25FB vs. 27FB death match

[CrawfordGene]

But is it worth the extra money for a 27'?

Gene

[Timofeevich]

I have a similar dilemma choosing between 25FB vs 27FB. My major concern is if they are legal in Europe and can be registered in the UK. If not, I would go for 27FB.

The UK legislation says that trailers and caravans towed by vehicles with a Maximum Authorised Mass (MAM, known as maximum permissible weight or gross vehicle weight) of 3.5 tonnes [7700lbs] or less are limited to a maximum body length of 7m [22' 11.6''] excluding the coupling and drawbar and a maximum width of 2.55m [8' 4.39''], unless it has an Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) certificate. A vehicle with an IVA can have a maximum width of 2.6 metres [8' 6.36''].

My questions are following :

1. Does anyone know the official length of both 25FB and 27FB EXCLUDING the coupling and drawbar, but INCLUDING the rear bumper ? (The official drawings from Airstream with dimentions of both 25FB and 27FB would help a lot and would be highly appreciated).

2. Which of 25FB built 2005 onwards (except Classic, due heavier weight) are available in Twin Beds configuration, i.e. Safari, Flying Cloud, International, Ocean Breeze, Serenity, Signature) ?

Many thanks to all of you who know the answers and give their valuable input to clarify this matter !

[Jim Pona]

Hello R,

My wife and I have a 2007 Safari SS SE and love its size for towing. I pull it with an '07 F150 and a fairly big cargo load in the bed (tandem recumbent bike with paraphernalia, heavy tools, etc. When I read that you are trying to figure out what can easily be stored on your property I decided to share our setup and constraints: We live on a narrow residential street with a 10' wide driveway and little clearance on either side. Our rig has to be backed all the way down to the rear yard, so it is a tight fit. I took an aerial photo of our house/driveway with a crude scale overlaid on it to our dealer for a serious discussion before buying our Airstream. We were told that it would be no problem getting the 25 SS in. And, after two full seasons during which we made about ten trips, we have essentially had no big problems backing it in. I'm not saying I can get it back there without going backward and forward several times; but I have not been disappointed in the operation and it typically takes 15-30 minutes to get it into its nest. I don't know if a 27 footer would fit. Keep in mind that although the 27's axle may or may not be farther from the tow vehicle, there will almost certainly be more overhang at the rear and that could hamper your manouverability during backing. Hope this helps, and good luck with your decision.

[CDONA]

Question 2,
Current brochure indicates, 25 FB Flying Cloud has the only optional twins.
Glad I checked first, I thought I knew all the differences of this raging 25/27 controversy
I going to pop for the EB Extended, a 27 FB, no twin option.