01 What makes it unique
The 290RL is where Cedar Creek starts, and the plan that opens Forest River’s flagship luxury fifth wheel to the broadest range of trucks. At about 12,254 pounds dry it is both the lightest and the shortest coach in the line, yet it carries the full Cedar Creek build: the 101-inch widebody Z-frame chassis, an all-aluminum superstructure on 16-inch centers, 3M-bonded fiberglass sidewalls, the 21,000-pound Rhino Box hitch and Road Armor suspension with wet bolts and ABS brakes. The layout is rear-living, with a kitchen island, a free-standing dinette, swivel recliners and a private front bedroom.
Its numbers make it the easiest Cedar Creek to tow. Forest River lists a published 16,095-pound GVWR against the 12,254-pound dry weight, which leaves a 3,841-pound payload — the most of any plan in the line — and a 2,095-pound dry pin, the lowest of the eight. Dual Coleman MACH 8 15,000-BTU air conditioners, a 20-cubic-foot stainless residential refrigerator, a four-burner gas oven, a Suburban 60,000-BTU tankless water heater and a 200-watt solar package with a 1,000-watt inverter come standard, across three slide-outs.
At a starting MSRP around $119,000 it is the most accessible Cedar Creek, and dealers discount it heavily — street prices well under the placard are common. For a couple who wants Forest River’s flagship luxury build and a rear-living layout without the length, weight or pin of the big plans, the 290RL is the line’s natural entry.
02 Full specifications
Dimensions
- Exterior length
- 34' 7"
- Exterior width
- 8' 5"
- Exterior height
- 13' 3"
- Interior height
- 8' 0"
Weights
- Dry / unit base weight (UVW)
- 12,254 lbs
- GVWR (max loaded)
- 16,095 lbs
- Net cargo / payload (CCC)
- 3,841 lbs
- Dry pin (hitch) weight
- 2,095 lbs
Capacities
- Fresh water
- 75 gal
- Grey water
- 82 gal
- Black water
- 41 gal
- Refrigerator
- 20 cu ft
Construction
- Frame
- Z-frame · 101" widebody
- Walls
- All-aluminum superstructure on 16" centers · 3M bonded fiberglass
- Roof
- AlphaPly™ TPO · limited-lifetime warranty
- Underbelly
- Heated front storage · 12V tank pads · ABS panels
Running gear
- Axles
- 2 (7,000 lb tandem)
- Hitch
- Fifth-wheel (in-bed) · 21,000-lb Rhino Box
- Suspension
- Road Armor™ · wet bolts · ABS brakes
- Tires
- Goodyear™ on 7K axles
Galley & bath
- Cooktop
- 4-burner gas oven · pull-out pan drawer
- Refrigerator
- 20 cu ft
- A/C
- 30,000 BTU (dual Coleman MACH 8 15K)
- Water heater
- Suburban ST-60 · 60,000 BTU tankless
Sleeping & layout
- Sleeps
- 4
- Slides
- 3
- Entries
- 1
- Awnings
- 1 (18')
- Primary bed
- King
03 The Cedar Creek floorplan family
Cedar Creek is Forest River's flagship full-size luxury fifth wheel and the first Forest River fifth wheel in this catalog — a direct rival to Keystone's Montana and Grand Design's Solitude. The 2027 fifth-wheel line runs to eight floorplans, and all eight are profiled here in full. The 290RL on this page is highlighted; each other plan links to its own page.
| Floorplan | Nominal | Sleeps | Notable |
|---|---|---|---|
| 290RL | 35 ft | 4 | Rear-living entry, lightest, biggest payload |
| 361RL | 40 ft | 4 | Rear-living couples, swivel recliners |
| 385RK | 42 ft | 4 | Rear kitchen, bath-and-a-half, outside TV |
| 383FB | 42 ft | 4 | Rear living + front bath suite |
| 390RKB | 43 ft | 8 | Rear kitchen + loft/bunk, family |
| 398FL | 43 ft | 4 | Front living, 5 slides, 65" TV |
| 380DB | 43 ft | 10 | Double bunk, dual entry, two full baths |
| 381MUD | 43 ft | 8 | Murphy bed + loft, bath-and-a-half |
Cedar Creek is Forest River's flagship full-size luxury fifth wheel and the natural Montana and Solitude cross-shop. The 2027 line runs to eight floorplans, all profiled here. Every plan rides on the same 101-inch widebody Z-frame chassis with an all-aluminum superstructure on 16-inch centers, 3M bonded fiberglass sidewalls, a 21,000-pound Rhino Box hitch, Road Armor suspension and a heated, enclosed front storage compartment, and ships with two 15,000-BTU Coleman MACH 8 air conditioners, a 20-cubic-foot stainless refrigerator, a 60,000-BTU tankless water heater, a residential kitchen island, 200-watt solar with a 1,000-watt inverter and a 72-by-80-inch king bed as standard. The lighter, sub-17,000-pound-GVWR plans run 7,000-pound axles; the four 18,000-pound-GVWR plans run 8,000-pound axles. Hitch weight, GVWR, UVW and CCC are published per plan on the Forest River factory pages, and each plan's UVW plus CCC equals its GVWR exactly. Real loaded pin weights run higher — always weigh the loaded coach and confirm against your truck's payload and rear-axle ratings.
04 What owners & reviewers report
Lightest + shortest in the line
At about 12,254 lb dry and under 35 feet it is the most tow-friendly Cedar Creek — the widest truck compatibility in the luxury line.
Biggest payload
A published 3,841-lb payload — the most of any plan in the line — leaves the most margin for gear, water and supplies.
Full Cedar Creek build at entry price
The same 101" widebody Z-frame chassis, Rhino Box hitch and 3M-bonded fiberglass as the big plans, at the line’s lowest MSRP.
Rear living + kitchen island
A rear-lounge layout with a kitchen island, free-standing dinette and swivel recliners — a couples’ plan on a single entry.
05 How it compares
The next size up — a longer rear-living plan with the same couples’ focus, more length and a higher pin.
Keystone’s rear-living luxury entry — the direct full-size-luxury-FW cross-shop against the Cedar Creek line.
Grand Design’s lightest Solitude — a rear-kitchen luxury entry, the other major full-size-FW rival.