23 versus a 25

[gafulham]

Greetings -- I did use the search on this topic but most of the entries (if not all) were from 2009...
We are in the market for a new or slightly used 23FB twin or 25 FB twin. I love the layout of the 25FB and my TV (2018 Toyota Tundra) can, I believe, handle either one. My biggest concern, unfortunately, is the commode. My wife and I are both tall (6'4" and 5'11") and neither of us are petite. I am concerned that the leg and hip room on the 25FB bathroom may be too restrictive for us. Any thoughts?

[jeffmc306]

gafulham, welcome to the Airstream Community and forums!

We started with a 2018 23FB due to it’s lower tongue weight but really wanted a 25’. In fact, we did sign the papers for a 25RB then realized we shouldn’t risk it.

We did like the 23’s generous rear bath area but found the u-shaped dinette uncomfortable. I ended up making a custom table top that was about 2” shorter in length so it didn’t hit us in the stomach.

The other thing to contend with is the sideways queen. Someone is going to draw the short straw and end up on the window side. There’s not a lot of room to navigate for night time bathroom visits.

At the end of the season we paid a visit to our Airstream dealer to talk to our salesperson about the shortcomings. Long story short, we traded for a 2019 27’ Globetrotter with twin beds.

Yes, the toilet area is tighter on the 25’, especially on the 27’ since the hot water heater is under the sink and the cabinet sticks out farther making it tight on knee room. However, the twin beds are longer than a queen and wider than half a queen so if you’re tall, that’s a benefit.

Don’t forget a 23’ is an 8’ wide trailer while a 25’ and larger is 8’ 5.5” so you gain room inside that way too. There’s a saying on the forum, “buy your 2nd trailer 1st”. Spend some quality time in both layouts before you decide. It’s worth it!

*Forgot to mention, we’re very happy with our 27’. The extra 2’ over the 25’ are appreciated and I don’t notice the difference behind the truck. I don’t know enough about a Tundra to comment. We tried a 1/2 ton but moved up to a 3/4 due to payload.

Good luck!
Jeff

[Dennis C]

I own a 23FB. I'm 6'4 and my wife is 6'0". We have no issues with the bathroom, except maybe the fact that the shower is a little tight. It's workable, but tight. The toilet works well, with no issues for either of us. The queen bed is fine for both of us.

Personally, I wouldn't tow a 25FB with a Tundra. Check the towing specs and you will likely see that you're at or above the max limits in a few key areas.

Good luck with your search!

[matthewk]

Originally Posted by gafulham

Greetings -- I did use the search on this topic but most of the entries (if not all) were from 2009...
We are in the market for a new or slightly used 23FB twin or 25 FB twin. I love the layout of the 25FB and my TV (2018 Toyota Tundra) can, I believe, handle either one. My biggest concern, unfortunately, is the commode. My wife and I are both tall (6'4" and 5'11") and neither of us are petite. I am concerned that the leg and hip room on the 25FB bathroom may be too restrictive for us. Any thoughts?

I am 6'4" 275. We bought a 2021 23FB, and within about 90 days moved to a 2021 25FB. I have no problem with space in the commode, it's not palatial, but I am plenty comfortable (oddly the 27 commode is quite cramped). We love the 25. You'd be surprised what a difference the 6" of width makes and not having the side dinette makes it enjoyable on a rainy day.

[ASWinos]

We had to decide between both of those two units and finally chose the 25 FBT. I am 6’ and 220 lbs and find the 25 BR is a bit tight but I try to spend as little time in there as possible. However, i really enjoy having my morning joe around the dining table with a view of the lake or ocean. That sold me right there!

[waninae39]

the 25FB FC will be our next model in a few years
up from our existing 22FB sport

[majorairhead]

Originally Posted by gafulham

My biggest concern, unfortunately, is the commode.

This was one of the reasons we chose the RB twin....it has the bathroom configuration we like. That, in addition to the increased outside storage.

There are always tradeoffs. The showers are different in the RB and FB. The FB has the 'L' shape, the RB has the 'straight' seating platform.

I'm 6'1" and find the bathroom in the RB to be the best, but the shower is tight.

All my opinion only

[Big Red1]

Originally Posted by matthewk

I am 6'4" 275. We bought a 2021 23FB, and within about 90 days moved to a 2021 25FB. I have no problem with space in the commode, it's not palatial, but I am plenty comfortable (oddly the 27 commode is quite cramped). We love the 25. You'd be surprised what a difference the 6" of width makes and not having the side dinette makes it enjoyable on a rainy day.

