Can a Ford Flex tow an Airstream

[Underblog]

I just returned from a dealer here in Albuquerque, and I think I am smitten with a 2004 22' Safari. Will my normally-aspirated 2010 Ford Flex be adequate to the task?

I do like the 2 batteries vs the one on the Sport, and the second axle seems to be a more stable tow than on the Bambi's..

[dkottum]

Originally Posted by Underblog

I just returned from a dealer here in Albuquerque, and I think I am smitten with a 2004 22' Safari. Will my normally-aspirated 2010 Ford Flex be adequate to the task?

I do like the 2 batteries vs the one on the Sport, and the second axle seems to be a more stable tow than on the Bambi's..

The Flex may be okay but research the troubled maintenance history of those 22' Safari/International models. I think this is the ones with woefully inadequate frames, weak frame outriggers, OSB subfloors, and no underbody enclosure?

doug k

[Gene]

Originally Posted by dkottum

The Flex may be okay but research the troubled maintenance history of those 22' Safari/International models. I think this is the ones with woefully inadequate frames, weak frame outriggers, OSB subfloors, and no underbody enclosure?

doug k

Doug may be right. There were some really bad Airstreams during those years as they tried extreme cost cutting. Research this thoroughly. I find it hard to remember exactly which years were the bad ones.

The Sport models are made for no more than one night boondocking for most people as they have small tanks; they work better for campgrounds with full hookups.

Gene

[ReySFaust]

Looooove Air Forums! Wealth of knowledge and experience, interesting reading! All we need is an open mind and good judgement to filter out the information that work for each individual, like my needs. Great job guys! The more I read Air Forums, the more I feel happier about the Airstream ownership. Well, that's out of the way!

In the past few months, I have been contemplating on the Flex. I wondered if it is capable. I am glad I found this thread.

Like many, my lady & I are slowing down, eventually stop working and travel this great land. We figured it would be more enjoyable than Cruise ships and the health hazards that came with the price. Since we got the Safari last January, 2013 we have been doing short week ends on our 2005 19'. I am lucky to have few capable TVs (by coincidence), a decent Ram 1500 I kept from my recently closed architectural & construction business, my personal H2 SUT and her daily X5. Used all three out of curiosity during these past months. All are different and all have potentials to be good TVs, but I lean towards the H2 SUT. I spent a decent amount on the WD and hitch tounge lowering to level the AS. I must admit, the H2 SUT with lockable tonneau, roof rack for our tandem kayak & AS 19' Safari combination is desireable, except for the AS ground clearance to match, which I'd be willing to spend on, if it can be done with out loosing stability.

Being in Southern Nevada, we navigated long flat freeways, went up & down hills of Big Bear Lake & Yosemite Califronia, Southern Utah and Colorado. Obviously, the two larger vehicles were used when boondocking was part of the plans, hence a generator and Solar panels are part of the load besides extra gallons of water and gas.

I am drawn to the Flex for the plain & simple design (same reasons that has drawn us to Airstream) and of course cargo capacity. I also figured we can go to Northern California and not worry about staying with our son in SFO (where big truck haters & tree huggers are) for few days.

[slowmover]

Look to comments by Andrew Thomson of CAN AM RV (Andrew_T) on the Flex, and why its' attributes make it a recommendation. And, Welcome!

[JackDog]

Underblog;

We have a 2013 16' Sport and yes it does have limitations as it pertains to the holding capacity of the grey/black combo tank but if you are careful you can do multiple nights when dry camping.

We also travel with a 10 gallon wheeled water caddy that we use to drain the tank and dump at the campsites with dump stations to extend our stay without having to move the trailer.

When we purchased our Sport we had the AS dealer add an additional battery and along with the LED lights we installed inside we're good in having lights during multiple nights of dry camping.

As far as being a single axle AS we tow with our Jeep Liberty and with our stabilizer / sway hitch combo the trailer feels like it cemented to our TV.

Where our little tin can really shines is the ability to get into to tight campsites, gas stations, parking lots or anyplace tight were we need to turn around.

Also, our 16' has by far the largest outside storage of any AS I've seen. It came with eight tupperwear tubs for storage. We ended up using only 4 (2 large and 2 small which left us with extra space for things like our camp chairs, folding dining table etc. We love the fact that the only item left inside on the bed is our soft sided luggage bag.

