Flying Cloud 25 · Improvements & Enhancements
After years of traveling in our Flying Cloud 25, we've accumulated a collection of ten bathroom improvements that have genuinely transformed daily life on the road. Most are applicable to virtually any Airstream model.
Some are weekend DIY projects. Others are best left to a trusted Airstream technician. All are worth it.
One of the single best additions to our bathroom. We replaced the standard towel bar in the toilet area with a stainless steel heated unit that draws just 80 watts and runs continuously on shore power. No more damp or cold towels after your shower!
At a casual glance you should be able to tell whether any device is on or off — and be alerted when something is on that shouldn't be. We fitted a red LED for the electric water heater and a blue LED for the propane water heater. Simple, effective, and a genuine safety improvement.
The eternal problem: sliding bathroom cabinet doors that burst open and shed their contents on rough highway days. A quick fix — magnetic catches at both ends of each door. We went with stainless and chrome rather than plastic, with a healthy 15 lb pull strength. They come in a 10-pack for around $12.
InterDesign freezer organizer trays from Target make controlling toiletries much easier — and they don't leap out from the shelf while under way. We use a his-and-hers set stored on the bathroom shelf. When you arrive at your destination, bring them down to the counter for easy access. You'll need to trim one side so the tray fits the curved Airstream wall.
After seven years of the original mottled green Formica, we asked our trusted Airstream technician DJ Mastin of Broken Rivets LLC to install a white Corian bathroom countertop with a new sink and faucet. The before and after photos say everything. A breath of fresh air — and a great upgrade.
Alongside the new countertop, we swapped the original mini stainless bowl for a round 14" Kraus KCV-341 Elavo porcelain sink. The aesthetic improvement is dramatic — see the before and after for yourself.
The new raised sink clearly needed a taller faucet to match. The Kraus Ramus FVS-1007CH single-arm control faucet is particularly handy when you don't have both hands readily available — great ergonomics for a small bathroom space.
We finally replaced the basic stock mirror after three years! Having recently acquired a great collection of hardwoods, we ripped some black walnut to optimally fill the 20" × 14" wall space above the sink. Mounted with recessed keyhole hangers plus a small central polyester block along the top edge to prevent highway vibration from sending it crashing — invisible but essential on rough stretches like Louisiana I-10.
Not all Airstreams share this opportunity, but our FC25 has a 9" wide × 6" deep gap between the bathroom vanity and the door — pure wasted space. We cut a 24" tall × 9" wide panel with an internal shelf supporting a plywood tube that holds a plastic trash bag. Capacity is sufficient for a couple of weeks between empties, and it uses zero counter or floor space.
Keeping countertops free of clutter is a constant pursuit in a small bathroom. We installed SimpleHuman brand dispensers — stainless steel to blend with the décor, and critically, SimpleHuman's spring-loaded cap and tension plate stops the roll from unraveling while under way. We fitted one in the kitchen at the end of the cabinet near the door, and one high in the bathroom near the ceiling above the sink.
