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Old 09-22-2022, 10:34 AM   #1
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2023 23' Flying Cloud
Fargo/Bozeman , ND/MT
Join Date: Jul 2020
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23’ vs 25’

Making plans to order a 2023 Flying 23’ or 25’ with twins beds. Tow vehicle is a 2020 GMC Sierra (1/2 ton) with 6.2 liter engine. I assume that should pull the 23’ fine. My question is, how much difference will the 25” make? Will I be wishing I had a 3/4 ton pickup? Thanks! The 25’ models sure seem to have a lot more room.
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Old 09-22-2022, 10:48 AM   #2
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2019 25' Flying Cloud
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23 vs 25

Get the 25. We started with a 2017 International Serenity 23D. Had it 2 years. Nice trailer. We traveled 20k miles with it. Then went to a 2019 Flying Cloud Rear Bed Twin. Huge difference. First it is 81/2' wide vs 8' wide for the 23. Major advantage. Towing it was no different. It actually feels a bit more stable, maybe because of the extra 6" in width. We have about 20k miles on it and spend 120 nights per year in it at Land Yacht Harbor in Melbourne, Fl.

Buy your second trailer first. We were fortunate to sell our first AS for almost exactly what we had in it and got a killer deal on the FC in April of 2019.

Your TV should handle the 25' with no problem. May have to watch your payload numbers but it is very doable. Get that 25'!!!

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Old 09-22-2022, 11:20 AM   #3
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2017 25' International
West Lake Hills , Texas
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 100954 View Post
Will I be wishing I had a 3/4 ton pickup? Thanks! The 25’ models sure seem to have a lot more room.
Depends. And plenty of opinions...

A half-ton with a stripped down trim package will likely have enough payload for the 25. Payload must accommodate some of the hitch and all occupants (yes...the driver, too). Assumes a full tank of fuel.

Short trips require less gear than long trips. I carry a bunch of tools and difficult-to-source (while on the road) replacement parts. If freezing temps are possible I carry an air compressor for winterizing. For a short trip, I could run home for whatever I need or hitch up and run home.

You can stow some gear in the trailer but then you are transferring it from trailer to truck when you set up camp and stumbling over it during pit stops. A nuisance but not insurmountable. Depending on what you put there, it beats up the floor of the trailer.

Bigger trailer will tend to push the truck around a bit. It will outweigh the truck. Not likely to happen with a three-quarter ton or full ton.

We were looking for a 23 and came upon a lightly used 25. TV was a 2020 F-150 Lariat 10-speed ecoBoost with max tow. Plenty of pulling power. Able to lock out gears for controlled descents. Too many amenities (worthless moon-roof) sucking up payload for our camping style which tend to be 40 to 50 days a stretch a couple of times a year.

Lots of folks make the half-ton work. We couldn't. Maybe if I had experience pulling a big trailer with a sail behind me I would have felt more comfortable. My trailering experience is farm trailers...low and occasionally overloaded but not pulled more than a few miles. We traded the F-150 for a special-order 2022 F-250 Lariat. Everything we wanted and nothing we didn't want. Old payload: 1550 at the scale (1610 on the door). New payload: 3000+ at the scale.

As for spaciousness, our 25 is nearly a 26. Sleeps us two in the queen bed (we snuggle and wintertime indoor temps are set to the mid-fifties). Sleeps a couple of teenage grandkids on the lounge and dinette. But I think we would be comfortable in a 23. Comfort may depend on body size. Wife and are relatively tall (5'6", 6'1") but what you might call wiry.

There are drawbacks to the F-250. Fuel mileage. It doesn't go to difficult to park areas; we have a Lexus GX for that. Might not fit into your garage (ours fits by about eight inches front to back and less than one inch at the top).
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Old 09-22-2022, 12:19 PM   #4
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2022 25' Flying Cloud
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Last year, I switched my order from a 2022 Caravel 22FB to a 2022 Flying Cloud 25FBQ. After one summer of camping, I have no regret whatsoever. The 25FB has a great layout. It is big enough, yet fits on pretty much any campsite. You do not need a 3/4 ton pickup. Like many others, I have had no issue towing the 25FB safely with a properly setup half ton pickup truck (Ram 1500 with 5.7L Hemi)
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Old 09-22-2022, 12:30 PM   #5
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100954,
My wife and I travel in a 2020 FC 23FQ. It is all the trailer we need. Single A/C w/ awning is fine, even in Florida. We appreciate being able to fit into state parks without concerns, but mostly being able to use the F150 which is a great daily driver. The narrower width provides an extra comfort margin on back roads.
Whatever you decide, happy travels!
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Old 09-22-2022, 01:48 PM   #6
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With the issue of the utility of a 23' vs 25' trailer AND the question of what tow vehicle to use, especially in the case of the 25', you've managed to cover two of the most discussed topics on this forum in a single question!

