Visit our Popular Forums

65Streamer · 12-09-2015, 08:40 AM

Question: How many with front bed model ever really use the expanse of windows or do you see them as a privacy issue? If connected to TV or facing people walking by do the curtains and rock shield stay closed -especially with proximity to shower? If disconnected and boon docking I can see the FB as a good place to hang out but for most use I'd expect fewer windows up front would equal lower COST, slightly better insulation, increased privacy and lower potential for rock damage. Your thoughts?

switz · 12-09-2015, 10:41 AM

Out first Airstream was a 25FB. Getting things out from under the bed from the side of the trailer was a challenge for me with short arms. The cross frame bed was an annoyance for us.

We decided to get the wooden interior of the 27FB Classic with twin beds. The issues we had with the 25FB dinette space were the same for the 27FB as they are exactly the same size for about ten feet or so. We changed the order to the 31' Classic and we are "both" happy.

We went with the 23D for our small trailer as we thought the floor plan was better for our lifestyle and there is a nice view wrap around window in the front. Making the bed is a challenge, but we sleep well on it. The 23D floor plan allowed us to place all the solar system equipment under the street side sofa and dinette furniture without altering their appearance or loosing any storage space. The 23FB floor plan would have been problematic for the solar system installation, especially the wire runs of big battery cable and it had a heavier tongue weight.

KJRitchie · 12-09-2015, 10:56 AM

I have a 2008 Classic 25fb with pano bedroom windows. While I like the way the trailer looks from the outside, on the inside we never open the drapes and I never extend the rock cover. There isn't much space between the queen bed and front windows to mess with the pleated drapes and day night shades. We get up and dress and then for most of the time we aren't in the bedroom until time to go to bed so why mess with the drapes.

We want to convert our queen to twins. I'm thinking sleeping with our heads against the pano windows on the twins, we may feel more cold air from the windows on our heads.

Kelvin

dkottum · 12-09-2015, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 65Streamer

Question: How many with front bed model ever really use the expanse of windows or do you see them as a privacy issue? If connected to TV or facing people walking by do the curtains and rock shield stay closed -especially with proximity to shower? If disconnected and boon docking I can see the FB as a good place to hang out but for most use I'd expect fewer windows up front would equal lower COST, slightly better insulation, increased privacy and lower potential for rock damage. Your thoughts?

Your thoughts are near the mark. Privacy question in front bedroom while in campgrounds led us to the rear bed model, along with many practical considerations. Still, Airstreamers deal with both and are quite happy with what they have. You really can't go wrong either way.

There are some creative ideas for making up full, queen or twin beds where one side is near the wall. Like many things camping, you may have to do it a little differently than at home. A simple method is to pull it all up while you are in it, then get out and straighten and tuck.
Really a non-issue.

But we still like the pano windows front and rear. We enjoy going to bed and waking with all those windows at night in many camp settings. Some folks use these bedrooms as lounges during the day, a quiet place to kick back and read. And it brightens the interior during the day, that's one of the great things about Airstream (compared to the caverns within many other trailer and motorhome brands).

BoldAdventure · 12-09-2015, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KJRitchie

I have a 2008 Classic 25fb with pano bedroom windows. While I like the way the trailer looks from the outside, on the inside we never open the drapes and I never extend the rock cover. There isn't much space between the queen bed and front windows to mess with the pleated drapes and day night shades. We get up and dress and then for most of the time we aren't in the bedroom until time to go to bed so why mess with the drapes.

We want to convert our queen to twins. I'm thinking sleeping with our heads against the pano windows on the twins, we may feel more cold air from the windows on our heads.

Kelvin

We slept in that position at first too, but switched to sleeping with our heads against the bathroom/shower walls. The curve against the pano makes that section of the bed narrow and you'd think it wouldn't be a big deal but it is. Feel like I have more arm room at the other end now.

LilBigfoot · 12-09-2015, 11:28 AM

A bit of info. I was at our London dealer yesterday looking at the 26U. Tempting. Said I would prefer twin beds.....no problem.....in fact we have a 26U with twins coming in any day now.

".......and you can now order twin beds across the model range.....at no extra cost!"

65Streamer · 12-10-2015, 04:37 AM

Wow, wasn't even aware of that model. So focused on decision between 25 & 27. Thanks for the heads up. Might need to start a new thread to learn more about reason for choosing this over 27. The 26 U has a heavier base weight, is one foot shorter and would appear to have less seating up front unless they jockeyed the door back? Really like the twin option for the extra bed length.

bolerama · 12-10-2015, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LilBigfoot

A bit of info. I was at our London dealer yesterday looking at the 26U. Tempting. Said I would prefer twin beds.....no problem.....in fact we have a 26U with twins coming in any day now.

".......and you can now order twin beds across the model range.....at no extra cost!"

