01 What makes it unique
The Cardinal 35CRIB has 2,352 lbs of cargo capacity between 11,953 lbs dry and its 14,305 lbs GVWR, 16% of that rating; filling its 60-gallon fresh tank at 8.3 lb a gallon uses 498 lbs of it (how to read trailer weights).
Pin weight is 2,305 lbs, 19% of the dry weight as published; it rises as the trailer is loaded and comes off the truck’s payload, not its towing rating, so check it against the payload on your own door sticker (pin weight and payload).
Off hookups: 152 gallons of grey and black capacity against 60 gallons of fresh water, so fresh water runs out first (tank sizes by length).
Against the rest of the Cardinal roster this is the 7th of 9 floorplans by dry weight, in a line that runs from 9,688 lbs to 12,033 lbs. It sits in the heavier third of the line.
Plan the tow on loaded weight, not the 11,953 lbs dry figure: half the published cargo capacity brings this plan to about 13,129 lbs, and the published GVWR of 14,305 lbs is the limit (how to read trailer weights).
Forest River’s line listing and this floorplan’s own factory page agree on all 4 shared figures. Dry weight plus cargo capacity equals the published GVWR exactly. A missing row means Forest River does not publish that figure (how figures are verified).
Forest River publishes no floorplan description for this plan in the channel this page is built from - only the numeric specification block. Rather than describe a layout from the floorplan code, which would be a guess dressed as a fact, this page carries what the factory publishes and says where it stops. 35CRIB is a Cardinal designation and this site does not decode it into a layout claim.
How the 35CRIB differs from the other eight Cardinal floorplans. Most distinctive first. How these ranks are worked out.
- GVWR, 14,305 lb: highest of nine; next are the 36FL and 38DEN (14,235 lb).
- Pin weight, 2,305 lb: heaviest of nine; next are the 36FL and 38DEN (2,235 lb).
- Exterior height, 13 ft 6 in: tallest of nine; next are the 36FUN and 37GALLEY (13 ft 5 in).
- Pin weight as a share of dry weight, 19.3%: second-largest of nine, between the 38DEN (19.2%) and the 36FL (19.8%).
- Dry weight, 11,953 lb: third-heaviest of nine, between the 41DUB (11,768 lb) and the 42MASTERS (12,008 lb).
- Length, 42 ft 8 in: third-shortest of nine, between the 33CHEF (38 ft 3 in) and the 36FUN and 37GALLEY (42 ft 9 in).
- Cargo capacity, 2,352 lb: fourth-smallest of nine, between the 41DUB (2,282 lb) and the 32CHILL (2,500 lb).
- Cargo capacity as a share of GVWR, 16.4%: fourth-smallest of nine, between the 41DUB (16.2%) and the 38DEN (18.2%).
- Black tank, 76 gal: largest of nine, level with the 36FUN, 37GALLEY and 42MASTERS; next are the 32CHILL, 33CHEF and three others (38 gal).
Next to the 41DUB, the nearest lighter floorplan by dry weight, the 35CRIB is 185 lb heavier by dry weight, has a GVWR 255 lb higher, has 70 lb more cargo capacity, has a pin weight 255 lb heavier, is 2 ft 6 in shorter, stands 2 in taller and has a black tank 38 gal larger; the two publish the same fresh tank and grey tank.
Next to the 42MASTERS, the nearest heavier floorplan by dry weight, the 35CRIB is 55 lb lighter by dry weight, has a GVWR 350 lb higher, has 405 lb more cargo capacity, has a pin weight 350 lb heavier, is 2 ft 8 in shorter and stands 2 in taller; the two publish the same fresh tank, grey tank and black tank.
02 Full specifications
Dimensions
- Exterior length
- 42' 8"
- Exterior height
- 13' 6"
- Exterior width
- 96"
Weights
- Dry / unit base weight (UVW)
- 11,953 lbs
- GVWR (max loaded)
- 14,305 lbs
- Net cargo / payload (CCC)
- 2,352 lbs
- Hitch / pin weight
- 2,305 lbs
Capacities
- Fresh water
- 60 gal
- Grey water
- 76 gal
- Black water
- 76 gal
Running gear
- Hitch type
- Fifth wheel (pin box)
- Axles
- Not published by Forest River
- Tires
- Not published by Forest River
Sleeping & layout
- Sleeps
- Not published by Forest River
- Awnings
- 10'6" & 15'
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
Weight budget
Size, with end view
Holding tanks
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 (14,305 lb) and the upper loaded pin estimate (3,576 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.
