Looks like we are taking the GT plunge..

[GettinAway]

Looks like we will be getting a Globetrotter.
Deciding over the last two days if we should trade in our 2011 23FC FB in for a 2020 25GT FBT. I was thinking I would never trade, but made the mistake of sitting in a 25FB twin at a St Louis dealership. Then looked around on line and found a very lightly used (supposedly never slept in) 2020 Globetrotter 25 FB twin.
I’ve read about the various issues folks have had (dropping cabinets, flooring bubbles, dropping sinks, weak ovens, bypass valve installed backwards, broken awnings, and the 2020 hitch recall) I think I’m going for it anyway.
I had always planned to stay away from the later model Airstreams, as I’ve read about a lot of quality issues.
I liked a smaller trailer (23 or less) as we like to get in to pretty out of the way places. I have a Tundra, so I’ll be pushing or exceeding load limits.
I’ve also spoken up on threads comparing twins to queens. I’ve always said my lovely bride and I would never go for twins, but one hip replacement and 2 knee surgeries later, we think crawling over each other isn’t as easy as it used to be.
After I retired in August, we spent two weeks on the Outer Banks in the 23FB. We were forced inside by mosquitoes and heat. The 23FB became more confining as time went along. (I’m 6’5”)
We are getting ready to head to Florida for 4 weeks and I want more space. So, hopefully we will break in the new Globetrotter with a 4 week trip to four different parks in Florida. We hope the Tundra will pull it safely. We will be bringing screen room, bikes, 2 person kayak, and a bunch of other stuff. Seems like an absolutely crazy thing to do. Hopefully we won’t spend 4 weeks in Airstream dealers with issues. I really like how they set up the Globetrotter. I would have picked the darker wood, but we bought a used one and saved accordingly. So we have the elm and blue.
Fingers crossed at this point. We hope to pick it up this week.
Nervous but excited in Missouri..

[Meeks]

Super exciting! You’ll love it!

Sure there will be a few things to fix or replace at some point but you’re used to that!

It will be tight payload-wise with your Tundra but you can make it work. We had a 25’ Flying Cloud and pulled it with our 2015 Tundra.

Enjoy!

[goransons]

I think many of the issues you mentioned have been largely solved for 2020. We've been very pleased with ours! As always you'll find things to address, but we are more that happy with everything so far.

[GettinAway]

Thanks for the replies. A bit nervous about the switch, but overall very excited about it.
Glad to hear all or most of Globetrotter issues have been resolved. I’ll know by Wednesday how it’s going to pull behind the Tundra.

[stevejones]

Since you're 6'5" you may find the twin beds a little more comfortable. I think they are longer. We were in a 2019 FC 25 FBT as a loaner when Ultimate Airstreams had our trailer for over a month. We found the twins in that hard to get sheets on, hard to make, didn't like the curve of the twin mattresses, and did not like being up against the outside wall when in bed.

Have you considered the GT 27 FBQ? In the 27 you can walk around the bed on each side. However I think the mattress is shorter than with twins.

Anyway, if you get that trailer, recommend calling the Factory Service Center in JC. They should be able to tell you based on the VIN if there are any factory recall service items that need to be performed on the trailer.

Steve

[Mike1948]

Originally Posted by GettinAway

Looks like we will be getting a Globetrotter.
Deciding over the last two days if we should trade in our 2011 23FC FB in for a 2020 25GT FBT. I was thinking I would never trade, but made the mistake of sitting in a 25FB twin at a St Louis dealership. Then looked around on line and found a very lightly used (supposedly never slept in) 2020 Globetrotter 25 FB twin.
I’ve read about the various issues folks have had (dropping cabinets, flooring bubbles, dropping sinks, weak ovens, bypass valve installed backwards, broken awnings, and the 2020 hitch recall) I think I’m going for it anyway.
I had always planned to stay away from the later model Airstreams, as I’ve read about a lot of quality issues.
I liked a smaller trailer (23 or less) as we like to get in to pretty out of the way places. I have a Tundra, so I’ll be pushing or exceeding load limits.
I’ve also spoken up on threads comparing twins to queens. I’ve always said my lovely bride and I would never go for twins, but one hip replacement and 2 knee surgeries later, we think crawling over each other isn’t as easy as it used to be.
After I retired in August, we spent two weeks on the Outer Banks in the 23FB. We were forced inside by mosquitoes and heat. The 23FB became more confining as time went along. (I’m 6’5”)
We are getting ready to head to Florida for 4 weeks and I want more space. So, hopefully we will break in the new Globetrotter with a 4 week trip to four different parks in Florida. We hope the Tundra will pull it safely. We will be bringing screen room, bikes, 2 person kayak, and a bunch of other stuff. Seems like an absolutely crazy thing to do. Hopefully we won’t spend 4 weeks in Airstream dealers with issues. I really like how they set up the Globetrotter. I would have picked the darker wood, but we bought a used one and saved accordingly. So we have the elm and blue.
Fingers crossed at this point. We hope to pick it up this week.
Nervous but excited in Missouri..

