Buying a 2010 Fyn Cloud....with ?'s

[THEPILL]

23' Flying Cloud midnight sun

Does anyone know the how long it takes to order a new airstream and have it delivered to a store in Dallas for example? I was told a month.

Also what should I be asking for the dealer to make sure it comes with...i.e TV, electric awning, fantastic fans.....etc


I'm getting her for about 52,000 Out the door. Is that decent?
SHane

[cosmotini]

I'm sure it depends on how busy the factory is with orders. It took about 6 weeks back in 2007 when we ordered ours.

There should be a list of standard features your trailer will come with and a list of options you can add that your dealer can provide. If they can't, find a different dealer.
I highly recommend awnings all around.

[THEPILL]

Thank-you

[Rawn77]

I ordered my 30' FC in December. I should receive it in the middle of March.
I ordered mine with the awnings all around. My dealer will be installing their solar package.
Good luck!
Ron

[OB Bambi]

You might want send a PM to Silvergate. They ordered a Safari SE 23' in 2007. I know they researched it extensively.

Good Luck

[TerryC]

I would think you should plan on two months, we ordered our flying cloud three days before new years and we;re going to get it the last week of February!

[TerryC]

Sorry forgot the second part of the OP. We ordered our 20' FC with the boondocker package, the awning group and a 120V outlet and HDMI cable (Blue Ray) to the TV.

[happycamper2]

They are well worth the money in the heat of summer......those large windows let in alot of heat without them. We also have the TV package and 2 Fantastic Fans..........we're happy with them as well.

[Foiled Again]

hem...

The two fantastic fans - definitely! Mine didn't come that way and I had the one in the bedroom added later. It's bi-directional and on a hot night boondocking without AC opening the windows, setting the back fan on exhaust and the bedroom on intake really makes sleeping easy even in high temperature/humidity. Chili eating contest? Set on EXHAUST!

Think long and hard before you order. I upsized from a 22 to a 25 - and in another couple of years will probably go to a 27 because I fulltime. I need to keep a work wardrobe which has been one of my bigger challenges.

Not going to knock buying new - because that's what I did. However if I had it to do over, I'd buy my first one "nearly" new. That way a trade will be about $10K more painless.

P

[ridgewalker]

We have been spending between 2 and 3 months wintering along the Gulf in it with our 50 lb German Shorthair Pointer. My wife loves the kitchen space and that was a plus.

The negatives are:
1) I hate the awning. The angle supports are always in the way. If only they could be swung down to use as vertical poles instead. I may go to a vintage awning for the door side.
2) The bed in the 20' is only 48" and can get crowded on a hot or restless night. Cold nights are great. Would have liked a full size bed and lost the additional space elsewhere.
3) The aluminum next to the bed can get very cold on a cold night (I am adding carpeting to the wall to help this).
4) The TV cannot be pointed out the door to watch, nor removed to take outside.
5) I did not get outside speakers for the radio/CD player. This would be nice.
6) No awning on the side windows. May add because they would be very nice.
7) My wife would like a larger refrigerator which would fit if we didn't have a fixed TV.
8) Fantastic Fans...we have two. I love Fantastic Fans, but these are the fully automatic ones which seem to always be turned on the wrong mode opening or closing in the middle of the night, or while traveling. We had vent covers installed so we could leave them open even when traveling on hot days. This works well.
9) Fresh water tank only 20 gallons! I couldn't believe this! Way too small! Also, it is difficult to completely fill.

Oh well...whine, whine, whine. We still really enjoy it. We moved down from a 29 ft Hitchhiker II 5th wheel. Fuel savings is 3-5 MPG. We can take it into any National Forest campground. We can get into almost any fuel station and into almost any city street. It can also go onto lots of dirt roads on BLM lands.

There will always be room for improvements/changes on your new AS.

[THEPILL]

WOW Thanks for all the info. I'm getting the 23 which is in our budget but the 25 is just out of reach. I know I can get used but I want one thats new. Call me weird. Does anyone know what all the amenities are on a 2010 Flying Cloud in a 23'?
It's killing me to wait but at least it coming from the factory....LOL
What are the pickup technique, to you guys/gals who bought new? Is there a lesson on how everything works? Or am I gonna read the owners manual and hope for the best?

Love this site.

Shane

[TerryC]

Ridgewalker thank you for the insight on the pluses and minuses on your 20' SE.
We are anxiously waiting for our FC to arrive.
We went round and round on the size and settled on the 20' it being the most green.

TerryC

[ridgewalker]

THEPILL, as far as lessons, that all depends on your dealer. But I wouldn't count on any in depth info that you can retain. You will just be so excited to get your new toy!
My suggestions:
1. Read the manual as best as you can.
2. Make a list as you go of all your questions.
3. Take the list back to your dealer preferably after you have made a couple of break-in trips and ask them to show-and-tell.
4. Stay on the forum scene and ask anything not clear to you.

