs but many of us pull 25s with similar payloads and our trucks don't fail us.
Running a few hundred pounds over wont hurt the truck.

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Old 02-24-2015, 08:41 AM   #18
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This is all very confusing to me! I have read elsewhere on the forum that people do use their F150 at very close to the maximum tow rating without any issues. We are probably being far too cautious since this is both our first truck and first trailer...newbies at it all!

KJRitchie I like your idea of getting our AS at the end of the 2015 model year, because you're right...they aren't getting any cheaper and we will be transitioning to retirement fixed income.

We have read a lot about the Hensley/Propride hitches and are on board with getting one...seems a no-brainer.

The sticker on our door reads Front GAWR 3750, Rear GAWR 3850, GVWR 7200. The payload (listed in the brochure not on the door - nothing else on the door regarding towing) is 1660. We have a 2014 F150 Super Cab 4 x 4 with a 3.5L V6 EcoBoost. We did get the towing package (trailer brake and hitch), but I don't think it's the heavy duty towing package.

I definitely trust you guys who have gone through this in real life more than our Ford dealer....who told us we "should be fine"in the 9400 to 9700 range for towing.
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Old 02-24-2015, 08:45 AM   #19
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Originally Posted by DCMom View Post
This is all very confusing to me! I have read elsewhere on the forum that people do use their F150 at very close to the maximum tow rating without any issues. We are probably being far too cautious since this is both our first truck and first trailer...newbies at it all!

KJRitchie I like your idea of getting our AS at the end of the 2015 model year, because you're right...they aren't getting any cheaper and we will be transitioning to retirement fixed income.

We have read a lot about the Hensley/Propride hitches and are on board with getting one...seems a no-brainer.

The sticker on our door reads Front GAWR 3750, Rear GAWR 3850, GVWR 7200. The payload (listed in the brochure not on the door - nothing else on the door regarding towing) is 1660. We have a 2014 F150 Super Cab 4 x 4 with a 3.5L V6 EcoBoost. We did get the towing package (trailer brake and hitch), but I don't think it's the heavy duty towing package.

I definitely trust you guys who have gone through this in real life more than our Ford dealer....who told us we "should be fine"in the 9400 to 9700 range for towing.
I'm pulling a 25 ft EB with the 2013 version of the same thing. You might get wimpy going through the high passes of the Rockies, but you're fine for a 25 or even a 27.

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Old 02-24-2015, 10:18 AM   #20
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Realize the Hensley and Propride are heavy hitches compared to Equalizer, Reese, Blue OX etc and expensive but most who own them, love them. I'm still using an Equalizter with 1000lb bars on my heavy 2008 Classic 25fb.

If you wouldn't mind posting the VIN we can look at your window sticker on the Ford site to see exactly what you have.

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