The 2026 model year
Forest River also published a 35CRIB for 2026, under the Wildcat badge. That year’s record is on its own page: 2026 Forest River Wildcat 35CRIB. The specifications above are the 2027 record; the two years are not merged.
03 The Cardinal floorplan family
Cardinal is Forest River's extended-stay fifth wheel, aimed at people who live in the trailer for long stretches rather than long weekends, and for 2027 Forest River publishes the same nine floorplans, with the same figures, under a second badge: Wildcat. Every one of the nine ties out exactly - dry weight plus cargo capacity equals the published GVWR on all nine, under both badges. Pin weights run 1,765 to 2,305 lb.
| Floorplan | Nominal | Dry weight (lb) | GVWR (lb) | Notable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32CHILL | 35' 3" | 9,688 | 12,188 | Fifth Wheels |
| 33CHEF | 38' 3" | 10,558 | 13,885 | Fifth Wheels |
| 37GALLEY | 42' 9" | 11,123 | 14,080 | Fifth Wheels |
| 36FL | 44' 5" | 11,283 | 14,235 | Fifth Wheels |
| 38DEN | 44' 5" | 11,638 | 14,235 | Fifth Wheels |
| 41DUB | 45' 2" | 11,768 | 14,050 | Fifth Wheels |
| 35CRIB | 42' 8" | 11,953 | 14,305 | Fifth Wheels |
| 42MASTERS | 45' 4" | 12,008 | 13,955 | Fifth Wheels |
| 36FUN | 42' 9" | 12,033 | 14,095 | Fifth Wheels |
Forest River publishes this roster twice for 2027, as Cardinal and as Wildcat, on two separate factory line pages with their own per-plan detail pages. Both list the same nine floorplan codes, and compared field by field across all nine the two agree on every published figure: dry weight, GVWR, cargo capacity, hitch weight, length, height, all three tanks and awning size. The one gap is the 42MASTERS: its Cardinal page prints an exterior width of 96 inches and its Wildcat page prints none. GVWR is published for all nine under both badges, and dry weight plus cargo capacity equals it exactly on every plan. This site catalogues the roster once, as one set of pages carrying both names, rather than two identical page sets; the Cardinal badge is used for the page addresses because its pages publish that one extra field. Sleeping capacity, axle count, tire size and MSRP are not published in this channel and are absent rather than estimated.
04 Notes on this floorplan
What Forest River does not publish for this line
Sleeping capacity, axle count, tire size and MSRP are not in Forest River’s specification channel for Cardinal, so this page does not publish them and does not estimate them (how figures are verified).
Weigh it before you tow it
Forest River calls its unloaded weight an estimated average for a standard build, and options and dealer add-ons change it, so weigh your own trailer loaded the way you travel (how figures are verified).
05 How it compares
11,768 lbs dry against this plan's 11,953 lbs, a difference of 185 lbs.
12,008 lbs dry, 55 lbs more than this plan, and 1,947 lbs of cargo capacity against this one's 2,352 lbs.
3,327 lbs of cargo capacity, the highest of the 9 Cardinal floorplans profiled here. If payload rather than length is the binding constraint, that is the plan to compare against.
06 Loading it for a trip
A full 60-gallon fresh tank is about 498 lb of water (water counts as cargo: 49 CFR 571.120 S10.4.2), 21% of the 35CRIB’s 2,352 lb cargo capacity, leaving 1,854 lb. Across 9 Cardinal floorplans the water share runs 15% to 26%, and 3 give up more than this one. Nearest on that share: Cardinal 32CHILL at 20% and Cardinal 41DUB at 22%. Your own unit’s figure is on the label inside its entry door (49 CFR 571.120 S10.4.3).
