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**moosetags** · 11-15-2013, 08:08 AM

Additionally Jeff, we were close to your location in September when the Colorado floods hit. ON September 12th, we were camped in St. Vrain State Park in Longmont, Colorado. About 7:30 in the morning, a Park Ranger knocked on Lucy's door and told us that we needed to evacuate as they expected the park to be flooded later in the day.

We packed Lucy up in the pouring down rain and were out of the park in about an hour. We headed north on I-25 up to Cheyenne, Wyoming just prior to I-25 being closed.

Brian

jdthor · 11-15-2013, 07:08 PM

"Thanks for chiming in. It is reassuring to hear from another member with a 23FB that the floor plan works well."

Well, how about this? We've owned TWO FC23 FB's since 2009. We traded our 09 for a 2011 Bambi 16 when we relocated and didn't anticipate having the room to park the 23FB. Last summer as we returned from 10 days at the Grand Canyon we spent lots of time talking about how much we liked the 23FB, so we detoured over to the nearest Airstream dealer and traded the Bambi for a 2013 FC 23FB. We just returned from a trip to Durango, and yep, we were right, the 23FB is the right trailer for us.

**moosetags** · 11-15-2013, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jdthor

"Thanks for chiming in. It is reassuring to hear from another member with a 23FB that the floor plan works well."

Well, how about this? We've owned TWO FC23 FB's since 2009. We traded our 09 for a 2011 Bambi 16 when we relocated and didn't anticipate having the room to park the 23FB. Last summer as we returned from 10 days at the Grand Canyon we spent lots of time talking about how much we liked the 23FB, so we detoured over to the nearest Airstream dealer and traded the Bambi for a 2013 FC 23FB. We just returned from a trip to Durango, and yep, we were right, the 23FB is the right trailer for us.

Glad to hear that you like the 23FB so well. The 2012 23FB that we are getting was originally purchased by a man who had traded in his 19' Bambi for it in March of this year. After two trips with the 23FB, he decided that he liked his 19' better. He had just traded the 23FB on a 2014 19' Bambi when we happened along.

We will be picking up our new 23FB next Wednesday.

Brian

**moosetags** · 12-02-2013, 06:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snaken49

Brian,

Please provide details about the "state of the art rear view camera system" in your New Lucy.

Thanks!

I'm sorry for the delayed response. We picked up the 23FB on November 20th. We didn't get to try out the rear view camera system right away. The camera system that came with the trailer is a Voyager Digital Wireless rear view camera (Model WVOS511). It seems to work very well. The reception up in the tow vehicle is flawless, but the picture does become somewhat distorted in the rain.

It's a rather pricey unit that retails for $679 on Amazon. This one came with the trailer.

Brian

Gene · 12-02-2013, 08:37 AM

Glad to hear a backup camera can work well. The OEM one with our 2013 FJ Cruiser might be able to tell us a guerilla was behind us, but otherwise I see a bunch of lines that resemble a tennis court, some washed out areas and not much else. The lines are supposed to show something like the track of the vehicle as we backup, but the info supplied says not to trust the lines or much of anything else. Looking around is still the best thing to do.

I think you have to be really careful about which brand you buy and Toyota apparently wasn't.

Gene

**moosetags** · 12-02-2013, 09:33 AM

We also have a camera that came in the Silverado. It aids in hooking-up, but only if the truck camper is not casting a shadow on the hitch bar.

Brian

GettinAway · 12-03-2013, 05:27 AM

Soooo,, what do you think about it? Able to tolerate the tight feel compared to the taller, wider, longer 25'?
Inquiring minds want to know..

**moosetags** · 12-03-2013, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GettinAway

Soooo,, what do you think about it? Able to tolerate the tight feel compared to the taller, wider, longer 25'?
Inquiring minds want to know..

So far, so good. We've got about 10 nights in New Lucy. We're still getting used to the different layout. After almost 1,400 nights in Old Lucy, we were kind of set in our ways. We think that we're making progress, though. We really don't feel cramped. The bed is the same and sleeps great. All else is secondary.

We will report further as we get more experience with the new, trimmer Lucy.

Brian

Goal15 · 12-03-2013, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gene

Glad to hear a backup camera can work well. The OEM one with our 2013 FJ Cruiser might be able to tell us a guerilla was behind us, but otherwise I see a bunch of lines that resemble a tennis court, some washed out areas and not much else. The lines are supposed to show something like the track of the vehicle as we backup, but the info supplied says not to trust the lines or much of anything else. Looking around is still the best thing to do.

I think you have to be really careful about which brand you buy and Toyota apparently wasn't.

Gene

Gene

Didn't realize that guerillas were operating in the Colorado mountains. Are you sure they aren't just some lost Texans who failed to head South after the first freeze?

Dana

**moosetags** · 12-05-2013, 09:20 PM

We continue to adapt to the 23FB. New Lucy's shower is is very nice. It is a little bit larger that the one in the 25FB. I wish that it had the little exhaust fan like in the 25FB, but the Fantastic Fan right outside the bathroom door draws out most of the stream.

