Bambi 20'

[Crisismode]

Having looked at a bunch of smaller Airstreams, the layout of the 20 appeals to us the most, especially the galley. The kitchen space is so much better than any other trailer in that size range, and far better than others that are 10' or more longer.

I'm interested in hearing anybody with Bambi 20 experience, and any observation they have in actual use, and in comparison with other trailers of similar size.

Thanks in advance

[dkottum]

We bought a new Airstream 2007 Safari 20 SE (same trailer). We enjoyed it immensely, the kitchen has great counterspace and overall storage is terrific. But we traded it after two years for a 25' mostly because we were spending months at a time in it. Here's why:

1) There is really no lounge space in it, only a dinette. And that space feels somewhat confined because it is in the middle of the trailer, away from the pano window. In most RV parks your view is the guy next door. We did use the bed with cushions to sit, but I've getting too old for that. I sometimes thought of converting the bed to a foldaway bed/sofa combo sideways in the front. Not easy to do but I still like the idea.

2) The storage tanks in it are quite small for long term camping.

3) The single axle limits load capacity and does not track as well as tandem.

4) The bed is difficult for the inside sleeper to access when outside is in residence. Has good length but is pretty narrow.

5) There was no noticeable difference towing between the 20' and the 25' except the 25' is more stable. Fuel economy did not change.

The 20' is excellent for weekends and shorter vacations, although I may rethink the 19' because of the front dinette which we like much better. We love pano windows. So don't fall for the large counterspace without considering where you will sit in the evenings, or rainy days.

If your are looking at long term travel, move up in size.

doug k

[Crisismode]

Thanks for your insights, Doug.

[bovk]

On the other hand, we made 27k miles in our 20 FC 2010 sometimes as long as 30days and it is great, I would not change a thing. The 25" looks way better but we would not fit into some spots we were at.

[mojo]

The most time you spend in your trailer is in bed. So try them out for size in that department. All depends on your size and whether you like to spoon. The 25FB Twin allows both to sleep undisturbed if one or the other needs to get up.

[bovk]

+1, in 20' you should expect to use both the main bed and dining space for sleeping 2 adults. It is possible to use the main bed for a couple but when tired we unfold the dining place.

[knunut]

Have 07 20Ft. Safari. We love it . Agree w/Comments. The Bath is Quite large,more comfort than some 25's. We set up dinette to sleep most times,however we get tired of that. Thinking of just bringing a sleeping Bag to sleep on dinette,instead of all the sheets/Comforters etc. We have gone for 2 weeks and have Boondocked.And it was Great. Will leave for a 6 month trip in nov.
For us, it is this or a 25 Twin .Depending on TV or money available. The 25 twin seems to be "The Best"

[valmog]

We have the tiny, tiny 16ft and we fit in the bed just fine...in fact it was longer than some of the others which works well for my husband because he's 6'3. One person does have to crawl over the other one, which can be a bit of a pain.

I loved the layout of the 20' and agree with you that the kitchen space is really nicely designed. It's a great layout!!

Of course, the 25 is a beauty, too, and if we ever go long term, we'll get something larger! For now though, we love our Bambi. Fits easily on our driveway and soon it will fit snuggly in a new bay we're adding onto our garage. It's also nice to be able to park in the smaller "tent only" sites.

Good luck with whatever you choose

[bovk]

All above is a good information. But there is only one rule that is 100% important- making sure your wife likes it :=)

[Bk Yd Safari]

My wife and I are average height and slender build and find the front bed in our 20' Safari adequate. The biggest issue for us is with getting out of bed if you are on the "inside." We would not consider using the dinette for sleeping as it seems to be very uncomfortable for that purpose. Earlier this year (winter) we spent 24 nights in south Florida staying up to 9 nights in any one campground). We have extra pillows on the bed and find that for the limited time that we spend lounging during waking hours the bed serves us well as a "recliner." Also we found that by using pillows on the dinette cushions (not folded out) we can get somewhat comfortable. We like the kitchen in the rear as we find that we are not stumbling over each other when one of us is trying to cook.
As stated in an earlier post the shorter lenght gets you into a lot of campsites that longer units will not fit into.
All in all our 20' fits our needs very well.
Good luck with your decision and
Happy Streaming

[Wayne&Sam]

We've done two and three month trips in our 20' with two dogs and no complaints. I wouldn't want three dogs or 19', but it works just fine. I agree with all the pluses and minuses above, but as a whole, it works great. We can tow with a smaller vehicle and get in the smaller camping areas we prefer. We are good for three days with the water we can carry.

[Zia]

We enjoyed 2006 20"safari for 3 years, traveled upto 3 weeks at time with no problem. My spouse like to cook and she thoroghly enjoyed the galley. The bed was the only isssue one has to crowl over the other. We consider using dinnette bed b myu better half refused to sleep separately after 42 years of sleeping together. To overcome this we bought a 2011 23' Serenity with walk aroung queen with panoramic windows. Has to sacrifice the counter space but larger tanks make up for that, now we can boondock for longer period of time. There are some other advantages for larger units as mentioned above. We could use our existing TV.
Good luck

[mefly2]

We spent 2 1/2 years reading here and searching before we bought our 20' AS and found that our FC20 has more usable storage space than the longer SOB we traded in on this 20. The galley has considerably more storage and usable / living space than most other 16-23' TT - including some AS. It was a step down to the (smaller than standard measure) full size mattress from the queen we had before; however, the storage hampers on the head and foot effectively lengthen the bed size. We are a couple who likes togetherness in bed ... if you do, the only negative is - as was mentioned above - getting over the partner and out of the bed...think... in the middle of the night.

We did not want a length that is prohibited from some state parks (25+); nor, did we want the parking / storage issues and extra expense of that length in terms of out of pocket initial cost as well as potential increased fuel costs when towing. So for us on two week excursions and most weekends (including dry camping in the winter), we really love the Bambi 20. The bath, dinette, galley, and sleeping accommodations suit us and our small dog just fine - did I mention the GALLEY ... would we like an AS that is a bit longer (but not wider); yes, but that is only one AS length for consideration and we will wait until we (alone) completely own this one ... more $$$ outlay may not prove to be prudent in these financial times. We enjoy the easy boondocking in some rather remote areas that the single axle & 20' allows; if you have more than two adults and/or prefer plugging in at RV spots, a larger ... longer / wider ... unit might be for you.

Color us Happy Campers! We love our FC20 / Bambi