I love the layout. And specifically with the stainless inside and in the signature series with the darker wood. There's some difference in the counter in the bath room and im not sure if its between the 2008 and 2009 model or between the 25 or 27 but its more a slant edge that a jog. But anyway i know this is discussed in varying places as part of other threads but i'd love hear from owners of both. Why do you love the one you chose or wish you wouldve gotten the other? Im obviously trying to decide between the two. Heres my dilemma to start it off. The towing of the 25 is better with the Tundra i lan on buying. The 27 isnt out of the question but is pushing the limits and or limiting what else i bring along. Im on a single axle 19ft bambi now so thats a whole nuther thing im going to have to get used to. Anyway i dont want to get the 25 and spend the rest of my time going i wish i had that nearly 3 extra feet. Or i dont want to get the 27 and experience difficulty in storing it on my property, on manuvering it, on limited extras while hauling, etc etc. Im just not going to get a 3/4 ton. So really they bedroom is a big difference and storage. But thats from the outside looking in. Whats it like to you owners who've lived with it now? thanks a lot.
R
We have an 08 25FB and we love it. The only thing we would gain with the 27fb is extra storage in closet and pantry and a bit bigger dinette/lounge area. The extra 2 feet was not worth it for us. We love to camp in State Parks and often the limit is 25 feet so that ruled out the 27 for us. We love ours and have not regretted one bit not getting the 27.
One of the reasons we bought the 27 was the fore aft bed. The 25 had it side to side and meant the inside person had to do acrobats to get out.. For us we didn't need to look any further. We have had no problem with the 27 length reserving space anywhere yet including national and state parks.
Look at the specs. The 27 adds more storage in two areas as others have mentioned. For us, the 25 already has more storage than we could possibly use. On 2 occasions we have traveled for over 8 weeks. On the first, we had stuff in almost every storage space. On the second, we had only about 3/4 as much. The next time we will carry even less. We see no need to overload the trailer so having more place for stuff is just unnecessary.
The other two differences are the bed arrangement and the kitchen sink. We have fore and aft beds because we opted for the twin bed arrangement, which makes for a more spacious look and feel and easier access to overheads. The 25 has a double sink and the 27 has a single baptismal font circular sink. We much prefer the double and would not want the single.
Personal preferences. I'm sure you'll enjoy either one because it will be yours. Airstreams don't come with regrets.
For simplicity, we prefer to travel light and find that for the two of us the 25 has plenty of storage space for extended travel. The double-sided sink is handy for drying dishes on a small rack inside the sink on one side, leaving the other side free for use. The 27 is very nice but seems sooo much longer.
We have an '05 25FB named Lucy. We have spent 344 nights in Lucy, and we have pulled her over 40,000 miles all over the country since June of 2006. We absolutely love the FB floor plan. It works perfectly for us. Lucy has the queen bed, and I sleep on the front side. I don not find it at all difficult to ease out at the foot of the bed even though I just turned 60 and am carrying 25 more pounds than I would like to.
We also looked very hard at the 27FB when it came out about a year after we bought Lucy. After much consideration, we decided to stick with the 25. What attracted us to the 27 was the microwave cabinet, the wider wardrobe, and the bed layout. What we did not care for was the very attractive, but useless, round single sink. We had already camped enough to know that a single bowl sink rates right up there with a screen door in a submarine. We also did not really want to add two feet to our length because when pulling and parking, shorter is always better. A previous post mentioned a 3' difference between the 25 and the 27. Actually the difference is 2' 1". One foot goes to the pantry/wardrobe, and the other foot goes to the bedroom. Everything else is just about the same.
We tow Lucy with a 2500 Suburban. This combo is very comfortable for extensive travel. If we had two more feet of trailer, we would have another 500# of junk on board.
The 27 is really cool, but when the day is done, we prefer the 25. You should consider the amount of actual traveling that you plan to do with your Airstream. If you plan to pull extensively, smaller is better. If you plan to camp short distances from home, you can better get away with a marginal tow vehicle.
