Our Thoughts
Unvarnished opinions of all Flagstaff models
Wouldn't it be nice if a dealership gave you their honest opinion about what they sell instead of the usual sales pitch? Well, here you go:
We can break down Flagstaff's models into three categories. The first batch are all-around great campers that work well for almost everybody. The second list contains campers that are more specialized in their features and fit the needs of a smaller group of people. The last column includes campers that fit a particular niche but contain at least one design issue that leaves us scratching and/or shaking our heads.
More Specialized
If you read this list straight-through you'll find some repetitive information for similar models or similar features. Sorry about that, but since somebody might jump directly to a particular model and not read all of this we don't want them to be lost and have to back-track. Thanks for reading!
All Around Great Campers
The 206LTD layout (or a version of it like the regular 206 or the Starcraft Starflyer from the '80's) has been around for decades and it's not surprising why: it's a light-weight camper with a well-sized dinette, a full walk-way from end to end, lots of storage space and counter space, and a galley with plenty of room to work. This is the best "basic" camper Flagstaff builds.
We take a 206LTD and install a few items (like front stabilizing jacks, an overhead cabinet, and a roof valance) to make it even better. Since it's not a full MAC series camper but it's no longer an LTD unit we give it our own series name, "LT," and simply call it the 206LT.
This is a great layout. The galley has lots of floor space for meal prep or clean-up. The "J dinette" can seat 5 or 6 people but doesn't block the rear bunk the way a full end-dinette would. The storage trunk provides a nice bit of extra storage. Plus the whole package only weighs 1867 lbs.
For maximum seating and sleeping capacity in a small (10') package there's no comparison to the 208. It's the only Flagstaff model with four 80" long beds. The drawback is that putting both dinettes across the width of the camper means you have to crawl over a bed or dinette to get to the end beds. If you don't need all four beds one or both of the dinette tables can be removed to provide easier access to the end beds.
The 227 is essentially the 208's older brother--the wrap-around dinette is larger (it's the largest dinette outside of the T-Series) and with the extra two feet of box space the other dinette is able to be placed on the side instead of across the end. The benefit is unobstructed access to the rear bunk. You have to go over the wrap-around dinette to get to the front bunk, though. One other drawback to the side-oriented dinette is the size: only 64" long. Still, the comfy wrap-around dinette and good storage space in a 2000 lb camper makes this model a great choice.
The 228 gets our vote for the best 12' model Flagstaff makes. It's light (compared to most of the 12' boxes--only 2050 lbs), has lots of seating and sleeping space, and the galley area has plenty of floor space. A table leaf extends the table area to people sitting on the couch so the dinette area could conceivably hold 7 people. The couch also provides a nice area to sit and relax without having to slide into a dinette.
All of the great features of the 228 with a nifty "bike hauler" storage deck on the front. The bike hauler can be used for--not surprisingly--hauling bikes but it's also a great place to put a generator, firewood, bulk storage totes, a toolbox, and chairs.
Just like it's MAC sibling, the 206ST, the 620ST has a great layout. The galley has lots of floor space for convenient meal prep or clean-up time. The "J dinette" can seat 5 or 6 people but doesn't block the rear bunk the way a full end-dinette would. The storage trunk provides extra storage but keep in mind about 1/3 of the trunk space is taken by the water heater. To compensate for this (and the lack of a sliding storage tray) an access door is provided between the storage trunk and the interior of the camper.
The sofa and dinette together allows more people to share meals and games together and the galley has plenty of floor space The bike hauler storage deck is helpful, too. (For more than just bikes, of course; load up chairs, firewood, a generator, tool box, etc.) One drawback is the size of the dinette (64") and the sofa (62"). When folded into beds they could be problematic for taller folks.
We like this model for the wide-open floorplan. It feels more spacious than any other pop-up we know of. The front seating area is nice because you can sit down without having to scoot into the slide-out dinette area (plus there's a Porta-Pottie hiding under the front seat). The bay window contributes to the "airy" feel of the layout but the cabinets below the bay window are only half-depth because of it. Overall a great floorplan with easy access to the whole camper.
Through the years the 823D is a consistent best-seller. The wrap-around dinette and slide-out dinette provide comfy seating areas--when combined with the end beds the 823D has the largest amount of bed square footage of any Flagstaff camping trailer. The only drawback to the wrap-around dinette is that you have to go over it to get to the rear bunk, but in some cases leaving the table off to the side and using that dinette as a couch alleviates that issue.
This is a nice floorplan. The front dinette is big and easily hold four adults while the rear bunk offers a spring mattress. And if you haven't been inside a T-Series yet, we recommend checking one out--they have a completely different feel to them than a tent trailer. One drawback to the T-Series in general is the lack of headroom at the ends of the camper.
