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Old 12-06-2018, 08:53 AM   #1
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2017 25' International
Moncks Corner , South Carolina
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 33
Smile Nervous Newbie

Hello everyone ,
I may have posted my concerns on another thread so if I did ,my apologies!
I’m new to this forum as well as the rv lifestyle, but not new to camping . For thirty years my wife and I have always tent camped and now have decided we’re ready to get off the ground. We know we don’t want anything else besides an AS We’ve picked a 25fbq that we hope to purchase between now and spring . Coming to grips with the $$ investment makes us alittle nervous for something we will not be full timing in . Thoughts?....Also I have a 5.7 tundra sr5 with tow package that I’m confident is up to the task but am alittle nervous about towing something that big . I tow a 7x12 cargo trailer for work but the 25 ft. Flying cloud looks intimidating -:
Thanks for sharing any thoughts you may have for a nervous Newbie
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Old 12-06-2018, 09:05 AM   #2
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2019 27' Globetrotter
Salem , Oregon
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Bought my first Airstream a 25FB about 3 years ago. Never having towed anything larger than a small trailer for home use feet or so I must say the larger trailer is a lot easier. Now I am waiting for my 27 to be built.

Dave
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Old 12-06-2018, 09:08 AM   #3
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1987 25' Sovereign
Fort Collins , Colorado
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Set up your weight distribution/sway control properly. Then make your turns wide, leave plenty of stopping distance ahead, don’t be in a hurry, and pretty soon you’ll find towing is more relaxing than trying to make time. Backing a longer trailer is easier than backing a shorter one.
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Old 12-06-2018, 09:33 AM   #4
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2018 27' Globetrotter
Apollo Beach , Florida
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We LOVE or FC25FBQ. We believe it is the perfect camper. That extra 6" of width makes all the difference. This width allows us to have an normal 80" length queen mattress - our number one concern.

The extra 6" of width makes the 25' more difficult to tow than a 23'. You will need towing mirrors for your truck and will likely need to be careful on how you load the rig. The 23' would be a better weight for your truck, but I'd rather do the load shifting needed to get the benefits of the 25'. I have to be very careful when loading my truck too.

We like to boondock. The 25' has larger fresh, grey and black tanks. We can easily boondock in one spot for 10 days and could stretch it to 14 days. We typically use about 4 gallons of fresh water per day and about 3 gallons each of black and grey. The 23' black water tank of only 18 gallons would limit our boondocking stays to maximum of six days. Its impossible to conserve on the black tank!

We also like the stability of the 25'. We rarely (never) put the stabilizer jacks down. When we were shopping, we noticed the 23' was far less stable than the 25'.

Occasionally I wish we had a 23' for the lower towed weight and ease of parking, but I enjoy the benefits of the larger Airstream each day we use it.
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Old 12-06-2018, 10:11 AM   #5
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2018 28' International
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You will be fine. After a few trips you will be pros.
Take it easy and you will get the hang of it in no time.
Consider getting the 50 amp/dual A/C option. Nice to have on a hot day, and you can run pretty much everything st the same time without tripping the breaker.
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Old 12-06-2018, 11:02 AM   #6
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2007 27' Classic FB
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I dont think you will have any trouble at all towing your new trailer. I always thought it was easier to back the AS than the 20ft boat trailer I had at one time.
While you are waiting for your trailer you may want to consider getting a copy of "The Newbies Guide to Airstreaming." Lots of good information.
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Old 12-06-2018, 05:29 PM   #7
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2017 25' International
Moncks Corner , South Carolina
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Thanks so much for all your good advice ! I assume towing it with no fresh water is helpful in keeping the weight down . It’s my wife and I and two small pups who have more toys than us we travel pretty light . Although it’s our first AS we feel the 25 ‘ meets all our needs ( and a few wants ) I wish AS offered a smaller rig with all the amenities of the 25 . I’ve started looking at OEM mirrors for the tundra .
Thanks for sharing
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Old 12-06-2018, 05:59 PM   #8
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Apollo Beach , Florida
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Betterboat View Post
Thanks so much for all your good advice ! I assume towing it with no fresh water is helpful in keeping the weight down . It’s my wife and I and two small pups who have more toys than us we travel pretty light . Although it’s our first AS we feel the 25 ‘ meets all our needs ( and a few wants ) I wish AS offered a smaller rig with all the amenities of the 25 . I’ve started looking at OEM mirrors for the tundra .
Thanks for sharing
Actually, I prefer towing my 25' with full fresh water. It lowers the center of gravity and softens the ride. The fresh water tank is centered over the axles and causes no increase in tongue weight on my truck verified with a CAT scale pass.

To lower tongue weight, I changed out the 30# propane tanks with 20# tanks, that removed about 50# of tongue weight. I carried everything possible inside the Airstream. I tried to keep bulky light-weight items in the storage area under the bed to keep the tongue weight down. I used a weight distribution hitch with a little magic to move more weight to the Airstream axles and off of the truck. (Magic= lowered the ball height, then returned the ball height by cranking the bars tightly which moved more weight to the trailer axles and returned more weight to the truck's front axle.) With all of this weight management, I was able to keep my tongue weight around the factory advertised 837#. You may enjoy reading my whole "On the Road With Airmiles" thread with many posts about my experiences in setting up my 25' Airstream with a payload challenged truck. http://www.airforums.com/forums/f42/...ml#post1985301
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Old 12-06-2018, 06:29 PM   #9
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2013 28' Flying Cloud
Penn Yan , New York
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Newbies

No issue pulling a 25’. We got a 28’ and I have had no problems. I made a rule and stick to it. Never back without a spotter. I remember once after pulling in to get gas I needed to back up. I hadn’t stopped a minute but I had my wife get out and spot for me. A jerk had pulled his small car up behind me.
Make up a checklist. I use the app checklist+. It works great.
If u get the app I could take screenshots of mine and send them to you.
For mirrors I bought the ones that stick on the mirror with a suction cup. I didn’t think they would work long. That was 3 years ago. They work well. The thing I like is that you can adjust them by moving your power mirrors. When u set up your Airstream at the campsite they come off easily.
We have been up and down the east coast twice and no issues.
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Old 12-07-2018, 12:36 PM   #10
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Fair Oaks , California
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Nervous Newbie

Make sure somebody stands behind you when you back up. As you go down the road, you’ll notice a fair number of Airstreams with beauty marks in their top rear corner panels from backing into tree limbs.
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Old 12-07-2018, 05:28 PM   #11
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2017 25' International
Moncks Corner , South Carolina
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That’s such good simple practical advice . Was hoping to find a preowned but none that fits our wish list . So we’re trying to get past the sticker shock and pull the trigger on a new 2018 . Hopefully the dealer will deal
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Old 12-07-2018, 09:07 PM   #12
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Research the forum and watch the youtube videos on towing and RV use.

Start slow and build on your experiences. Practice what concerns you. Make numerous shakedown trips. Test under controlled conditions to verify that what you believe is correct. Do not assume that the dealer has setup your rig correctly until you verify that they have.

Wind is problematic, but dampened considerably with a good WDSC hitch tune. When it's more than you can handle slow down. May have to stop for the night and try again the next day. Do not let your schedule place you in a bad situation. Plan an extra day in case you have a problem.

Your Tundra should be a good tow vehicle. Look at the 27. The N/S bed is easier to access. May give you more lightly used options as folks move up to the 30s.

Go slow. Learn all you can. Then go collect those smiles. Pat
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