How Much Does a 30′ Travel Trailer Weigh?

If you’re about to buy a travel trailer, its weight is probably one of many factors you’re considering. It’s easy to get overwhelmed. After all, there are lots of travel trailers available, each with their own weight and amenities, and you may wonder how much you can carry in your trailer as well as how to do so safely. We’ve looked at several varieties offered by some of the top names in the industry and are ready to tell you everything you need to know about your new 30’ travel trailer’s weight-with plenty of examples, of course.

Generally, a 30' travel trailer weighs between 4,500 and 7,000 pounds without cargo or equipment and between 6,500 and 10,000 pounds with cargo and equipment.

There are many different travel trailer brands available, each with their own amenities and trim levels, which contribute to that weight. Additionally, your trailer’s cargo weight determines how much equipment you can safely store in it. You can calculate the cargo weight by subtracting your trailer’s weight without cargo from its manufacturer-recommended weight with cargo assuming that number isn’t already given to you.

We realize that we just gave you a lot of information at once, so we’ll give more detail on all of it in this article. We’ll walk through some example travel trailers, discussing their weights and amenities.

Travel Trailer Dry Weight Vs. Cargo Weight

If you look at any RV dealer’s website, you’ll see these terms used a lot. A trailer’s Dry Weight is the unit’s weight right after it’s manufactured without any cargo, additional accessories, equipment, fuel, or other fluids. Dry Weight is sometimes also called the Unloaded Vehicle Weight (UVW), but other times UVW includes the weight of fuel and other liquids.

Cargo Weight, sometimes called Cargo Carrying Capacity (CCC), is the amount of cargo you can pack in the trailer. This measurement includes any fresh potable water, personal luggage, equipment, optional accessories, and occupants.

The sum of your trailer’s Dry Weight and Cargo Weight must not exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) as it’s the maximum load your trailer can safely support.

Now that you’re aware of the factors influencing your travel trailer’s weight let’s discuss some specific examples from leading RV brands.

Travel Trailer Examples

Forest River Flagstaff 26FKBS:

This travel trailer is 29’ -11” and has a 6,608-lb UVW, a 2,188-lb CCC, and an 8,796-lb GVWR. It comes with a Queen-sized bed, closet, bathroom/shower, fireplace, TV, sofa, kitchen, fridge, dinette table, and 21’ awning.

Forest River Flagstaff 26RBWS:

This travel trailer is 29’ -9” and has a 6,158-lb UVW, a 1,790-lb CCC, and a 7,948-lb GVWR. It comes with all of the amenities of the 26FKBS except the fireplace, which is replaced with more storage space. It also has a gas griddle that can be placed outside under the 21’ awning.

Forest River Flagstaff 26RKBS:

This travel trailer is 29’ -11” and has a 6,988-lb UVW, a 1,808-lb CCC, and an 8,796-lb GVWR. It has all of the amenities of the 26FKBS, including a fireplace under the TV opposite the sofa. It also has a gas griddle and a small outside kitchen under the 21’ awning.

Forest River Cherokee Grey Wolf 26DJSE:

This travel trailer is 29’ -2” and has a 4,596-lb UVW, a 2,978-lb CCC, and a 7,574-lb GVWR. It contains a Queen-sized bed, sofa, dinette table, kitchen, fridge, bathroom/shower, a pair of bunk beds, and a 15’ awning.

Forest River Cherokee Grey Wolf 23DBH:

This travel trailer is 29’ -1” and has a 5,380-lb UVW, a 2,241-lb CCC, and a 7,621-lb GVWR. It contains all of the amenities of the 26DJSE except for the sofa, which is replaced with a fireplace. It also has a U-shaped dinette table instead of the other model’s booth dinette.

Jayco 2021 Jay Feather 25RB:

This travel trailer is 30’ -7” and has a 5,850-lb UVW, a 1,150-lb CCC, and a 7,000-lb GVWR.  It comes with a Queen-sized bed, booth dinette, fridge, kitchen, jackknife sofa, walk-in pantry, 19’ awning, bathroom/shower, and an entertainment center with a TV.

Jayco 2021 Jay Feather 24BH:

This travel trailer is 30’ -2” and has a 6,220-lb UVW, a 1,030-lb CCC, and a 7,250-lb GVWR. It has most of the amenities of the 25RB, except that it has a U-shaped dinette instead of a booth and a pair of bunk beds instead of a jackknife sofa. It also has an outside kitchen, complete with a second fridge, all under the expanded 21’ awning.  

Keystone Hideout 258RK:

This travel trailer is 29’ -11” and has a 6,178-lb UVW, a 1,582-lb CCC, and a 7,760-lb GVWR. It comes with a Queen-sized bed, bathroom/shower, jackknife sofa, kitchen, 16’ awning, booth dinette, walk-in pantry, fridge, fireplace, and an optional 40” HDTV. It even has a coffee station, which is essential for any living space, and a central vacuum for quick touch-ups.

Keystone Hideout 262BH:

This travel trailer is 29’ -3” and has a 5,033-lb UVW, a 2,512-lb CCC, and a 7,545-lb GVWR. It has a notably different layout compared to the 262BH, but it retains the other model’s bed, bathroom/shower, fridge, kitchen, jackknife sofa, booth dinette, and central vacuum. However, it has a much smaller pantry, replaces the fireplace and TV with a bunk bed, lacks a coffee station, and has a 12’ awning.