Trying to explain and/or be taught things in print as opposed to in person is difficult. Most of us learn best kinesthetically...ie, by hands on. The more you do it, the easier it is.

[ridgewalker]

TerryC, what is the "boondocker" package?

[at the lake]

We bought a 2010 25' FB Flying Cloud in October. We left Traverse City, MI in January for our first long term trip (3 months). We downsized from a 30' Carriage fifth wheel with 2 slides. We have adapted to the 25' Airstream pretty well, even living in it 24/7 during our trip south. To be honest, it gets "close" sometimes, but as mentioned, we have adapted well. All Airstreams of the same model are equipped basically alike but do have a few variations in equipment sometimes, even within the same model. I would recommend two top of the line Fantastic Fans, 7 cu ft two door refrig, 6 gallon water htr, premium audio/video pkg with 22" TV/cable hookup, AM/FM/CD/DVD/CD controller receiver, twp pair 6.5" speakers with active subwoofer, prewired for satellite/solar/generator, two batteries, 39 gallon fresh water tank/39 gallon black/37 grey. Ours came equipped with a convection microwave with 3 burner cook top. Am not real happy with the convection m/w oven which operates as a standard microwave oven and a standard convention electric oven. It is not real user friendly - I've studied the operation manual extensively, but still have to refer to it frequently for certain uses. I would like a 8 gallon hot water tank instead of a 6, but if you take a "Navy shower", the hot water will last through a normal shower. The 15 BTU LP gas furnace is OK, but we burned a lot of LP during our stay in North Florida during the numerous cold spells. I attribute this to the large window areas and the metal skin (inside and out). The A/C with heat pump is adequate as far as the heat pump goes, but have not used the A/C yet. The shower stall is small and would give a larger person trouble when showering. Some backing on shelving under the kitchen and bath sinks does not completely cover the back of the top shelves. Have had items drop down behind this backing requiring me to fashion a "fish" wire to retrieve the dropped items. Have no idea if I have retrieved all the items. I pull my rig with a 2009 Ford Lariat, 5.4 V-8 gas that is more than adequate. The rig pulls straight and without wandering. I do use a swaybar on one of the control arms, but don't believe this is absolutely necessary. All in all, I can say that I am pretty satisfied with my Airstream. I previously owned another travel trailer and a fifth wheel.

[TerryC]

Ridgeline,

The "Boondocker" package consists of a solar panel (53 watt on the 20' FC) a solar controller and a 600 watt inverter so you can run the TV. AS also changes the batteries from wet cells to AGM's. Our dealer states he can probably squeeze more solar panels on the roof if we wish. I think that with a larger trailer AS "Boondocker" come with additional panels.

TerryC

[ridgewalker]

Thanks TerryC. As I understand it, it typically is a 1:2 ratio, that is 1-watt for every 2-amphrs to charge a battery. Assuming you have 2 100 amphr batteries (that's what mine are) you would need 2 panels.

AGMs again in my experience are great with the one issue that if they get completely run down, it takes days to recharge them. Mine (Optimas) lasted over 10 years and just wouldn't hold a charge for long, but still worked. I donated mine (last one) to a young couple on the side of a dirt road in Montana (near Whitefish) who's truck battery died on them. It started their truck right up.

I am thinking of making my own "boondocking panels" by ground mounting 2 panels in a fold up assembly which I then could carry in or on my truck.

I'll be interested to hear how yours works out.

[Minnie's Mate]

Originally Posted by THEPILL

Also what should I be asking for the dealer to make sure it comes with...i.e TV, electric awning, fantastic fans.....etc



SHane

I don't know for sure, but I was told that Zip-dee did not make an electrict awning for Airstreams. I would consider replacing my curb-side awning with one if it was available.

I had the awnings installed on the road side and rear and recommend you have them, too. The dealer can order them from Zip-dee and install for you.

Originally Posted by ridgewalker

The negatives are:
1) I hate the awning. The angle supports are always in the way. If only they could be swung down to use as vertical poles instead. I may go to a vintage awning for the door side.

I have been searching for a thread/post that demonstrated how to do this, but haven't found it yet...there were also instructions in one of the previous issues of Airstream Life including the parts needed and how to mount the awning arm to a base plate.

[jjustice]

I want the 27' or 28' flying cloud! The bed is centered for walking around. Only thing that stands in the way is $58k. [smile] Oh well I can dream while reading about your fun.

Did you go to Airstream.com ? They have so much information about what is available and the options. Another idea is "shopping" around to a couple of the big dealers in the country and see what price they would give you. The advantage of a local dealer is the ease of going to them for pick up.

Enjoy!

[THEPILL]

I know I'm going to regret this decision, but I'm getting the 23' Flying Cloud with the "L" Lounge. I should get the 25 with the bigger bed but for about 5,000 more. But the 23' will fit in my parking area on the side of my home a lot better.