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Old 08-05-2016, 05:01 AM   #1
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2017 25' Flying Cloud
Laurel Hill , Florida
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 57
Traded Bambi 16' for FC 25' FB

Well.....we tried a 2 week trip in the 2017 Bambi 16'......when we had the two grandkids with us ....no room.
My wife was not happy......so we traded it in for a 2017 FC 25' FB(twin beds).
After all is said I like the FC. It pulls great and backing up is easy.

Two rules I live by:

1. Once a man gets married, he has a choice: He can be happy or right, but never both. I want to be happy.
2. Happy wife, happy life.
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Old 11-12-2016, 05:29 PM   #2
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2017 25' Flying Cloud
Vacaville , California
Join Date: Nov 2016
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Glad to see I'm not the only one...we bought a 2016 FC20 to stay within capacity of our tow vehicle and will be trading in for a 2017 FC25 at the end of the month after 5 nights of use. Already upsized the tow vehicle from Explorer to Expedition.

One more truth to add to your two: you can't take it with you!
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Old 11-16-2016, 08:06 PM   #3
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2017 25' Flying Cloud
Rosemount , Minnesota
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It is an expense to make the move up but you only get a few short years to travel so I figured we should do it right. As newbies we just completed our first camping season. The longest my wife and I stayed in our 2015 19' FC was 2 weeks. We did not feel cramped but we did some talking about whether or not this size would work once we retire (2-4 years) and can get out of the Minnesota winters for 2 or 3 months at a time.

So we traded the little Bambi in and just picked up our 2017 25' FC. So much room!!!

Since I like to overkill safety I had been driving a 2013 Ford Expedition with the HD trailer package. I can tell that the 25' trailer is there behind me whereas the 19' never registered - lucky I had the add-on mirrors to remind me the Bambi was behind us!

I have not yet hit the CAT scale but the 825 lb. spec'ed tongue weight of the 25' Airstream does cause the Expedition to sag a bit. Even going to 7 links on my 750 lb. bars on the Blue Ox hitch doesn't bring the car back to level. I'm thinking of putting in some Rancho QuickLift Leveling Struts to aid in reducing the sag (Expedition is spec'ed to a max tongue weight of 920 lbs. so we should be o.k.).
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Old 11-16-2016, 08:23 PM   #4
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2017 25' Flying Cloud
Gold Country , California
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Originally Posted by BoscoMN View Post
It is an expense to make the move up but you only get a few short years to travel so I figured we should do it right. As newbies we just completed our first camping season. The longest my wife and I stayed in our 2015 19' FC was 2 weeks. We did not feel cramped but we did some talking about whether or not this size would work once we retire (2-4 years) and can get out of the Minnesota winters for 2 or 3 months at a time.

So we traded the little Bambi in and just picked up our 2017 25' FC. So much room!!!

Since I like to overkill safety I had been driving a 2013 Ford Expedition with the HD trailer package. I can tell that the 25' trailer is there behind me whereas the 19' never registered - lucky I had the add-on mirrors to remind me the Bambi was behind us!

I have not yet hit the CAT scale but the 825 lb. spec'ed tongue weight of the 25' Airstream does cause the Expedition to sag a bit. Even going to 7 links on my 750 lb. bars on the Blue Ox hitch doesn't bring the car back to level. I'm thinking of putting in some Rancho QuickLift Leveling Struts to aid in reducing the sag (Expedition is spec'ed to a max tongue weight of 920 lbs. so we should be o.k.).
Have you tried the 1k bars? Seems like it might be a better fit for you at this point.
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Old 11-16-2016, 09:19 PM   #5
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Battle Lake , Minnesota
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BoscoMN, your experience mirrors ours. We started with a 20, but for the long winter trips (6 months for us) we also got a 25. Absolutely love this setup for travel and staying at a variety of destinations.

I believe you are not getting enough weight distribution to the truck's front axles, with some to the trailer axles. You will probably need a stronger w.d. hitch, and be sure to confirm the results by weighing on a CAT scale.

It took us awhile to get this figured out and the right hitch, but we now set our w.d. up so our half-ton truck's axles are carrying near equal loads front and rear. It drives and handles beautifully.

You have the advantage over us of the Expedition's front and rear independent suspension. Get the weight distribution set up right, avoid excessive loading, balance your loads, and you will love driving it.
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Old 11-17-2016, 05:33 AM   #6
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2018 27' International
Southeastern MI , Michigan
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Drake1949 View Post
Well.....we tried a 2 week trip in the 2017 Bambi 16'......when we had the two grandkids with us ....no room.
My wife was not happy......so we traded it in for a 2017 FC 25' FB(twin beds).
After all is said I like the FC. It pulls great and backing up is easy.

Two rules I live by:

1. Once a man gets married, he has a choice: He can be happy or right, but never both. I want to be happy.
2. Happy wife, happy life.
We love our 19. Grandkids can stay in the tent. They call it an empty nest for a reason. I can back that 19 in anywhere, and there's room left over in the storage unit for my antique car!

My wife and I like the same things, so I don't have to think about rule #2. I used to have to decide between being happy and being right...fixed that
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Old 11-17-2016, 06:17 PM   #7
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2017 25' Flying Cloud
Western MA , Massachusetts
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Quote:
Originally Posted by karlandtrina View Post
Glad to see I'm not the only one...we bought a 2016 FC20 to stay within capacity of our tow vehicle and will be trading in for a 2017 FC25 at the end of the month after 5 nights of use. Already upsized the tow vehicle from Explorer to Expedition.

One more truth to add to your two: you can't take it with you!
We pretty much just did the same exact thing, but used it for full two seasons. Great kitchen in the 20' just needed more breathing room. Plus, I really wanted the ducted air. Can't wait to pick up the new one!
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Old 11-17-2016, 06:59 PM   #8
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Lexington , South Carolina
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Originally Posted by Wild Child View Post
We pretty much just did the same exact thing, but used it for full two seasons. Great kitchen in the 20' just needed more breathing room. Plus, I really wanted the ducted air. Can't wait to pick up the new one!

Which dealer has your 20'? I am looking for one and nobody has them. I asked this in another thread and no response, is it a secret?
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Old 11-17-2016, 07:36 PM   #9
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Traverse City , Michigan
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One of the toughest to find...
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Old 11-19-2016, 07:52 AM   #10
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Vacaville , California
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Originally Posted by SCbarber View Post
Which dealer has your 20'? I am looking for one and nobody has them. I asked this in another thread and no response, is it a secret?
SCBarber - We'll be trading our 20 in with Arbogast in Troy, OH. I believe they also have a new 20 on the lot.
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Old 11-19-2016, 09:32 PM   #11
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Lexington , South Carolina
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Thank you.
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