2026 Forest River Campsite Ultra26BW

The Campsite Ultra 26BW leaves Forest River's factory at 6,923 lbs dry, with a published GVWR of 7,985 lbs and 1,062 lbs of cargo capacity between the two. Cargo capacity is 13% of the loaded rating, and Forest River's own definition is worth reading before you plan against it: cargo capacity is what remains for fresh water, gear, food, batteries and every dealer-installed accessory. Fresh water alone is 8.3 lb per gallon, so filling this trailer's 52-gallon fresh tank spends 432 lbs of that 1,062 lbs before anything else is loaded.

Dry tongue weight is 985 lbs, or 14% of the dry weight. Ten to fifteen percent is the conventional band for a bumper-pull trailer, and this plan sits inside it as published. Tongue weight is not fixed: it moves with how the trailer is loaded, and weight added ahead of the axles raises it. A weight-distribution hitch is the normal fitment at this tongue load, and the tow vehicle's tongue-weight limit is a separate number from its trailer-weight limit.

Tank capacities are 52 gallons fresh, 38 grey and 38 black, 76 gallons of waste capacity against 52 gallons of supply. The ratio is what governs how long the trailer can sit off hookups: waste capacity exceeds fresh, so the fresh tank is the binding constraint and refilling extends the stay. Forest River publishes these three figures per floorplan, and they are the factory's numbers rather than a segment average.

Against the rest of the Campsite Ultra roster this is the 6th of 6 floorplans by dry weight, in a line that runs from 5,158 lbs to 6,923 lbs. It is the heaviest plan in the line, so the tow vehicle should be settled before the floorplan is. Comparing floorplans inside one line is more reliable than comparing across brands, because every figure here comes from the same factory channel on the same day.

A useful way to read the pair of weights is to stop planning against the dry figure. Nobody tows a trailer at 6,923 lbs: that is the weight before water, batteries, propane, bedding, food, tools and anything the dealer bolted on. Load half the published cargo capacity, which is modest for a family trip, and this plan is already near 7,454 lbs on the road. Compare that number against the tow vehicle, not the dry weight, and leave margin on top of it - the published GVWR of 7,985 lbs is a limit rather than a target.

Every number above was captured twice from Forest River and checked against itself before it was published. The line listing and the individual floorplan page are two separate factory renderings of the same trailer, and this plan's 4 shared figures agree exactly on both. Dry weight plus cargo capacity also equals the published GVWR exactly, which is the arithmetic check this site runs on every profiled floorplan. Where a figure is missing from this page it is because Forest River does not publish it in this channel, not because it was hard to find - and the row says so rather than being quietly dropped.

Forest River's own description of this floorplan reads: “The Campsite Ultra 26BW a front kitchen floorplan that will thrill the cook among your crew with the natural light alone. Yes, those rear windows keep everything open and bright, and the hidden pantry behind the entertainment center reaffirms the fact that this front kitchen has everything your camp chef needs to store goods and prep delicious camping meals.” That is the factory's marketing copy rather than a specification, and nothing in it is treated as a verified field on this page - layout descriptions, sleeping arrangements and feature claims in factory copy are not carried into the spec table unless the factory also publishes them as specifications.

Campsite Ultra is the tightest roster on this site by loaded rating: GVWR spans just 7,600 to 7,985 lb across all six floorplans, a 385 lb spread. What actually varies is what the trailer spends that rating on. Dry weight runs 5,158 to 6,923 lb and cargo capacity runs 927 to 2,442 lb, so the lightest plan carries more than two and a half times the payload of the heaviest one at almost the same loaded weight. Dry tongue weight runs 600 to 985 lb. For a buyer matching a half-ton truck, this is a line where the tow rating question is nearly settled by the badge and the real decision is how much of it is left for gear.

A full 52-gallon fresh tank is about 434 lb of water (water counts as cargo: 49 CFR 571.110 S9.3.2), 41% of the 26BW’s 1,062 lb cargo capacity, leaving 628 lb. Across 6 Campsite Ultra floorplans the water share runs 18% to 47%, and 1 gives up more than this one. Nearest on that share: Campsite Ultra 26CJL at 35% and Campsite Ultra 25JT at 47%. Your own unit’s figure is on the label inside its entry door (49 CFR 571.110 S9.3.3).

Closest sibling: the Campsite Ultra 25JT, nearest on the published figures. It differs on 6 of the 8 fields both publish (this plan first): length 30 ft 3 in vs 30 ft 1 in; dry weight 6,923 lb vs 6,808 lb; GVWR 7,985 lb vs 7,735 lb; cargo capacity 1,062 lb vs 927 lb; dry hitch weight 985 lb vs 735 lb; black tank 38 gal vs 28 gal. They match on fresh tank and grey tank.

Either side of it by GVWR: Campsite Ultra 26TH is 165 lb lighter (7,820 lb GVWR).

All 6 Campsite Ultra floorplans: Campsite Ultra line hub.

Against the 26BW: the Cherokee Grey Wolf Black Label 24RRTBL is 4 lb heavier and 3 ft longer; the Coachmen Apex Ultra-Lite 291TBSS is 5 lb lighter and 3 ft longer; the Imagine XLS 25DBE is 10 lb heavier.

10 of the 18 fields this catalogue tracks are published for the 26BW. Not published: interior height, sleeps, slide count, axle count, tire specification, awning, refrigerator, air conditioning.

Sourcing rules: methodology.