Good Luck
Jack Dog
in So Cal

[Dia]

Hi, everyone!

Newbie here, first post.

I have a few question for you Ford Flex people, please.

I'm looking for one at present, and I'd like to know what your opinions are on the following:

* AWD or FWD?
* standard engine or Ecoboost?
* Any details re: model years I should know about? Bad years, big improvements in something, etc.
* We will be traveling with cat(s). Leather or cloth?

I figured I should get my TV sorted before I start looking at trailers, but I'm looking pretty light. The stated #4500 lbs on the Flex will be enough.

I'd especially like to hear from those of you who have consulted with Andy T. Feel free to PM me if you prefer that to posting on the board.

Thanks in advance!

Dia

[Stefrobrts]

Hi Dia! My advice is to sort out the trailer first, though Tow Vehicle research certainly doesn't hurt. If you find the perfect trailer you could have it for a long time, and tow vehicles may come and go.

I'm interested to see the responses, I've had my eye on the Ford Flex for a while as well.

[Road Ruler]

Originally Posted by Dia

Hi, everyone!

Newbie here, first post.

I have a few question for you Ford Flex people, please.

I'm looking for one at present, and I'd like to know what your opinions are on the following:

* AWD or FWD?
* standard engine or Ecoboost?
* Any details re: model years I should know about? Bad years, big improvements in something, etc.
* We will be traveling with cat(s). Leather or cloth?

I figured I should get my TV sorted before I start looking at trailers, but I'm looking pretty light. The stated #4500 lbs on the Flex will be enough.

I'd especially like to hear from those of you who have consulted with Andy T. Feel free to PM me if you prefer that to posting on the board.

Thanks in advance!

Dia

There is some info here that may relate to some of your questions as the Taurus has many components as the Flex. (scroll to page 6) http://rvlifemag.dgtlpub.com/issues/...2013-08-31.pdf

Also the ConsumerReports auto issue shows the 2010 and later Flexs are reliable and on their recommended short list.

[DKB_SATX]

Originally Posted by Dia

Hi, everyone!

Newbie here, first post.

I have a few question for you Ford Flex people, please.

I'm looking for one at present, and I'd like to know what your opinions are on the following:

* AWD or FWD?
* standard engine or Ecoboost?
* Any details re: model years I should know about? Bad years, big improvements in something, etc.
* We will be traveling with cat(s). Leather or cloth?

I figured I should get my TV sorted before I start looking at trailers, but I'm looking pretty light. The stated #4500 lbs on the Flex will be enough.

I'd especially like to hear from those of you who have consulted with Andy T. Feel free to PM me if you prefer that to posting on the board.

Thanks in advance!

Dia

Take Stephanie's advice at least as far as making the final decision. There are plenty of tow vehicles out there of every description, but you won't know which one suits you best until you know what you'll be towing. We actually owned the Argosy for over a month before I got a tow vehicle, because I found the trailer at the same time that my partner was graduating (and our families were coming for that celebration) and I was re-financing the house because we found out we were staying here. I bought the Argosy right away because it was "a find" but I could've waited even longer to buy the tow vehicle. We didn't go for a camping trip for nearly 2 months after we bought it, which has turned out to be the longest period the Argosy has sat unused since then by a long shot!

To address specific questions about the Flex, though: The 2WD Flex is FWD, so I would lean toward AWD. Highway-oriented tires on the Flex plus wet grass and a hilly campground could be enough to pay for the cost- and mpg-penalty for AWD.

I'm a bit of a lead-footed hooligan when I'm not towing, so I'd buy the Ecoboost for the fun-factor alone. That will also pay off if you buy a biggish trailer, or camp a lot at higher altitudes where the turbos let you keep more of your sea-level power. However, I know a woman with a little 60s trailer who is quite pleased with her normally-aspirated Flex in the Texas Hill Country (not enough elevation for that to make a difference, but plenty of hills to climb when traveling.)

[Dia]

Thanks, Stefrobrts, Road Ruler and DTB SATX.

