Airstream makes many travel trailers across multiple lineups.
However, one of the most popular Airstream models is the Flying Cloud, thanks to the trailer’s perfect mix of size, features, and cost.
As the Flying Cloud offers more size and features compared to the smallest Airstream models, like the Bambi and the Caravel.
While at the same time offering a lighter weight and more affordable price compared to the largest Airstream models, like the Globetrotter and the Classic.
And there is perhaps no better version or trim level of the Flying Cloud that exemplifies this more than the extremely popular Airstream Flying Cloud 23FB.
So let’s take a closer look at the Flying Cloud 23FB.
By providing a complete review and walkthrough of the trailer, to see why its so great as well as popular.
Airstream Flying Cloud Overview
Before we take a closer look at the Flying Cloud 23FB though, it’s important that we first discuss the Flying Cloud lineup as a whole.
So that you have a better understanding of where the 23FB trim level fits into the broader Flying Cloud lineup.
As Airsream currently makes eight different trim levels of the Flying Cloud.
Including the 23FB, the 25FB, the 25RB, the 27FB, the 28RB, the 30FB Bunk, the 30FB Office, and the 30RB.
Which range in length from 23 to 30 feet, and weigh between 5,000 and 6,804 pounds unloaded.
Allowing the Flying Cloud to offer a wide variety of floorplans, sleeping capacities, and amenities, including a bunk bed option as well as an office space option.
In regards to the 23FB trim level though, the most important thing to know is that it’s the smallest and lightest version of the Flying Cloud.
As the Airstream Flying Cloud 23FB has a length of 23 feet 9 inches and a dry weight of 5,000 pounds, which is one of the main reasons why this trim level is so popular.
As the trailer’s lighter weight and smaller size allow it to be pulled by a wider variety of tow vehicles.
Including half-ton trucks and even some full-size SUVs and small trucks.
Like the Toyota Tacoma, Dodge Durango, and the Ford Expedition, which have max tow capacities that top out in the high 6,000 to the low-9,000-pound range.
Airstream Flying Cloud 23FB Video Walkthrough & Quick Specs
Now that we’ve done a brief overview of the Airstream Flying Cloud lineup, let’s take a closer look at the 23FB trim level specifically.
By checking out an in-depth video walkthrough of the 23FB (above), and by taking a look at some of its key specs.
- Exterior Length: 23 Feet 9 Inches
- Dry Weight: 5,000 Pounds
- Sleeping Capacity: Up to 4
- Bathroom: 3-Piece Dry Bath
- Slide-Outs: None
- Hitch Weight: 500 Pounds
- Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR): 6,000 Pounds
- Cargo Carrying Capacity: 1,000 Pounds
- Exterior Width: 8 Feet
- Exterior Height (with AC): 9 Feet 9 Inches
- Interior Width: 7 Feet 7 Inches
- Interior Height: 6 Feet 7.5 Inches
- Axle Configuration: Dual Axle
- Electrical Service: 30 Amp
- Air Conditioning: 13,500 BTU Roof-Mounted AC with Heat Pump
- Heating: Ducted 18,000 BTU Furnace
- Water Heater: Tankless On Demand
- Fresh Water Tank: 37 Gallon
- Gray Water Tank: 37 Gallon
- Black Water Tank: 17 Gallon
Airstream Flying Cloud 23FB Floorplan & Interior Amenities
No matter how big or small an RV is one of the most important things to look for is a comfortable and well-equipped interior.
After all, an RV is only as good as its ability to provide a comfortable place to sleep, hang out, and relax while camping and traveling.
Fortunately, the Airstream Flying Cloud 23FB excels in all these areas, plus much more.
Thanks to the camper’s feature-rich well-laid-out floor plan.
To get a better feel for the interior of the camper though, let’s take a closer look at all it has to offer.
Starting with its sleeping accommodations.
Sleeping Accommodations
The Airstream Flying Cloud 23FB can sleep up to four at a time.
Thanks to the trailer’s front bedroom layout, which features either a queen bed or twin beds in the front and a convertible u-shaped dinette booth in the main living area.
Making it ideal for families looking for a smaller lightweight camper that can sleep four.
To see other small lightweight campers that can sleep four, check out our blog post “12 Best Small Travel Trailers for a Family of 4“.
Galley Features
Despite the smaller size of the Flying Cloud 23FB, Airstream did a great job of maximizing the interior space of the camper by creating a kitchen that’s efficient and easy to use, while on the road.
By offering a well-laid-out and feature-rich mid-galley that provides a three-burner propane cooktop, a 12V double-door fridge, and a stainless steel sink with a high-rise Delta faucet and a cutting board sink cover.
As well as plenty of upper and lower cabinets, a hood vent with light, and a decent amount of counter space to the left and right of the sink.