We have a 2021 23FCFB and would like to upgrade to the 25FCFT. Talked to our dealer about a trade and their offer was way out of line. What dealer were you working with? I realize that inventory is very low but we will keep the 23FB and have it converted to the twins unless we can find a reasonable deal. Any thoughts or recommendations would be appreciated.

[uraljohn]

Originally Posted by gafulham

Greetings -- I did use the search on this topic but most of the entries (if not all) were from 2009...
We are in the market for a new or slightly used 23FB twin or 25 FB twin. I love the layout of the 25FB and my TV (2018 Toyota Tundra) can, I believe, handle either one. My biggest concern, unfortunately, is the commode. My wife and I are both tall (6'4" and 5'11") and neither of us are petite. I am concerned that the leg and hip room on the 25FB bathroom may be too restrictive for us. Any thoughts?

Go look at a FC 25 Rear Bed Twin. Nice large bathroom. Same size bathroom as in a FC 30. The front bed layout in the FC 25 leaves you with a cramped bathroom. At 6'4" I can not imagine what it would be like trying to fit in the front bed bathroom. I am 6'1" and the larger rear bed bathroom is quite nice.

[Jrcat]

We have never had a problem with the 25FB Queen. I am the wife and sleeps next to the window, and when I need to get up, I just scoot out the foot end. Not an issue for me.

[moosetags]

We have a long history of camping in a 25FB and a 23FB. We have owned both over the past 15 years. We started with a 2005 Safari 25FB Queen. The Queen was the only available bed configuration at the time. This was Old Lucy. We camped in her for eight years (1,325 nights/114,000 miles). Late in 2013, we decided that downsizing might be a good idea. We traded Old Lucy in on a very lightly used 2012 Flying Cloud 23FB Queen (again the only bed configuration available at that time), and named her Little Lucy. We camped and traveled in Little Lucy for about a year (148 nights/15,000 miles). In October of 2014, we decided that a 25FB better fit our camping style. We traded little Lucy in on a brand new 2015 Flying Cloud 25FB Twin, which we call New Lucy. We have been camping in New Lucy for the past six years (584 nights/62,500 miles).

We have enjoyed all of our Airstream camping experiences immensely. Here is our assessment of the 23FB vs. the 25FB. The 23FB is 6" narrower than the 25FB. That doesn't sound like much, but that 6" is out the center aisle as all of the interior components are the same size. Accordingly, the interior does not feel as spacious. We much preferred the two door larger refrigerator/freezer in the 25FB. We also prefer the shower in the 25FB that is separate from the bathroom. Probably the biggest issue for us was that the black tank in the 23FB is less than half the size of the one in the 25FB. The black tank in the 25FB can last us a week between dumps. The 23FB was only good for two to three days.

Whatever you choose, we are sure that you will enjoy it.

Brian

[majorairhead]

Originally Posted by moosetags

Probably the biggest issue for us was that the black tank in the 23FB is less than half the size of the one in the 25FB. The black tank in the 25FB can last us a week between dumps. The 23FB was only good for two to three days.

Excellent point, and one often missed in these type of discussions. That larger black and/or grey tank size can be REAL handy for sure.

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Hi, we bought a brand new 2005 25' Safari and still have it. I think the floor plans in this era were better than the new ones.

(1.) Our trailer came with a stove top, a microwave, and an oven. Most newer trailers only came with two of the above.

(2.) Our bathroom is all in one location. Not half on one side and half on the other side.

(3.) It seems that all newer Airstreams and even SOB's have straight up back rests that are very uncomfortable. Mine are at an angle.

(4.) At the time, a 25'er was the smallest Airstream trailer with an island queen bed. If we had bought a trailer about 10 years later we would have bought a 23'er.

(5.) We are in our 70's and the sideways queen still works for us. Note: the king and queen still like each other so no twins for us.


Hope you find what works best for you, I know we did.

[JoeHTP]

Same with us, scooting to the end of the bed is how I do it, it is really a non-issue.

Originally Posted by Jrcat

We have never had a problem with the 25FB Queen. I am the wife and sleeps next to the window, and when I need to get up, I just scoot out the foot end. Not an issue for me.