I bought a new 2020 25fqb GT and I love it. Since I picked it up at Airsream of Tampa I’ve been on a 7k mile trip to California and many stops there and back. We had a blast and I happy to say not one problem at all(knock on wood). Everything is perfect with it.

[burkesbunch]

Have a 2019 27’ GT FBT. Had same size FC with the queen but with two big dogs the twins provided more floor space. Logged over 8k miles in a cross country trip and a few shorter excursions in 2019. Never had an issue. Well built rig. Have developed the flooring bubble but JC will take care of that shortly. You will come to appreciate the upgraded handles, faucets, mattresses, power awning, and power stabilizers. Buy some white lithium grease, squirt in holes in main arm of each side of awning a couple of times a year to avoid the unfurling issues you read about. Best of luck with your Globey.

[Mikebrady62]

Congratulations on the new to you GT. Those are very nice AS. Hopefully the first owners pulled it enough to shake out any problems with any loose cabinets or hardware. The good thing is you still have at least 2 years of warranty remaining. We have the twins as well and all we have done so far is cold weather camping and the cold sides have not been an issue for us. It doesn't sound like much but the extra 4" wide and 5" long does make a difference and I'm a little shorter than you.
Enjoy your GT and Safe Travels!

[Life is a Highway]

Nice , very nice trailer! I’m envious of both the trailer and that you can stay 4 weeks in Florida. We live here and can’t find a State Park or private that is not booked.

Your truck will pull it but it will be close to max with all your loading. The 25 has a pretty hefty hitch weight I’m assuming the dealership will readjust your hitch before you take off.

[perfectcosmo]

Congrats GettinAway!
I purchased a very gently used 2019 25’ GT FBT in November after 2 years of looking and lots of mind changing. I don’t think I could be happier, having lived in mine since then. Like you, I’m over 6 ft tall and really wanted the extra 4 inches on the twin beds. Agree with other comments that the beds are a pain to make, but otherwise love them, with one mod you might want to make. The platform doesn’t support 3 inches of the mattress width-so I always felt like I was going to fall out of bed. There is a fairly easy fix, but you’ll want to have your circular or jig saw. I built platform extensions just like Kenerameriz suggested in Airforum and it made a world of difference. I showed how I made mine with pics on my blog: fawkestails.blogspot.com. If you go to my older blog posts, you‘ll get a rundown on some of the other nitnoids I’ve run across and fixed, but really nothing major.
I also pull my GT with a Tundra. I went by the scales last week with my truck loaded, fully fueled, with anticipated passengers along for the ride. I was 3040 lb on the front axle and 3360 on the rear axle and the Blue Ox hitch I use was attached. The 25 GT tongue weight is 880 lb but the BO weight distribution system puts ~580 lb on the rear TV axle and the remainder on the front. My ratings are 4000 and 4150 respectively, w GVWR of 7100, so I’m over my GVWR by about 100 lbs. I’m not carrying bikes or a kayak and I haven’t hauled the GT to the scales yet, but I do carry a bunch of power tools and other recreational gear some of which I’ll be offloading to get under the GVWR. There are numerous threads describing ways to move weight toward the back when towing, but my current plan is to get rid of some extraneous tools before I contemplate unhooking and moving things like the propane tanks and batteries. It’s a hassle, but I really like my Tundra. Hope to see you down the road!

[GettinAway]

Wow. Thanks for the great replies. We are up early. Have to head to the farm to get our 23FB, then on to Chicago to trade trailers today. I’m a bit more confident about issues after reading your all’s posts! I don’t care how hard the beds are to put sheets on, they have to be easier than a 23FB queen. It’s tight quarters up front. So far everything looks good. As it turns out, if there are any bugs to be worked out, I’ll be the one doing it. The trailer hasn’t ever left the lot, or had anyone sleep in it overnight. That does leave us just 1 month shy of a full 3 yr warranty. Hopefully we won’t need that too much.
Just one little concern. Our return trip tomorrow, will be in snow. I hate getting road salt all over our new trailer!

[jeffmc306]

Originally Posted by GettinAway

Wow. Thanks for the great replies. We are up early. Have to head to the farm to get our 23FB, then on to Chicago to trade trailers today.
Just one little concern. Our return trip tomorrow, will be in snow. I hate getting road salt all over our new trailer!

GettinAway, I assume you're headed to Airstream of Chicago (Naperville) right off Route 59. We stopped by there when looking for our GT. While they didn't have what we were looking for, we really liked the people and facility. The only downside for us is they're in a very high traffic area if we had to go back for service. That's a one-time issue for you.

