Hi. Some questions for experienced owners of Late Models

[Cixter]

We are considering a 2017 FC25FBTwin. We have a very reputable dealership right here in NJ. We are seasoned road trippers that have decided to pull our lodging with us and get away from hotels/motels. We are destination/event oriented travelers our off grid use or boondocking will be very limited. But State Parks and such yes. I would greatly appreciate feedback on the following:

Is 1 A/C unit adequate? While we will be travelling in mostly temperate weather, I'm sure we cannot avoid the occasional 90+ humidity. We like to sleep cool at night. Can the 15k btu A/C run on a Honda 3000i generator if needed or would it be a better idea to pair 2 Honda 2000i gensets? (for those rare times without electric hookup)

I seem to be getting mixed information on surge protection. Do the new Clouds and higher series have "built in" surge protection?

Is it difficult to upgrade to 16" wheels, what are the advantages?

Thank you in advance for any information.

[The Colonel]

Let me respond to some of your ???. I have a 2017 FC25FB twin and we love it. It has one AC. While I'm a little concerned with extreme 95ish temps we have had no problems with the unit cooling things down at night.
I think the 3K gen would have no problem. We have a converted h2000 and the easy start installed on our AS so it can run on that or a 20amp circuit.
Mine did not come with surge protection, I started with the PD external and later installed an internal version of same unit. You need sp IMO.
I elected to get the gym tires off and upgraded to 16" wheels and Michelins. There are many opinions on this, but this is what I did.

[OSCS]

I have that exact unit and it's a great layout! I'm in Myrtle Beach right now (91 degrees today) and 1 AC is keeping up. If colonial won't get to 23 % or more off MRSP, make the trip to NC. I'm always hooked up so not sure about the generator able to run the AC.

Best of luck with your decision!

[moosetags]

First off, welcome to the Forums. We're glad to have you with us.

As to your questions, We have a 2015 Flying Cloud 25FB Twin with a single air conditioning unit. We live in Florida and travel all over the country, and have found the the single unit adequate. This is our second 25FB. Our first was a 2005. We have a total of 1,800 nights in our Airstreams, and have towed them over 160,000 miles all over the United States.

We currently have a Honda 3000 generator. It runs our Airstream well. We also had two Honda 2000's for about ten years. These also ran the Airstream well. We liked the two 2000's for their light weight. We prefer the 3000 for its larger fuel tank and electric start. We use a basic surge protector.

We have used 16' wheels and Michelin LT tires on both of our 25FB's. I would highly suggest this upgrade. We have found the ST tires to be junk.

Brian

[Wayne&Sam]

25' rear twin here. One a/c works ok. I use a 12 volt fan to circulate air at the beds, which makes a big difference. I'm not really sure if a second a/c would work well. It might cool too quickly without dehumidifying the air. They have to be sized properly.

We also did 16" wheels. It's an easy upgrade and we have found the Michelin tires to be much more reliable.

I don't have sure protection, I'm not a big fan of it. But that's just me.

We got our Airstreams at Colonial too. We've always had good experiences with them.

[TravlinMan]

My single ac in my 25 will freeze me out at night even in 90+ temps (yes i have slept in 90+ at night) but if I'm in the direct hot sun, it will struggle to cool the area that is being hit. No big deal with the ducted vents cause you can close some and direct more air where ya need it. I would not want to give up my bedroom fan for a 2nd ac under any circumstance, that fan is too good for freshening up the bedroom and is usually all I need anyways, as I mainly camp without hookups. Without hookups, that 2nd ac is just making ya hotter by way of eliminating a fantastic fan.

[Cixter]

Wow. Gotta luv these forums. Questions answered by owners rather than salesfolk. Thank you all. While I'm here, something that slipped my mind. I plan on towing with a '16 or '17 3/4 ton diesel std bed truck. Would a WDH or sway hitch be needed?

[TravlinMan]

I say yes to the wdh, absolutely. Others may disagree but it dramatically increases your level of safety in my opinion and I vaguely recall many 3/4 and even 1 ton truck manufacturers require them over a certain weight. Very easy to put on and off, no reason not to do it.

[TravlinMan]

I actually went and looked and my Ram 2500 manual states

"If the gross trailer weight is 5,000 lbs (2 267 kg) or
more, it is mandatory to use a weight-distributing
hitch to ensure stable handling of your vehicle. If
you use a standard weight-carrying hitch, you could
lose control of your vehicle and cause a collision."

Hope that helps.

[Hans627]

Regarding the wheels and tires, while many have gone the route of using 16" wheels I chose to keep my 15" wheels and am using Michelin 235/75R15 tires. I'm not in any way saying that 16" wheels are not beneficial as it gives more tire selection choices. Just presenting another option.

My tires are rated at about 1965# each (2183#-10% because they are used on a trailer), capable of carrying the weigh of my 25' International.

[SeaLevel]

Regarding the tires, you should check which ones are on the AS you are considering. At some point during the 2017 model year they switched to the Endurance line in place of the older Marathons that people love to hate. They are not the same tires. Our 2016 25FB Twin came with the Marathons, and although we've had no problems, we will be switching them out this summer for the Endurance line, and I suspect we will get many years of good service from those.

[Wayne&Sam]

People went to 16" because there weren't good 15 tires available. Now there are a few. The key is to get rid of the Marathons.