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Glossary

Trailer Terms

  • 3-way fridge - "3-way" refers to the power sources available: Propane, 110V, 12V. In a campground with power hook-ups the 110V is the easiest way to run the fridge. If no power is available the fridge will run on propane. While on the road, if the tow vehicle has a hot lead in the wiring plug, the fridge can run on 12V.
  • Axle weight - The portion of a trailer's total weight supported by the axle/tires.
  • Box size - Literally the box a camper is made of. The box size does not include storage trunks or storage decks; "box size" concerns the interior living space (without the beds) from front to back. (More details on camper size: Camper Size Explanation)
  • Brake controller - An electrical device installed near the dash of a tow vehicle that sends an electrical signal to the electric brakes of a trailer; it activates and regulates a trailer's electric brake system.
  • BTU - British Thermal Unit, a unit of energy equal to ~252 calories. A 19,000 BTU furnace is rated to produce 19,000 BTUs per hour. For comparison, burning one pound of air-dried wood produces around 7,000 BTU.
  • Dry weight - The total weight of a trailer without water, propane, or camping supplies. The product of adding axle weight and tongue weight.
  • Gaucho - Nobody knows for sure why the factory uses this term except that "couch" didn't sound couth. Wiktionary didn't help much . All jokes aside, a gaucho is a sofa (consisting of cushions on a wood board foundation) that pulls out to make a bed.
  • Hitch weight / tongue weight - The portion of a trailer's total weight supported by the tow vehicle's ball/hitch. A hitch weight of 10% or more of a trailer's total weight allows stable towing.
  • Hot lead - (pronounced "leed") Also, a charging circuit; a hot lead runs from a tow vehicle's battery to the wiring plug. This allows a tow vehicle to charge the trailer's battery while in transit (and also while on site without having to hook up jumper cables).
  • GVWR - Gross Vehicle Weight Rating - The maximum weight that a trailer's tires and hitch (combined) can hold. The GVWR less the dry weight equals the cargo capacity available for water, propane, and camping gear. (More information on weight)
  • Lift-system - The system used to raise and lower a fold-down camper's roof.
  • Open length - The total length of a fold-down trailer when open including beds and storage decks, if applicable. Some campsites have length restrictions so open length is a good number to know when making campsite reservations.
  • Tongue weight / hitch weight - The portion of a trailer's total weight supported by the tow vehicle's ball/hitch. A tongue weight of 10% or more of a trailer's total weight allows stable towing.
  • Travel length - The length of the trailer when closed; measured from tongue/hitch to the rear bumper/spare tire. This is a good number to know for storage lot/garage purposes.

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Flagstaff Model Numbers and Letters Decoded

Model Numbers

In the past the model number usually related to the camper size and the number of people the camper was supposed to sleep. For example, the model 208 is 20' long when open and sleeps 8 people (technically). But the factory ran into problems such as the 207 where it is 20' long and is also supposed to sleep 8 people but since the name "208" was already taken, so it was given the number "207". This only applied to the MAC series; for the Classics the size and sleeping capacity were reversed (a 208 layout in the MAC series would be called the "820" in the Classic series).

Now that Flagstaff has six series they have all but abandoned the size/sleeping capacity system. Currently the model number relates to a camper's relative position within its own series, but does not necessarily follow a logical system across the entire brand.

For example, in the Classic series, the 823D, 425D, and 625D are all the same size when open and when closed. The "23" part of the 823D indicates it is the most basic Classic. The "25" in 425D means it is the next step up (it gains a bay window galley). The "25" in 625D is the same as the 425D, but the 625D adds an interior shower/cassette toilet so it gets the "6" instead of the "4" of the 425D. It can be a bit confusing (like, "what about the '8' in 823D?" sidebar (well, "bottom bar", but still)).

Bottom line: we recommend referring to an individual camper's specifications for it's sleeping capacity/size/features and the chart of key specifications down below (or call us and we'll be happy to clarify why a camper has a particular model number) rather than relying on the camper's model designation to provide complete information.