I caught the weather forecast for Wednesday-Thursday and you're correct about the snow. Do you have a contingency plan if travel is bad? There are lots of hotels in the area in case you want to leave it at the dealer until it passes. Should be better by Friday.

Safe travels!
Jeff

[GettinAway]

Jeff, it’s 1:40 am.. We left at 6:00 this morning. Marathon day. They are saying 3-5” of the white stuff for tomorrow. I just didn’t want to pull it through that. So, we cut the training and inspection short. Found a few things. The largest issue was the A/C vents along the street side were all a little off. Just sitting a little crooked. I had read about vents falling out etc., when the ducted AC first came out. They pulled one vent. It was jammed into too small of an opening. So we will let the Chicago dealer work it out with the St Louis dealer.
Everything else was in very good shape. I nit picked every screw. I would say overall the build quality of this 2020 is superior to our 2011. (In regards to fit and finish). Too early to tell for other issues. I can tell you for sure the furnace is working! We got home about an hour ago. Got it leveled and stabilized. Hooked up to 110.
I cracked open a bottle of Whistle Pig I’ve been saving. The stereo is outstanding!
Drove through rain and ice the last hour, but nothing serious. I had heard that the 25 might pull easier than the 23, but didn’t believe it. 300 miles into a horrible head and cross wind going up. The Tundra got 10-11 mpg. My 23 was moving around quite a bit with the previous hitch. Coming home with a huge tail wind it was strange, so quiet in the truck, no downshifts. I know it’s 100% a false sense of security, but the 25 was was incredibly stable, and mileage was closing in on 15 mpg. Nothing like a big tail wind!

Well, calling it a night. I’m thankful that someone rejected this trailer on delivery. They opted for a 27 with a rear hatch. (Not in my budget). So this orphaned 25 was reduced enough to let me get in the game. Now, if I could only find the light switch for the lights over the dinette. Ha! Headed to Florida next week! Out of this snow and cold!
Thx
Jeff

[jeffmc306]

Jeff, so glad you were able to get everything done yesterday!

I was wondering what the story was with your GT. Sounds like the original purchaser was on the fence and decided to take that rear hatch to the Prom instead. What a blessing for you guys - those are the deals you dream about finding.

And, the fact you're familiar with fixing small things, she'll serve you well. Ha, I'm still flipping on the wrong light switches on ours. Muscle memory; will take a while.

I'm happy you had a good experience towing home even though it wasn't "typical". But, when towing, what is typical anyway? I'm sure your Tundra will do find going forward.

Hope to see you down the road!
Jeff

[Mikebrady62]

GettingA

way

,
That is a marathon day for sure! I as amazed at ho

w

well they to

w. Nothing beats a tail

wind! Enjoy Florida, the Whistle Pig and the ne

w GT!

[GettinAway]

Originally Posted by Mikebrady62

GettingA

way

,
That is a marathon day for sure! I as amazed at ho

w

well they to

w. Nothing beats a tail

wind! Enjoy Florida, the Whistle Pig and the ne

w GT!

Thx Mike. Definitely giving the furnace a workout.
One crazy observation from last night.
When I looked up into my rear view mirror coming down the interstate. I saw headlights from vehicles behind me. I was temporarily confused. Where were these headlight images coming from? I was trying to figure out how the headlight image could have triangulated around from my outside mirrors and been projected up on my rear view mirror. I watched a car come up behind me then pass me. I thought, this is just too weird. Like magic!
We left all the curtains open in front and back. Our previous 2 airstreams had walls across the trailer in some form. I was just seeing through the two panoramic windows. Turns out to be a nice change. What a surprise. Ha!
Now, if I could only figure out how to get the stove top burners to light. No propane to the burners.. We asked about it during the “walk around/training” didn’t get an answer, and then never got back to it.
Any suggestions??

[GettinAway]

I’m so embarrassed. How about pushing in on the knob for the burner while igniting? If I could have edited my stupidity from the previous post, I would have changed it.. Sheesh..

[eagletoo]

Funny. Been there - done that with the stove burners also.

[McKinsey]

Congrats,

The Tundra is a great towing vehicle. We have been towing a 28 foot for 4 years. No issues. Because Toyota makes awesome vehicles!

[Angeltu]

Congratulations can’t wait to see and hear about your new trade up. We just bought a new 2019 Caravell 22’ and I get what your saying about the queen vs twins. Fortunately I only need to get up once so I’m on the inside and I get up when he does the first time., in hindsight we should have bought a used 30’. I’m wondering if you will feel the 2” you gain made much difference? I feel like if I’m trading for more room might as well go way bigger., but we are towing with a 2019 F150 3.7 Ecoboost so would have to consider that.