Keystone Hideout 272BH:

This travel trailer is 30’ -8” and has a 6,101-lb UVW, a 1,679-lb CCC, and a 7,780-lb GVWR. It serves almost as a combination of the 258RK and the 262BH in terms of amenities. It contains everything the other two models have except it has a medium-sized pantry and no coffee station. It has a fireplace, two bunk beds, an optional 40” HDTV, and a 16’ awning.

Keystone Hideout 25TH:

This travel trailer is 29’ -11” and has a 6,056-lb UVW, a 3,644-lb CCC, and a 9,700-lb GVWR. Its layout is markedly different from the other Hideouts. It has an 8’ garage door covering one end in front of two flip-up sofas that face each other. The 25^th also has a flip-over sofa instead of a jackknife sofa. It has the same kitchen, fridge, central vacuum, bathroom/shower, and Queen-sized bed as the other models. There is also a space to put a TV.

CrossRoads Sunset Trail SS253RB:

This travel trailer is 29’ -11” and has a 5,531-lb UVW, a 2,146-lb CCC, and a 7,677-lb GVWR. It comes with a King-sized bed, pet station, tri-fold sofa, XL-sized dinette booth, kitchen, fridge, pantry, bathroom/shower, and TV.

CrossRoads Sunset Trail SS257FK:

This travel trailer is 29’ -11” and has a 5,558-lb UVW, a 2,134-lb CCC, and a 7,692-lb GVWR. Its layout is almost a mirror image of the other model, and it includes all of the same amenities except for the addition of a shoe cubby and a couple more pantries.

Heartland Mallard M25:

This travel trailer is 30’ -9” and has a 5,968-lb UVW, a 1,400-lb CCC, and a 7,400-lb GVWR. It features a King-sized bed, dinette booth, sofa, bathroom/shower, fridge, kitchen, and an 18’ awning.

Heartland Mallard M27:

This travel trailer is 30’ -4” and has a 5,672-lb UVW, a 1,196-lb CCC, and a 6,900-lb GVWR. It has all of the amenities of the M25 (though the awning is only 17’), plus a couple of recliner chairs thrown in. The layouts of the two Mallard models are very similar. Their kitchens are just in slightly different places.

How Do I Find the Weight of My Travel Trailer?

The answer to this question is more complicated than you might initially think. When weighing a travel trailer, you have to know the weight of the tow vehicle, the weight of the trailer, their combined weight, the weight on your hitch (called the Tongue Weight), and the weight on the trailer’s axles. Once you have that data, you need to check your tire pressure and ensure your trailer’s weight is balanced.

All of that might sound overwhelming, but the good news is we’ve already covered it in-depth! For the full article on this topic, click here.

Can You Tow a 30’ Camper With a Half-ton Truck?

Towing capacity and trailer weight are nuanced topics that we’ve already discussed on this site. In this section, we’ll be applying the rules mentioned in the linked article to the question at hand. You can read our full article on this subject if you want more information.

We should mention that the term “half-ton truck” was initially meant to mean a truck with a payload capacity of 1,000 pounds. However, in recent decades half-ton vehicles have been built to bear much heavier weights, so the name is now somewhat deceptive. As our full article describes, payload capacity is the total weight your truck can carry, and it must be enough to support the driver, passengers, cargo, gas, and the tongue weight, which is how much of the trailer’s weight rests on the hitch. In addition, your tongue weight must be 12-15% of your actual trailer weight, including fluids and cargo.

As an example, let’s say we have a half-ton truck like the 2019 Ford F-150, which can have a maximum payload capacity of roughly 2,300 pounds depending on some aspects of its construction. Your truck’s frame, suspension, brakes, and the engine can all influence its payload capacity. For the sake of easier math, we’ll say our hypothetical F-150 has a 2,000-pound payload capacity. If we assume that the driver, passengers, cargo, and gas take up 800 pounds, then there are 1,200 pounds left for the tongue weight. Thus, the trailer must weigh between 8,000 and 10,000 pounds. If you compare this weight range to the one we gave at the beginning of this article, you’ll see that the truck in this example is capable of pulling most 30’ travel trailers with plenty of cargo.

We must remind you that these numbers will differ depending on your half-ton truck’s payload capacity and how much weight it has to carry in passengers, fluids, and cargo. Check your vehicle’s owner manual or the manufacturer’s website to find your truck’s payload capacity.

The short answer is you can tow a 30’ camper with a half-ton truck, but be sure to do the necessary research to find your vehicle’s payload capacity and then do the math so you can be sure your half-ton truck can tow your trailer.

Conclusion

When you examine the weight of a travel trailer, you’re thinking of buying, be sure to look at its UVW, CCC, and GVWR. Decide what trim level you want for the model you choose and determine how much cargo you’ll be taking with you. Finally, do the math to ensure your truck can safely tow your RV.

Once you’ve done all that, you’re ready to hit the road and start making memories with your new RV. Have fun, and make it a “home away from home” you’ll treasure for years to come.