Visit our Popular Forums

retiree · 05-03-2017, 04:09 PM

In our shopping for a 2017 25' International we noticed that the RB's are fitted with both a gas oven and usually the convection/microwave installed above the fridge. The FB's have the convection/microwave only, in place of the gas oven. We won't be roasting the Thanksgiving turkey in the Airstream, but are both ovens usually used or is the convection/microwave sufficient for most folks?

lsbrodsky · 05-03-2017, 04:41 PM

We have the FB and have never missed the gas oven. We use the micro most, the convection a little. I suppose if you did mostly dry camping the gas oven would see more use.

Larry

KJRitchie · 05-03-2017, 04:52 PM

We have a 2008 Classic 25fb which is one of the last Airstreams to have an under the cabinet microwave and we also have a gas oven. If you are planning to visit dry campgrounds a lot (NP, FS, BLM campgrounds or boon docking) a gas oven is handy. You would need a generator to run a stand alone microwave/convection oven in these types of campgrounds and many have generator hours. We found the gas oven works better if you use an unglazed ceramic tile or pizza stone on the tray above the burner. The more modern Airstreams the convection oven/microwave is below the counter except the 25RB where its eye level and looks like a pain to use as you would have to get on your hands and knees to use it.

The convection oven is usually smaller than the gas oven.

The gas oven isn't as accurate as a home oven. It takes getting used to. Usually the temperature on the the dial doesn't match the actual temperature even with the tile of pizza stone. Just have to play with it.

The advantage of not having the gas oven is more kitchen storage.

Kelvin

Wayne&Sam · 05-03-2017, 05:11 PM

We almost never use the gas oven. But we wouldn't want to depend on the convention/microwave that we have as the only possibility for an oven. We have only used the micro as a micro. The gas oven makes a great bread/storage box.

All that being said, the ovens were not the deciding factor in our choice for a rear bedroom. Better access to outside storage and a larger bathroom were.

KJRitchie · 05-03-2017, 05:41 PM

While the 25RB has a larger bath the shower has a shelf that extends the full width of the shower that makes standing up in the shower not as easy as the 25fb which has only a half shelf. Even that makes standing up not as comfortable if the shelf was not there or only in the corner. The wheel well is not under the shower in the 25fb so I'm not sure why the shelf takes up so much space. Do people really sit on this shelf while taking a shower?

Kelvin

Mollysdad · 05-03-2017, 07:07 PM

My motorhome had a convection microwave and no oven.
Can't say I ever missed a gas oven, but I also burnt everything in the convection microwave.
I used it only as a microwave, and cooked on the stovetop.

Tbeck11931 · 05-04-2017, 11:07 AM

The gas oven can be used in a boondocking situation where the convection microwave must have shore power to operate. I have both in my 23' Flying Cloud and I don't understand Airstream forcing you to make a choice between the two.
Thomas

kathfred · 05-04-2017, 11:11 AM

We have the 25' Flying Cloud with rear bedroom, I love having the gas oven and separate microwave. I am a cooking enthusiast, we spend every Thanksgiving in our Airstream, usually in the wine country. I do roast turkey in the oven, and use the oven on nearly every trip we make. I have a convection oven at home which I rarely use, I don't think I would use it in my AS. The gas oven is bigger, I think, which for our use is a better deal.

graysailor · 05-04-2017, 11:14 AM

I have both and seldom use the convection part of the microwave/convection oven. Always use the gas oven and I also use the microwave. I had to give up a cabinet to get the microwave but no big deal.

m.hony · 05-04-2017, 11:14 AM

We have the convection microwave only.
It cooks toast, cookies, and biscuits very well.
There are 3-4 drawers where the propane oven would be if we had it.
We had a propane oven in our previous trailer and never used it.

ke6gkv · 05-04-2017, 11:43 AM

I always use my oven; i boondock and stay at state parks. I will use my micro for heating up things

greenflag · 05-04-2017, 12:43 PM

Had a Gas oven in our 25 footer. Found that the pilot light was difficult to light. So we seldom planned on baking anything. It made a nice storage box.
We have a convection/micro now. We still seldom use convection. I did some frozen french fries in it that came out perfect.

