Deciding on Models

[Mair23]

Deciding between a couple of models & floor plans: Serenity 28RB, FC 28RB, or the Globetrotter Queen bed layout. We really love the interior of the Serenity Salsa but thinking with pets who will sometimes be coming with us the FC Truffle is more fur legged family friendly. Opinions please. Also the FC looks to have more storage.
Choice three is the Globetrotter. I don't like that it is missing the bedroom wardrobes but notice it has a larger wardrobe in living area. One thing I do like is the square vs round sink.
Of those three which would have most storage? We won't be full timing but will be going on trips up to a month or two. We are avid hikers so would have all our hiking gear with us.
If we lived near a dealer we would go look. We lived near a big Denver dealer up until last summer but due to a military move we are now about 1000 miles from the nearest dealer.
Our TV is a 2017 F250 6.2Gas. We aren't concerned about towing the trailer. I'm not interested in the 30 foot because of trouble getting into state, national and Canadian provincial parks.
TIA.

[OTRA15]

Welcome to the forum, and thank you for your service!

With such a large investment, it would behoove you to check out the various models in person IMO. The combined cost of your tow vehicle, and a large new Airstream, will be in the neighborhood of $150k and upwards. The total cost of flying from Newfoundland to Newark, a short drive to Colonial in NJ, and a night or two of lodging, would represent a very small percentage of your rig's total cost.

Your could contact Patrick Botticelli and Colonial, and do a lot of the preparations ahead of time. They may even offer a partial discount based on your military status, and the travel costs?

https://www.colonialairstream.com/

If you enter "Colonial" in the blue search box above, you should find that this dealer comes highly recommended. There are other AS dealers closer to you by car, for instance in Nashua NH, but Colonial will have the best inventory by far IMO.

https://www.airstreamofnashuanh.com/

A trip to see the models in person would represent "money well spent" IMO.

Good luck!

Peter

[uncle_bob]

Hi

There are very few campgrounds (Provincial, National, State ... whatever ...) that are "easy" with a 28' and "ruled out" with a 30'. There just isn't that much difference between them. Sure you will always find a site here or a site there that 2' makes a difference on, it's rare. If you really want something that goes more places, look in the 19 to 22' range.

Assuming you are buying new (which is what it sounds like), you will be spending a good chunk of money on the trailer. A weekend trip on cheap tickets to Scenic New Jersey (or some other dealer) is not that expensive by comparison.

The only way to sort the models out is by actually sitting in them yourself. There just is no other way to do it. How *you* fit is what matters. Most certainly look at stuff smaller than your "target". I'd also take a look at stuff that is larger as well. Doing this will take at least a day and possibly more. Anything under an hour just isn't enough time to "settle in" and see how this and that works for you. This or that may look great on paper. When everybody tries to sit down for dinner .... surprise !!!

If you take a look at the actual trailer sizes, there are a bunch of models in the "over 25 and under 30'" range. In some cases the model numbers fake you out about how big they actually are. There are a lot of models for a good reason - it's a *very* popular length to get.

Airstreams in general are a bit challenged in terms of outside storage. That sometimes drives people to this or that floor plan. ( = twin beds have more storage). Storage also can exist in a tow vehicle (= a large van). It's never a one solution for everybody sort of thing.

Being 1,000 from a dealer has it's own implications. Things like service become a bit more complex if it involves a 1,000 mile drive. If this is a long term situation, I would consider that as well.

Bob

[Piggy Bank]

Good for you! You have realized that the Function of storage is a big difference between these 3 choices. Most folks only see the decor difference.

I'll start by saying that we have a Flying Cloud (previously had a sport) and I like that the upper doors are solid and that they hide what is behind them. The sliding opaque doors in the serenity would make me feel like I had to have everything looking organized and pretty behind the opaque doors. Who needs that task? I also like that on the FC when the door is flipped up you see the entire cabinet. With the sliding Serenity doors you can only see half.

I like the rear bed (our sport had a front bed). The rear bed for us usually is much quieter since it is away from the road and headlights, and we often get to listen to the stream or view the lake and moonlight. Very tranquil.

Exterior storage varies greatly from model to model. The rear twin that we chose has an especially large cabinet across the entire back of the trailer and was one reason we chose this mode. You can probably study these differences if you spend some time watching you tube.

Pantry and wardrobes can differ between modes. We have a 25 with a very skinny pantry. Would be nice to have it wider if we traveled for weeks or months at a time but we like the larger bathroom and its storage in the 25FC rear bed twin that we chose, and would not trade that larger bathroom for more pantry.