The T12BH has the same interior as the T12RB and adds a front "bike hauler" storage trunk. The bike hauler is useful for bikes, naturally, but it's also perfect for holding a generator, firewood, chairs, a tool box, big plastic totes, etc.)
This is essentially the same floorplan as the T12RB but the rear bunk is now a wrap-around dinette. Since they both make into the same size beds It's a trade-off, really, between having an extra seating area in the T12DDST and having a spring mattress in the T12RB (and T12BH). FYI: The front storage trunk is cavernous.
Campers with a more specialized purpose
8 of the 9 campers on this list have an interior shower/toilet so this definitely shows our bias regarding interior shower/toilet units. The 228 itself is a great floorplan but the shower version goes on the "more specific use" list because the interior shower is not for everybody. It takes up a large block of space and cuts into some of the gallery floor space the 228 without shower has. We understand the interior shower is a valuable feature to many people but we prefer the shower (and especially the toilet) to be left outside. Speaking of, the 228 is available with an exterior shower in the hot water package--that may be a good compromise if you're on the fence about the shower issue.
For all of the same reasons that the 228 with shower makes this list, so does the 228BH. Great floorplan, great features, but the interior shower/cassette is not to everybody's liking. Sometimes a Porta-Pottie that's not bolted in is a better alternative (and can be taken outside during the day like out to the bushes or at least into a screen-room or other enclosure). The 228BH also has a hot water package option that includes an exterior shower that might be a good compromise.
This is a big camper with lots of features. It makes this list, though, because of the interior shower/cassette toilet and the configuration of the slide-out dinette. The interior shower/cassette toilet is standard in the 246D (the factory can special-build a camper without a cassette toilet when the blueprints call for one, but for general purposes the 246D always has a shower/toilet) and takes up a big block of space. Wrap-around dinettes are nice if they are a camper's second dinette. If it is the only dinette in a camper the wrap-around style is rather inefficient (for more, please see Not All Dinettes Are Created Equal). Overall this is a nice floorplan if you like the shower/toilet idea.
The BR23SC has an interior shower/cassette toilet which only appeals to some of the campers out there but it also has a 4 1/2' deck on the front for hauling ATVs, bikes, or other fun toys. Since hauling toys isn't useful to everybody this model qualifies as a "more specialized purpose" camper. Functionally this is a great layout with many features. One design issue we frown upon: the 64" dinette. For many people a 64" dinette is not comfortable and when it's made into a bed anybody over 5' 2" would need to sleep diagonally.
The BR28TSC has almost all the same features as the BR23SC but the deck on the front is 8 1/2' long instead of 4 1/2', has two axles instead of one, and has a 72" long dinette. It's nice that this Back Road model has the appropriate size dinette but the interior shower/cassette toilet and the toy hauling deck on the front make this a "more specialized use" camper. Other than these two features that may not be useful to some folks, the design and layout of the BR28TSC is well thought out and solid.
The 625D is a great-looking camper with a lot of features, lots of sleeping and seating room, and a slide-out dinette that provides a spacious interior. Before the High Wall series was introduced this was Flagstaff's top of the line. Two reasons it's on this list and not the "All Around" list: the interior shower/cassette toilet is not for everybody and the sofa placement means that if somebody is working at the galley (sink & stove) their backside is going to be facing anybody sitting on the sofa (and at a particularly unfortunate eye-level, too). No, sorry, we do not have a diagram for illustrative purposes.
The High Wall campers are packed with near-travel-trailer amenities and are quite luxurious for camping trailers but there's a few issues to keep in mind: the camper (when folded down) is higher than the view from a rear-view mirror of almost all tow vehicles (including our full-size trucks) so the traditional tent camper benefit of being able to see out the back window is no longer and you have to rely on your side mirrors, and the sidewall of the camper is a full foot taller than base pop-up sidewalls and the "feel" inside the camper is different than low-wall campers. We recommend checking the High Wall campers out in person to make sure you like the feel of it.
Everything mentioned about the HW27SC applies here--the High Wall campers are great but the higher sidewalls affect the "feel" of the interior and it doesn't work for some people. Also the HW29SC has a wrap-around dinette and that's not always the best way to go when acting as the primary dinette area (please see Not All Dinettes Are Created Equal).
The only 10' T-Series camper. Naturally it's also the lightest (1666 lbs.) That means it's also the smallest, with a 42" dinette and a 32" front bunk. The 32" bunk is only for one person and two people need to be quite cozy to make this a three-person sleeper. In fact, the limited sleeping capacity is the main reason this model is not in the "All Around Great" section. Otherwise we like the idea of a small, light, A-frame camper.
This is a good concept--a solid T-Series camper with a toy hauling storage deck on the front. The interior is set up decently although the sofa may not appeal to as many as the wrap-around dinette would. Then again two T models already have the wrap-around dinette (T12DDST and T12SC) so a little variety might be a good thing. The only reason this is on this list instead of the "All Around Great" list is the front deck--not everybody needs a place to put toys.
