Ordering a 27 - Rear Hatch option worth it?

[medinaj2]

We are new owners of a 27 fqb with a hatch.. we went on our first trip and it rained on the last night so my husband and I watched a movie.. We propped up pillows against the hatch after making the dinette into a bed to watch TV. Has anyone found a better solution like a triangular pillow to place in front of the hatch?

[PeterC57]

Hi All,

Resurrecting an old thread... :-)

I'm not an AS owner, yet, but am considering either the 25 or 27 Flying Cloud with the rear hatch. However, besides all the other space/view/etc considerations I'll want to install a couple of tiedowns and roll my motorcycle (~650 lbs) into the back. It seems the door and the area between the seats is wide enough.
Is this possible ? Has anyone seen it done ? If not, any other recommendations ?

Thanks !

Peter

[AppFan]

Originally Posted by PeterC57

Hi All,

Resurrecting an old thread... :-)

I'm not an AS owner, yet, but am considering either the 25 or 27 Flying Cloud with the rear hatch. However, besides all the other space/view/etc considerations I'll want to install a couple of tiedowns and roll my motorcycle (~650 lbs) into the back. It seems the door and the area between the seats is wide enough.
Is this possible ? Has anyone seen it done ? If not, any other recommendations ?

Thanks !

Peter

Hey Peter,
You'll definitely want to make triple-sure you're getting the weight of your bike over the wheels of the AS. "Tail-heavy" trailers are bad news for sway. That being said, chances are that bike will eat up a significant portion of the cargo capacity in your rig. I believe most Airstreams roll in with about 1,500 pounds of cargo capacity. That also, typically, is the "dry" weight which may not include things like microwaves and any liquids you have in your tanks.

Definitely not saying it can't be done. You just might need to be careful and watch your placement and overall weight.

[hoppes-no9]

I love our hatch.

But I question the wisdom of putting a motorcycle inside your airstream. How will you lash it down to keep it from damaging the interior? Weight is also another consideration, as described above. You’ll also stink up the trailer with gas and oil fumes, plus whatever dirt comes in on the tires

[PeterC57]

Originally Posted by AppFan

Hey Peter,
You'll definitely want to make triple-sure you're getting the weight of your bike over the wheels of the AS. "Tail-heavy" trailers are bad news for sway. That being said, chances are that bike will eat up a significant portion of the cargo capacity in your rig. I believe most Airstreams roll in with about 1,500 pounds of cargo capacity. That also, typically, is the "dry" weight which may not include things like microwaves and any liquids you have in your tanks.

Definitely not saying it can't be done. You just might need to be careful and watch your placement and overall weight.

Hi,

Good point on weight over wheels ! Not sure that could get the motorcycle that far forward... Might actually have to find one local and look at it.
Also, I'm aware that carrying my bike may impact what else I can have/carry but having my bike to ride in all those interesting places I visit will be worth it :-)

Thanks !

[PeterC57]

Originally Posted by hoppes-no9

I love our hatch.

But I question the wisdom of putting a motorcycle inside your airstream. How will you lash it down to keep it from damaging the interior? Weight is also another consideration, as described above. You’ll also stink up the trailer with gas and oil fumes, plus whatever dirt comes in on the tires

Well, lots of other trailers come with tie downs already built in (the Forest River Rockwood GEO-Pro is one - although it's much smaller and not nearly as refined as the 25/27 AS). So, I'd be looking at installing my own - with 4 points of attachment it really doesn't take much to hold a motorcycle steady.

My bike is almost new and in general doesn't really put out a lot of fumes - I've not noticed anything out of the ordinary in my garage. But, yes, definitely might have to consider a full time ventilation system and floor covering when underway.

Thanks !

P

[sheriff1]

Opening is probably not tall enough.

[jeffb831]

For all the reasons that have been mentioned above, it doesn't seem like it would work in a safe way and be a good idea.

My question is: would you normally park a motorcycle in your kitchen, dining room, or living room?

There are a couple of other options to consider:

• Use a toy hauler trailer that is designed for this purpose
• Use a LWB pickup with an 8' bed and haul the motorcycle in the truck

[PeterC57]

Originally Posted by sheriff1

Opening is probably not tall enough.

Ah, yes, if the specs I found are correct this is the deal breaker :-( It appears the opening is only 50" and the windshield on my bike is right around 57-58" high.

The pictures made the opening seem taller.

Total bummer.

Thanks !

[PeterC57]

Originally Posted by jeffb831

For all the reasons that have been mentioned above, it doesn't seem like it would work in a safe way and be a good idea.

My question is: would you normally park a motorcycle in your kitchen, dining room, or living room?

There are a couple of other options to consider:

• Use a toy hauler trailer that is designed for this purpose
• Use a LWB pickup with an 8' bed and haul the motorcycle in the truck

Well, it's only my living room when I'm parked somewhere, right ? ;-) Other posts/articles have mentioned the hatch being useful for loading bicycles, kayaks and other similar stuff that would have to be unloaded before it all turns back into living space... Why should a motorcycle really be that much different ?