[gafulham]

I was told that this Forum was the "go to" place for information but this exceeds my expectations. Thank you so much -- great info!! - and I am particularly appreciative for the insight on the Rear Bed configuration. That seems like the best combination based on the floor plans.
I hope that one day we can be as helpful as you all have been!!

[zapper]

Originally Posted by gafulham

I was told that this Forum was the "go to" place for information but this exceeds my expectations. Thank you so much -- great info!! - and I am particularly appreciative for the insight on the Rear Bed configuration. That seems like the best combination based on the floor plans.
I hope that one day we can be as helpful as you all have been!!

Just a quick note. Our 2006 25' Safari FB had the bed transverse to the centerline. My petite wife slept next to the window. Meaning she had to crawl over me to use the bathroom at night. When doing the crawl gymnastics she would support herself with her hands on the door jambs between the bathroom and shower. Until one night half asleep she missed the door jambs and fell head first onto the floor. Her concussion cured us of the 25', bought the 30' with the bed on a centerline the next week. I realize not everyone would have a coordination challenge, but c**p happens. Who knew?

[WP53]

Originally Posted by Big Red1

We have a 2021 23FCFB and would like to upgrade to the 25FCFT. Talked to our dealer about a trade and their offer was way out of line. What dealer were you working with? I realize that inventory is very low but we will keep the 23FB and have it converted to the twins unless we can find a reasonable deal. Any thoughts or recommendations would be appreciated.

When we put in the order for our new FC 25 FBT, the dealer offer for our Sport 22 was more than $12,000 below the NADA listed value, which is generally a good bit lower than the actual market value. The salesman from the dealer recommended that we sell it ourselves. We ended up selling the Sport 22 to friends for $4,000 above the NADA value, and probably could have sold it for $2,000 or so more than that. I would strongly recommend selling your trailer yourself; you will certainly do much better than including it in a trade.


As for the original discussion topic - we looked hard at both the FC 23 and the FC 25 for our new trailer. For all the reasons listed in previous posts, we greatly preferred the 25 FBT. If the FC 23 was available with twin beds - we possibly would have gone for that, but the problems with the lounge are well described in multiple threads on the Forum. We didn't want to go up to the Globetrotter 23 FBT with the added price and power awning that has caused a lot of problems. We feel really good with our decision.

[Dennis C]

Either would be a great choice. One thing you need to consider is how and where you will camp. My wife and I often camp in state or national parks, or we boondock. Many of these parks only allow a truck-trailer combo of 45’ or less. Ours is approximately 43-1/2 feet with the 23FB. The 25’ would probably be too big for what we need. We also tend to camp as a couple, with our dog. The 23 footer is perfect for a couple, but a bit of a stretch for more people. A 25 footer would be better if you often camp with more than 2 people.

[Piggy Bank]

We are on our 3rd airstream. Our first was a 22 sport--very similar layout to the 23 FB. Liked it fine, especially because the bathroom had a window. But the tanks were not large and we yearned for the table with the panoramic windows.
The 22 was badly damaged in an accident and we traded to a 25 Rear Bed Twin.

We Loved the rear bed twin arrangement. So much exterior storage.

The tongue weight is lower than the front bed. Also had a microwave and oven.

Sadly, the 25 was damaged badly in a highway accident and we traded again. This time for a 27 front bed twin. We do enjoy the 27 as it has better interior storage. But we vastly preferred the rear bed for quiet when sleeping. And the exterior storage.

We have pulled all with a Tundra. We are very mindful of loading as the payload is not generous. Been to Yellowstone 3 times, and to Glacier and Banff as well. The Tundra performs very well for us.

[gafulham]

Originally Posted by Piggy Bank

We are on our 3rd airstream. Our first was a 22 sport--very similar layout to the 23 FB. Liked it fine, especially because the bathroom had a window. But the tanks were not large and we yearned for the table with the panoramic windows.
The 22 was badly damaged in an accident and we traded to a 25 Rear Bed Twin.

We Loved the rear bed twin arrangement. So much exterior storage.

The tongue weight is lower than the front bed. Also had a microwave and oven.

Sadly, the 25 was damaged badly in a highway accident and we traded again. This time for a 27 front bed twin. We do enjoy the 27 as it has better interior storage. But we vastly preferred the rear bed for quiet when sleeping. And the exterior storage.

We have pulled all with a Tundra. We are very mindful of loading as the payload is not generous. Been to Yellowstone 3 times, and to Glacier and Banff as well. The Tundra performs very well for us.

Great info! Thanks!