Brian
__________________ SuEllyn & Brian McCabe WBCCI #3628 -- AIR #14872 -- TAC #FL-7 2015 FC 25' FB (Lucy) with ProPride 2020 Silverado 2500 (Vivian) 2023 Rivian R1T (Opal)
I also appear diminutive excluding tongue and bumper.
I would say the major difference between the 25 and 27 is the orientation of side or center bed and outside access to storage. You would notice the hallway center portion of the AS being longer.
We used to have a 25' in the traditional front sofa rear twin configuration. I think that a 25' is the perfect balance of economy of space and storage. Parking hasn't been an issue, making a u turn will need more space.
The galley was especially appealing and the closet being larger a bonus. At the time we purchased the 27 there was not a 25' model available so we did not have to consider that choice.
If you want to stay with 1/2 ton truck take the 25' and give yourself that extra margin of power and shorter combined length and weight and expense.
We were in much the same situation regarding tow vehicles when we changed from an '07 20' Safari SE to an '08 25' Safari FB SE. I love my Dodge Hemi Quad Cab and really wanted to stay with it (not to mention the price difference in 25' vs 27'). I do have a good friend that tows his 27' Safari with a Cadillac Escalade.....gets good gas mileage and does not experience any problems.
We have traveled quite a bit since we traded for the 25' in June......including a two-week trip to VA and we just returned from a week in Key West. We love the 25 FB, and the only gripe that I had was the dinette seat near the entrance......the seat back is straight, which becomes uncomfortable after sitting for awhile. In addition, the huge cushion is a waste of space. Since there are only two of us, I removed the dinette table (attached a folding table to the wall using the same hardware) and replaced the entrance seating with a leather recliner......now the trailer is perfect for us!
You did not mention if you had children, or if the trailer would only be used by yourself and spouse. The 27' may offer a better arrangement if you have kids. The North-South bed arrangement may also be a bit better. But, the lobster sink was a real deal-breaker for us.
2012 25' FB Eddie Bauer
Vintage Kin Owner
Virginia Beach
, Virginia
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 7,801
I've HAD the round sink..
I sold my 22 CCD with the lobster bowl sink, and now have the 25 FB Safari. I got it before the 27 came out. I'm sticking with my 25, but if it gets hit by a tree it would be replaced with a 27.
I fulltime while still working so I need a work wardrobe as well as a camping one. I would love the extra closet space and the microwave drawer. Having had both types of sink, that I would prefer the single big bowl. Why?
you can wash a big skillet or platter in the big sink
draining dishes on the countertop isn't a problem just put a microfiber towel under the rack, or actually get out a towel and DRY your dishes and silver
there is less plumbing under the sink, which means there is more useable space for pots, pans and food.
A faucet with a pullout sprayer and a single handle hot/cold control also saves under counter space.
The lobster bowl is deeper than the double sinks, making splashing less of an issue.
more counter space - always a plus
An end dinette is always better than a side one, simply because you're not sitting on top of a wheel well, which means 4 adults can use the dinette.
Now I'm odd in several ways - I also preferred the wet bath in the 22. Simply put, one spends very little time in the bathroom, so why waste space on it? Also a wet bath is SO easy to clean... scrubbing bubbles and a squeegee do the trick, and having a sink full of hot soapy water makes a shower fast, comfortable and saves water while boondocking. (I did find that I had to do my makeup and dry my hair at the dinette though.)
Paula
__________________
Today is a gift, that's why they call it the present.
BTW - the inside is clearcoated aluminum just like the outside panels; not stainless. It isn't the warmest in cold weather camping but we bring good sleeping bags for that and have no complaints.
Funny post Carol. But a good point too. There are 3 different options with the bed arrangement. As a personal opinion we've never liked the lack of space with the sideways queen in any 25' -- regular Safari or FB. But check it out for yourself -- don't buy without seeing it. We also bought into the 25' FB early and like Moosetags I'm not going to go larger just for the bed.
Sideways queen, fore-and-aft queen (27' only) ... and twin beds are the 3rd choice -- which is how we equipped our Safari. It gives us very easy access to underbed storage, an extra overhead storage area (roadside), and 2 large outside-access storage compartments to add to the small curbside compartment. When the kids aren't around there is more space for sharing with the pullout couch.
