01 What makes it unique
Heartland lists the 2023 Bighorn Traveler 38FL at 13,450 lb dry, a GVWR of 16,000 lb and a pin weight of 2,970 lb. Heartland prints no cargo carrying capacity for it, so none is given here; the federal label inside the trailer carries one.
It is 42' 1 7/8" long and 13' 3" high. Heartland prints no tank capacity for it.
Among the 7 Bighorn Traveler floorplans Heartland’s 2023 Bighorn Traveler brochure lists with a published dry weight, it is number 7 from the lightest, in a range from 10,803 lb (Bighorn Traveler 32RS) to 13,450 lb (Bighorn Traveler 38FL). Every figure in that comparison is Heartland’s, for the same model year.
Every number on this page was read on 5 Nov 2026 from Heartland’s 2023 Bighorn Traveler brochure, the maker’s own dated document for model year 2023.
How the 38FL differs from the other six Bighorn Traveler floorplans. Most distinctive first. How these ranks are worked out.
- Dry weight, 13,450 lb: heaviest of seven; next is the 37DB (12,994 lb).
- Pin weight, 2,970 lb: heaviest of seven; next are the 37FB and 37TB (2,913 lb).
- Length, 42 ft 1 in: third-shortest of seven, between the 37RD (41 ft 7 in) and the 37FB (42 ft 4 in).
- Pin weight as a share of dry weight, 22.1%: fourth-smallest of seven, between the 37DB (19.9%) and the 37RD (22.2%).
- Exterior height, 13 ft 3 in: lowest of seven, level with the 32RS and 39MB; next are the 37DB, 37FB and two others (13 ft 4 in).
Next to the 37DB, the nearest lighter floorplan by dry weight, the 38FL is 456 lb heavier by dry weight, has a GVWR 500 lb higher, has a pin weight 390 lb heavier, is 6 in shorter and stands 1 in lower.
02 Full specifications
Dimensions
- Exterior length
- 42' 1 7/8"
- Exterior height
- 13' 3"
- Exterior width
- Not published by Heartland
- Interior height
- Not published by Heartland
Weights
- Dry / unit base weight (UVW)
- 13,450 lb
- GVWR (max loaded)
- 16,000 lb
- Net cargo / payload (CCC)
- Not published by Heartland
- Hitch / pin weight
- 2,970 lb
Capacities
- Fresh water
- Not published by Heartland
- Grey water
- Not published by Heartland
- Black water
- Not published by Heartland
Running gear
- Hitch type
- Fifth wheel (pin box)
- Tire size
- Not published by Heartland
Sleeping & layout
- Sleeps
- 5-6
How these published figures sit against the rest of the catalogue: fifth wheel pin weight and payload; fresh, grey and black tank sizes; camper trailer size chart.
Drawn to scale
Size (no width published)
Axles, wheels and nose shape are schematic; not a floorplan. Data: dataset.
Towing it
Check your vehicle. Enter the ratings from your owner’s manual and the door-pillar placard.
Compares your figures with this page’s published GVWR (16,000 lb) and the upper loaded pin estimate (4,000 lb, a rule of thumb). Your vehicle’s placard and the trailer’s own weight label govern.
Loaded range: 15–25% of GVWR on the pin, a rule of thumb, not a measurement of this unit. No truck ratings or hitch classes (why; NHTSA, DOT HS 809 433). The range starts at the published figure, because loaded is never lighter than that.
03 The Bighorn Traveler floorplan family
Heartland’s 2023 Bighorn Traveler brochure lists 7 Bighorn Traveler floorplans; every one with a printed weight has a page here.
| Floorplan | Nominal | Sleeps | Notable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bighorn Traveler 32RS | 36' 2 3/8" | 3-4 | Profiled |
| Bighorn Traveler 37RD | 41' 7 3/8" | 5-6 | Profiled |
| Bighorn Traveler 37FB | 42' 4 1/8" | 3-4 | Profiled |
| Bighorn Traveler 37TB | 42' 5" | 7-8 | Profiled |
| Bighorn Traveler 39MB | 42' 6" | 7-8 | Profiled |
| Bighorn Traveler 37DB | 42' 7 3/8" | 7-8 | Profiled |
| Bighorn Traveler 38FL | 42' 1 7/8" | 5-6 | Profiled |
Heartland’s 2023 Bighorn Traveler brochure lists 7 Bighorn Traveler floorplans. Every one with a printed weight has a page here.
04 Notes on this floorplan
What Heartland does not publish for the Bighorn Traveler 38FL
Heartland prints no cargo carrying capacity, tire size, interior height, grey-tank, black-tank for this model, so none is given. Nothing is filled from a sibling model, a different model year or a dealer listing.
Read the label on the trailer
Federal rules put a load-carrying label inside every RV trailer: its unloaded weight with full propane, its cargo carrying capacity and its GVWR (49 CFR 571.110 and 571.120). Those figures come from the trailer itself and govern the towing decision.
05 How it compares
12,994 lb dry and 15,500 lb GVWR, against this model’s 13,450 lb and 16,000 lb.