The trailer is a sticky wicket. Our current vehicles, a Prius and a 2011 Sonata (turbo 4), won't tow. By the time we upgrade to a tow vehicle, we've only got 10k or so for the trailer - and that means we might have to start with something other than an AS.

I've read that people tend to go through multiple trailer/TV combinations before they're settled, so I'm trying to make the first 'mistake' as cheaply as possible.

The TV will be my daily driver. We've got a teen who will be driving in a few years, so we're debating between new-ish and nice or something older that we could turn over to the kid when the time comes. (And *then* Mom gets new and nice. )

If we get the trailer now, we have nothing to tow with. If we get a halfway decent TV squared away, we can wait a year or so while we look for the trailer.

We could just wait on both, of course, but we'd still have to do the research and make the decision.

Cheers!

Dia

[DKB_SATX]

Just to give you a general idea, I paid $7k for my first Argosy (the 1975 24' trailer), and it was ready to go camping the day I bought it. I *have* updated and upgraded a few things over time, and it was ready for new axles even though I traveled a few thousand miles on the stiff old ones before I got around to that, but I still feel like it was worth what I paid. $10k can get you a quite-decent older Airstream if you find one that's been well-maintained and regularly used. It may not be a mirror-polished head-turner, but if traveling and camping is more important than using the side of the trailer to style your hair, there are good trailers out there in the ballpark of your budget.

[Dia]

Originally Posted by DKB_SATX

It may not be a mirror-polished head-turner, but if traveling and camping is more important than using the side of the trailer to style your hair, there are good trailers out there in the ballpark of your budget.

That's really good to know - thanks!

[m.hony]

As to leather or cloth interior-

We travel with a cat. So far she hasn't scratched the leather in our Tundra or the Ultra-leather in our Airstream- but we lay a towel down on the couch to protect it.
All of our cars have leather and we have leather furniture in the house. The leather in my 1999 Nissan Pathfinder still looks new except the bottom cushion on the driver's side.
There are a couple of scratches in the couch cushion at home from a startled cat.
Our daughter has a dog and her car has leather seats. Her seats still look new in a 2006 Ford 500.
I like leather because of its durability and resistance to food and drink stains.

[Dia]

Thenks, m.hony!

It's looking like AWD, Ecoboost and leather, then, hmmm?

[DKB_SATX]

Originally Posted by Dia

Thenks, m.hony!

It's looking like AWD, Ecoboost and leather, then, hmmm?

I doubt you'll find an Ecoboost Flex without leather, actually. So it's good that it all lines up.

[Stefrobrts]

It can take a long time to find the perfect AS, and then you usually have to jump on it when it comes along. If you have a chance, find some trailer rallies to go to, WBCCi, or Forum rallies, and get a chance to look at some trailers and talk to people and start figuring out what you like and don't like. I've never been to a rally where folks weren't happy to show newbies around. I have found myself giving tours just when we're out camping and people are curious to see what an Airstream is like inside!

$10k is a really nice amount to have to start looking with. I agree, you can probably find a nice usable trailer in that price range, and personalize it as you go. When I bought my trailer ten years ago everyone kept saying it 'would do' until I was ready to upgrade, but I'm still not ready to upgrade

[Dia]

AS question, please - my folks live in the Palm Springs area where things like seatbelt buckles get hot enough to cause burns if you leave a car in full sun in the summer.

What does heat like that do to an AS? Does it cause expansion / contraction problems? Won't it make the interior uncomfortably hot? OK, so 97 is already uncomfortably hot, but does an AS get hotter than a white-exterior trailer in the sun?

[DKB_SATX]

Airstreams do in fact get hot in the sun. Newer airstreams have white roof panels to help with this (and my Argosy is off-white, and the PO put some KoolSeal-type product on it... it does OK in the sun.)

The color is part of it, and the aluminum construction that helps our trailers last so long is another part, it transmits heat better than plywood-and-plastic white trailers.

Shade and awnings help out a lot, but I think the wheels are the best way to keep the trailer cool... isn't everyplace in California relatively close to the mountains?

[m.hony]

Originally Posted by Dia

Thenks, m.hony!

It's looking like AWD, Ecoboost and leather, then, hmmm?

Come to think of it...
I've never seen a Flex with cloth interior...