The new style windows are much nicer that the old type windows. They work much better and they look great.

There is a spare water filter cartridge in the cabinet. I can't yet figure out where it goes.

Brian

SilverGate · 12-05-2013, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moosetags

We continue to adapt to the 23FB...

There is a spare water filter cartridge in the cabinet. I can't yet figure out where it goes.

Brian

Our Moen water filter cartridge connects to the the fresh water connection under the sink for the filtered water dispenser on our lobster sink.

**moosetags** · 12-11-2013, 09:34 AM

Thanks for the under sink photo. The under sink are on new Lucy is laid out differently.

Here are a couple of photos. The new filter cartridge is what we found left under the sink. We still can't figure out where it goes.

Brian

Goal15 · 12-11-2013, 02:09 PM

Brian

judging from the looks of that water filter, it looks like the same kind of filter that I use on the exterior water line. is one end threaded male and the other female?

I hate to bring it up to someone with your trailering experience but if I was going to venture a guess, that's what I would say it looks like.

EDIT: However after visiting the Pentek website it appears that it is supposed to fit directly into your water line. Perhaps someone started to make a change and didn't get to it... was your 23 New or New to you?

Dana

DougnJanet · 12-11-2013, 03:11 PM

The attached picture shows under the kitchen sink of our 2013 23FB FC. Our waterfilter replaces the jumper that you see in the picture. The jumper is installed when AS is winterized.
Doug

**moosetags** · 12-12-2013, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goal15

Brian

judging from the looks of that water filter, it looks like the same kind of filter that I use on the exterior water line. is one end threaded male and the other female?

I hate to bring it up to someone with your trailering experience but if I was going to venture a guess, that's what I would say it looks like.

EDIT: However after visiting the Pentek website it appears that it is supposed to fit directly into your water line. Perhaps someone started to make a change and didn't get to it... was your 23 New or New to you?

Dana

The filter that I found in the cabinet is threaded female on both ends. This Airstream is new to me, but the trailer seems unmolested. The reason that I am thinking that this filter belongs somewhere in the trailer is that it was left there in the under-sink cabinet. Also I have the original window sticker for this trailer and it shows "Faucet w/Filtration & Separate Sprayer" on the factory invoice.

Brian

Goal15 · 12-12-2013, 12:34 PM

Brian

looks like DougNJanet's theory above is the most plausible explanation...

Dana

tinbender · 12-12-2013, 02:49 PM

DougNJanet have it right. Same setup in my 23. Filter comes out for winterization. The piece that goes in it's place came with the trailer.

**moosetags** · 12-18-2013, 07:14 PM

I have finally decided to report our bad fortune with New Lucy. We picked-up the 23FB on November 20th. We spent that night and most of the next day getting New Lucy set-up. We transferred the Hensley ourselves.

We took to the road late in the afternoon of the 21st. It was only about three hours to get home. We hadn't gotten more that fifteen miles on I-10 when a tire tread from a truck came off right in front of us. There was no time to avoid it. It went right up under the Airstream ripping off the sewer pipe tube and one of the fresh water drain valves. All considered, the damage was minimal, so we considered ourselves fortunate.

We brought Lucy home. With the broken valve, the city water connection flowed right out onto the ground. With the pump on, the same thing happened. We took Lucy over to Jacksonville for Thanksgiving. I put a small lag bolt into the broken water tube. This slowed down the flow, but did not stop it. We were able to use the toilet, but showers were out of the question. We were camped in SuEllyn's Dad's yard in Jacksonville, so we had access to showers in the house.

The following week we brought Lucy down to Sanders Airstream in Alachua. They replaced the fresh water valve and the sewer hose tube in pretty short order. We went back to Jacksonville for several more days, and then brought Lucy back home.

We continued getting Lucy set-up. We had been using Lucy's air conditioner and heat pump, and they were both working fine.

Yesterday, the heat pump quit working. The unit was trying to start the compressor, but it was not coming on. I tried everything that I knew with no results. SuEllyn called the Airstream Service Center in Jackson Center. They were very helpful, and told us that it was either the starter capacitor or a bad compressor.

We got a local RV repair company to come out and take a look at Lucy. The RV tech came today. He started off by replacing the capacitor while I kept my fingers crossed. No such luck, the compressor had seized.

We have a new unit coming in tomorrow and it will be installed on Friday.

So far, New Lucy has been snake bit.

Brian

JamuJoe · 12-18-2013, 07:23 PM

Hey Brian, cheer up. Thankfully nobody got hurt on the I-10 incident. Equipment does fail, that's just part of living an active life out of the recliner. Fix the A/C and roll on!

switz · 12-18-2013, 07:30 PM

Glad you got a nice rig, but it was sure a bummer incident on the road. I can relate.

My former wife was driving with her sister in our 1971 VW Vanagon on the Interstate in Kentucky and in the blink of an eye, a semi trailer lost a wheel and it crossed the median and hit the van just behind the door post. A split second sooner and it would have come through the driver's window probably killing her and then her sister in a subsequent accident. The truck never stopped.