The best Airstream floor plan?

[Gene]

Sleeping arrangements are a big deal. I haven't sleep in a single bed since I was a kid and in my freshman year in college when I had to live in the dorms. I can't ever remember sleeping in a twin bed except one night on the Alaska state ferry. A double bed feels small after having king beds for the last 40 years. If you really want floor space, hanging a couple of hammocks and taking out the twins would be the ultimate solution other than sleeping on the floor. When we tent camped, we had two sleeping bags that went together. Everyone has different priorities.

Gene

[Aage]

Originally Posted by moosetags

When all is said and done, we like the 25FB with the queen bed.

We say this after having spent almost 500 nights in our Lucy, and having pulled her over 50,000 miles in three years.

We have found that we are very comfortable in this floor plan. If we were to replace Lucy today, we would get another 25FB with the queen bed.

Brian

Brian, did your other trailers have different sleeping layouts?

[hampstead38]

I figure I'll spend as much time sleeping in the Overlander as anything. Having a comfortable bed is absolutely critical.

[cwall]

28' International is my favourite layout. Full
Rear Queen bed, mid deck dinet, front lounge.
Gas oven also preferred. This layout is perfect
for 2-3 travelers.

[Piggy Bank]

As a current owner of a 22 sport, and as the person who sleeps next to the outside wall, I would add this consideration.

While you may gain aisle space with the twin arrangement, you are each forced to have an outside wall. With the queen arrangement neither sleeper is right up against an outside wall.

Those walls can be a bit cool to sleep next to during cool weather. If you tend to get cold at night, this may be a consideration.

[Tn Traveler]

I got tired of the so called walk around RV queen beds. No more bumping heads on cabinets and scooting around to the side. Our twin sized beds are longer and give 68" of combined sleeping space compared to the standard RV queen 60". We have heated mattress pads, so get into a warm bed on the coldest nights. We sleep well, and get up rested. There is plenty of room for moving around and dressing. In our 25' trailer we love them. YMMV.

[bigbeard]

I was just sure I wanted a shorter AS....around 16'-19'. While I was shopping for a short AS, I found a good deal on a '73 Tradewind 25'....I thought it was too long, but since the price was right I "settled" on it. Now after a year of traveling I'm so glad I didn't buy shorter or longer....the 25' size is perfect. I did a full renovation and made custom furniture for it to fit my needs....the huge front dinette folds down into a huge bed for my wife and myself(I'm 6'5)....and the rear goucho folds down into a full/double bed for our son(and room for another kid if we have one). Across from the rear goucho is the closet area with TONS of storage. We can comfortably camp with our family for several weeks with this setup. There's also enough head room for me to stand up in the center. The rear bath works well for us with lots of storage. Yes, the shower is tight for a big guy like me, but it has a built in seat, and it works great and beats using the camp facilities. It also has a shallow pan at the bottom that we use as a bathtub for our 1 year old son.

One benefit of buying old and cheap is that you can renovate and design your own floor plan if you're handy.

[FCStreamer]

My favorite floor plan is the one I got. 30' queen bed with recliners. The extra few feet from the 25/27 doesn't make it any more difficult to tow, but makes a world of a difference when your staying in it. For two people, it's nice and roomy. We are going to go see the 33 footer in the Tampa RV show, but I'm not feeling that floor plan. The front recliners is what does it for me. I'd love to have a bigger bathroom though, which is why we are going to go see the 33, but I'm thinking I'm going to stick with the 30' recliner. Can't believe Airstream discontinued that model.

[AWCHIEF]

Old thread but I will play.
My favorite current layout is the 26U with twins. Now make it with the new TB or Pendleton trim and I would be there.

[gypsydad]

After 3- 25' AS's, we have settled on the FB Twin model. We are typically gone on 3-6 night trips, and find this configuration great. Only miss the ducted air in the newer models. We think about the 27 from time to time, but when you get down to it, this unit is pretty nice for 2 people and perhaps a dog, and the occasional "company" of grand children or another couple. It tracks well, parks easy enough, and the twin models offer 3 or 4 compartments outside for storage not found on queen models. Only real complaint is we wish we had the U-shaped seating arrangement (like 25U) as an option with the 25 or 27. The long lounge included in most models is a waste.