I tow a 25' Globetrotter with a 3/4 ton Ford diesel. I used to tow a 25' Flying Cloud with a 1/2 ton Ford EcoBoost. It was doable but I was over the payload limits of the truck (it was before I really knew any better). It's possible to spec a 1/2 ton with an adequate payload capacity but IMHO towing a 25' with a 3/4 ton is a better experience overall. Just my $.02 on that point.

With regard to trailer size, a 25' does have more room and I generally prefer the layout but a 23' works well for lots of folks. What I would suggest is to check the door jamb payload sticker of your GMC Sierra. The more options on the truck the lower the payload. Then take into account the tongue weight of the trailer you're interested in (published specs can be a couple hundred pounds under the actual ready-to-tow weight) as well as the weight of passengers, hitch, shell or tonneau cover and the gear you plan to carry. If you want to keep your existing truck, getting that info together will help you decide which trailer will work for you. Good luck.
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Old 09-22-2022, 02:01 PM   #7
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25FB or RB? Tongue weight gain is higher with the FB. That is part of the reason we went with a RB. We have 1550 payload in our SUV and, since we have only two people in the truck, it works very well for us.

I started out planning on a 23, but ended up with the 25 and am very happy with that decision.
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Old 09-22-2022, 02:28 PM   #8
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2023 23' International
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mikeinca View Post
With the issue of the utility of a 23' vs 25' trailer AND the question of what tow vehicle to use, especially in the case of the 25', you've managed to cover two of the most discussed topics on this forum in a single question!

I tow a 25' Globetrotter with a 3/4 ton Ford diesel. I used to tow a 25' Flying Cloud with a 1/2 ton Ford EcoBoost. It was doable but I was over the payload limits of the truck (it was before I really knew any better). It's possible to spec a 1/2 ton with an adequate payload capacity but IMHO towing a 25' with a 3/4 ton is a better experience overall. Just my $.02 on that point.

With regard to trailer size, a 25' does have more room and I generally prefer the layout but a 23' works well for lots of folks. What I would suggest is to check the door jamb payload sticker of your GMC Sierra. The more options on the truck the lower the payload. Then take into account the tongue weight of the trailer you're interested in (published specs can be a couple hundred pounds under the actual ready-to-tow weight) as well as the weight of passengers, hitch, shell or tonneau cover and the gear you plan to carry. If you want to keep your existing truck, getting that info together will help you decide which trailer will work for you. Good luck.
good advice
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Old 09-22-2022, 02:54 PM   #9
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2006 23' Safari SE
Nevada City , California
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We tow a 23 with the same truck. More than enough truck. The short bed limits the payload. I do use a propride hitch. I leave with a full water tank. And all the toys we expect to use.
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Old 09-22-2022, 02:57 PM   #10
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I have a 25FB. Towed with a 150 and 250. The 250 has been better for us as we full-time now, but either would work if set up properly.

The one big difference to me is the size of the black tank. If you plan to spend time outside of full hook ups, the bigger black tank will pay you back.
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Old 09-22-2022, 03:00 PM   #11
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Little falls , New York
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Smaller unit fan here. 19 footer. Wouldn’t go any bigger. Love the ease of it. All depends on your camping style. I want a nice comfy place to sleep with the dogs and am otherwise busy with adventures.
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Old 09-22-2022, 04:24 PM   #12
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Old 09-22-2022, 04:26 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeff7176 View Post
I have a 25FB. Towed with a 150 and 250. The 250 has been better for us as we full-time now, but either would work if set up properly.

The one big difference to me is the size of the black tank. If you plan to spend time outside of full hook ups, the bigger black tank will pay you back.
This is almost exactly my experience. We towed a 25 rear twin with a 2015 F150 Ecoboost, then I bought an F250. The difference was night and day.

We now have a 30 rear twin. The 54 gallons of water on board, and the 38 gallon black and grey tank size for us is a major plus!

And, that 6 inch extra width inside makes all the difference in the world when it comes to passing one another in the galley

We like the rear twin models in the 25 and 30. We think they give the best seating arrangement in the bathroom, and the 4 exterior storage units are really nice to have.