Campers That Fit A Certain Niche
It's good to offer a small 8' camper but the 176LTD has a problem: the dinette. It's a 64-incher to start with but more troubling is the placement of the wheel well. There's no way to move the wheel well location, of course, so the wheel well is simply covered with two boards that protrude into the dinette's leg area by 12" (out of 34" total). The wheel well cover means that only two adults can sit at this dinette (two small children could presumably put their legs on the cover). If towing capacity demands a 1344 lb camper this may work for two people or a small family but for only 150 lbs more the 206LTD (1493 lbs) is a much better solution.
The 205 is the only 10' Flagstaff with an interior shower/cassette toilet. For anybody who wants a light camper but must have an interior shower or toilet this is your model. However, the compromises necessary to fit an interior shower into a 10' box put the 205 on the "niche" list: 1. The dinette is only 64" long and is partially blocked by a wheel well cover that protrudes into the dinette's leg area. 2. The storage area under the galley is taken up by the water heater, water pump, and water filter--the only viable storage space in this camper is under the two dinette seats and in one pull-out utensil drawer. 3. The fridge is separated from the rest of the galley--not a very good work triangle. The lack of storage cannot be overstated. We strongly encourage anyone considering the 205 to see if the 228 with shower might be an acceptable alternative (the 228 weighs 320 lbs more--2050 lbs dry)
The idea is to have a 10' box with two separate seating areas plus a walkway that goes from end to end. In theory this is good but in practice the 207 has some issues: First, the dinette is only a 64-incher. The sofa is 62" long. When folded into beds anybody taller than 5' 2" has a problem. Also, because the seating areas are at diagonal ends of the camper the galley is split into diagonal corners as well; the fridge is on the opposite corner from the sink and stove. If two people are sitting on the couch and somebody else is trying to cook dinner and needs something from the fridge then one person on the couch must angle their legs to make a path through that bottleneck. I suppose this layout would work with one or two people but it seems like a hassle for larger groups. If two separate seating areas is the goal the 208 does a better job.
The 228D is the lightest slide-out dinette camper Flagstaff makes. This is good, but there are a two issues to keep in mind. 1. the slide-out dinette is only 64" long so it might not be comfortable for some people to sit at and when it's folded into a bed anybody over 5' 2" would have to sleep diagonally. 2. One of the appealing features of the 228 and 228BH is that the gaucho/bed is across from the dinette such that meal time or game time can be shared by 6, 7, or maybe even 8 people. With a slide-out dinette this isn't possible (not only are the two areas too far apart but the slide-out dinette is elevated 6" to accommodate the slide-out hardware). Two separate areas might be beneficial in certain instances but it decreases the flexibility offered by having the couch and dinette together.
This model has the same layout issues as the 228D but with an interior shower/cassette toilet installed in the front door-side corner. The interior shower/cassette toilet is not for everybody; a hot water package with an outside shower might be an acceptable alternative if you're on the fence about showers.
The High Wall campers are packed with near-travel-trailer amenities and are quite luxurious for camping trailers but there's a few issues to keep in mind: the camper (when folded down) is higher than the view from a rear-view mirror of almost all tow vehicles (including our full-size trucks) so the traditional tent camper benefit of being able to see out the back window is no longer and you have to rely on your side mirrors, and the sidewall of the camper is a full foot taller than base pop-up sidewalls and the "feel" inside the camper is different than low-wall campers. We recommend checking the High Wall campers out in person to make sure you like the feel of it.
The HW25FS, specifically, has a 64" dinette (all other High Walls have a 72" dinette) to allow for the separate sofa area. Losing 8" from the dinette to gain a seat does not seem like a fair trade. The HW27SC is a better alternative (and only weighs 40 lbs more).
KS stands for "Kitchen Slide" and means that a mini-galley with sink and stove slides out of the side of the camper so you can wash and cook outdoors. Although there are times when a sink on the outside of a camper would be handy the amount of space that the slide mechanism takes up and the added weight to the trailer (a remarkable 150 lbs!) seems like a bad trade-off. The HW27SC has a grill on the outside and an exterior shower for at least rudimentary hand-washing. Also the wrap-around dinette is less useful than a regular dinette (please see Not All Dinettes Are Created Equal). There may be a demand for this model somewhere but we haven't seen it yet.
This is the only T-Series with an interior shower/cassette toilet. As mentioned many times on this page the interior shower/cassette toilet isn't for everybody and that would place it on the "More Specialized" list; but this model makes the "Niche" list because of the placement of the shower. It sits right in the middle of the off-door side, blocking views from the big off-door-side window and separating the sink from the stove and fridge. Because of the big block of space required to fit the shower/toilet a second dinette or bed is not possible in this model. For one or two people this model would work just fine but for any extra visitors a separate sleeping area will be required.
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