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Old 09-21-2020, 01:21 AM   #1
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2020 27' International
Brentwood , California
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 43
2020 versus 2021 International + Factory Solar

My first post here. Looking at buying our first Airstream. 2020 International 27 FBT. It has the solar. Is this option worth the $$$ or just invest in a decent generator. Most of the time we'll be on the CA coast with hookups. Also trying the to figure out if I should order one and wait till next spring for it to arrive....

One other question - are the Goodyear tires really that bad? I hear that some choose to upgrade to 16" and something like a Michelin.

Going to quit working next year - Got the new F250 paid off - next stop the Airstream for occasional runs.
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Old 09-30-2020, 02:38 AM   #2
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I was looking at the factory installed solar until I realized for the same price I could get a much better system with a lot more output. There's some wiring on the roof already so you just need to add panels and a charge controller. That's the way I would go again.
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Old 09-30-2020, 07:09 AM   #3
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2012 25' FB International
Trent Woods , North Carolina
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hobbie1 View Post
My first post here. Looking at buying our first Airstream. 2020 International 27 FBT. It has the solar. Is this option worth the $$$ or just invest in a decent generator. Most of the time we'll be on the CA coast with hookups. Also trying the to figure out if I should order one and wait till next spring for it to arrive....

One other question - are the Goodyear tires really that bad? I hear that some choose to upgrade to 16" and something like a Michelin.

Going to quit working next year - Got the new F250 paid off - next stop the Airstream for occasional runs.
A commonly overlooked positive about solar is that, assuming you store your trailer outside, it keeps the batteries charged and extends their life. If you are buying used and it has solar, it will also have AGM batteries so that is a good thing. I agree that if what you buy does not have solar, you are better off having someone install solar...more capability at a better price.
Larry
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Old 09-30-2020, 09:02 AM   #4
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2019 30' Flying Cloud
Katy , Texas
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Originally Posted by lsbrodsky View Post
A commonly overlooked positive about solar is that, assuming you store your trailer outside, it keeps the batteries charged and extends their life. If you are buying used and it has solar, it will also have AGM batteries so that is a good thing. I agree that if what you buy does not have solar, you are better off having someone install solar...more capability at a better price.
Larry
True story. This is valid even for mostly-enclosed storage. My storage location is closed on all sides, but open in the front. There is still enough ambient light to give me a modest charge, even though I'm not in direct sun.

This was really useful last winter, when the breaker for storage power tripped. My trailer went about a month with no charger on the batteries, but I found them in at 95% status when I finally checked in on things.
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Old 10-04-2020, 12:26 AM   #5
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2020 27' International
Brentwood , California
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hobbie1 View Post
My first post here. Looking at buying our first Airstream. 2020 International 27 FBT. It has the solar. Is this option worth the $$$ or just invest in a decent generator. Most of the time we'll be on the CA coast with hookups. Also trying the to figure out if I should order one and wait till next spring for it to arrive....

One other question - are the Goodyear tires really that bad? I hear that some choose to upgrade to 16" and something like a Michelin.

Going to quit working next year - Got the new F250 paid off - next stop the Airstream for occasional runs.
We pickup our new 2020 oct 15th - the solar is standard. We got it for roughly 20% off the window sticker. International Serenity FB27T with solar and dual air. Looking forward to this adventure. Seemed like a fair deal.
Dealer is Installing the Andersen sway control setup.
Looking for suggestions on a hitch lock product.
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Old 10-10-2020, 07:17 AM   #6
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2020 28' International
Wilmington , North Carolina
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Enjoy the new unit!
I also have the solar standard on our 28 International and really like it - it is just a no brainer integrated approach... We had it on our previous 25 Flying Cloud and found it to be bullet proof and very reliable.
In terms of tires, I find the Goodyears tires excellent, have had no issues. I would however suggest the purchase of a Tire Pressure Monitor System - I bought the TMS unit and am very happy with it. Like so many other things, most of the folks who spend the money and effort on changing to 16" tires talk profusely about how great they are, but I'm not convinced that is a worthwhile investment - just my opinion.
Be safe -
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Old 10-10-2020, 07:26 AM   #7
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2021 33FB Classic
City , West Virginia
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Originally Posted by hobbie1 View Post
We pickup our new 2020 oct 15th - the solar is standard. We got it for roughly 20% off the window sticker. International Serenity FB27T with solar and dual air. Looking forward to this adventure. Seemed like a fair deal.

Dealer is Installing the Andersen sway control setup.

Looking for suggestions on a hitch lock product.


Congrats on the AS purchase. Sounds like you got a decent deal too. I did some research and talked to some friends who have this lock. I just purchased it for my Classic 33.

https://www.provenlocks.com/products/model-2516-as
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Old 01-11-2021, 01:59 PM   #8
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2020 27' International
Brentwood , California
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Originally Posted by AnnaBelle33 View Post
Congrats on the AS purchase. Sounds like you got a decent deal too. I did some research and talked to some friends who have this lock. I just purchased it for my Classic 33.

https://www.provenlocks.com/products/model-2516-as
Got the Proven Lock you mentioned for a 2020 model. Works great.
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Old 03-19-2021, 12:19 PM   #9
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2020 27' International
Brentwood , California
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Originally Posted by etojeo View Post
Enjoy the new unit!
I also have the solar standard on our 28 International and really like it - it is just a no brainer integrated approach... We had it on our previous 25 Flying Cloud and found it to be bullet proof and very reliable.
In terms of tires, I find the Goodyears tires excellent, have had no issues. I would however suggest the purchase of a Tire Pressure Monitor System - I bought the TMS unit and am very happy with it. Like so many other things, most of the folks who spend the money and effort on changing to 16" tires talk profusely about how great they are, but I'm not convinced that is a worthwhile investment - just my opinion.
Be safe -
Quick question - Which TMS unit did you purchase?
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Old 03-27-2021, 08:50 PM   #10
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2020 30' International
Ingleside , Illinois
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One big difference between the 2020 and the 2021 is the composite flooring in the newer model. We have a 2020 and I wish it had the composite. However we're still glad we ordered when we did. 2020 was the last year for the Serenity which we really like (Went with the Salsa). Not the biggest fan of the redesigned theme.
Regarding Goodyear tires, the new Endurance seems to be a really good tire. It replaced the Goodyear Marathon which seemed to have been plagued with numerous problems.
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Old 04-29-2021, 08:47 AM   #11
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Late model 2020's have the composite flooring.
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