Model Numbers (continued)
  • 17_ - 8' box ("What's a 'box'?") in the LTD, MAC, and Sports Enthusiast series
  • 20_ - 10' box in the LTD, MAC, and Sports Enthusiast series
  • 22_ - 12' box in the MAC and Sports Enthusiast series
  • 23_ - 12' box in the Sports Enthusiast series with a 4 1/2' toy hauler deck
  • 28_ - 12' box in the Sports Enthusiast series with an 8 1/2' toy hauler deck*
  • 24_ - 14' box in the MAC and Sports Enthusiast series
  • _23 & _25 - 12' box in the Classic tent series
  • _27 - 14' box in the Classic tent series
  • HW27_ - 14' box in the High Wall tent series
  • HW29_ - 16' box in the High Wall tent series
  • HW31_ - 14' box in the High Wall tent series with an 8 1/2' toy hauler deck
  • T12_ - 12' T-series low-wall camper
  • T19_ - 12' T-series high-wall camper
  • T21_ - 14' T-series high wall camper
Model Letters
  • BH - Bike Hauler. These models have a 2' metal deck on the front of the camper. Used for storing bicycles, generators, firewood, toolboxes, folding chairs, etc.
  • BR - Back Road. The Back Road Series featured elevated frames with 15" wheels and mud tires. This series was updated and upgraded for the 2016 model year with the Sports Enthusiast Series.
  • Classic - Classic series. This is Flagstaff's upgraded line of campers.
  • D - Slide-out dinette. A model number ending in "D" (not LTD) has a slide-out dinette. Note: not all campers with slide-out dinettes end in D (like in the SE and HW series). To find all campers with a slide-out dinette please refer to the chart below or view the floor plans in All Models.
  • DD - Double Dinette. This T-Series designation denotes the only T-Series camper with two dinette tables. (The now-discontinued T12DDST).
  • DM - Dormer. The first Flagstaff dormer T-series was given the "DM" moniker. Note: not all campers with a dormer have "DM" in the name.
  • FK - Front Kitchen. The T21FKHW has a large "U"-shaped galley at the front of the camper.
  • FS - Front Sofa (Sofa/Bed). The T21FSHW has a sofa/bed in the front of the camper.
  • HW - High Wall. All High Wall Series models use the "HW" prefix. The High Wall T-Series campers use "HW" as a suffix.
  • KS - Kitchen Slide-out. The HW27KS has a sink and stove that slides out from the box to provide an outdoor kitchen facility.
  • LT - "Lotza Trailer"? This is a Roberts Sales-specific designation for the 206LT. It doesn't mean anything itself, it just denotes an upgraded version of the 206LTD.
  • LTD - Limited. The LTD Series is Flagstaff's entry-level series. "Limited" refers to the features, not "limited edition."
  • MAC - Most Affordable Camper. The MAC Series is Flagstaff's main line of campers.
  • OTG - Off The Ground Series. Flagstaff's stripped-down "back to basics" series. No propane or water system. Basically "beds on wheels".
  • QB - Queen Bed. These T-series campers have a queen bed. Note: not all T-series campers with a queen bed have "QB" in the model name. Please refer to the T-series lineup for an overview of bed sizes.
  • RB - Rear Bunk. These T-Series campers have a rear bunk instead of a dinette or sofa (ex. T12RB). Note: not all rear bunk models contain "RB." To find all campers with a rear bunk please view the floor plans in All Models.
  • SC - Shower/Commode. These models have a shower and toilet (or cassette toilet) inside the camper. Note: not all shower/cassette toilet models end in "SC." To find all campers with a shower/commode please refer to the chart below or view the floor plans in All Models.
  • SE - Sports Enthusiast. This is Flagstaff's current back-road series with big tires, higher ground clearance than usual, and some cool aesthetic changes to the camper's interior and exterior.
  • SOR - Storage (trunk)/Off-Road. The T12RBSOR has a storage trunk on the front and a "Back Road" chassis with 15" wheels and mud tires. Flagstaff usually prefers using "back road" to "off road" but we suppose "T12RBSBR" sounded too palindrom-ic.
  • ST - Storage Trunk. All models with "ST" have a storage trunk on the front (but not all models with a storage trunk necessarily end in "ST"). To find all campers with a storage trunk please refer to the chart below or view the floor plans in All Models.
  • T (T-series) - Triangle. This is Flagstaff's a-frame-style T-series, which, from the side, is shaped like a triangle.
  • TB - Three beds. The T21TBHW and T21TBHWSE are High Wall T-series campers with three beds.
  • TH - Toy Hauler. This denotes a camper with a toy hauler storage deck on the front, though not all campers with toy-hauler decks end in "TH".
  • TSC - Toy Hauler/Shower/Commode. The 28TSCSE has both a toy hauler and a shower/cassette toilet.
  • w/sh - with shower. We use this suffix for the 228 variants that can have an optional shower/cassette toilet installed at the factory (228 w/sh, 228D w/sh, 228BHSE w/sh).

