Safari 25' FB questions - Page 2

tport40 · 09-21-2007, 05:18 AM

I have regretted the SE a couple of times during the heat of the summer. I'm also sorry that the skylight is now standard on the SE model. We ordered ours without it, but by the time they constructed ours, it had become standard. Even with the shade, you can still feel alot of heat coming through. One thing we didn't order was the wrap around windows for the front of the trailer which really makes a difference in keeping it cooler up front. That was a good decision.

On a positive note, over the years, there won't be fabric on the walls and ceiling to collect odors and get dirty.

Teresa

wheel interested · 09-21-2007, 08:56 AM

Teresa, we had a 25'SE FB before the Classic and traded it after a hot trip to Oregon. We also noticed that the cloth interior muffles noise as well as insulating from the heat and cold. As far as all the openings for windows and skylights they do let in heat and cold. We also opted for no front wrap and the bedroom temperature stays comfortable and more constant. I will be getting some bubblewrap insulation to put behind the curtains in extreme temperatures. We already use inserts in the vista views on a hot sunny day. That and the awnings help a lot.

**CanoeStream** · 09-21-2007, 09:20 AM

While shopping we walked through a suicide door 2005 25' FB with a skylight in June '05. The skylight shutter was pulled shut and I was still amazed at the amount of infrared hitting my face anytime I was nearby. That taught us not to order the skylight on ours. The living/working area of the FB line is plenty bright with the Vista Views and all the windows in back. These Airstreams just don't need a skylight IMO.

Is the skylight a feature? Maybe the factory thinks so. It sure simplifies the production to put it in all of them (I'm not up to date on that fact). If you try to get one without, you'd want your dealer to find if the factory will impose the $500 change order fee to leave it off. Less work -- maybe they wouldn't charge you. Avoiding the change order fee is your objective. I don't know if I'd get too crazy trying to recoup the cost of a not-installed skylight -- the wholesale price isn't enough to let it spoil the deal. You've got more leeway working a discount on the whole package with the dealer. In spite of this being the most popular model for Airstream right now, overall factory busy-ness isn't what it was in 2006!

Minnie's Mate · 09-21-2007, 09:54 AM

We have a 30' Safari...the original Front Bedroom! and we love it. Ours doesn't have the skylight. I was on the fence about getting one but had read so much about the heat gain. Instead of the skylight, we have a fantastic fan and find that with the tinted cover of the fantastic fan we get plenty of light but don't get the heat gain that we felt in the skylight models, plus, if you burn the biscuits, you can exhaust the smoke much quicker than the hood vent will. You might be able to substitute a fantastic fan for the skylight.

**CanoeStream** · 09-21-2007, 10:05 AM

An aft fantastic fan comes standard and it will do the job. Ditto on extra light coming in there. The skylight would only be 2-3 feet away from the fan. I don't know -- can they even be opened?

Minnie's Mate · 09-21-2007, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CanoeStream

An aft fantastic fan comes standard and it will do the job. Ditto on extra light coming in there. The skylight would only be 2-3 feet away from the fan. I don't know -- can they even be opened?

The kitchen fan in our unit opens (of course) but only vents outward due to its proximity to the bathroom vent. You don't want to draw sewer gases back into the trailer. The skylights can't be opened to my knowledge.

The light that comes in is through the tinted cover. I don't know that there is very much more that comes in when it is open than when it is closed, but there seems to be very little heat gain from it.

BarkerNW · 03-22-2008, 06:55 PM

New to the Airforum - was turned on to this by a friend who just bought an AS. Regarding bikes, I actually had a tow hitch welded to the back of my 25'FB - so it is connected to the frame - not just the bumper. I have a bike rack that fits into the hitch and it holds 4 bikes. So far, so good.

Silvertwinkie · 03-22-2008, 07:58 PM

Hi, I have a similar set up, except I don't have an FB unit.

I carry both a propane powered Yamaha 1000 generator when boondocking:

Yamaha Propane and Natural Gas Generators

Any carry 3-4 bikes on the roof of the burb with Yakima's King Cobra mounts:

Yakima

Though you can camp in an Airstream in the winter, make sure you're LP tanks are full. Airstreams do have insulation, but as any streamer that has a newer one can tell you, they are not exactly air tight, meaning your furnace will run regularly. If that is not an issue, then, sure, the heat from the furnace should keep the pipes from freezing, and the tanks are duct heated from the furnace.

Minnie's Mate · 03-24-2008, 08:34 AM

You might consider trying to fit the bike rack between the front of the Airstream and the propane tanks. Just make sure the rack can be removed easily to service your batteries. This would eliminate any added weight to the rear bumper issues. You might have to turn the bikes in opposite directions and remove the front tires so the handle-bars could be turned, but they might fit if it is just two bikes.