2023 FS 21 DS purchase

[Beachbum2]

Hi everyone, my wife and I came close to pulling the trigger on a 2023 cougar 22mls but backed away. Now we are a week away from picking up a 2023 flagstaff 21 DS just wondering what opinions and possible issues anyone out there has had with that or similar units.
Thanks in advance for any and all info…much appreciated

[bikendan]

Moved thread from the General Community Discussion section to the Flagstaff sub-forum since the OP's questions are specific to that sub-forum and not general questions.

[WTP2]

Hi,
Doesn't look like you have had much of a response so I will start the ball rolling. We have had a 2017 21DS since 2018. There are lots of pluses to this great little camper and a couple minuses as well. To us, the 21DS has been a great trailer.
Among the plusses are:
Ease of pulling. It's light enough to pull with a half ton,
Size: Because it is small we have often been able to find a spot in RV parks that are "full". Often there will be spot open for our little trailer when there is room for nothing else.
Space: The 21DS has an amazing amount of room when the bed is up. People often ask how I like the little trailer and my answer is always the same: It's the perfect trailer for 2 people and even better for 1.
You can improve it: Since we got the trailer I have made a few improvements to it.
1 Added electrical outlets under the counter by the sink.
2. Added 12 volt and usb charging station to the other side of the bed along with another 120v outlet.
3. Added a shelf to fill the area behind the couch. There is a post in the forum for how to build this.
4,Added a flip up counter to the left side of the stove,
Murphy Bed: This is a plus and a minus! It makes the trailer much roomier but it's also a challenge to make it and you have to put the bed up and down.

Minuses:
Space is somewhat limited and there is no separate bedroom.
Winterizing and Dewinterizing:
Because the valves are just off the floor in a cubby hole under the fridge it is not easy to get down on the floor and stretch to reach them, or at least it is for this old man!

That's about it. All and all it is a great little trailer and we will be keeping ours for a while longer.

Hope it helps,

Bill

[cunninham]

I own a 2018 21DS, so I have the Queen size stationary bed with the walk thru sides so I don't have to crawl over my wife (or vice versa) to get out (or in) to bed...this can be a plus or minus depending on you're *rating* scale

My tow vehicle is a 2015 RAM 1500 Eco-Diesel 8-speed transmission w/WDH & sway bars attached making it so much easier (safer) to haul and maneuver into sites that are spec'd for 18'+ trailer sizes...my site options aren't so limited...I also had the rear viewing camera installed so I can see the upcoming traffic behind me, as well as my wife as she's standing in my blind-spot trying to direct me when backing into the site

Because I have the stationary bed and not the Murphy Bed, my pass thru storage area is the entire width of the trailer so that's a big plus when it comes to storing my folding chairs and Velor gazebo (see https://youtu.be/-ZSqxZu-x68 ).

The trailer came w/Castle Rock (China Bomb) tires which I replaced all 5 of them last year when I got a flat last July on the passenger side (far) tire (dual axle)...glad I had a TPMS as it alerted when the PSI went to 48 at first before dropping to 4 about 10 secs later, giving me the chance to slow down and get off the hwy safely...if you don't have a TPMS now I strongly encourage you to get one...TireMender is a decent brand ( see https://www.tireminder.com/products/...r-trailer-tpms ).

Now I store the trailer at a local RV site near me as I sold the house and now rent...cost $1/day...they winterize/de-winterize ($250/service) my trailer each year, as well as test all the appliances and inspect the roof for cracked seams etc....note: I'm having the roof re-sealed right now as the sealant was pitted and had pin holes in various locations (...approx $1400 for that).

I also cover the trailer in the off-season (see https://www.rvcover.ca/ )...there is a debate as to whether one should or not...as I got the cover to fit my trailer on-sale for $400 that's what *won* the debate for me...each their own right.

RV'n is a hobby...I enjoy it immensely and look forward to doing more of it when I retire in the next 5yrs, so I weigh the costs I mentioned above to that of say going to the Caribbean say what...twice a year..forget that...I've got 10 outtings booked this year...going to 4 Provincial Parks...48 nights in total...a beer and a campfire along w/my guitar strumming to Merle Haggard tunes...priceless

[navybanker]

WTP2 where do you find "building a shelf behind the couch" Thanks