[Fbastian]

We just bought our first trailer last fall - a 2017 International 23FB, so at least for us and for now, that's our choice. We don't have many miles on her yet, but the little time we have spent in her has been sublime. I appreciate the attributes of the 25FB or even 27FB, and if we had it to do over would have considered those more carefully, but in the end I really feel the 23 is just the right size for us - comfortably big enough for two, queen bed, easy to maneuver & tow, and small enough for virtually any park. And I prefer the large rear bath vs. the split middle location design.

Frank

[Dennisr]

Hi, 6 mo ago we bought a 2017 flying cloud 27 fb twin beds. We are trading it in for a 2017 classic 30 with twin beds.. We found out after a few trips we really need a sitting area from the dining. When my husband would be working at the table I really had no place to sit to watch tv except the bedroom.
The long couch really isn't that great for tv because you have to keep your head turned to watch it.
It also feels weird when people come over every one is sitting side by side. That's weird lol.
The classic has a couch with recliners. Plus for tv.
We like the twin beds because it gives us more room to walk around in. In the classic the head of the beds raise to watch tv or to stop husbands snoring. The classic seems to have more storage areas. We love that it has the electric awnings and stabilizers.
We really like the fact that it has the heating around the whole unit. In the flying cloud it was always a lot cooler or warmer in the front than the back.
I really like the galley, the sink is larger and has oven and confection microwave. I like the cook top better easier to clean than the flying cloud. The classic just seems larger on the inside. Which is nice when stuck in on rainy days. Good luck I Hope you find what suits your needs.

[dkottum]

It's too bad Airstream eliminated the front sofa models and the front recliner model they had for awhile, leaving only the Classic with a real sofa. None with recliners. Many of us have converted them but to would be good to have the option so we could avoid the additional conversion expense.

[gypsydad]

Originally Posted by Dennisr

Hi, 6 mo ago we bought a 2017 flying cloud 27 fb twin beds. We are trading it in for a 2017 classic 30 with twin beds.. We found out after a few trips we really need a sitting area from the dining. When my husband would be working at the table I really had no place to sit to watch tv except the bedroom.
The long couch really isn't that great for tv because you have to keep your head turned to watch it.
It also feels weird when people come over every one is sitting side by side. That's weird lol.
The classic has a couch with recliners. Plus for tv.
We like the twin beds because it gives us more room to walk around in. In the classic the head of the beds raise to watch tv or to stop husbands snoring. The classic seems to have more storage areas. We love that it has the electric awnings and stabilizers.
We really like the fact that it has the heating around the whole unit. In the flying cloud it was always a lot cooler or warmer in the front than the back.
I really like the galley, the sink is larger and has oven and confection microwave. I like the cook top better easier to clean than the flying cloud. The classic just seems larger on the inside. Which is nice when stuck in on rainy days. Good luck I Hope you find what suits your needs.

Your response is like a paid advertisement for the Classic 30; are you sure you don't work for Airstream? Of course the 30' has a lot more things with all that room...my wife would love to have a 30' also, but many of the places we camp, would not fit. Plus, towing that beast is not for the faint of heart on a daily basis with a PU TV. The new 30' is very nice, indeed, so glad your enjoying the new amenities... By the way, many of us agree with you on the lounge area in the 23'-thru 27'...hope they move to the U-shaped dinning as in the 26U.

[Silver.Sanctuary]

Originally Posted by BDandTTs

Our primary requirements:
*Adequate galley space, including a functional sink, a cooktop and oven, only enough storage space, and most importantly cabinet top areas for food preparation.
*Floor space to accomodate Tess, a place for her to lounge and not be underfoot -- but not on the couch.
*Dinette for 2.
*A couch or lounge area for reading, watching TV and conversations.
*Able to be towed by a V8 1/2 ton pickup and able to fit easily in National Parks.