Pantry? My experience hasn't shown that I need that. To avoid mice I never leave food in the Safari when I take it back to storage. I understand that it's just a regular compact microwave they install in the deeper pantry. We elected stovetop-only with a convection microwave underneath and love it. I think our Sharp convection is more medium size and wouldn't fit sideways in the pantry space.
It looks cool and we did pay the extra 1K for front pano windows. I'll agree with something Carol has said in the long past -- I've used the front panos for 3 seasons now and we honestly rarely open the curtains all the way to take advantage of them. So consider that too.
Camping with less planning has sometimes worked for us but we've got to be more careful with depth of campsites. ReserveAmerica or certain individual state park websites do a pretty good job helping us plan that way. It's easier to get an ample campsite the further out you plan. I don't think there is any campsite access difference between a 25' or 27'. There might be a few more choices for a 22' compared to 34' -- but they're both going to find some option for camping if flexible when planning at the last minute. I haven't found a 40' campsite that hasn't worked -- that's with 25'10" of Safari and 20' of truck. As moosetags says, two more feet isn't much.
We love the 25 FB, and the only gripe that I had was the dinette seat near the entrance......the seat back is straight, which becomes uncomfortable after sitting for awhile. In addition, the huge cushion is a waste of space. Since there are only two of us, I removed the dinette table (attached a folding table to the wall using the same hardware) and replaced the entrance seating with a leather recliner......now the trailer is perfect for us!]
Ron
Chief, these were our thoughts exactly after an extended trip. Could you please post pics of your leather recliner/table modification?
If you look at the Airstream spec sheets, there is not much difference in empty weight, max weight, or tongue weight. The 25 FB CCD actually has more tongue weight than the 27 FB CCD. I am not sure your TV will be able to tell the difference.
__________________ Hi Yo Silver, Away II? looking for our next AS
TAC IN-3
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Randjg1, I posted on some of this elsewhere to you, but this thread brings up some more thoughts. Besides the idea of a "death match" drew me to this thread. The image of two trailers crashing into each other in such a match is well worth a comment.
1. The "sofa" on both 25 and 27's is the same, equally uncomfortable and useful as a bench to places items—for us, travel books, coats, clothing, all those pillows the trailer comes with, or my wife's feet when she stretches out watching TV.
2. We, like Bob, got the panoramic front windows. They do look very cool. This was the only 25 FB SE on the lot anyway, but I wouldn't do it again. You either lose or gain heat depending on the season depending on how much window you have. We rarely open the curtains since what we are looking at is the truck. Yes, there are times we would be camped somewhere incredible where there's no one around and we could open the curtains all the time, but that doesn't happen too often. This is not a death match issue.
3. The pull out microwave is nice. Our solution was to buy a cheap small microwave and use it on the counter between the stove and the double sink—it just fits and best to measure before buying (we were lucky because we forgot to). The receptacle is right behind it. When we travel we place it on the floor on a sticky mat (except the time we forgot to and drove 100 miles—I expected to find it buried into the floor or in pieces, but it only moved an inch).
4. True exterior length of all trailers (minus tongue) is about 3 feet less than total length and that is different than advertised length. 25 is actually almost 26, 27 is almost 28, 28 is one inch shorter than 27. So when you come to a campground with a 25' limit, you can say a 25 is 25 or even 23, or a 27 is 25. The advertised lengths are a tradition it appears, but sure do confuse people.
5. We have been at campgrounds here in the West where backing anything more than a 25 would have been either impossible, difficult, or a bit more of a challenge. Even some pull thrus where space between trailers is very tight is a challenge with a 25. Old campgrounds and federal ones seem to have the smallest spaces. There's a thread somewhere alleging that western public campgrounds are smaller than elsewhere and some have 25' limits. Some public and private campgrounds have a variety of lengths available and the shorter the rig, the more chances of finding a space. Sometimes, when we don't want to unhitch, it's hard to fit the entire rig into a space; shorter gives more chance of not having to unhitch and then hitch in the morning.
