The big day came: we took delivery of our 2021 International FB27 on July 9th. We ordered it in November. Of 2020.
If you live in the midwest I highly recommend Campers Inn RV in Naperville, IL. The salesperson timely responded to all of my emails, and was upfront and realistic on the timeline for delivery. In November she said it would come off the line in mid June. It came off the line in mid June. It was shipped to Illinois, prepped and I took delivery in early July. The orientation tour was outstanding! The technician was extremely competent, knowledgeable and patient.
We brought it home, loaded it and took it out for a few nights in a campsite not too far away, but not too close, either. Here are a few things that I've picked up that I thought I'd put out there for other new Airstream owners:
(Not in any particular order.)
1) Twenty seven feet is big. I'm really glad I looked up the actual dimensions of the FB27 (which is really 28' long) and measured my driveway. It fits like I imagined it. On the inside, it is bigger than I thought it was going to be. We only got to walk around inside a Globetrotter 30', so I wasn't sure if I would find the 27' "big enough". I'm happy to report that it is.
2) Airstreams are to RVs as Harley-Davidsons are to motorcycles. A pure dream to take onto the freeway. And my F-150 pulls my 27' just fine. My next truck will be an F-250, but not because I think a half ton isn't big enough. I just like bigger trucks and have not had a justifiable (to myself) excuse to buy a 3/4 ton since I last towed a horse trailer. (For the record, owning an Airstream is much, much better than owning horses. Trust me on this.) I will probably use my 1/2 ton for a few more years.
3) Ford's "Tow" mode is quite helpful. I'm impressed. Earlier models of F-150's I've owned you could hardly tell any difference when switching into tow mode. Mine, a 2019, uses the engine to assist in braking. Merely taking the foot off the gas and touching the brake will start the truck to start downshifting (the truck has a 10-speed transmission). You can take your foot off the brake and the truck will continue to downshift and slow you down, until you touch the gas again. Big saver on the brakes.
4) Not all dump-stations are created equal. Some have hoses to wash out the black water tank, some don't. Carry a second garden hose. BTW, the straps I use to tie my pant legs when riding motorcycle are perfect for securing water hoses so they don't become a mess when stowed.
5) Don't trust the gauges on the water and holding tanks. Just because something gives you a two digit reading, doesn't mean it is accurate to two digits. I've found that the fresh water tank will indicate 100% when filling long before the fresh water tank is actually full! A more realistic interpretation on mine would be "Close to full", "about halfway full", "just about empty".
6) Keep all of your manuals in one easy to reach place. As good as our orientation was, the human brain just cannot learn everything at once.
7) Craftsman makes a great battery-powered vacuum cleaner for trailers.
8) I've been able to make campground reservations for future trips this summer (I held off making too many reservations until I actually took delivery). However, it does take time. I spent 3 hours the other day finding 4 sites. The campground we stayed at last week was pretty near full every night. I wouldn't want to do too much traveling without reservations.
9) It was worth the wait. We're looking forward to getting back on the road.
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