In fact, the only thing the galley on the Flying Cloud 23FB is missing is a dedicated oven.
However, since the camper can be optioned with a convection microwave oven, this shortcoming is mostly addressed and alleviated.
Dining Space
The dining space in the Flying Cloud 23FB is located just across from the kitchen and features a large u-shaped dinette booth on the camp side of the trailer that can accommodate up to four.
Allowing you to easily move back and forth between the kitchen and the dining space, which not only makes serving meals and cleaning up a breeze but also makes prepping and cooking meals much easier as well.
As the large table in the dinette booth can be used as extra counter space when prepping and cooking meals.
That’s not the only extra functionality the dining space in the 23FB offers though because as mentioned above, the large u-shaped dinette booth also doubles as the secondary sleeping space in the camper.
Plus, the area also provides a lot of extra interior storage as well, thanks to upper storage cabinets and built-in bench seat storage.
Bathroom Facilities
Much like the kitchen in this smaller Airstream camper, the bathroom is surprisingly spacious and well-equipped in the 23FB.
Thanks in large part to the trailer’s large rear bathroom that takes up the entire back wall of the camper.
Which not only allows for a full three-piece dry bath configuration, with a large separate stand-up shower, bathroom sink, and toilet.
But also allows for best-in-class storage and probably the most counter space I’ve seen in a smaller camper.
Plus, thanks to the trailer’s on-demand tankless water heater, you can take showers in the 23FB for as long as you want.
As long as you’re connected to city water and sewer.
And because the 23FB features large holding tanks, including a 37-gallon fresh water tank, a 37-gallon gray water tank, and a 17-gallon black water tank, you can use the bathroom even when you’re boondocking.
(More to come on the camper’s boondocking and dry camping capability later in the blog post.)
To see other small travel trailers with a dry bath, check out our blog post “The 10 Best Small Campers with a Dry Bath“.
Airstream Flying Cloud 23FB Exterior Features and Amenities
Much like the interior of the Flying Cloud 23FB, the exterior offers many features designed to make your camping experience easier as well as more enjoyable.
Starting with the trailer’s construction.
Construction
One of the main reasons why Airstream trailers are so popular as well as expensive (more on this later) is due to their premium construction.
As all Airstream trailers except for the Basecamp offer the iconic rounded all-aluminum “Silver Bullet” exterior, which not only uses high-end materials but also requires substantial man hours to complete.
As the typical Airstream trailer body uses 1,200 square feet of premium “aircraft grade” aluminum alloy and requires approximately 350 man-hours to complete.
Thanks in large part to the trailer’s hand-riveted double-walled aluminum body.
That’s constructed by riveting an exterior aluminum shell over a steel frame, insulating it, and then riveting a second layer of aluminum on the inside of the trailer.
Other Upgrades & Exterior Features
A hand-riveted all-aluminum exterior body isn’t the only thing that sets the premium Flying Cloud 23FB apart from other travel trailers though.
As the camper also offers a long list of other premium and upgraded exterior features as well, not typically found on lesser travel trailers, which we’ve listed below.
- Semi-Monocoque Aluminum Superstructure with Hand Painted Chassis
- Enclosed Aluminum Insulated and Heated Underbelly
- Stainless Steel Front Stone Guards
- Temperature Reducing One Piece White Aluminum Roof
- 12 Windows and or Skylights with Handcrafted Welded Extruded Aluminum Frames
- Aluminum Handcrafted 26 Inch Wide Entry Door with Window
- Seamless Composite Flooring
- Exterior Shower with Hot & Cold Water
- Manual ZipDee® Patio Awning with Sunbrella® Fabric
- Powered Hitch Jack with Light
- Standard Rear View Monitoring System
- Nev-R-Adjust® Brakes/Nev-R-Lube® Sealed Bearings
- Torsion Axle Suspension
Exterior Storage
For a 23-foot travel trailer, the Flying Cloud 23FB has a good amount of exterior storage.
However, not every Flying Cloud 23FB has the same amount.
As the amount of exterior storage offered depends on whether the trailer is in its queen or twin-bed configuration.
As the twin bed configuration offers three front storage lockers, while the queen bed configuration only offers one camp side storage locker.
Regardless of which configuration you go with though, both versions offer a large storage locker that’s incorporated into the rear bumper as well as a dedicated storage tube that holds the trailer’s sewer hose.
No Slide-Outs
If you know anything about Airstream travel trailers, you know they don’t offer slide-outs.
And the Flying Cloud is no exception to this rule.
As the Flying Cloud 23FB like all Flying Clouds offers slide-outs, due to the trailer’s rounded all-aluminum “Silver Bullet” construction, which makes the use of slide-outs all but impossible.
Which leads us to one of the major drawbacks of the Flying Cloud, and Airstream travel trailers in general, as their lack of slide-outs greatly limits the interior space of the camper.