6. The sink is an individual preference. So is whether you dry the dishes immediately. At first we used the pull up shelf next to the sink to air dry dishes but worried about knocking them over when walking by (given enough time, it was likely to happen), but then found the collapsible dish rack that fits into one sink and solved that. One sink can be used to wash and the dish rack side can be sued to rinse.
7. Storage is also an individual need. We have traveled three weeks and had plenty of space. The main things are clothes and food. Clothes get washed at about 11 or 12 days, so there is plenty of space. When traveling through different seasons, coats, hats, gloves, can be a pain, but some stay in the truck until needed. We eat a lot of organic and fresh food and it can be hard to find it at times, so food storage can take a lot weight and we have to take a lot of food, but we found the space. Try to avoid canned food—heavy and mostly water anyway. The truck is good for deep storage items, especially on long, long trips. That's where extra hard to get food items, coats, and travel books are stored until we need them. Tools (enough to rebuild the truck and trailer for crazy people like me), outdoor furniture, air pump, can also go behind the seats in a double cab pickup. I found that putting the rear seats up in the Tundra seemed to give more space. I have removed seats for very long trips to get some more cubic feet, but the Tundra seats look pretty hard to remove.
8. The queen bed in a 25 is a pain. It's hard to make, but doable unless you have physical limitations. It's easier for two people to cooperate in changing the sheets. Barb sleeps at the front because I have back issues that make is more difficult for me to get out of the front side of the bed. She doesn't find it difficult to get in or out except for a propensity to hit her head on the overhead cabinets. This is not the fault of the bed, since she also can hit her head on any overhead cabinet. She has a strong head and has suffered no permanent damage. I have suggested she wear a helmet but she resists that. Both models have overhead cabinets, so this may not be a death match issue.
9. The difference in cost when we were looking was $4,000 for starters. That was before the serious negotiations started, so maybe it would have been a bit less.
10. You do not say how many people and/or pets will be using the trailer. I know people bring a bunch of kids and dogs in even smaller trailers. I can't imagine how they do it, but that is an individual matter too. Since you now have a 19', I doubt this is a death match issue.
It's good that you are going through this carefully because regrets are no fun. I still have bouts of "I want the 27", but I know we made the right decision for us. I especially know it when I am backing into a difficult and small space, trying to get between trees and other barriers while the access road is very narrow and I wonder when someone is going to try to get by me on the road while I'm taking to get the trailer back and forth trying to get it positioned just right. Backing gets easier with experience, but campsites don't grow longer. That's when I want a 22 or a 23.
You might want to take a look at the 25' Classic in the traditional floor plan. The twins give you plenty of storage both under the bed over the bed as well as outside. The couch is comfortable and the floor plan is open and roomy. I think in 06 Airstream discontinued this floor plan in favor of the FB but I prefer it . I think there may be a couple for sale in the Clasifieds.
I recently purchased an '09 25FB CCD, but looked closely at the '08 27FB CCD. We too are pulling with a newer model Tundra. At the time, I was pushing for the 27, mainly because of the extra counter space. I'm not a fan of the fold out piece on the 25. But I do prefer the 25's floorplan in most respects. I actually like the sideways bed. My wife can be in there, watching a movie on the laptop or sleep while I'm at the dinette. I love the big sink, so easy to wash dishes and controls splash, like others have said. I like the flooring in the 09 25, too. It's a burnt orange, rather than the faux wood in the 27' (which we also had in the 19' Bambi). We did get the extra pano window, and we use it, tho not every day, it's great to have, especially to air out the trailer (something that needs to happen when you travel with two 70 lb dogs!).
The Tundra has plenty of power to tow the 25', tho I notice the truck gets moved around a bit more than with the Bambi (we have an equalizer hitch). I don't know much about tow vehicle stuff, but it seems like this action would be further exaggerated towing a 27'. Also, I wanted to be able to tow the Airstream wet, and in that respect the weight difference is an issue.
I fully agree with the other posts, regret is no fun. I always regretted the 19' Bambi, but not for one minute do I regret what we have now.
We looked at both the 25 FB and 27 FB. When we went shopping, we got pricing for both. In the end, we went for the Safari 25FB SE. It is more manuverable and has worked very well for us. The extra storage and longitudinal bed was not worth the extra money, in my opinion.
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