07 Where this floorplan sits
Closest sibling: the Cardinal 36FUN, nearest on the published figures. It differs on 5 of the 8 fields both publish (this plan first): length 42 ft 8 in vs 42 ft 9 in; dry weight 11,953 lb vs 12,033 lb; GVWR 14,305 lb vs 14,095 lb; cargo capacity 2,352 lb vs 2,062 lb; hitch weight 2,305 lb vs 2,095 lb. They match on fresh tank, grey tank and black tank.
| Cardinal plans | This plan | Position, low to high | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| GVWR (lb) | 14,305 | 9 of 9 | 12,188–14,305 |
| Dry weight (lb) | 11,953 | 7 of 9 | 9,688–12,033 |
| Cargo capacity (lb) | 2,352 | 4 of 9 | 1,947–3,327 |
| Hitch weight (lb) | 2,305 | 9 of 9 | 1,765–2,305 |
| Length | 42 ft 8 in | 3 of 9 | 35 ft 3 in–45 ft 4 in |
| Grey tank (gal) | 76 | 3–9 of 9 | 38–76 |
| Black tank (gal) | 76 | 6–9 of 9 | 38–76 |
Either side of it by GVWR: Cardinal 38DEN is 70 lb lighter (14,235 lb GVWR).
| Nearest Cardinal siblings | Length | Sleeps | Dry (lb) | GVWR (lb) | CCC (lb) | Hitch (lb) | Fresh (gal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinal 35CRIB | 42 ft 8 in | — | 11,953 | 14,305 | 2,352 | 2,305 | 60 |
| Cardinal 36FUN | 42 ft 9 in | — | 12,033 | 14,095 | 2,062 | 2,095 | 60 |
| Cardinal 37GALLEY | 42 ft 9 in | — | 11,123 | 14,080 | 2,957 | 2,080 | 60 |
| Cardinal 42MASTERS | 45 ft 4 in | — | 12,008 | 13,955 | 1,947 | 1,955 | 60 |
| Cardinal 41DUB | 45 ft 2 in | — | 11,768 | 14,050 | 2,282 | 2,050 | 60 |
| Cardinal 36FL | 44 ft 5 in | — | 11,283 | 14,235 | 2,952 | 2,235 | 60 |
All 9 Cardinal floorplans: Cardinal line hub.
| Other lines, nearest by GVWR | GVWR (lb) | Dry (lb) | Sleeps | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35CRIB | 14,305 | 11,953 | — | 42 ft 8 in |
| Wildcat 35CRIB | 14,305 | 11,953 | — | 42 ft 8 in |
| Eagle 370FBTS | 14,300 | 12,195 | 4 | 40 ft 8 in |
| Cedar Creek 291RW | 14,350 | 11,414 | — | 34 ft 7 in |
| Wolf Pack 275PACK15 | 14,260 | 9,313 | — | 32 ft 0 in |
| Cherokee Arctic Wolf 3950SUITE | 14,200 | 11,998 | — | 43 ft 9 in |
| Blackthorn 2990MK | 14,180 | 10,864 | — | 35 ft 0 in |
Against the 35CRIB: the Eagle 370FBTS is 5 lb lighter and 2 ft shorter; the Cedar Creek 291RW is 45 lb heavier and 8 ft shorter.
08 Common questions about the 35CRIB
How much does the 35CRIB weigh?
11,953 lb dry; 14,305 lb GVWR, the most it may weigh loaded.
How much can the 35CRIB carry?
2,352 lb, 16% of its GVWR (median across 238 fifth wheels here: 18%). A full fresh tank uses 498 lb of it.
What is the pin weight of the 35CRIB?
2,305 lb as published, 19% of the dry weight (median across 406 fifth wheels here: 19%).
What size tow vehicle does the 35CRIB need?
A tow rating of at least 14,305 lb, plus payload for the loaded pin weight, passengers and cargo.
What are the tank capacities on the 35CRIB?
Fresh 60, grey 76, black 76 gallons. Off hookups, fresh water runs out first.
How long is the 35CRIB?
42' 8" overall, tongue or pin box included.
From the figures above.
09 What this page publishes, and what it does not
11 of the 18 fields this catalogue tracks are published for the 35CRIB. Not published: interior height, sleeps, slide count, axle count, tire specification, refrigerator, air conditioning.
Sourcing rules: methodology.
10 Manuals & documents
Sources: forestriverinc.com (linked below); the full source note is at the foot of the page.
11 NHTSA safety record
NHTSA holds 21 recall campaigns and 50 owner complaints (model years 2005 on) against the Cardinal line (a recall and a complaint are not the same thing).
What to look at on a used one. Across the 50 complaints filed on this line the most-reported components are tires (30%), structure (20%) and unknown or other (12%).
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 Cardinal line page.