07 Where this floorplan sits
Closest sibling: the Bighorn Traveler 37RD, nearest on the published figures. It differs on 4 of the 5 fields both publish (this plan first): length 42 ft 1 in vs 41 ft 7 in; dry weight 13,450 lb vs 11,996 lb; GVWR 16,000 lb vs 15,500 lb; hitch weight 2,970 lb vs 2,658 lb. They match on sleeps.
| Bighorn Traveler plans | This plan | Position, low to high | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| GVWR (lb) | 16,000 | 4–7 of 7 | 15,500–16,000 |
| Dry weight (lb) | 13,450 | 7 of 7 | 10,803–13,450 |
| Hitch weight (lb) | 2,970 | 7 of 7 | 2,047–2,970 |
| Length | 42 ft 1 in | 3 of 7 | 36 ft 2 in–42 ft 7 in |
| Sleeps | 6 | 3–4 of 7 | 4–8 |
Either side of it by GVWR: Bighorn Traveler 37TB matches it at 16,000 lb GVWR; Bighorn Traveler 39MB matches it at 16,000 lb GVWR.
| Nearest Bighorn Traveler siblings | Length | Sleeps | Dry (lb) | GVWR (lb) | CCC (lb) | Hitch (lb) | Fresh (gal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bighorn Traveler 38FL | 42 ft 1 in | 6 | 13,450 | 16,000 | — | 2,970 | — |
| Bighorn Traveler 37RD | 41 ft 7 in | 6 | 11,996 | 15,500 | — | 2,658 | — |
| Bighorn Traveler 37TB | 42 ft 5 in | 8 | 12,115 | 16,000 | — | 2,913 | — |
| Bighorn Traveler 37FB | 42 ft 4 in | 4 | 12,115 | 16,000 | — | 2,913 | — |
| Bighorn Traveler 37DB | 42 ft 7 in | 8 | 12,994 | 15,500 | — | 2,580 | — |
| Bighorn Traveler 39MB | 42 ft 6 in | 8 | 12,654 | 16,000 | — | 2,366 | — |
All 7 Bighorn Traveler floorplans: Bighorn Traveler line hub.
| Other lines, nearest by GVWR | GVWR (lb) | Dry (lb) | Sleeps | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bighorn Traveler 38FL | 16,000 | 13,450 | 6 | 42 ft 1 in |
| Big Country 3200RLK | 16,000 | 12,140 | 4 | 36 ft 5 in |
| Bighorn 31RL | 16,000 | 13,060 | 4 | 36 ft 0 in |
| ElkRidge 32RLS | 16,000 | 10,788 | 4 | 36 ft 2 in |
| Inferno 3710T | 16,000 | 12,415 | — | 40 ft 7 in |
| Montego Bay 30 KSB-3 | 16,000 | 11,677 | — | 35 ft 2 in |
| North Point 310RLTS | 16,000 | 13,375 | 4 | 36 ft 0 in |
Against the Bighorn Traveler 38FL: the Big Country 3200RLK is 6 ft shorter and sleeps 2 fewer; the Bighorn 31RL is 6 ft shorter and sleeps 2 fewer; the ElkRidge 32RLS is 6 ft shorter and sleeps 2 fewer.
08 Common questions about the Bighorn Traveler 38FL
How much does the Bighorn Traveler 38FL weigh?
13,450 lb dry; 16,000 lb GVWR, the most it may weigh loaded.
What is the pin weight of the Bighorn Traveler 38FL?
2,970 lb as published, 22% of the dry weight (median across 686 fifth wheels here: 19%).
What size tow vehicle does the Bighorn Traveler 38FL need?
A tow rating of at least 16,000 lb, plus payload for the loaded pin weight, passengers and cargo.
How many people does the Bighorn Traveler 38FL sleep?
Its published sleeping capacity is 5–6. 3 of the 7 Bighorn Traveler floorplans that publish a count sleep more.
How long is the Bighorn Traveler 38FL?
42' 1 7/8" overall, tongue or pin box included.
From the figures above.
09 What this page publishes, and what it does not
6 of the 18 fields this catalogue tracks are published for the Bighorn Traveler 38FL. Not published: cargo capacity (CCC), exterior width, interior height, fresh tank, grey tank, black tank, slide count, axle count, tire specification, awning, refrigerator, air conditioning.
Sourcing rules: methodology.
10 Manuals & documents
Sources: heartlandrvs.com, library.rvusa.com (linked below); the full source note is at the foot of the page.
11 NHTSA safety record
NHTSA holds 2 recall campaigns against the Bighorn Traveler line (a recall and a complaint are not the same thing).
Recall coverage here is not complete, and complaints are owners’ unverified reports (how this record is built). Check a specific VIN at NHTSA before you buy. Full tables are on the Bighorn Traveler line page.
Owner’s manuals
The maker’s own owner’s manual for each model year on this page, linked where the maker publishes it. Each link goes to the maker’s file, labelled as the maker labels it; a year with no manual of its own is not filled from another year.
| Model year | Manual |
|---|---|
| 2023 | General Owner's Manual for 2025 or before (PDF on heartlandrvs.com; the maker’s one manual for all its products that year, not a manual written for this line alone) |