SeaLevel · 05-04-2017, 12:49 PM

We don't have the gas oven. We do sometimes use the microwave, but haven't used the convection oven. We mostly cook outside on our Camp Chef, and use the stovetop burners.

GettinAway · 05-04-2017, 02:47 PM

We very seldom have an electric hook up, so we have seldom used the microwave. We use the gas oven on most trips. Maybe just once or twice a trip, but I would pick it over the microwave every time. In other words, a lot depends on where you're going to camp. We like a more private campsite, we just aren't that social.

Doc Foster · 05-04-2017, 03:49 PM

We opted for the convection microwave instead of the oven. We always have a generator for boondocking so can have either A/C or microwave. Deleting the oven gave us 2 more drawers of kitchen storage!

ASaddiction · 05-04-2017, 04:21 PM

Congrats on your 2017! We have a Int signature 2014 and am really envious of the changes AS has made in these units! We have the microwave/convection oven that has been a trial to get used to. First a woman wasn't involved in the making of this unit! I have to sit on the floor to read the LED display that indicates how to operate the oven or microwave, and no one could from above, it's not just my age! My husband would love to have the gas oven, but some friends have had trouble with the lighting of that oven. I would love to have both, so you've got the best of all worlds that I can see! I would love to have the propane oven available when boondocking, but we've adjusted the meals for stove top meals. I'm also envious of the quieter AC unit. Good luck!

Adventure.AS · 05-04-2017, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by retiree

In our shopping for a 2017 25' International we noticed that the RB's are fitted with both a gas oven and usually the convection/microwave installed above the fridge. The FB's have the convection/microwave only, in place of the gas oven. We won't be roasting the Thanksgiving turkey in the Airstream, but are both ovens usually used or is the convection/microwave sufficient for most folks?

We purchased the RB model and one of the reasons was both ovens. The other two main reasons were larger lavatory and lighter tongue weight.

dkottum · 05-04-2017, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KJRitchie

While the 25RB has a larger bath the shower has a shelf that extends the full width of the shower that makes standing up in the shower not as easy as the 25fb which has only a half shelf. Even that makes standing up not as comfortable if the shelf was not there or only in the corner. The wheel well is not under the shower in the 25fb so I'm not sure why the shelf takes up so much space. Do people really sit on this shelf while taking a shower?

Kelvin

Kelvin, we couldn't stand up where that seat is along the outboard side of our Airstream anyway, it's located under the curvature of the roof. Does make a useful seat, though. I set shower stuff there, and putting my foot up there makes it easy to wash them. After some 1300 nights in our FC 25 RB, never considered the bath seat a problem, rather an asset.

We do like the choice of cooking because sometimes we are without hookups (gas oven) sometimes with hookups (convection oven), sometimes reheat pr prepare a quick meal (microwave).

wheelygoode · 05-04-2017, 06:14 PM

Our LandYacht motorhome has the convection/microwave only. It is the first unit we have had without a gas oven, and I really miss it, but I like to bake. Our micro/conv. has just one element, on the top, and things like cakes and muffins get too brown on top before being baked through. And of course you need to run the gen. to use it while boondocking.
If you never bake, or seldom boondocks, you will be fine with the combo.

eggman · 05-04-2017, 09:06 PM

Our first home , back in the late 80's, had no oven except for a microwave /convection. We got along fine. The only issue I had with it was size... it was difficult to have the right size cookware for it. My 2005 airstream has gas oven and microwave, no convection. We rarely use the oven since it's hard to light and we like outdoor camp cooking when we're camping. But if I loved to bake, or if I were traveling for months or seasons at a time, the oven would become more important.