Now we're talking! I have to give them a call.
Lisa

LilBigfoot · 12-10-2015, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 65Streamer

Wow, wasn't even aware of that model. So focused on decision between 25 & 27. Thanks for the heads up. Might need to start a new thread to learn more about reason for choosing this over 27. The 26 U has a heavier base weight, is one foot shorter and would appear to have less seating up front unless they jockeyed the door back? Really like the twin option for the extra bed length.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f516...6u-139457.html

kb0zke · 12-11-2015, 06:15 PM

Our "learner" trailer was a Heartland mpg 181. That is a 19' trailer that has a bed clear across the front and a dinette that made into a single bed across the rear. Heartland made running changes as they tried to figure out what worked. Ours had a large window across the front and side windows in the bed area. None of the curtains really covered the windows very well, and since it was a small trailer it was very easy to look in from the outside. On the other end, the dinette area had only one side window and no rear window. Eventually Heartland figured out that the front window ought to be put in the rear.

As for which is better, I agree with those that suggest you look at your personal wants and needs. If you are boondocking most of the time you can usually orient your coach any way you want. If you are in a commercial park there probably won't be a view from any direction. If you are in a Federal/State/local campground you can usually pick the side of the road that will give you the best view.

If you leave the coach hitched to the truck it probably means that you are only staying the one night. The view probably isn't all that important that night. If you are staying longer, and you have a rear bedroom coach, you can always park the truck in an overflow area if it blocks the view too much. Unlike nearly every other RV, an Airstream is built close to the ground, so the height of the tow vehicle is more of an issue than with others.

65Streamer · 12-12-2015, 06:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LilBigfoot

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f516...6u-139457.html

Thanks LilBigFoot for the model heads up and the link. The photos help show how spacious it is versus the floor plan diagram. I'll have to see a 27fb & 26u side by side. Never thought about seating more than two at the table AND lounging with feet up, someone's getting the short seat by the door.

LilBigfoot · 12-13-2015, 11:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 65Streamer

Thanks LilBigFoot for the model heads up and the link. The photos help show how spacious it is versus the floor plan diagram. I'll have to see a 27fb & 26u side by side. Never thought about seating more than two at the table AND lounging with feet up, someone's getting the short seat by the door.

Well....The 26U with twin beds showed up at CanAm Rv at 1pm Sat. Got the call at 2pm and by 4pm was making a deposit on the AS.

We sat in the 27 fb queen bed and the 26U twin side by side. Yes, there's more length and storage in the 27. Shower though is separate from the bathroom in the 27. The queen bed is great if you're so inclined.....you can get twins now in all models.

Our decision to go with the 26U came down to our wants for the 2 of us. After camping for 10 years in a 17.5' Bigfoot, the space in a 26' is luxurious and there's more storage space than we'll ever need. You also gain the 2 extra spaces out side and a big rear storage spot when getting the twin.

The lounge in the 26U seems spacious...take out one table or even 2 and you could dance in there. Table posts and tops remove easily and are stored in a cupboard by the entrance door. Has a cutout space on the floor on the other side of the door where AS has given you a boot tray. We may travel with 2 cats and it would be a great spot for a litter box. The cushions in the lounge area are more bolstered and seem much more comfortable to sit on. Makes into a huge bed. The bathroom shower area is all together and seems overall larger than any of the other AS designs. Shower is a good size. This was a big want on our list. After towing a 17.5' Bigfoot, I only wanted a 25' trailer length, so 26' is perfect for me. Others told me twin beds really open up the bedroom and that is so true after comparing the 27 queen and 26 twin side by side. Much easier for an old guy to get his pants and shoes on.

So, come January we hope to head to Arizona, escaping the Ontario cold in our new 26U AS.

**Rocinante** · 12-13-2015, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 65Streamer

The 26 U has a heavier base weight, is one foot shorter [than the 27]...

Slightly paraphrased, in brackets. Just making sure you're aware. If you read the specs, you'll find that the 27FB is actually 28' 1" long. As a result, the 27FB is one inch longer than the 28RB, and 2' longer than the 26.

We did not realize this when we were shopping. We're happy with our decision to buy a 27FB, but we didn't get the "one foot shorter" we were expecting based on the model name.

switz · 12-14-2015, 08:35 AM

The Airstream model numbers in general seem to not exactly define the trailer length:

FC20 = 20' 10"
FC23D = 23'
FC23FB = 23' 9"
FC25 = 25' 11"
FC26U = 26' 11"
FC27FB = 28'
FC28 = 27' 11"
FC30 = 30' 11"
FC30Bunk = 30' 10"

One wonders where the extra 1" of storage is in the FC30 versus the FC30 Bunk or the FC27FB versus the FC28.

bolerama · 12-14-2015, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LilBigfoot

Well....The 26U with twin beds showed up at CanAm Rv at 1pm Sat. Got the call at 2pm and by 4pm was making a deposit on the AS.
. . .
So, come January we hope to head to Arizona, escaping the Ontario cold in our new 26U AS.

How exciting, LilBigfoot! You didn't even give them a chance to take pics and post them on their website -- so, now we are relying on you to take those pictures and post them here.

I'd like to see detailed pictures of the twin configuration, including the underbed storage.

Thanks so much for your comparison. I have heard that the lounge cushions are plusher than the other models.

Best wishes and enjoy your first outing in January!

Lisa