Anyway, I'll be looking at the toy haulers now (like the Rockwood I mentioned above) but they're pretty "rough" in comparison to an Airstream and if I'm going to spend a couple of years touring the country I was hoping to do it in relative comfort.

Also, a friend already suggested the pickup idea and, yes, that may be the best solution. Although getting a 650lb bike up a steep ramp into a pickup bed is not something I'm really keen on doing on a regular basis. We'll see.

Thanks All for the interesting discussion !

Peter

[jeffmc306]

Peter, what you need is a model Airstream discontinued. Here’s a link to a brochure for that model - it can haul two motorcycles (up to 2500 lbs.)

Ben Afflect used on in the movie “The Accountant”. Story goes they found a private owner with the trailer and rented it for the movie. Afterwards Ben loved it so much he bought it from the owner.

Good luck with finding a good fit for your needs.

[foobar]

Originally Posted by jeffmc306

Peter, what you need is a model Airstream discontinued. Here’s a link to a brochure for that model - it can haul two motorcycles (up to 2500 lbs.)

Ben Afflect used on in the movie “The Accountant”. Story goes they found a private owner with the trailer and rented it for the movie. Afterwards Ben loved it so much he bought it from the owner.

Good luck with finding a good fit for your needs.

Wow, that is a sweet trailer. I'd love to have that and a tow vehicle beefy enough to pull it. Thanks for sharing, I didn't know that Airstream ever made anything like that.

Will have to be satisfied with my GT 27 FB Twin we have ordered

[jeffmc306]

Foobar, in true “movie magic” Ben tows that 34’ triple axle monster with a Ford F-150. If you haven’t seen the movie yet, it’s worth watching.

[PeterC57]

Originally Posted by jeffmc306

Peter, what you need is a model Airstream discontinued. Here’s a link to a brochure for that model - it can haul two motorcycles (up to 2500 lbs.)

Ben Afflect used on in the movie “The Accountant”. Story goes they found a private owner with the trailer and rented it for the movie. Afterwards Ben loved it so much he bought it from the owner.

Good luck with finding a good fit for your needs.

Wow, that would be ideal. Seems like such a good idea/design that I'm surprised they discontinued it.

Anyway, some searching online it appears that they are the Unicorn of travel trailers :-( The folks who got one are holding on to them !

Thanks for posting that and ... the search continues !

Peter

[foobar]

Originally Posted by jeffmc306

Foobar, in true “movie magic” Ben tows that 34’ triple axle monster with a Ford F-150. If you haven’t seen the movie yet, it’s worth watching.

Hahahaha!!

Poking fun at the "solution to any problem is a bigger tow vehicle" folks on the forum here ... I'm sure they would agree that the appropriate tow vehicle is a semi-tractor trailer rig

[foobar]

Originally Posted by PeterC57

Wow, that would be ideal. Seems like such a good idea/design that I'm surprised they discontinued it.

Anyway, some searching online it appears that they are the Unicorn of travel trailers :-( The folks who got one are holding on to them !

Thanks for posting that and ... the search continues !

Peter

No photos, but here is a link to one for sale: https://www.smartrvguide.com/L45853777

Looks kinda fishy. No info ...

Here is another possibility:
http://rvsforsale.internetrader.com/..._________.html

[PeterC57]

Originally Posted by foobar

No photos, but here is a link to one for sale: https://www.smartrvguide.com/L45853777

Looks kinda fishy. No info ...

Here is another possibility:
http://rvsforsale.internetrader.com/..._________.html

Yeah, ran across the first one, from a couple of different directions, but it looked like it was originally from 2018.

The 2nd one had promise but it wanted me to login/create an account... So, held off for now.

Will keep searching though.

Thanks !

[GT27]

We've had two 27GTs. The 2018 was the first introduction and had not hatch. We recently took delivery of a new 2022 that we ordered and opted NOT to get the hatch. It seems to me the dinette just gets in the way and it's not that useful. We don't put bikes or kayaks in the trailer....those belong in the truck. Yes it is pretty cool, but we figured we wouldn't really use it much and it is just cheaper to sit outside.

[foobar]

Originally Posted by GT27

We've had two 27GTs. The 2018 was the first introduction and had not hatch. We recently took delivery of a new 2022 that we ordered and opted NOT to get the hatch. It seems to me the dinette just gets in the way and it's not that useful. We don't put bikes or kayaks in the trailer....those belong in the truck. Yes it is pretty cool, but we figured we wouldn't really use it much and it is just cheaper to sit outside.

Out of sheer curiosity GT27, what was your motivation for swapping from one 27 GT to another?

[Gibson3798]

The rear hatch is one thing that could cause a serious problem down the road. It seems better in the marketing brochure than it may actually be.

Just my opinion, based on no actual experience with a hatch model, so take it for what it's worth.