I'm sure the 23 has it's benefits, indeed. It kind of depends on several factors. Tow vehicle, camping style, expected fuel mileage, size of family, etc.
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Old 09-22-2022, 05:55 PM   #14
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I’ve towed a 25’ and 28’ with a Chevy Silverado 1500. >30,000 miles no problems. Across Rockies and Appalachians in NE multiple times. Stay within your limits and it is enough Truck.
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Old 09-22-2022, 06:33 PM   #15
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McHenry , Illinois
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We went from a FC23FB to a 27GT FBT

Quote:
Originally Posted by 100954 View Post
Making plans to order a 2023 Flying 23’ or 25’ with twins beds. Tow vehicle is a 2020 GMC Sierra (1/2 ton) with 6.2 liter engine. I assume that should pull the 23’ fine. My question is, how much difference will the 25” make? Will I be wishing I had a 3/4 ton pickup? Thanks! The 25’ models sure seem to have a lot more room.
I sense from your question there’s a hint of doubt about which model you really want. We had a similar situation and guessed wrong.

We chose a 2018 FC23FB because our tow vehicle could handle it. We had questions about the 23’ u-shaped dining area. The sideways queen wasn’t the easiest to get into if you were by the window. We actually put money down on a 25’ RBT but got cold feet when we realized the tongue weight would put us over the 770 lbs. tow vehicle’s max.

After one season we realized we loved the Airstream experience but not the limitations of the 23’. That said, the new 23’ with twin beds and different dining cushions might have been enough to keep us in it. We ended up trading for a 27’ Globetrotter because we didn’t want to make another mistake. So far, it’s payed off for us - even more galley space than the 25’.

Your 1500 would be fine with the 23’. Check your 1500’s payload - if it’s in the 1800 lbs range or more you’ll be fine. Anything less you’ll have to watch your payload.

It really depends on your camping plans and how long you plan to keep it. There are several benefits from going up to a wide-body (25’ and up). We wish we would have bought our 2nd trailer first!

Good luck with your decision!
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Old 09-22-2022, 07:52 PM   #16
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All I can do is give you my decision made in 2017. After crunching the numbers, I got the 23' because I was comfortable pulling it with an F150. If I had chosen the 25', I would have gone up to the F250. The 25' was too close to the F150 payload rating for my personal comfort. Since it is my daily driver, I really didn't want the F250.
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Old 09-22-2022, 08:05 PM   #17
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I have 1/2 ton Sierra pulling a 20FB; it’s just the two of us, our kids are all adults now.

I wouldn’t be keen on putting four in the 23, would definitely lean towards a 25 over a 23 if I was regularly bringing along a couple of kids.

But, if I switched from a single to a dual axle, I’d switch from my 1500 to a Sierra HD.
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Old 09-22-2022, 08:06 PM   #18
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We've been towing a 25 fb for 8 years now with a 1500 GMC 6L. Max Tow and Equalizer with no issues.
Would tow easily with the 6.2.
What is your payload. Max tow package?
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Old 09-22-2022, 08:09 PM   #19
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2023 23' Flying Cloud
Fort Lauderdale , Florida
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Check he sticker in the side of your door to make sure the max GVWR your vehicle is capable of is at or above the max weight of the 25'. Next check the owner manual for max hitch weight or tongue weight.

Based on an initial search, it looks like your truck would be capable of towing the 25' but google searches have misinformed me before.

If yours vehicle can tow the 25' and you have no other concerns, I personally would go for the 25'. It is my favorite model, the 25' is too heavy for my tow vehicle and the 25' would be a lot harder to fit in my driveway so I am getting ready to order a 23'.
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Old 09-22-2022, 08:43 PM   #20
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2023 25' Globetrotter
Seattle , Washington
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We chose the 25' for a few reasons. None of them are based on experience, because this will be our first trailer (expected in a month or two).

1. 25 is right in the middle of Airstream's available lengths--16 to 33
2. 25 is the shortest length with 8.5 ft width
3. We wanted the dinette on one end and bed on the other instead of the bathroom taking up one end and dinette in the middle
4. If we'd gotten a queen bed we'd have gone with 27' so the bed would be N<>S, but since we're getting twin we were good with the 25
5. I didn't realize until I read this thread that the black tank on the 23 is so much smaller. So I have another reason I'm glad we went with 25.
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