2016 Fleetwood Flair 29T Class A
By Gary Bunzer
A gasoline-fueled Type A motorhome that can turn heads.
At Allied Recreation Group (ARG) headquarters in Decatur, Ind., I recently found myself pleasantly surprised when viewing the new 2016 Flair motorhome for the first time. The Flair ranks a few notches down on the retail price sheet in ARG’s Fleetwood Type A motorhome lineup, but I found the 2016 model to be nicely appointed and outfitted with everything needed to satisfy the whims of most RVers, from casual weekend users to extended travelers.
Pulled along by Ford’s time-tested 6.8-liter, 362-horsepower Triton V-10 power plant, coupled with the Ford five-speed transmission with overdrive, the Flair moves down the road nicely while yielding 457 pound-feet of torque to the rear drive wheels at 3,250 rpm.
Exterior
The first thing I absorbed on the outside of this 29-foot motorhome was the beautiful Cliffside Cove full-body paint scheme (other exterior finishes include Midtown Mink and Sangria), which is applied onto a Vetrolite ultra-thick fiberglass exterior skin. The attention to detail is akin to that attributed to most high-end coaches. Completing a factory tour before heading out with the Flair, I came away with a new appreciation of the amazing amount of work it takes to create a multicolored, full-body paint finish.
The largest of the three 2016 Flair floor plans, this new 29-foot model actually measures 29 feet 10 inches overall. Just to the right of the midcoach entry door are two storage bays (the forward-most is a full pass-through bay) and the exterior entertainment center. On this 29T review model, the bay closest to the door included a flip-down television. The TV slides out and flips for outside viewing, revealing plenty of additional storage space inside the compartment.
The Flair 29T offers 135 square feet of exterior storage space, with access doors on three exterior walls — the right side, the left side, and the very rear. The rear storage compartment is huge — a very nice feature. It provides plenty of room to stow even the most unorthodox or cumbersome gear. A roof ladder further graces the rear of the coach.
Interior
As one enters the motorhome, one notes a large double-door storage closet to the left. A bank of switches directly below it power the porch lamp, the electric step, a couple of interior lamps, and the electric awning. The sleeper sofa hugs the wall to the right of the entry door. A one-hand operation easily turns the sofa into a bed. Plenty of cabinet space lines the ceiling above the sofa, with the monitor panel and slideout switch located at the entry door end of the overhead cabinet.
The opposing wall houses the only slideout on the 29T. That slideout contains a convertible dinette (with the main television, a 32-inch LED model, mounted above), as well as a full galley, including a slideout pantry, a double-basin sink, a three-burner cooktop, a microwave oven, and a Dometic 6-cubic-foot refrigerator.
Across the short hall, the lavatory sits opposite the galley. It is outfitted with all the standard trappings, including the GFCI receptacle, a Dometic china toilet with rinser, a wooden medicine cabinet, an exhaust vent, towel racks and hooks, and an ABS shower enclosure equipped with a frosted door and a skylight. Overall, the bath area is typical yet nicely decorated, with plenty of cabinet space.
A double-door pantry is conveniently located right across from the refrigerator and galley.
As in the 27-foot 26D and 26E Flair floor plans, the queen-size bed in this coach is mounted fore and aft against the rear wall. Convenient, but less than expansive, wardrobe cabinets and full-depth drawers are mounted on either side of the 60-inch-by-74-inch bed.
Another benefit of this floor plan: The emergency window is located in the bedroom, on the opposite wall of the main entry door. A sliding pocket door separates the bedroom from the rest of the coach.
A wall-mounted, 19-inch television is standard equipment on the 29T and is easily adjusted to any viewing angle required. A lighted overhead cabinet is mounted just above the bed between the wardrobe cabinets. Additional storage lies under the lift-up bed platform.
One of my personal preferences mandates being able to walk from the front of the motorhome to the rear with clear access to the galley and lavatory when the slideouts are fully retracted. The 29T met my little expectation with flying colors.
Road Test
Driving the Flair 29T was another pleasant surprise. From traveling down two-lane country roads to maneuvering in tight downtown traffic and negotiating at quicker four-lane speeds, the Flair's Ford chassis responded well. This was true of both acceleration and braking, even during panic stops performed in a controlled area. I was concerned a bit about the length behind the rear axle for tight parking lot turns, but the coach responded great, with no excessive lean or sway.
For the full report click here.