There are a few advantages to not having slide-outs on a camper though, as travel trailers with no slide-outs tend to be lighter, offer a simpler setup, have fewer mechanical issues, and are less prone to leaking.
Airstream Flying Cloud 23FB Boondocking and Dry Camping Capability
While Airstream nor the Flying Cloud are known for their boondocking or dry camping capability, the Flying Cloud 23FB actually offers excellent boondocking capability, thanks to several off-grid features.
Starting with the camper’s off-grid power.
As the Flying Cloud 23FB offers a standard 1,000-watt inverter as well as either dual AGM or lithium batteries that provide reliable off-grid power when you can’t connect to shore power.
And the best part is that when you need extended off-grid power, the batteries can be charged either by a front access port that can connect to a portable solar panel, or by an optional 300-watt solar package.
That’s not all the camper offers in the way of boondocking features though, as the Flying Cloud 23FB also offers a 37-gallon freshwater tank, which provides several days’ worth of fresh water.
Plus, dual propane tanks, which provide off-grid heat and cooking capability to the trailer.
How Much is the Airstream Flying Cloud 23FB?
A new Airstream Flying Cloud 23FB will cost between $97,000 and $102,000, depending on the dealer and its options.
While a used Flying Cloud 23FB will cost anywhere from $60,000 to $85,000, depending on its production year and condition.
To see current listings of the Airstream Flying Cloud 23FB for sale, check out rvtrader.com by clicking here.
How Does the Flying Cloud 23FB Cost Compare to Other Similar-Sized Campers?
While the Airstream Flying Cloud 23FB excels at many things, affordability is not one of those.
As the Flying Cloud 23FB is one of the most expensive 23-foot travel trailers you can buy and substantially more expensive compared to other similar-sized campers.
In fact, the Flying Cloud 23FB is often double if not triple the cost of other similar-sized campers.
As you can see from the table below.
Travel Trailer Cost Comparison (Least to Most Expensive)
| Make/Model/Trim | Average Cost | Length | Dry Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keystone RV Hideout 202RD | $23,500 | 24′ 11″ | 4,544 lbs |
| Forest River Grey Wolf 19SM | $28,000 | 24′ 5″ | 4,846 lbs |
| Winnebago Micro Minnie 2100BH | $29,000 | 21′ 11″ | 4,036 lbs |
| Forest River Rockwood Geo Pro G19FBS | $29,000 | 20′ 2″ | 3,375 lbs |
| Heartland Sundance Ultra Lite 231ML | $30,000 | 26′ 11″ | 5,090 lbs |
| Grand Design Imagine XLS 21BHE | $33,500 | 24′ 11″ | 4,698 lbs |
| Jayco Jay Feather 21MML | $38,000 | 26′ | 5,185 lbs |
| Northwood Arctic Fox North Fork 22G | $50,000 | 23′ 10″ | 4,936 lbs |
| Lance 1995 | $56,500 | 24′ 1″ | 4,950 lbs |
| Oliver Travel Trailers Legacy Elite II | $73,500 | 23′ 6″ | 4,900 lbs |
| Airstream Flying Cloud 23FB | $100,000 | 23′ 9″ | 5,000 lbs |
However, as the old saying goes “you get what you pay for”, and this is certainly true when it comes to RVs.
Because while all the above comparable travel trailers are great options depending on what you’re looking for.
The Flying Cloud 23FB is on a whole other level when it comes to materials, construction, and design, which is why it commands such a high price.
How Much Does a Flying Cloud 23FB Weigh?
The Airstream Flying Cloud 23FB has a dry weight of 5,000 pounds, which includes the weight of the trailer’s propane and batteries.
However, a fully loaded Flying Cloud 23FB usually weighs closer to 5,500 pounds, once it’s loaded with gear, as the trailer has a 1,000-pound cargo-carrying capacity.
Final Thoughts on the Airstream Flying Cloud 23FB
The Airstream Flying Cloud 23FB is one of the most popular Airstream travel trailers on the market and for good reason.
As it’s not only one of the most beautiful travel trailers on the road today, thanks to its premium design and construction.
But it’s also one of the most well-equipped and luxurious 23-foot travel trailers you can buy.
As the Flying Cloud 23FB is loaded with creature comforts, modern amenities, and boondocking features.
However, due to its high cost, the Airstream Flying Cloud 23FB is not for everyone.
As the Flying Cloud 23FB, like all Airstreams is substantially more expensive compared to more entry-level RVs.
If you have the means though and you’re looking for a luxurious travel trailer that will serve you and your family for years or even generations to come, the Airstream Flying Cloud 23FB is definitely worth considering.
To see other popular Airstream travel trailers, check out our blog post “The 8 Best-Selling Airstream Models Available Today!“.
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