Areas where we are willing to compromise:
-Bathroom space, although necessary, in the course of a day it is seldom used.
-The bed should be comfortable for sleeping, but multi-use furniture is actually desirable.

Bandit, our 22' CCD (with a few alterations, http://www.airforums.com/photos/show...i=20138&c=3290) fits the bill. As a bonus we have a very bright and airy interior with lots of style.

In newer Airstreams, a 20' Safari SE would have been our second choice, mainly because of the galley. Third place is taken by the 16' CCD Bambi -- so compact, so cute!

As someone mentioned before, it's a Ford and Chevy sort of thing, but amazingly there is a perfect AIRSTREAM for every one of us.

When I bought my (then) 10 year old Airstream, I really didn't have an appreciation for the many different floor plans. I got a good deal from the dealer who was taking the unit in on trade for a bigger one. He gave me the name of the owner, who I called, and found that his wife mandated that her grandkids would not sleep in the back of a Suburban. He said if it weren't for that, I wouldn't even have a chance to buy his used unit.

Bottom line is that it is a 22 foot 2004 Safari with the rear kitchen. It sounds like the Safari version of the CCD above (Bandit).

Although I like the thought of a 25 foot except for National Forest Campground fits, I am not willing to give up this rear kitchen. Maybe they will bring it back in a size over 20 feet.

[Boxite]

We didn't buy a travel trailer to sit around in. We didn't buy it to watch television, although a television which faces away from a sitting area/dining area/sleeping area is useless.
We bought it to travel and sight-see, eat, sleep, bathe. We only occasionally find ourselves sitting/reading/watching tv.
That said, the floor plan of our 2008 22' Sport is perfect in our opinion. The entrance is rear-curbside. The bath to the left. Wardrobe and tv straight ahead. Galley across to the right. Lounge curbside right. Queen bed (converted dinette which we never use for eating) far forward. Television can be watched from lounge OR bed. The bath and it's humidity and smells are not immediately beside the galley or living areas.

The bathroom door doesn't hit the cook in the fanny. People can pass one another in the galley without having to lean over a dinette. The mouse-fur walls (except bare metal walls in bath) deaden sound, insulate, and don't condensate.

The only change I'd make is to relocate the stereo from over the bed (that permanently-converted dinette) to the tv/galley area. But we don't spend much time in the coach listening to stereo or watching tv because we travel to see nature and enjoy peace and quiet.

It only weighs 4K lbs and doesn't require state inspections or bulky WD hitches. It pulls easily and maneuvers smartly and fits inside small campsites and travels unimproved twisty roads due to size and single axle.

My 2 cents.... It's purr-fect for two people in love.

[gypsydad]

Silver.Sanctuary-
"Although I like the thought of a 25 foot except for National Forest Campground fits, I am not willing to give up this rear kitchen. Maybe they will bring it back in a size over 20 feet."[/QUOTE] Say what????

Guess I may be missing something here? We stay in National Forest Campgrounds and National Parks all over the place and have not had an issue finding spots to camp with our 25' AS's, over the past 10 years.
Where did you have problems finding a spot for a 25' in a National Forest?

[bhayden]

My understanding is that AS "rates" trailers length from ball to bumper whereas the more common method is "living" space. So length restrictions may be different for an AS vs other brands.

[xrvr]

Originally Posted by bhayden

My understanding is that AS "rates" trailers length from ball to bumper whereas the more common method is "living" space. So length restrictions may be different for an AS vs other brands.

Huh?

[bhayden]

Originally Posted by avionstream

Huh?

I was going back to the National Campground limit. An SOB claiming the same length might be locked out since they are often rated longer than an equivalent AS. That is to say a 24' AS might be called as an 27' SOB.

FWIW, I've also gotten a pass on casino campgrounds that didn't allow "old" trailers when I told them my 1974 was an AS... timeless :-)