I recommend you make a list of things you know you want to keep inside the trailer, and figure out where you could keep them in each, and see how they stack up.

[ghaag]

FWIW, we have a 25’ and a 30’, if we are hitting some of our favorite National and State parks we find the 25’ to work better on those trips.

[twbucksr]

The Globetrotter is the same floor plan as the 27FB FC. However it is a heavier trailer due to materials used to build it.

You have the payload capacity with your 3/4 ton TV to carry lots of stuff in the bed so I would not be as concerned with exterior storage on your AS.

The stuff that I always travel with (leveling blocks, wheel chocks, air compressor, tool bag, etc.) that stays with the AS fits in the storage compartments of my 27FBQ FC. The rest (electrical items & water items) ride in totes on the floor of the AS. Remaining items travel in the bed of the TV because they won’t fit in a storage compartment regardless of the AS model (Honda 2000 Generators, Webber Q grill, golf clubs, Yeti 50)

We chose the 27FBQ because we liked the larger closet, night stand next to the bed and the wrap around windows in the bedroom.

We took several trips to the AS Dealer and sat in them for hours. Take a tape measure with you and measure the usable hanging rod lengths if closet size is an important feature to you.

[uncle_bob]

Hi

Take a look at the "extra" gear you may be taking with you. Hiking has already been mentioned. It's not usually gear intensive. Mountain bikes take up room. Kayaking or canoeing present a bit more of a gear footprint. If you happen to be into horses, that gets into separate transport. Possibly multiples ( the Budweiser Clydesdales came through the campground last week, that's a lot of gear ...).

Heavy stuff is going to need to go in the truck. Getting it in and out of the trailer ... yikes. Securing it once in the trailer ... even bigger yikes. Muddy stuff probably travels in the truck or in outside compartments. Airstreams don't have a lot of outside compartments. You already have things like outdoor rugs, chairs, grills, drain hoses, and power cords that are filling up part of them.

Lots of variables.

Bob

[karenjude]

If you do go look at trailers I’d recommend you put together a list of what you’d want to put in your rig and when you’re touring the units, think of where you will put everything. That way you’ll make sure you can carry what you want. We have a friend that bought a trailer without doing this and now finds it lacks the space for what they wanted to bring.

[Al U. Minium]

We have a Serenity in salsa and two 120lb long hair dogs. While we normally throw a blanket over the lounge seating, the "puppies" have not been an issue. We have a rubber mat for a water dish when we put water down, I have wiped some muddy spots off the vertical surfaces, but I have noted no indication of issues with pets and this coach.

We do carry a wand-style corded vacuum for trips over 3 days or so as hair pick up, and we do put down rugs in the hall and in front of the dinette. And after each trip I do vacuum, pick up the rugs, and wet mop the floor, but that doesn't seem overwhelming.

I just don't see this interior as an issue with our fur-balls and we do love the look! FWIW. Great advice here on prior posts.

Our Serenity is a 30 rear queen and we have yet to yearn for more storage and in fact there is emptiness aplenty, especially in wardrobe and under the bed. Note we are not fulltime and have not done any extended trips, but the first thing that appears to be different would be more clothing, but we have tons of room in the wardrobe, side closets by the bed, and overhead storage over the bed for more clothes.

[uncle_bob]

Hi

.... speaking of multiple large dogs .....

One basic consideration for us is "bathroom door open or shut?". If it's open, you don't have to move multiple 135 lb "dog lumps" to get in (or out). That works ok with our layout and just the two of us.

One .... errr .... limitation we just discovered ... when one of the same dogs decides to sleep lying on the toilet flush pedal ..... the black tank fills up pretty fast ....

So who would have ever put all that on their "things to look at" list when shopping for a trailer?

Bob

[SteveSueMac]

Bob that little valve on the floor by the toilet is the K9 Flood Protection Valve - an undocumented feature in your user’s manual. It provides peace of mind, unless your dogs have opposable thumbs and then all bets are off. [emoji3]

[uncle_bob]

Originally Posted by SteveSueMac

Bob that little valve on the floor by the toilet is the K9 Flood Protection Valve - an undocumented feature in your user’s manual. It provides peace of mind, unless your dogs have opposable thumbs and then all bets are off. [emoji3]

Hi

Yup, that would work. I never would have guessed one of them would get on the pedal *and* stay there .... I guess we *all* sleep pretty soundly these days.

Note: I haven't dumped the tank yet. It may be that I'm blaming the dogs (not sure which one) for a tank sensor that has failed.

Bob