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Key Features of All Current Flagstaff Pop-up Models

We know some of the terms above can be confusing when they are not applied consistently, but if all the features on a given trailer were included in the model name we could end up with a model called the "HWSCTHFSDRB" and that gets a bit windy. So, here's a quick chart of only the features listed in the model name for each model (other features that vary by series are listed in the Series Comparison):

Model Two Tables Double Dinette 1 Sofa & 1 Dinette Slide-out Dinette Beds Interior Shower/ Commode Hot Water Package Storage Trunk 2' Bike Hauler Toy Hauler 15" Mud Tires
F14OTG         3            
F17OTG         2            
176LTD         3            
206LTD         3            
206LT         3            
176         3            
208 x x     4   x        
206M     X   4   x x      
228D     x x 4   x        
228D w/sh     x x 4 x x        
425M       x 3   x x      
207SE     X   4   x       x
206STSE         3   x X     x
228BHSE (w/sh)     X   4 x x   X   x
228SE     X x 4   x       x
228SE w/sh     X x 4 x x       x
23SCSE       x 3 x x     x x
HW27KS       x 3   x        
HW29SC x   x x 4   x        
T12RBST         2   x X      
T21TBHW         2/3♦   x X      
T21DMHW         2 X X X      
Model Two Tables Double Dinette 1 Sofa/ 1 Dinette Slide-out Dinette Beds Shower/ Toilet Hot Water Package Storage Trunk Bike Hauler Toy Hauler 15" Mud Tires

♦The T21TBHW has twin beds in the back and a dinette which folds into a bed, so three beds in that configuration. It also has a mattress piece that can join the two twin beds together to form a king bed; this configuration yields 2 beds.

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Further Notes on Model Numbers (not that anybody asked)

The "8" in 823D

Some model numbers are holdovers from previous versions of a particular model. From 1999--when Flagstaff introduced their slide-out dinette campers--until 2016 the 823D had four beds, so the "8" meant it slept eight people. In 2017 Flagstaff changed the configuration of the 823D to have only three beds, but the "8" in 823D remained.

Similarly, when the slide-outs first arrived the 625D had three beds inside so it received the "6" denoting a six-sleeper camper. In 2002 the 625D was reconfigured to include a sofa/bed. Since then it has been an eight-sleeper but the 625D model number lives on.

23 vs. 25

"Why do the 12' Classics have a "23" and "25" in the model number when they are the same size?"

Back in 1999 there were three slide-out dinette models, the 625D, 823D, and 825D. The 823D conformed to Flagstaff's Classic nomenclature (8-sleeper, 23' long when open, slide-out Dinette), but there was another 8-sleeper slide-out offered that needed a name besides the already-taken "823D". Based on previous naming conventions (using a number one up or one down from the real number), this model could have been named "822D" or "824D" but for the mere fact that this camper was also given a front storage trunk, ultimately Flagstaff decided on "825D".

Based on previous non-slide-out models the 625D should have been called the "623D" (6-sleeper, 23' long, slide-out Dinette), but because the 825D was given a two-digit bump owing to its front storage trunk, what should have been the 623D became the "625D" as well.

[Side-note: when Flagstaff reconfigured the 625D to have a sofa/bed in 2002, its model number matched up better with the 825D because both "25" models now had nearly identical layouts with the only difference being the 625D had an interior shower/cassette toilet and the 825D retained its cabinetry in the front door-side corner.]

MAC 22 vs. Classic 23

"The 228, 228D, and 823D all open to over 23 feet--why do the MAC campers' model numbers (228 & 228D) suggest they open to only 22 feet?"

Flagstaff used to offer some of the exact same floor plans in different series (like the automotive industry when it offers a base model and then upgraded trim levels). When Flagstaff had only two series the MAC campers were the basic models and the Classics were the deluxe campers. For example, the 208 floor plan (in the MAC series) used to be offered in the Classic series as the "820" with more lights, upgraded mattresses, and a larger fridge--but the layout was the same.

In 1998 Flagstaff had three 8-sleeper, 12' Classics. According to Flagstaff naming conventions all three qualified for the "823" model number but, of course, they each needed their own name. One was named "823" and the other two were named "822" and "824"**. Since the only 12' MAC camper that year used essentially the same floor plan as the 822, the MAC model was given the number "228".

Eventually the 822 and 824 were discontinued while the 823 number survives as a slide-out dinette model (823D), leaving the 228, 228D, (and 228BHSE for that matter) with the appearance that they open up one foot shorter than the same-length 823D.

As is now the case with many Flagstaff model numbers, the numbers don't necessarily correspond to the camper's specifications; the model number may just be a holdover from decades of limited numbering choices. (This sometimes makes me yearn for model names, but then again an unfamiliar name doesn't give helpful information about the specs, either.)

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*Many of these number and letters denote discontinued models. We're keeping them in the glossary for posterity. If you need information on a discontinued model, please check our Archives page.

**If these three models had been named twenty years later, current Flagstaff naming conventions would favor using "823" on all three models then adding letters to point out the different features. Instead of 822, 823, and 824, we would have had the 823STCT, 823DD, and 823DDST. The point being that each naming system has its drawbacks. So if you're confused, you're not alone. Please let us help sort out what model has what so you can get the best camper for your needs. Thank you! (back )